Research impact evaluation, a wider context: Findings from a research impact pilot

In the face of increasing pressure to demonstrate the socio-economic impact of funded research, whether it is funded directly by research councils or indirectly by governmental research block grants, institutions have to tackle the complexity of understanding, tracking, collecting, and analysing the impact of all their research activities. This paper attempts to encapsulate the wider context of research impact by delineating a broad definition of what might be classified as impact. It also suggests a number of different dimensions that can help in the development of a systematic research impact assessment framework. The paper then proceeds to indicate how boundaries and criteria around the definition of impact and these dimensions can be used to refine the impact assessment framework in order to focus on the objectives of the assessor. A pilot project, run at Brunel University, was used to test the validity of the approach and possible consequences. A tool specifically developed for the pilot, the Brunel Research Impact Device for Evaluation (BRIDE), is used for the analysis of research impact collected during the pilot. The paper reports on the findings of the analysis produced by BRIDE and confirms how a number of areas might be greatly affected by the boundaries set on definition and dimensions of research impact. The pilot project shows that useful information on impacts can be generated and it also provides a way to identify areas of work from each unit of assessment for which it would be worth developing narrative case studies. The pilot project has illustrated that it is feasible to make progress in terms of assessing impact, but that there are many difficulties to be addressed before impact assessment can be incorporated into a system of assessing the impact from the university sector as a whole. The paper concludes with an institutional perspective of the value of the approach and highlights possible applications. It also confirms the intention to expand the pilot and introduce new lines of investigation

Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) : a revised classification, and descriptions of some new taxa particularly from southern Africa

Previous classifications of the Nepticulidae were based on species from the northern hemisphere, primarily western Europe (including the United Kingdom) and North America. The revised classification presented in the present work was developed from a study of material primarily from southern Africa, but also from Australia, Europe, North America, and the Orient. Most of the descriptive section deals with the taxonomy of the Nepticulidae of southern Africa. Nevertheless, a guide to the supraspecific classification of the family was a major aim. Cladistic methods were used to assess genealogy as far as possible. The degree to which it has been elucidated is incorporated into the classification. As a result of the study, the Nepticulidae are divided into two subfamilies. One of these subfamilies is divided into two tribes. Fifteen genera and six subgenera are recognised. Two keys are presented, one to subfamilies and tribes and the other to genera and subgenera. The species from southern Africa are included in eight genera, three of which are new. One hundred and seventeen species from southern Africa are considered. Seventy- two new species are described in this work. Of these 40 have been published and 32 appear as manuscript names. For some species described by previous workers lectotypes have been designated where appropriate. The primary types of all the known species from southern Africa have been examined. Observations on adult structure are discussed from the viewpoint of phylogenetic relationships both within the Nepticulidae and between the family and other lepidopteran groups. This has led to a re-interpretation and expansion of some aspects of nepticulid morphology. Numerical phenetic methods, which include cluster analyses and an ordination technique (principal component analysis), were used to check my personal assessment of phena. The illustrations (phenograms and ordination diagrams) provide a visual summary of phenetic relationships of as wide a range of Nepticulidae as possible. Aspects of the nature of taxonomic characters, ancestor-descendant relationships, and homoplasy are discussed. Brief comments are made on distribution, and host-plant choice and phylogeny

Developing a quality assurance metric: a panoptic view

This article is a post-print of the published article that may be accessed at the link below. Copyright @ 2006 Sage Publications.There are a variety of techniques that lecturers can use to get feedback on their teaching - for example, module feedback and coursework results. However, a question arises about how reliable and valid are the content that goes into these quality assurance metrics. The aim of this article is to present a new approach for collecting and analysing qualitative feedback from students that could be used as the first stage in developing more reliable quality assurance metrics. The approach, known as the multi-dimensional crystal view, is based on the belief that individuals have different views on the benefits that the embedded process in a system can have on the behaviour of the system. The results of this study indicate that in the context of evaluation and feedback methods, the multi-dimensional approach appears to provide the opportunity for developing more effective student feedback mechanisms

Funding of research in higher education : a panoptic view of the RAE

The thesis investigates the effects that the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) has on the Higher Education sector. The alternative view presented by the thesis is that more knowledge can be created by concentrating on the different constituents of the RAE and their specific interactions with particular areas of the Higher Education sector. The RAE constituents are interpreted as drivers that influence and impact, in dissimilar fashions, on different activities of Higher Education Institutions (HEI). This micro analysis of the RAE enables the investigation to isolate the single effects of the RAE drivers therefore creating a bottom-up analysis of the overall impact of the RAE. The analysis of the impact that the drivers have on HEIs’ activities focuses on the perception that individuals within the system have of the consequences of the RAE. The focus on perceptions derives from personal observation of the lack of consensus on the consequences that different drivers have on different areas. The use of perceptions as the mean to assess the impact of the RAE enables the investigation to create a picture of the consequences of the RAE that addresses behavioural change. A multi-dimensional crystal view approach is used to accommodate both the micro analysis and the perception assessment. The multi-dimensional crystal view, a research contribution in its own right, is based on the principle that a micro analysis of a complex system can be achieved by decomposing the system into a number of dimensions. Insight is draw when the interactions between some of the dimensions are investigated. In the specific case of the RAE the dimension are: the RAE drivers, HEIs’ activities and points of observation (dimension that captures perceptions). Knowledge and insight can be acquired when the interactions between the dimensions are aggregated at successive higher levels. The supporting tool for the multidimensional crystal view approach is a matrix that facilitates the analytical process. The aggregation of the dimensions comes from combining textual statements from the points of observation (perceptions) on the effects that the drivers of the RAE have on the activities of HEIs. The highest level is a textual statement that synthesises all lower level statements.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Institutional strategies for capturing socio-economic impact of academic research

