Consideration in the Design of Art Scholarly Databases

published or submitted for publicatio

Representing Spatial Geographical Data via variations of Volume and Tempo in Sound

The majority of spatial data are represented visually which can lead to an overload of information if too many data are represented. This study explores and evaluates the methods of representing spatial data using sound, with the aim of increasing the amount of spatial data that can be communicated without information overload. This study was performed for an undergraduate BSc Geograph

Building Community Capacity for Participation in Evaluation: Why It Matters and What Works

This briefing shares five principles for engaging community stakeholders in evaluation planning, data collection and the interpretation and use of findings as part of place-based initiatives. These insights emerged from the shared experiences of grantmakers and evaluation practitioners during the first year of GEO's "Embrace Complexity" Community of Practice -- a group focused on the evaluation of place-based grantmaking

Google Maps to collect spatial responses in a survey environment

This paper examines the use of Google Maps-based tools to collect spatial responses from participants during academic research surveys conducted via the Internet. Using two recent examples from the University of East Anglia it discusses the online survey context and how Google Maps was used, issues surrounding the technical implementation of these tools, processing and use of the collected data, and concludes with considerations for future research that might employ similar methods

Perception and Barriers to Indoor Air Quality and Perceived Impact on Respiratory Health: An Assessment in Rural Honduras

Objective. The aim of this study was to identify household-specific factors associated with respiratory symptoms and to study the perceived impact of indoor air pollution (IAP) as a health issue. Methods. An IRB-approved, voluntary, anonymous 23-item survey was conducted in Spanish at a medical outreach clinic in June 2012 and at the homes of survey respondents (N = 79). Comparative analyses were performed to investigate relationships between specific house characteristics and respiratory complaints. Results. Seventy-nine surveys were completed. Respiratory symptoms were frequently reported by survey respondents: 42% stated that smoke in their household caused them to have watery eyes, 42% reported household members with coughs within the past two weeks, and 25% stated that there were currently household members experiencing difficulty in breathing. Stove location and kitchen roof construction material were significantly associated with frequency of respiratory symptoms. The vast majority used firewood as their major fuel type. Most respondents indicated that neither indoor air quality was a problem nor did it affect their daily life. Conclusions. Respiratory complaints are common in Yoro, Honduras. Stove location and kitchen roof construction material were significantly associated with frequency of respiratory symptoms; this may have implications for efforts to improve respiratory health in the region

The role pH plays in the precipitation of lead sulphate from an alkaline waste solution

A local manufacturer of lead chemicals has expressed a definite interest in buying recovered lead sulphate from S.A Precious Metals, a minerals processing company. The recycling of lead provides a means of reducing the strain on resources that is caused by the use of virgin materials such as lead. In addition, recycling prevents any damage caused by improper treatment processes and disposal practices that would otherwise lead to groundwater contamination. Research into lead precipitation has so far focused mainly on acid waste, perhaps because of the size and influence of the lead acid battery industry. The work described in this dissertation was motivated by the efforts of S.A Precious Metals to process the company’s lead-­‐alkaline waste. Initially, the scientists carrying out laboratory-­‐scale tests encountered solids-­‐handling problems. The writer undertook the investigation reported in this document to find a viable means of recovering both lead sulphate and sodium sulphate from solution. During the batch trials, the researcher recovered lead sulphate via precipitation from the lead-­‐containing solution, while precipitating the sodium plumbate solution (normally considered hazardous waste) with sulphuric acid. This process offers a low-­‐cost answer to the problem that also offers a quick turn-­‐around, saleable by-­products and a benign waste stream