Targeted Provision: supporting researchers at the University of Huddersfield

The Support for Researchers group was set up at the University of Huddersfield to consider ways in which Computing and Library Services (CLS) could better support the University’s research community. The group has overseen a number of successful initiatives including targeted training sessions, creation of the Repository, development of dedicated Support for Research web pages, participation in the University Research Festival, EndNote training and support and an improved IT infrastructure for researchers

Targeted provision: support for researchers at the University of Huddersfield

Many universities have a dedicated Research Officer to organise training and support for researchers. In the absence of such a role and in view of the growing importance of research within the University, the Support for Researchers group was set up at the University of Huddersfield to consider ways in which Computing and Library Services (CLS) could better support researchers. Membership of the group is designed to take in views from across the university and therefore includes academic staff and members of the Research and Enterprise office as well as CLS staff. One of the major means of supporting researchers is targeted training in the form of a half day ‘Support for Research’ session. Sessions are always full, an indication of the demand for dedicated training for researchers. Some of the topics covered are: searching for literature online; current awareness; raising awareness of our archives and Interlibrary Loan services; and managing references using EndNote and open source reference management software such as Zotero and Mendeley. As a result of surveys conducted among our research community, it became clear that many struggled with our previous research tool. The introduction of our new revolutionary research tool, Summon, has simplified the research process and allows researchers to quickly search and access high quality content. Other innovations overseen by the group have included The Repository and a Mobile Desktop service. The Repository exists to complement the existing publishing process, enabling wide and rapid dissemination of research. Mobile Desktop enables researchers to access their university desktop from off campus, including dedicated research resources such as EndNote and SPSS . Of interest to library staff, academics and researchers this presentation will give an overview of the ways in which an academic library can play a vital role in developing and supporting our researchers

Crosswords, Library Bingo and Quizzes: getting more active learning into our teaching

At the University of Huddersfield we have been split into subject teams for many years and teaching practice has varied between the teams with little in the way of shared best practice. We recently set up an information skills teaching group comprising the Senior Assistant Librarians across all of the subject teams plus the Senior Assistant librarians at our satellite University Centres at Oldham and Barnsley. The group has been tasked with sharing best practice in the delivery of information skills training; improving the delivery of inductions and information skills teaching to library users; and to increase the amount of cross team working. Two of our specific objectives are the sharing of re-usable information literacy materials between subject teams and the trying out and evaluating of different methods and styles of delivery. Trying to meet these two objectives have enabled and emboldened many of us to introduce more active learning techniques into our teaching. This session covers in a practical, hands on way, a range of active learning techniques that we’ve recently used in inductions and information skills sessions and shows how we have shared these amongst our group. The techniques range from high tech Audience Response Systems (interactive handsets by Quizdom) to library bingo (low tech bits of card) and how we’ve shared experiences of these amongst ourselves. We will use an assortment of techniques in the session to give a flavour of how they may be used in practice to give an interactive and (hopefully!) enjoyable session

Appearance-based concerns and psychosocial functioning following complex plastic surgery for female melanoma survivors

This thesis aimed to qualitatively explore the experiences of living with an altered appearance related to the skin, and compromises a systematic literature review, an empirical research paper, and critical appraisal of the research undertaken. The literature review synthesised qualitative research exploring the psychological experiences and appearance concerns of people with psoriasis. Utilising thematic synthesis, the results of 21 papers were synthesised to generate three themes: ‘Constructing and navigating the psoriasis-identity’, ‘Appearance stigmatisation’ and ‘Acceptance and coping with an altered appearance’. Although there are individual differences in adjustment and coping, findings highlight the impact of psoriasis upon identity, psychological, and social functioning. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. The research paper explored the psychosocial functioning and appearance-based concerns of female melanoma survivors, who have undergone reconstructive plastic surgery as part of their treatment. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was utilised to analyse data from seven interviews. Three themes were identified: ‘Constructing the melanomaidentity’, ‘Relating to others: experiencing dismissal and self-stigmatisation’ and ‘Grieving the life you had: psychosocial adjustment’. Findings highlighted the impact of appearance changes upon participants’ sense of self and identity, in the context of beauty norms and societal narratives related to skin cancer. These findings are considered in relation to existing literature, and the implications for clinical practice are discussed. The critical appraisal provides a summary of the research, along with reflections on methodological and ethical considerations. Limitations and clinical implications are also highlighted. The importance of reflexivity is considered, and personal reflections of the research process, such as the impact of the lead researchers own lived experience, are discussed

