Archaeological practices, knowledge work and digitalisation

Defining what constitute archaeological practices is a prerequisite for understanding where and how archaeological and archaeologically relevant information and knowledge are made, what counts as archaeological information, and where the limits are situated. The aim of this position paper, developed as a part of the COST action Archaeological practices and knowledge work in the digital environment (www.arkwork.eu), is to highlight the need for at least a relative consensus on the extents of archaeological practices in order to be able to understand and develop archaeological practices and knowledge work in the contemporary digital context. The text discusses approaches to study archaeological practices and knowledge work including Nicolini’s notions of zooming in and zooming out, and proposes that a distinction between archaeological and archaeology-related practices could provide a way to negotiate the ‘archaeologicality’ of diverse practices

The subtle difference between knowledge and 3D knowledge

This article discusses the implications of attaching three-dimensional artefacts with different labels such as visualisation, model or ‘virtual form’. The research focus is on how this affects the artefact itself, how it is produced and received, and in the end, how the artefact engages in knowledge production, and what kind of knowledge comes out of the process. It is proposed that there is not only a difference between knowledge and ‘three-dimensional’ knowledge but also between knowledge derived from artefacts called by different names. The three-dimensional artefacts are intermediaries or boundary objects between the past and the present, and the makers and users of these objects. Taking the differences in names and how they are linked to epistemological differences seriously and making them visible is argued to be a key to a more reflexive and productive making and use of three-dimensional artefacts

To whom it may concern? The users and uses of digital archaeological information

In order to ensure the functional, not only physical sustainability of the earlier and current archaeological information resources, a special emphasis is needed on the functional aspects of preservation. This paper reports on a study, which has explored the interface between the human patterns of information use and the methods of structuring and organizing archaeological information and knowledge. The empirical case study was based on a series of thematic interviews with archaeology professionals from the Nordic countries. The study informs future development of information systems and information services for archaeology and cultural heritage professionals. The results of the analysis shows that there are two critical success factors. Several recommendations are proposed on how to improve archaeological information work and its outcomes

Prognostic biomarkers in endometrioid endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is a heterogenic group of malignancies with differences in pathogenesis and clinical behavior. Correct risk stratification of these patients is essential for successful allocation of treatment modalities. Currently, classification of endometrial cancer is based solely on clinicopathological parameters. The aim of this thesis was to study the genomic heterogeneity of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC) and to identify prognostic immunohistochemical biomarkers for disease stratification. This study is based on patient material derived from 640 patients with up to 30 years of follow-up. Gene expression profiling using two different microarray platforms revealed Apolipoprotein E (APOE) to be the most overexpressed gene in poorly differentiated EEC when compared to well-differentiated carcinoma. Immunohistochemical analysis of early stage EEC specimens suggested that progesterone receptor (PR) has an independent role in prognostication. Further studies suggested that l-asparaginase (ASRLG1) could serve as a novel prognostic biomarker in EEC. In an attempt to produce a clinically useful prognostic panel of biomarkers, immunohistochemical stainings of tissue microarrays combined with a machine learning-based method were employed. The results demonstrate that EEC patients can be stratified into three groups with significantly different clinical behavior using p53 and ASRGL1 stainings. In summary, the study highlights the importance of PR, p53 and the novel biomarker ASRGL1 in EEC prognostication. The present findings suggest that the panel of tissue biomarkers developed can be used for identification of patients who are at risk of aggressive disease course and an unfavorable outcome of EEC.Kohdun limakalvon syöpä eli kohdunrunkosyöpä on heterogeeninen tautiryhmä, jonka patogeneesissä ja kliinisessä käyttäytymisessä on eroja. Potilaan syövän ennusteen arvio on tärkeä, jotta oikeat hoitomuodot kohdentuvat niitä tarvitseville potilaille. Nykyisellään, ennusteen arvioinnissa käytettävät riskiluokitukset perustuvat sekä kliinisiin että patologis–anatomisiin muuttujiin eikä niissä käytetä merkkiaineita (”biomarkkereita”). Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää tavallisimman kohdunrunkosyövän, endometrioidin endometriumin syövän (EEC) heterogeenisyyttä sekä määrittää ennusteellinen, immunohistokemiallisiin värjäyksiin pohjautuva merkkiainepaneeli taudin luokittelemiseksi. Tutkimusaineisto muodostuu 640 potilaasta, joista on enimmillään 30 vuoden seurantaaika. Kahdella eri mikrosirualustalla toteutettu geeniekspressioanalyysi osoitti Apolipoproteiini E:n (APOE) olevan korkeimmin yliekspressoitunut geeni verrattaessa huonosti ja hyvin erilaistunutta tautia. Kohtuun rajoittuneen EEC:n immunohistokemiallinen analyysi viittaa progesteronireseptorin (PR) itsenäiseen ennusteelliseen rooliin. Myöhemmät tutkimukset viittasivat l-asparaginaasin (ASRGL1) mahdolliseen rooliin taudin käyttäytymistä ennustavana merkkiaineena EEC:ssä. Kliinisesti käyttökelpoisen, immunohistokemiallisiin värjäyksiin pohjautuvan ennusteellisen merkkiainepaneelin muodostamiseksi analysoitiin monikudosblokkeilla tehtyjä immunohistokemiallisia värjäyksiä kone-oppimiseen pohjautuvien analysointimenetelmien avulla. Analyysin tulokset osoittivat että p53- ja ASRGL1- värjäysten avulla voitiin EEC -potilaat luokitella kolmeen kliiniseltä taudinkuvaltaan ja ennusteeltaan eroavaan ryhmään. Tämä tutkimus korostaa PR, p53 ja ASRGL1 –merkkiaineiden merkitystä EEC:n riskinarvioinnissa. Kehitetyn merkkiainepaneelin avulla oli tässä tutkimuksessa mahdollista tunnistaa ne potilaat, joiden taudinkulku oli aggressiivinen ja ennuste epäsuotuisa.Siirretty Doriast

