The motivations for and effects of modified fractional counting

Abstract: A recent contribution to Journal of Informetrics (Donner, 2024) raised important questions about the properties and effects of bibliometric counting methods, mainly focusing on our contribution to the same journal five years ago (Sivertsen, Rousseau, and Zhang, 2019) where we developed and proposed a new counting method called modified fractional counting (MFC) for the measurement of scientific production at aggregate levels such as institutions or countries. Paul Donner identified four possible problems with the MFC indicator that have not been discussed before. Two of them raise fundamental questions about the object of study in scientometrics and research policy studies while the other two are related to the core discussions about responsible research assessment and funding. We respond to all four problems, both conceptually and with new empirical information

Isomorfisme tussen vluchtelingengezinnen en sociaal werkers : een sociaal-ruimtelijk en temporeel perspectief op sociaal werk in asielcentra in Belgi\ueb

Abstract: Asylum seekers' centres are ambivalent places. They both exert control and provide assistance to secure asylum seekers' basic needs. In this article, we explore the impact of asylum seekers' centres' infrastructures on families' and social workers' living and working conditions. We attempt to move beyond seeing these centres as physical places that are not adapted to family life, analysing asylum centres as social spaces in which refugees and reception staff struggle with, resist and negotiate the often unadapted infrastructure. Drawing on the concept of isomorphism, we propose that asylum centres as social spaces impact refugees and reception staff in similar ways. Results from 123 in-depth interviews with parents (58), children (38) and staff (38) of nine asylum centres in Belgium show that different aspects of the social space affect refugees and social workers similarly, leading to parallel coping strategies that may reinforce one another. In the discussion, we point to the importance of isomorphic processes for social work in precarious social spaces, including residential settings such as asylum seekers' centres. Asielcentra zijn ambivalente plaatsen. Ze bieden zowel controle als hulp, waar ze voorzien in de basisbehoeften van asielzoekers. In dit artikel onderzoeken we de impact van de infrastructuur van asielcentra op de leef - en werkomstandigheden van gezinnen en opvangmedewerkers. We zien de opvanginfrastructuur niet enkel als fysieke plaatsen, die onaangepast zijn aan het gezinsleven. We analyseren asielcentra ook als sociale ruimten, waarin en waarmee zowel vluchtelingen als opvangpersoneel worstelen met, weerstand bieden aan en onderhandelen over de vaak onaangepaste infrastructuur. Op basis van het concept van isomorfisme onderzoeken we voor hoe asielcentra als sociale ruimten een gelijkaardige impact hebben op zowel vluchtelingen als opvangpersoneel. De resultaten van 123 diepte-interviews met ouders (58), kinderen (38) en personeel (38) van 9 collectieve asielcentra in Belgi & euml; tonen aan dat verschillende aspecten van de sociale ruimte een gelijkaardige impact hebben op vluchtelingen als op het personeel. Dat leidt tot parallelle copingstrategie & euml;n die elkaar verder kunnen versterken. In de discussie wijzen we op het belang van isomorfe processen voor sociaal werk in precaire sociale ruimten, met inbegrip van residenti & euml;le omgevingen zoals asielcentra

Analysis of active mobility and active aging : insights on green street design and age-friendly policies in Portugal

Abstract: The green city approach has been an emergent trend, especially given the urgency of mitigating climate change. Simultaneously, active aging policies have been advocating a safe barrier-free public space for older people. It is paramount to bridge the knowledge gap between the planning of active mobility and green streets as a response to climate change mitigation policies and the active aging and age-friendly framework. Thus, we aim to analyze: i) how active mobility and active aging policies evolved in Portugal, and ii) how active aging and older people as users were considered in the active mobility policy implementation and the green streets design in Portugal. We concluded that the active mobility policies in Portugal were driven by climate agreements, but that Lisbon began autonomously to implement its green streets network mainly from 2016 to 2017, even in the absence of a congruent national strategy. Despite this, the context of the older people was only tenuously considered in the design of these initiatives. Climate mitigation programs and green streets projects are currently not fully equipped to address the needs of older people. Moreover, the planning of programs and urban infrastructure in a truly age-friendly manner is still lacking

Noot onder EHRM 18 juli 2023, Camara t. Belgi\ueb

Abstract: In het arrest Camara t. Belgi\ueb heeft het EHRM geoordeeld dat de laattijdige uitvoering van een beschikking van de kortgedingrechter in strijd was met het recht op een eerlijk proces. De beschikking beval Fedasil om de asielzoeker materi\ueble bijstand en opvang te verstrekken

The responsible cobalt sourcing assemblage : thinking through a booming governance framework

