Practical Significance Of Key Data Quality Research Areas

The body of knowledge on data and information quality is highly diversified, primarily due to the cross-disciplinary nature of data quality problems, coupled with a strong focus on fitness for use principle in developing data quality solutions. As a result, research and practice in data and information quality is characterized by methodological as well as topical diversity. Although research pluralism is highly warranted, there is evidence that substantial developments in the past have been isolationist. As a first step towards bridging gaps between various communities involved in data quality research and practice, we undertook a literature review of data quality research published in a range of Information System (IS) and Computer Science (CS) publication outlets and identified the key themes of research from last 20 years. In this paper, we utilize the above results to explore the impact of these themes within the data quality professional community. To that end, we developed an initial model of data quality factors (based on the identified key research themes), and conducted a survey of data quality practitioners to test the model. Our study found that the effective implementation of data quality assessment practices, data quality frameworks, and data constraints and rules, has a significant impact on overall data quality levels in organizations, whereas focus on other factors do not appear to significantly affect data quality. Results from this study can assist organizations in prioritising their data quality initiatives to focus on the factors that have the potential to contribute most significantly to overall data and information quality

Conscientious objection – does it also apply to nursing students?

The conscientious clause in nursing can be defined as a kind of special ethical and legal regulation which gives nurses right to object to actively perform certain medical procedures which are against their personal system of values. Usually these values are associated with nurses’ religious beliefs, but not always. Scope of this regulation differs throughout the world. However, it is emphasized that right to the conscientious objection is not absolute and this regulation can not be used in cases of danger to life or serious damage to the health of the patient. Medical procedures to which nurses hold conscientious objection are often within reproductive health services. However, we can also find reports on the use of this right i.e. in end-of-life care and in the process of the implementation of medical experiments. The main issue underlined in the discussion regarding practising conscientious objection in the clinical setting is the collision of two human rights: the right to conscientious objection of medical personnel and the right of patients to specific medical procedures which are legal in their country. If a procedure is legally available in a country it means that patients can expect to receive it, on the other hand, all citizens, including health care workers, have the right to protect their moral identity and the right to object to the implementation of a procedure to which they have a specific objection. It is very difficult to find good ethical and legal balance between these two perspectives

Academic careers: the value of individual mentorship on research career progression

The paper discusses how individual mentoring may impact positively on career pathway development for potential and future clinical academic researchers in nursing and allied health professions. Methods: The paper draws on a number of data sources and methodologies in order to fulfil the aims. Firstly, international literature provides an insight into mentoring processes and impact on career development. This is followed by a review of the mentoring experiences based on a UK study on the professorial populations in nursing and allied health professions. The final section reports on results of interviews with early and advanced researchers on their experiences of mentoring. Results: Individual mentoring is valued highly by health care professionals at all stages of career development. It is considered particularly useful when people are in transition towards a more challenging career role.Individuals in receipt of mentoring both formal and informal, report improved confidence in their cability to achieve their career goals. Mentees report improved levels of competence achieved through knowledge aquisition, networking and ability to probelm solve. Conclusions/Summary: Mentoring is considered an important process for health care professionals at all stages of their career. Opportunities to access and receive mentoring support for health care staff in the UK remain limited and sporadic in nature. There are examples of excellent mentoring schemes in place within some institutons and organisations but a national strategy to support mentoring has yet to be developed Key words: Clinical academic careers, mentoring, nursing, allied health profession