What’s in a Name? Translation into Finnish of Tolkien’s Character and Place Names in Taru Sormusten Herrasta

Tutkielma tehtiin kirjasta The Lord of the Rings ja sen käännöksestä Taru Sormusten Herrasta. Sekä alkuperäisen kirjan että käännöksen suosio on kasvanut filmatisoinnin ansiosta. Käännöksestä on julkaistu uusi painos viimeksi vuonna 2014, jolloin suomennos myös tarkistettiin. Kirjan suosiosta kertoo se kuinka useita hahmojen nimistä on annettu Suomessa nimeksi lapsille, vaikka nimet eivät ole ”suomalaisia”. Tutkielma tehtiin Tolkienin nimien käännöksistä. Nimet kerättiin ensin alkuperäisteoksesta The Lord of the Rings ja kohdistettiin sitten vastaavaan kohtaan käännöksessä. Sen jälkeen nimien ilmenemistiheys laskettiin alkuperäisteoksessa ja tutkielmaan valittiin ne hahmon- ja paikannimet, jotka mainittiin vain kerran ja kaksikymmentä useimmin mainittua hahmon- ja paikannimeä. Nimien käännökset jaoteltiin eri kategorioihin sen perusteella mitä niille oli tapahtunut käännösprosessissa. Nämä kategoriat ovat: sanatarkka käännös, lainaaminen, muokkaaminen, yhdistelmä, uusi nimi ja käännöslaina. Nimiä tarkasteltiin pääasiassa Lawrence Venutin käsitteiden ’kotouttaminen’ ja ’vieraannuttaminen’ avulla. Lainaaminen on puhtaasti ’vieraannuttava’ strategia, kun taas sanatarkka käännös ja käännöslaina ovat ’kotouttavia’ strategioita. Yhdistelmä on sekä ’vieraannuttava’, että ’kotouttava’. Muokkaaminen ja uusi nimi voivat olla joko ’kotouttavia’ tai ’vieraannuttava’. Samalla keskusteltiin myös kääntäjän näkyvyydestä tai näkymättömyydestä. ’Vieraannuttavat’ strategiat tuovat kääntäjän näkyviin ja ’kotouttavissa’ strategioissa kääntäjä on näkymätön. Nimien kohdalla viitekehyksenä toimi nimeäminen yleisesti ja nimien valinta ja käyttö kirjallisuudessa, eritoten fantasiakirjallisuudessa. Tärkein malli nimien kääntämiselle tulee tutkielmassa Ainialalta, Saarelmalta ja Sjöblomilta. Heidän mukaansa on neljä mahdollista tapaa käsitellä nimiä fiktiossa: laina, käännös, mukaelma ja korvaaminen. Nimiä tarkasteltiin näiden kategorioiden avulla ja tutkielmassa pyrittiin selvittämään millä tavoin Tolkienin nimet on käännetty ja onko nimen ilmenemistiheydellä ollut vaikutusta nimen kääntämistapaan.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Organizational changes, trust and information sharing: an empirical study