Abstract: Since around 2016, the world has seen a mushrooming of so-called \u2018responsible cobalt sourcing\u2019 initiatives, aiming to tackle a series of human rights and (child) labour concerns around the artisanal and small-scale (ASM) mines in Lualaba province, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These initiatives include state-led efforts, such as the launch of the Entreprise G\ue9n\ue9rale du Cobalt and the inauguration of the Musompo Trading Centre, as well as industry-led initiatives, such as the Fair Cobalt Alliance, Mutoshi Pilot Project, and RCS Better Mining. Whereas several of these have been analyzed separately, there is a gap in the literature providing a holistic understanding of these developments; how they have emerged, how they are interconnected, and how they are sustained, despite arguably limited impact for ASM communities. In this article, we fill this gap by conceptualizing the \u2018responsible cobalt sourcing assemblage.\u2019 We argue that the assemblage approach helps to foreground the non-linearity and contingency of responsible sourcing while also acknowledging the ongoing labor of (re)shaping and sustaining the assemblage. Using Li's (2007a) analytic of assemblage practices, we unpack the processuality, multiplicity and agency of the assemblage

In search of positive value: food as part of medical and ethical Lebensreform in Belgium during the Interbellum

Abstract: This article analyses the public discourse about an early vegetarian movement active in Belgium (Antwerp) during the interwar period (1923-1939). It investigates the societal background of the vegetarian institute \u201cHygi\uebnisch Gesticht Van den Broeck\u201d and identifies Alo\uefs Van Son as the main driver and architect of a radical Lebensreform. Through an in-depth reading of the main periodical of the movement, Terug ter Orde (Back to Order), it is argued that the early Antwerp vegetarians developed an extensive, religiously inspired critique of the modern food system and proposed a coherent alternative regarding the production, distribution and consumption of food. Although the social impact of the movement remained limited and mainly attracted people from well-to-do Flemish cultural circles, some of its ideas regarding industrial food reform are still remarkably relevant

Quiet offence, passive defence? Interest groups, lobbying strategies, and agenda-setting influence

Abstract: This article examines how interest groups, whether defending the status quo or advocating for change, can influence the policy agenda. It argues that increasing inside lobbying allows interest groups to push their \u2018dream\u2019 issues onto the agenda, whereas remaining passive is the most effective way to prevent \u2018nightmares\u2019 from attaining agenda status. Analysing the preferences of 138 interest groups on 53 EU policy issues, the study reveals that status quo challengers who intensify their inside lobbying efforts gain a competitive advantage in agenda-setting, while increased outside lobbying offers them no benefits. Conversely, status quo defenders gain little from inside lobbying and risk losing by investing in outside lobbying. The effectiveness of passivity is surprising because it contradicts the conventional wisdom that active lobbying is crucial for securing influence. Overall, this article contributes to a better understanding of interest groups\u2019 political influence and agenda-setting dynamics

The Normative Shift in Corporate Tax Policy after GloBE

Abstract: In the era of global minimum taxes, the merit of any given national corporate income tax will depend on which governments will be collecting corporate tax revenues, and at whose expense. This marks a shift in focus away from a century-old baseline assumption: before this era, the likelihood that a corporation would face income tax at all was in no way assured, but now, any given corporate income stream will likely be subject to tax by some government, somewhere \u2013 if not yet in practice, presumably some time in the near future. This shift in assumption alters the terrain for normative policy analysis by centering questions that were formerly sidelined, especially respecting the impact of taxes on the international distribution of wealth among nations. This article examines the implications of this shift and shows why it leads to a clear understanding of corporate taxes as a key international wealth distribution tool

Art\u2013science collaborations in biotechnology research : a transdisciplinary approach

Abstract: While funding agencies promote transdisciplinary approaches, significant barriers persist. Successful transdisciplinary research (TDR) demands embracing different ways of knowing, addressing power imbalances, and accepting slower, more complex research processes. Drawing from the experience with BactoHealing, the authors demonstrate how genuine transdisciplinarity requires courage, trust, and institutional support to challenge traditional frameworks

Mandatory energy efficiency disclosure policies and house prices

Abstract: Mandatory disclosure policies are increasingly being used by governments around the world to reduce information-driven market failures related to climate risk and energy efficiency. We exploit two policy changes in Flanders (Belgium) to study the causal effect of mandatory energy efficiency disclosure policies on house prices. We find that the introduction of mandatory energy performance certificates with an energy efficiency score in 2008 did not affect the association between energy efficiency and sales prices, indicating that the policy change did not reduce information frictions. However, the introduction of EPC labels in 2019 affected the capitalization of energy efficiency