Evaluation of socio-economic impact is an emerging theme for publicly-funded academic research. Within this context the paper suggests that the concept of institutional research capital be expanded to include the capture and evaluation of socio-economic impact. Furthermore, it argues that understanding the typology of impacts and the tracking from research to impact will assist the formulation of institutional strategies for capturing socio-economic impact. A three-stage approach is proposed for capturing and planning activities to enhance the generation of high-quality impact. Stage one outlines the critical role of user engagement that facilitates the tracking of such impact. Stage two employs an analytical framework based on the criteria of ‘depth’ and ‘spread’ to evaluate impacts that have been identified. Stage three utilizes the outcomes of the framework to devise strategies, consisting of either further research (to increase depth) or more engagement (to increase spread) that will improve the generation of higher quality impact

Challenging the 'New Professionalism': from managerialism to pedagogy?

In recent years there have been changes made to the conceptualisation of continuing professional development for teachers in both the Scottish and English systems of education. These changes have been instigated by successive UK governments (and more recently, by the Scottish Executive), together with the General teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE). This paper argues that these changes have not provided a clear rationale for CPD, but instead have introduced tensions between the concept of teacher education and that of training. The need for a less confused understanding of CPD and its purposes is underlined, as is the need for school based approaches to continuing teacher education. Arguably, teacher education must move from technicist emphases to a model which integrates the social processes of change within society and schools with the individual development and empowerment of teachers

The Concentration of 2-Propenyl Glucosinolate in Biofumigant Crops Influences Their Anti-Fungal Activity (In-Vitro) against Soil-Borne Pathogens

Abstract This study investigated the biofumigation potential of nine Brassica species/cultivars by determining the levels of 2-propenyl glucosinolate in their roots and shoots, and their in-vitro suppression of four major soil-borne pathogens of vegetable crops. Hydrolysis of 2-propenyl GSL produces volatile isothiocyanate (ITC) compounds which are known to have anti-fungal activity. HPLC results showed that 2-propenyl GSL only occurred in root and shoot residue of flowering plants of four Brassica cultivars developed for green manuring (Caliente 199 ® , Mustclean ® , Nemfix ® and BQ Mulch ® ) and in the standard (mustard seed meal) treatment Fumafert ® . Levels of 2-propenyl GSL varied several fold within the four Brassica cultivars, with 77-88% of the total concentrations recorded in the shoot tissues. In in vitro assays, the level of fungal suppression by volatiles emitted by hydrated shoot and root residues related to their content of 2-propenyl GSL, and the dose of residue applied to five soilborne test pathogens (S. minor, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium dissotocum and Rhizoctonia solani). The variation in 2-propenyl GLS levels found in the Brassica green manure crops tested provides scope for selecting cultivars with greater potential for biofumigation, and to control multiple soil-borne disease problems in vegetable farms

A Comprehensive DNA Barcode Library for the Looper Moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) of British Columbia, Canada

The construction of comprehensive reference libraries is essential to foster the development of DNA barcoding as a tool for monitoring biodiversity and detecting invasive species. The looper moths of British Columbia (BC), Canada present a challenging case for species discrimination via DNA barcoding due to their considerable diversity and limited taxonomic maturity.By analyzing specimens held in national and regional natural history collections, we assemble barcode records from representatives of 400 species from BC and surrounding provinces, territories and states. Sequence variation in the barcode region unambiguously discriminates over 93% of these 400 geometrid species. However, a final estimate of resolution success awaits detailed taxonomic analysis of 48 species where patterns of barcode variation suggest cases of cryptic species, unrecognized synonymy as well as young species.A catalog of these taxa meriting further taxonomic investigation is presented as well as the supplemental information needed to facilitate these investigations

Moths Behaving like Butterflies. Evolutionary Loss of Long Range Attractant Pheromones in Castniid Moths: A Paysandisia archon Model

Background: In the course of evolution butterflies and moths developed two different reproductive behaviors. Whereas butterflies rely on visual stimuli for mate location, moths use the"female calling plus male seduction" system, in which females release long-range sex pheromones to attract conspecific males. There are few exceptions from this pattern but in all cases known female moths possess sex pheromone glands which apparently have been lost in female butterflies. In the day-flying moth family Castniidae ("butterfly-moths"), which includes some important crop pests, no pheromones have been found so far. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using a multidisciplinary approach we described the steps involved in the courtship of P. archon, showing that visual cues are the only ones used for mate location; showed that the morphology and fine structure of the antennae of this moth are strikingly similar to those of butterflies, with male sensilla apparently not suited to detect female-released long range pheromones; showed that its females lack pheromone-producing glands, and identified three compounds as putative male sex pheromone (MSP) components of P. archon, released from the proximal halves of male forewings and hindwings. Conclusions/Significance: This study provides evidence for the first time in Lepidoptera that females of a moth do not produce any pheromone to attract males, and that mate location is achieved only visually by patrolling males, which may release a pheromone at short distance, putatively a mixture of Z,E-farnesal, E,E-farnesal, and (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienol. The outlined behavior, long thought to be unique to butterflies, is likely to be widespread in Castniidae implying a novel, unparalleled butterfly-like reproductive behavior in moths. This will also have practical implications in applied entomology since it signifies that the monitoring/control of castniid pests should not be based on the use of female-produced pheromones, as it is usually done in many moths