Usage of Academic Libraries: The Role of Service Quality, Resources, and User Characteristics

published or submitted for publicatio

New Technique for Imputing Missing Item Responses for an Ordinal Variable: Using Tennessee Youth Risk Behavior Survey as an Example.

Surveys ordinarily ask questions in an ordinal scale and often result in missing data. We suggest a regression based technique for imputing missing ordinal data. Multilevel cumulative logit model was used with an assumption that observed responses of certain key variables can serve as covariate in predicting missing item responses of an ordinal variable. Individual predicted probabilities at each response level were obtained. Average individual predicted probabilities for each response level were used to randomly impute the missing responses using a uniform distribution. Finally, likelihood ratio chi square statistics was used to compare the imputed and observed distributions. Two other forms of multiple imputation algorithms were performed for comparison. Performance of our imputation technique was comparable to other 2 established algorithms. Our method being simpler does not involve any complex algorithms and with further research can potentially be used as an imputation technique for missing ordinal variables

Does Cash for School Influence Young Women's Behavior in the Longer Term? Evidence from Pakistan

The Punjab Female School Stipend Program, a female-targeted conditional cash transfer program in Pakistan, was implemented in response to gender gaps in education. An early evaluation of the program shows that the enrollment of eligible girls in middle-school increased in the short term by nearly 9 percentage points. This paper uses regression discontinuity and difference-in-difference analyses to show that five years into the program implementation positive impacts do persist. Beneficiary adolescent girls are more likely to progress through and complete middle school and work less. There is suggestive evidence that participating girls delay their marriage and have fewer births by the time they are 19 years old. Also, girls who are exposed to the program later-on, and eligible for the benefits given in high school, increase their rates of matriculating into and completing high school. The persistence of impacts can potentially translate into gains in future productivity, consumption, inter-generational human capital accumulation and desired fertility. Lastly, there is no evidence that the program has negative spillover effects on educational outcomes of male siblings.conditional cash transfers, female education, female labor participation, fertility, Pakistan

Does cash for school influence young women's behavior in the longer term ? evidence from Pakistan

The Punjab Female School Stipend Program, a female-targeted conditional cash transfer program in Pakistan, was implemented in response to gender gaps in education. An early evaluation of the program shows that the enrollment of eligible girls in middle school increased in the short term by nearly 9 percentage points. This paper uses regression discontinuity and difference-in-difference analyses to show that five years into the program implementation positive impacts do persist. Beneficiary adolescent girls are more likely to progress through and complete middle school and work less. There is suggestive evidence that participating girls delay their marriage and have fewer births by the time they are 19 years old. Girls who are exposed to the program later, and who are eligible for the benefits given in high school, increase their rates of matriculating into and completing high school. The persistence of impacts can potentially translate into gains in future productivity, consumption, inter-generational human capital accumulation and desired fertility. Lastly, there is no evidence that the program has negative spillover effects on educational outcomes of male siblings.Education For All,Primary Education,Tertiary Education,Gender and Education,Disability

Bangladesh in the 21st Century: the harvard conference recommendations

This is an Open Access Article. It is published by Journal of Bangladesh Studies, Editor: Dr. Syed Saad Andaleeb.On June 13-14, 2008, an international conference was organized by Bangladesh Development Initiative, Democracy and Development in Bangladesh Forum, and the Ash Institute of Democratic Governance at Harvard University’s Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS) to address the theme: Bangladesh in the 21st Century. The purpose of the conference was to bring together scholars, practitioners, students, and well-wishers as a community to contemplate the opportunities and challenges facing Bangladesh. The response was overwhelming. About ninety papers were submitted from four continents covering topics as diverse as foreign policy and infrastructure to health care, education, politics, and even shrimp culture. From the submitted papers, about sixty were ultimately chosen for presentation. In addition there were two panel discussions on foreign policy and the accomplishments of “BRAC at 35.” The conference sessions were embellished by luncheon and dinner speakers who, in their own rights, added further dimension and richness to the already star-studded list of participants. A cultural program was also organized by the Boston community that struck a deep chord with the theme of the conference. Highlights of the conference and key recommendations are summarized here for various stakeholders: the political leadership and its administrative wing to contemplate, adapt and adopt; for researchers and scholars to embellish and build upon; and the general reader to be informed of the policy options.Publishe

Evaluation of Home Caregiving Program by Jordanian Stroke Patients' Caregivers: Qualitative Study

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore caregivers' perception and evaluation of a home caregiving program entitled by "There is a Patient in Our Home". Seven Jordanian women were recruited purposefully from a governmental hospital in Amman. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews. Researcher used semi-structured questions to elicit credible responses. Content analysis was used to analyse data. Before discharge from hospital, women were "inadequately prepared" for their caregiver role. In home, women expressed "incompetency" in performing caregiving activities. The available sources of caregiving information and skills were culturally inappropriate for the women. Language, simplicity and attractiveness of the movies were areas of "satisfaction". Verbal commentary guidelines associated with each caregiving step was a strong point of the program. Women expressed "dissatisfaction" for lack of certain subjects. Before hospital discharge, providing families with culturally convenience caregiving educational program will increase caregivers' knowledge and competencies, subsequently stroke patients' general health will improve and frequency of rehospitalisation rate could be declined.   Keywords: Arab, Caregiver, Family, Home-Caregiving, Jordan, Strok