UK Data Archive Resources for Studying Older People and Ageing

There is a growing collection of data available on older people and ageing at the UK Data Archive. Collections include “On the Edge of Later Life”, a study that investigated the experiences of people in their 50’s, and “Older Men: Their Social Worlds and Healthy Lifestyles”, a study that investigated masculinity and ageing, with a focus on men living alone. Both qualitative and quantitative data are available. The UKDA wants to make data easily useable for research, teaching and policy purposes. To those ends, it provides access to data, additional resources and user support for those interested in using archived data. This paper describes the kinds of data and related materials that are available on ageing and later life and explains how they can be accessed and used

Social scientists’ data reuse behaviors: Exploring the roles of attitudinal beliefs, attitudes, norms, and data repositories.

Many disciplines within the social sciences have a dynamic culture of sharing and reusing data. Because social science data differ from data in the hard sciences, it is necessary to explicitly examine social science data reuse. This study explores the data reuse behaviors of social scientists in order to better understand both the factors that influence those social scientists' intentions to reuse data and the extent to which those factors influence actual data reuse. Using an integrated theoretical model developed from the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study provides a broad explanation of the relationships among factors influencing social scientists' data reuse. A total of 292 survey responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings suggest that social scientists' data reuse intentions are directly influenced by the subjective norm of data reuse, attitudes toward data reuse, and perceived effort involved in data reuse. Attitude toward data reuse mediated social scientists' intentions to reuse data, leading to the indirect influence of the perceived usefulness and perceived concern of data reuse, as well as the indirect influence of the subjective norm of data reuse. Finally, the availability of a data repository indirectly influenced social scientists' intentions to reuse data by reducing the perceived effort involved

The European Landscape of Qualitative Social Research Archives: Methodological and Practical Issues

In this article I set about describing current practices in archiving and reusing qualitative data. I discuss where can you find archived sources of qualitative data, and discuss some of the debates surrounding methodological, ethical and theoretical considerations relating to re-using data. I then address more pragmatic issues involved acquiring, preserving, providing access to and supporting the use of the data. Where best do qualitative data collections sit?in traditional libraries or archives alongside historical documents or as part of more holistic digital collections of contemporary social science research resources? This question relates to accessibility, resource discovery and cataloging methods, data preparation and documentation and promotional and outreach efforts to encourage data use. The ESDS Qualidata unit at the UK Data Archive is used as case study for showcasing archival practices, and is situated within the broader European landscape of social science-oriented data archives. Infrastructure requirements for running an archive are discussed and a look forward future developments

Knowledge Management

The main aim of European Union is "to become the most competitive and dynamic world economy based on knowledge, capable for viable economic growth with better work places and greater social cohesion". Competitive advantage in "new economy" has passed from material and financial assets on (to) non-material and non-financial belongings. The key challenge for 21st century companies is knowledge defining, measuring, advancing, valuing and controlling. Characteristics of economy based on knowledge are: • knowledge is used as input and as output, • in the most developed countries i the world, more than half gross of domestic product is based on knowledge, • high technology Industries nearly have doubled their share in output in last two decades, while services based on knowledge increase faster, too, • in new employing number of " knowledge " workers brings on an overage 80% of new jobs, and • increasing of information and knowledge portions in production technologies, but in products, too.knowledge management

Maximizing reuse: Applying common sense and discipline

Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)/System Sciences Division (SSD) has maintained a long-term relationship with NASA/Goddard, providing satellite mission ground-support software and services for 23 years. As a partner in the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) since 1976, CSC has worked closely with NASA/Goddard to improve the software engineering process. This paper examines the evolution of reuse programs in this uniquely stable environment and formulates certain recommendations for developing reuse programs as a business strategy and as an integral part of production. It focuses on the management strategy and philosophy that have helped make reuse successful in this environment

The maturing of the quality improvement paradigm in the SEL

The Software Engineering Laboratory uses a paradigm for improving the software process and product, called the quality improvement paradigm. This paradigm has evolved over the past 18 years, along with our software development processes and product. Since 1976, when we first began the SEL, we have learned a great deal about improving the software process and product, making a great many mistakes along the way. Quality improvement paradigm, as it is currently defined, can be broken up into six steps: characterize the current project and its environment with respect to the appropriate models and metrics; set the quantifiable goals for successful project performance and improvement; choose the appropriate process model and supporting methods and tools for this project; execute the processes, construct the products, and collect, validate, and analyze the data to provide real-time feedback for corrective action; analyze the data to evaluate the current practices, determine problems, record findings, and make recommendations for future project improvements; and package the experience gained in the form of updated and refined models and other forms of structured knowledge gained from this and prior projects and save it in an experience base to be reused on future projects

Small is big: micro-regeneration of abandoned urban voids - reactivating community

Màster universitari en Estudis Avançats en Arquitectura-BarcelonaArch. MBARCH ETSAB UPC: The contemporary projectOver the past 30 years, Chinese cities have followed mainly a function-oriented modernist planning approach. The rapid and large-scale urban construction mode conforms to the space production mode under the operation of power and capital, and the urban space has undergone tremendous changes. At the same time, it has also caused enormous damage and waste. With the continuous advancement of modernist urbanization, China's urban space is generally in a state of contradiction and chaos. While people are building physical spaces at an astonishing rate, they are also unconsciously producing a lot of urban voids. As a famous ancient city in China, Xi'an has preserved a thousand-year-old historical culture and traditional urban pattern. As a subculture residential area, the Muslim community has distinct characteristics in the city. Faced with such problems of urban space development, the research context and urban space background have been established for the author's subsequent research. In order to solve the problems of insufficient public space and unreasonable utilization of the remaining urban space in high-density communities, the research needs to take the various spaces in the city that have been squeezed and forgotten by functionalism as the research objects and take "Urban Voids" and "Urban Regeneration" as the research object. "Theory as the theoretical basis, in-depth study of the emerging urban community "micro-renewal" urban development theory, and combined with related theories such as Jan Gehl's "City for people" and David Sim's "Soft City". This research attempts to respond to some existing spatial deficiencies in urban communities through a progressive urban micro-renewal strategy, transforming neglected spaces into spatial opportunities for rejuvenating public life. Through the micro-renewal of different types of "urban gaps" in Xi'an's Muslim communities, it becomes an emerging model of "urban infill". This will stimulate urban vitality, improve the quality of architectural space, initiate community participation, and strengthen the public sphere. The original urban void is used as a catalyst for the development of urban space, enhancing the public nature and well-being of the entire community.Award-winnin

Tracing the Territory. A Unitary Foundationalist Account

The paper offers an integrative interpretation of the different lines of thought Wittgenstein was inspecting in On Certainty and what he might have been looking for through them. It suggests that we may have been focusing our attention too strongly in the wrong place and comes to a new conclusion about where the real import of these reflections lies. This leads to an answer to the initially posed question of Foundationalism that revises the way in which there can be said to be a grounding intention in On Certainty