Invited commentary on Stewart and Davis " 'Big data' in mental health research-current status and emerging possibilities"

No abstract available

Erasmus Mundus Master of Bioethics: a case for an effective model for international bioethics education

Designing bioethics curriculum for international postgraduate students is a challenging task. There are at least two main questions, which have to be resolved in advance: (1) what is a purpose of a particular teaching program and (2) how to respectfully arrange a classroom for students coming from different cultural and professional backgrounds. In our paper we analyze the case of the Erasmus Mundus Master of Bioethics program and provide recommendations for international bioethics education. In our opinion teaching bioethics to postgraduate international students goes beyond curriculum. It means that such a program requires not only well-defined goals, including equipping students with necessary skills and knowledge, but also it should first and foremost facilitate positive group dynamics among students and enables them to engage in dialogue to learn from one another

Key themes linked to a selection of national indicators for the well-being of Wales

This report provides a summary of the key themes that were found to be linked with each of seven national indicators for well-being. It is based on 2018-19 results from the National Survey for Wales. The report looks at similarities and differences between the individual factors linked to these seven national indicators. For each of the seven indicators (listed below), a more in-depth report was also produced on the key factors for the indicator

What factors are linked to people feeling able to influence decisions affecting their local area?

This report outlines some factors linked to whether or not adults in Wales feel that they can influence decision-making in their local area, for example decisions made by a local authority. This report is based on National Survey interviews carried out in 2018-19. It provides an update of previous analysis based on the 2014-15 survey

What factors are linked to people agreeing that their local area has a sense of community?

This report outlines some factors linked to whether people think their local area has a strong sense of community. The National Survey for Wales measures a person’s experience of sense of community based on three individual factors: feeling of belonging to the local area; whether they feel people from different backgrounds get on well together in the area; and whether people in the area treat each other with respect and consideration. This report is based on National Survey interviews carried out in 2018-19. It provides an update of previous analysis based on the 2013-14 results

What factors are linked to people living in households that are in material deprivation?

Material deprivation is a measure of poverty and its effects (that is, the extent to which people are able to afford basic things like food and heating). The National Survey for Wales includes a standard set of questions about material deprivation every year. This report is based on National Survey interviews carried out in 2018-19. It provides an update of previous analysis based on the 2014-15 surve

Engaging communities in the sustainable management of river environments

Last year, I carried out a small-scale study for my Masters dissertation in the School of Geography and Planning at Cardiff University, which was intended to inform my current PhD research at the Countryside and Community Research Institute. Coming from a background in human geography and the social sciences, this study was ultimately designed to effectively capture and represent the complex relationships between humans and the natural environment. The central aim of this project was to investigate how an increased understanding of people’s engagement with managing and protecting their local river might contribute to more informed decision-making regarding public engagement in environmental management. This article provides a brief overview of this dissertation project, focusing on the methods used to collect key information and the presentation of the main findings of the study

What factors are linked to people feeling safe in their local area?

This report outlines some factors linked to adults feeling safe in different situations in their local area, based on results from the National Survey for Wales. The National Survey asks about people’s experience of safety based on four individual factors: feeling safe at home, walking, travelling by car, and travelling by public transport. This report is based on National Survey interviews carried out in 2018-19. It provides an update of previous analysis based on the 2013-14 results

What factors are linked to people being satisfied with the area that they live in?

This report outlines some factors linked to adults in Wales being overly satisfied with their local area as a place to live. The National Survey for Wales includes a measurement of the extent to which a person feels satisfied with their local area. This report is based on National Survey interviews carried out in 2018-19. The aim of this report is to provide an updated overview of key factors linked to feeling satisfied with the local area as a place to live

Phygitally Smarter? A Critically Pragmatic Agenda for Smarter Engagement in British Planning and Beyond

In Britain as elsewhere, planning systems are entering a “digital turn.” However, the emerging conversations around PlanTech in policy, industry, and research yield contrasting views about the promises of digital technology and “data-driven” decisions to enhance and embed public participation in the planning system. With faster, data-driven processes capable of engaging more people in more diverse ways, PlanTech offers to revolutionise planning systems. However, empirical evidence demonstrates low citizen trust in government and web-based technologies, democratic and participatory deficits, the complexity of the planning system and its opaque technocratic terminology, multi-layered digital divides, and other socio-technical factors that hinder effective and inclusive public consultations in planning. This article provides a preliminary, high-level research agenda for public consultations across Britain’s three nations that centres around a critical pragmatic design, deployment, and evaluation of blended/“phygital” (simultaneously physical and digital) information-rich ecologies of smart engagement. A review of selected national policy in Britain provides initial insight into the emphasis (or lack of) put on the adoption of digital tools within the planning process of each British nation. In doing so, the research sets out a conceptual model that complements existing models for participatory planning by adopting Beyon-Davies’ unified conception of information, systems, and technology. The conceptual model presented sets out seven Is of information-rich phygital ecologies and three interdependent “pillars” for smart engagement that enable one to gaze both deeply and broadly into opportunities for smart engagement through and beyond PlanTech