Purpose While there is relatively plenty of evidence for the positive impact of communication on the perceptions of organizational change, how organizational changes affect information sharing is relatively unknown. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if a favorable perception of ongoing organizational changes has a positive impact on information sharing and whether trust mediates this relationship. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire (n=317) was administered to the employees of a large Finnish multinational organization. Partial least square structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses based on earlier research findings. Findings The results show that a positive perception of recent organizational changes improves information sharing both directly and indirectly, mediated by trust. Consequently, when changes are perceived negatively, employees recoil from information sharing which is known to have negative implications for organizations. Research limitations/implications Data were collected in a single organization. The nature of the specific changes in the studied organization and its particularities undoubtedly had an effect on respondents’ perceptions. Originality/value This paper contributes to organizational information management research by elaborating on the relationship between organizational changes and interpersonal information sharing between employees. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first quantitative study confirming the impact of the perception of organizational changes on employee information-sharing behavior

Archaeological Practices, Knowledge Work and Digitalisation

Defining what constitute archaeological practices is a prerequisite for understanding where and how archaeological and archaeologically relevant information and knowledge are made, what counts as archaeological information, and where the limits are situated. The aim of this position paper, developed as a part of the COST action Archaeological practices and knowledge work in the digital environment (www.arkwork.eu), is to highlight the need for at least a relative consensus on the extents of archaeological practices in order to be able to understand and develop archaeological practices and knowledge work in the contemporary digital context. The text discusses approaches to study archaeological practices and knowledge work including Nicolini’s notions of zooming in and zooming out, and proposes that a distinction between archaeological and archaeology-related practices could provide a way to negotiate the ‘archaeologicality’ of diverse practices

Information behaviour research in dialogue with neighbouring fields

Information behaviour research has affinities with many neighbouring fields of research and practise. At the same time, a steady line of criticism has been directed to its modest impact and lack of meaningful dialogue with adjacent disciplines and the impact of information behaviour research on how people deal with information in various settings, and develop information systems and services. The lack of exchange has become increasingly evident as the term ’information behaviour’ has been adopted in disciplines far beyond the established information field. Besides impact of its results on research and practice in different domains, a livelier exchange can be expected to be enriching for information behaviour research itself. The purpose of the panel is to invite the members of the ISIC community to a discussion on the interfaces of information behaviour research with neighbouring research disciplines and practical domains. The panellists represent information behaviour researchers with an extensive experience of working in and with adjacent domains and bring their expertise to discuss with the audience 1) the relevance of information behaviour research and its findings in other domains, 2) what information behaviour research can learn from neighbouring fields, and 3) how the interdisciplinary dialogue could be promoted and nurtured.Peer Reviewe

Information needs on research data creation

Researchers’ data related information needs are growing. This paper reports the findings of a study with archaeologists and cultural heritage professionals focussing on data reuse related meta-information needs. Interviews with (N=)10 archaeologists and cultural heritage professionals. Qualitative coding and content analysis. Four types of paradata needs (data on processes, e.g. data creation) are identified, including 1) scope, 2) provenance, 3) methods and 4) knowledge organisation and representation paradata. Knowledge organisation and representation paradata has been least explored both in research and practises so far. The findings point to a need to develop the understanding of the needs and means of documentation of knowledge organisation and representation. The findings contribute to the data literacy of researchers producing and using data descriptions, and to the study of how paradata can be created and used. Further, the findings indicate that distance-to-data is a significant parameter in determining whether information needs are continuous or discrete. Further, the most likely type of reuse should guide the level and type of paradata. Finally, the findings underline that in spite of the comprehensiveness of available meta-information, it will be incomplete. Complementary means — including collaboration with data creators and meta-information extraction approaches — are needed to increase information reusability.Peer Reviewe

The impact of workplace information literacy on organizational innovation: An empirical study

The present study investigates the relationship between CEO’s information literacy and innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Even if information literacy’s business value has been recognized in recent literature, its impact on organizational innovation, a critical and strongly information intensive process, has never been studied before. Structural equation modeling based analysis of data collected from 184 company CEOs in Finland revealed that CEOs’ information literacy has a positive impact on the development of exploratory and exploitative innovations in SMEs. Additionally, opportunity recognition mediates the relationship between information literacy and innovation. Overall, the influence of information literacy is slightly stronger on exploitation than exploration. Nevertheless, the mutual positive effect suggests that information literacy enhances innovation ambidexterity in organizations. Based on these findings, we discuss theoretical and practical implications as well as future research opportunities in workplace information literacy research.</p