18 research outputs found
On the map: Nature and Science editorials
Bibliometric mapping of scientific articles based on keywords and technical
terms in abstracts is now frequently used to chart scientific fields. In contrast, no significant
mapping has been applied to the full texts of non-specialist documents. Editorials in Nature
and Science are such non-specialist documents, reflecting the views of the two most read
scientific journals on science, technology and policy issues. We use the VOSviewer
mapping software to chart the topics of these editorials. A term map and a document map
are constructed and clusters are distinguished in both of them. The validity of the document
clustering is verified by a manual analysis of a sample of the editorials. This analysis
confirms the homogeneity of the clusters obtained by mapping and augments the latter with
further detail. As a result, the analysis provides reliable information on the distribution of
the editorials over topics, and on differences between the journals. The most striking
difference is that Nature devotes more attention to internal science policy issues and
Science more to the political influence of scientists.FSW - CWTS - Ou
Survey on the Labour Market Position of PhD graduates: Development of a Novel Questionnaire
Merit, Expertise and Measuremen
Temporary contracts: Effect on job satisfaction and personal lives of recent PhD graduates
In this study, we assess the effects of temporary employment on job satisfaction and the personal lives of recent PhD graduates. Temporary employment is becoming increasingly prevalent in many sectors, but has been relatively common in academia, especially for early career scientists. Labor market theory shows temporary employment to have a conspicuous negative influence on the job satisfaction and well-being of employees, but also identifies groups that may be exempt from these negative influences, such as the highly educated. Here, we study the effect of temporary employment on the highest educated group in the labor force, PhD graduates. We present findings of a survey of 1133 respondents who obtained their PhD from one of five Dutch universities between 2008 and 2012. Compared to PhDs employed on a permanent contract, PhDs on a temporary contract are less satisfied with their terms of employment, especially if they have no prospect of permanence. Temporary contracts with no prospect of permanence also decrease satisfaction with job content. Conversely, self-employment increases satisfaction with job content. Educational level required for the job also influences job satisfaction to a large degree: working below PhD level negatively affects job satisfaction. Finally, the type of contract affects different aspects of the personal lives of PhDs, such as the ability to obtain a mortgage, the stability of family life, and the possibility to start a family. In conclusion, we show that the highest educated, i.e., PhD graduates are not exempt from the negative influences of temporary employment.Merit, Expertise and Measuremen
The Role of Gender in the Employment, Career Perception and Research Performance of Recent PhD Graduates from Dutch Universities
Merit, Expertise and Measuremen
Compost mineralization in soil as a function of composting process conditions
Compost has been shown to have a range of positive impacts on soil quality and can provide an important source of nutrients for plants. While these benefits have been documented for many finished composts, there is presently little understanding of the impact of composting process conditions and the extent of compost decomposition on soil C and N mineralization after compost incorporation. This study evaluated the impact of composting process conditions and the extent of compost decomposition on soil C and N mineralization after compost incorporation. Dried, ground composts were blended with equal parts of quartz sand and soil and incubated aerobically for 28 d at 30 °C. Cumulative respired CO2–C and net mineralized N were quantified. Results indicate that (1) organic substrates that did not degrade due to sub-optimal conditions during the composting process can readily mineralize after incorporation in soil; (2) C and N cycling dynamics in soil after compost incorporation can be affected by compost feedstock, processing conditions, and time; and (3) denitrification after compost incorporation in soil can limit N availability from compost