The Papyrus Digital Library: Discovering History in the News

Abstract. Digital archives comprise a valuable asset for effective information retrieval. In many cases, however, the special vocabulary of the archive restricts its access only to experts in the domain of the material it contains and, as a result, researchers of other disciplines or the general public cannot take full advantage of the wealth of information it offers. To this end, the Papyrus research project has worked towards a solution which makes cross-discipline search possible in digital libraries. The developed prototype showcases this approach demonstrating how we can discover history in news archives. In this demo we focus on demonstrating two of the end user tools available in the prototype, the cross-discipline search and the Papyrus browser

On the Hazardousness of the Concept ‘Technology’: Notes on a Conversation Between the History of Science and the History of Technology

Historians of science and historians of technology have recently turned their attention to the conceptual history of ‘applied science’ and ‘technology’ respectively. ‘Technology’ was a concept introduced in the nineteenth century as concerning both ‘applied science’ and ‘industrial arts.’ A developed version of this concept caught on after the first decades of the twentieth century, following the establishment of technological networks and the rise of ‘Fordism,’ ‘Taylorism’ and ‘technocracy.’ Based on interpretations of the nineteenth-century circuit of the steam engine and the twentieth-century network of electric power, this chapter brings together observations from the history of science, the history of technology and the critique of classic political economy to elaborate on the suggestion that ‘technology’ has been a ‘hazardous’ concept. Central to the argument of the chapter is the retrieval of a correspondence between the conceptual couples ‘technology’-‘technics’ and ‘surplus value’-‘value.’ © 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland

Examination of previously published data to identify patterns in the social representation of 'hearing aids' across countries

Background and Objectives: Societal factors seem to exercise a strong influence on hearing aid uptake, use, and satisfaction. In particular, knowledge, perception, and attitude of people will have bearing towards their and others health behavior and decisions. The current study aimed at understanding the perception of hearing aids by adults belonging to the general population in different countries. Subjects and Methods: The study employed a crosssectional design. A sample of 404 adults from India, Iran, Portugal, and the United Kingdom were recruited by relying on a convenience sampling. Previously published data was re-analyzed but it was applied for different approach. Free association task was used to collect the data. They were asked to provide up to five words or phrases that come to mind when thinking about "hearing aids." The data was initially analyzed based on qualitative content analysis. This was followed by quantitative cluster analysis and chi square analysis. Results: The content analysis suggested 39 main categories of responses related to hearing aids. The cluster analysis resulted in five main clusters, namely: 1) positive attitude, 2) external factors, 3) hearing aid use and satisfaction, 4) etiology, and 5) benefits and limitations of technology. A few demographic factors (i.e., education, occupation type, country) showed association with different clusters, although country of origin seemed to be associated with most clusters. Conclusions: The study provides us with unique insights into the perception of hearing aids by the general public, and additionally, the way demographic variables may influence these perceptions. © 2018 The Korean Audiological Society and Korean Otological Society

Patterns in the social representation of “hearing loss” across countries: how do demographic factors influence this representation?

This study aims to understand patterns in the social representation of hearing loss reported by adults across different countries and explore the impact of different demographic factors on response patterns. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected using a free association task and analysed using qualitative content analysis, cluster analysis and chi-square analysis. The study sample included 404 adults (18 years and over) in the general population from four countries (India, Iran, Portugal and UK). The cluster analysis included 380 responses out of 404 (94.06%) and resulted in five clusters. The clusters were named: (1) individual aspects; (2) aetiology; (3) the surrounding society; (4) limitations and (5) exposed. Various demographic factors (age, occupation type, education and country) showed an association with different clusters, although country of origin seemed to be associated with most clusters. The study results suggest that how hearing loss is represented in adults in general population varies and is mainly related to country of origin. These findings strengthen the argument about cross-cultural differences in perception of hearing loss, which calls for a need to make necessary accommodations while developing public health strategies about hearing loss. © 2018, © 2018 British Society of Audiology, International Society of Audiology, and Nordic Audiological Society. Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group