The use of hollow-bearing trees by vertebrate fauna in wet and dry Eucalyptus obliqua forest, Tasmania

The loss of hollow-bearing trees in production forest areas can have large impacts on animal populations that rely on them for shelter. This study facilitates the selection of appropriate trees for retention by examining the proportion and type of trees that were used by vertebrate fauna in mature wet and dry Eucalyptus obliqua forest in Tasmania. Felled trees were searched for hollows and secondary evidence of use by fauna. Classification Trees and Bayesian logistic regression modelling were used to examine the site and tree attributes that best explained the use of a tree by fauna. We did two separate analyses: one using attributes expected to be causally related to hollow use, and a second using attributes that might be correlated with hollow use and could be easily assessed in standing trees. In all, 28% of hollow-bearing trees examined showed evidence of use, which is at the lower end of the scale found in other areas of Australia. The variables most strongly related to the use of a tree were hollow abundance, tree size and senescence. Random Forest modelling indicated that the likelihood of a hollow being used increased with hollow size, particularly hollow depth. Counting the number of hollows in standing trees was the best way to identify a tree that is likely to be used by fauna and this was particularly important for younger and healthier trees. It was recommended that trees to be retained should contain at least one large hollow. It was estimated that 8-15 trees per hectare were used by hollow-using fauna in mature wet and dry E. obliqua forest in Tasmania

Platypus Burrow Temperatures at a Subalpine Tasmanian Lake

Volume: 125Start Page: 273End Page: 27

Does hollow occurrence vary with forest types? A case study in wet and dry Eucalyptus obliqua forest

The distribution of hollow-using fauna is frequently related to forest type. If hollow occurrence varies with forest type, the use of generic prescriptions for managing the hollow resource may be inappropriate. This study examined the relationship between the occurrence and abundance of tree hollows and site and tree attributes in wet and dry Eucalyptus obliqua forest in Tasmania, Australia. A total of 388 trees at 39 sites were examined before and after being felled. Evidence of invertebrate damage contributing to hollow formation was more common in wet forest than either dry or damp forest. Evidence of hollow formation by fire and fungi was more prevalent in drier than wetter forest. There was no difference among forest types in the proportion of hollows showing evidence of limb breakage. Examination of the site and tree factors related to hollow presence and abundance was done using Classification Trees, Random Forests and generalised linear models. The variables found to be most practical for predicting hollow occurrence were the number of hollows observed before the tree was felled, tree diameter and the amount of dead wood in the canopy. Tree age, an important variable to consider when planning harvest rotations, was strongly associated with hollow presence but had less bearing on hollow abundance. The size of hollows that were found in a tree was related to greater senescence. Although significantly more hollows of all sizes were found in wet forest than either dry or damp forest, the age at which trees began to produce hollows was similar among the different forest types. The models predicted that trees needed to be at least 100 years old before they are likely to contain a hollow and that medium-sized hollows rarely occur in trees younger than 140 years old. Trees grow slightly more slowly in dry forest than wet which means that smaller diameter trees were found to contain hollows in dry forest than wet and that even the largest trees may not contain large hollows in wet forest. Despite this, no differentiation between the forest types was found in the predictive models. It is recommended that trees retained for faunal habitat be at least 100 cm in diameter

Distribution, habitat and conservation status of the eastern pygmy-possum \u3cem\u3eCercartetus nanus\u3c/em\u3e in Tasmania

We review literature pertaining to the distribution, habitat and conservation status of the eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus in Tasmania. Records from fauna surveys, museum specimens, and the Tasmanian Natural Values Atlas database, suggest that although C. nanus is widespread, it occurs in low numbers in Tasmania. From 51 fauna surveys examined, only 19 C. nanus were detected in a total of 47,087 Elliott trap-nights, 5,665 pitfall trap-nights, 196 scats or owl pellets, 899 spotlight hours, and 86 predator stomachs. A total of 102 Tasmanian C. nanus specimens was located in Australian and overseas museums. These records combined with 23 from the Natural Values Atlas database and 61 from an earlier published collation represent 99 of 679 grid squares (10 km x 10 km) overlaid across Tasmania (including King Island and Flinders Island). The patchy distribution of these records may be a reflection of low survey effort, low population numbers, low detectability or a combination of these and other factors. The highest number of records for a single locality was only four. Available data suggest that Tasmanian populations may be small and therefore potentially at risk from habitat loss, inappropriate fire regimes, and firewood collection. We believe there is a pressing need for further surveys to more clearly define the conservation status of C. nanus in Tasmania