Academic Paper (academic + paper)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


The role of the staff MFF in distributing NHS funding: taking account of differences in local labour market conditions

HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 5 2010
Robert Elliott
Abstract The National Health Service (NHS) in England distributes substantial funds to health-care providers in different geographical areas to pay for the health care required by the populations they serve. The formulae that determine this distribution reflect populations' health needs and local differences in the prices of inputs. Labour is the most important input and area differences in the price of labour are measured by the Staff Market Forces Factor (MFF). This Staff MFF has been the subject of much debate. Though the Staff MFF has operated for almost 30 years this is the first academic paper to evaluate and test the theory and method that underpin the MFF. The theory underpinning the Staff MFF is the General Labour Market method. The analysis reported here reveals empirical support for this theory in the case of nursing staff employed by NHS hospitals, but fails to identify similar support for its application to medical staff. The paper demonstrates the extent of spatial variation in private sector and NHS wages, considers the choice of comparators and spatial geography, incorporates vacancy modelling and illustrates the effect of spatial smoothing. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


RHEOLOGICAL, TEXTURAL AND MICROSTRUCTURE ANALYSIS OF THE HIGH-METHOXY PECTIN/GELATIN MIXED SYSTEMS

JOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 5 2007
H. LIU
ABSTRACT The aim of this research was to evaluate the interaction between high-methoxy pectin and gelatin in solution and mixed gel utilizing rheological, texture profile and microstructure analysis. The results showed that the phase separation and association might both exist depending on the ratio of pectin to gelatin in the mixed system. After the pectin addition to the mixed system, the gelation properties of gelatin were improved at suitable conditions. The structure development rate, gel hardness and gel brittleness of the pectin/gelatin mixed system were positively affected by the addition of pectin and from there to expand the application of the mixed system in food industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Structure-forming polysaccharides and protein provide desired functional properties to a wide range of foods such as gel confectionery products, milk products and fat replacers. As an academic paper, this article provided the information that high-methoxy (HM) pectin could prove the gelation properties of gelatin to corporate audiences. We could find that the ratio of HM pectin to gelatin, and the concentration of these two polymers, dictate the texture properties of the mixed system. The pectin addition to the gelatin system affected the structure development rate, which might save time when the products are processed in practice. The melting temperature was increased with the pectin addition to the gelatin system, which is favorable if it is to be kept under higher temperature. [source]


Using the Web as a Research Source: Implications for L2 Academic Writing

MODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2005
PAUL STAPLETON
As scholars increasingly view the World Wide Web (the Web) as a legitimate research resource in academic writing, questions remain regarding how Web sources, as new media, influence the writing of second and foreign language (L2) learners. Via a 17-item questionnaire and an analysis of the references to 243 Web sources in the essays of 43 Japanese undergraduate English as a foreign language writers, this study examined whether (a) Web-based research influenced the writers' topic choice; (b) their choice of Web sources was appropriate for an academic essay; and (c) using an online, electronic environment would lead writers to use new language-related strategies. The findings suggested a possible shift towards more internationally oriented topics as a result of the predominance of English language sites on the Web. In addition, a considerable portion of the participants' references came from Web genres of questionable suitability for an academic paper. In a similar vein, working in an electronic environment was an enticement for some L2 writers to take ethically dubious shortcuts in their writing. [source]


In Search of the Classics: A Study of the Impact of JPIM Papers from 1984 to 2003,

THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2010
Wim Biemans
The Journal of Product Innovation Management (JPIM) was launched in 1984 and over its first two decades of existence evolved into the leading journal in the field of innovation and the management of technology. During these 20 years JPIM contributed to the field by publishing 488 academic papers. This paper is a follow-up study to an earlier study that looked at how JPIM evolved in terms of knowledge stock and knowledge flows during the first two decades (published in JPIM, March 2007). That paper looked at what was published during the first 20 years, which sources were cited, and which journals cited JPIM papers. This study takes a closer look at the impact of JPIM on the field of innovation and the management of technology by identifying the most classic papers published in JPIM during its first two decades of existence. This study used multiple research methods to identify 64 candidate potential classics from the 488 papers published in the first 20 years of JPIM's existence, to analyze how they differ from the other 424 papers published in the journal, and to investigate authors' motivations for writing these papers. Finally, using survey responses from the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) membership and other academics in innovation and new product development, the research then determines which 5 of the 64 candidate papers are considered to be the "most classic" papers published and the factors driving that determination. The findings show that classic papers are those presenting a "pioneering idea" in the field that creates buzz in both the academic and practitioner worlds. High numbers of citations are indeed the outcome of these endeavors, but being a classic requires more than having high numbers of citations. Authors of the true classics generally have worked hard to disseminate their research, usually to both academics and practitioners, perhaps also contributing to the network buzz created by their findings. While one of the five most classic papers represented the first investigation into a particular stream of research, the other four were culminations of a significant body of research, providing a distinct summary of known information on a topic at the time they were published and a clear road forward for future research on the topic. These bodies of knowledge have yet to be superseded by other culminating papers. [source]


The Ethical Assignment of Authorship in Scientific Publications: Issues and Guidelines

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 10 2008
V. Ramana Feeser MD
Abstract Properly assigning authorship of academic papers is often an ethical challenge. Through a hypothetical case study, the authors examine some of the potential ethical issues involved in determining who should and should not be listed as an author: the problems of honorary authorship, coerced authorship, and ghost authorship, as well as the question of how to order authors. Guidelines for avoiding and negotiating these issues are also discussed. [source]