Knowledge Relevant (knowledge + relevant)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


A new dominant logic and its implications for knowledge management: a study of the Finnish food industry

KNOWLEDGE AND PROCESS MANAGEMENT: THE JOURNAL OF CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION, Issue 4 2001
Malin Brännback
In this paper changes that have occurred in the Finnish food industry are studied in terms of changes in the dominant logic of the industry. These changes in the dominant logic impact knowledge management processes. The drivers of the changes in the food industry are both technological and market-based. Biotechnology is turning a traditionally low-technology industry into a high-technology industry through the introduction of ,functional foods'. Knowledge relevant in the traditional food industry is becoming dated and future business success will be dependent on a firm's ability to create and capitalize on new knowledge. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Extending drug ethno-epidemiology using agent-based modelling

ADDICTION, Issue 12 2009
David Moore
ABSTRACT Aims To show how the inclusion of agent-based modelling improved the integration of ethno-epidemiological data in a study of psychostimulant use and related harms among young Australians. Methods Agent-based modelling, ethnographic fieldwork, in-depth interviews and epidemiological surveys. Setting Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, Australia. Participants Club drug users in Melbourne, recreational drug users in Perth and street-based injecting drug users in Sydney. Participants were aged 18,30 years and reported monthly or more frequent psychostimulant use. Findings Agent-based modelling provided a specific focus for structured discussion about integrating ethnographic and epidemiological methods and data. The modelling process was underpinned by collective and incremental design principles, and produced ,SimAmph', a data-driven model of social and environmental agents and the relationships between them. Using SimAmph, we were able to test the probable impact of ecstasy pill-testing on the prevalence of harms,a potentially important tool for policy development. The study also navigated a range of challenges, including the need to manage epistemological differences, changes in the collective design process and modelling focus, the differences between injecting and non-injecting samples and concerns over the dissemination of modelling outcomes. Conclusions Agent-based modelling was used to integrate ethno-epidemiological data on psychostimulant use, and to test the probable impact of a specific intervention on the prevalence of drug-related harms. It also established a framework for collaboration between research disciplines that emphasizes the synthesis of diverse data types in order to generate new knowledge relevant to the reduction of drug-related harms. [source]


Non-Governmental Organizations as Motors of Change

GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, Issue 4 2007
Cornelia Beyer
On one hand, NGOs are seen as experts because of their proximity to the problems they address. They provide knowledge relevant to the solution of these problems and can bring this into the political process. They are able to increase the efficiency of global governance by participating in the policy-formation processes of international organizations. In this paper I will explain the role and functions of NGOs as described in the debate about their legitimacy and theorize , while applying Ernst Haas's theory of organizational learning , on the mechanisms likely to lead to their increasing integration into international institutions as well as the implications of this integration. [source]


Researchers' experience of co-operative inquiry in acute mental health care

JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 2 2005
Jan Kåre Hummelvoll BA DrPH RPN RNT
Aim., The aim of this article is to reflect upon our experiences of using co-operative inquiry in an acute mental health care setting, with a focus on the methodology used in a 4-year intervention programme developed in Norway between 1999 and 2003. Background., Action research plays a crucial role in assisting nurses to integrate theory and research with nursing practice. The central characteristic of this approach is the grounding of research in practice in collaboration with clinical practitioners. Methods., The research was a co-operative inquiry based on a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach. The research methods used were ethnographic, including participant observation and face-to-face interviews, questionnaires, focus group interviews, and our process notes. Findings., The different methods used in the co-operative inquiry design of the Project Teaching Ward (PTW) had both benefits and drawbacks. In particular, the focus group method proved useful due to its ability to stimulate participants' research interest, and thus motivating them to be actively involved in the development of knowledge. The particular knowledge development process used has been described as a local knowledge dialogue. This dialogue must incorporate critical subjectivity on the part of participants in order to ensure that the research has a reflective resistance, which is decisive for its validity and quality. The findings also highlight the importance of the different roles of project leader in lengthy action research collaboration. Conclusions., The PTW has illustrated that co-operative inquiry was well suited for developing knowledge relevant to practice, thus contributing to bridging the gap between practice and theory. In order for this to happen, the research collaboration should be characterized by patience, realism and engagement. [source]


Transversal traits in science education research relevant for teaching and research: A meta-interpretative study

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 5 2008
J. Bernardino Lopes
Abstract This study is a meta-interpretative analysis that focuses on research conducted and published by other researchers. Concepts central to this study include global practical relevance, curriculum design, and formative situation. We analyzed 35 studies selected from 374 published studies in the years 2000 and 2001 in three journals referenced in the International Scientific Index. Using a replicable methodology developed specifically for this research, we found evidence of s clusters of variables that suggest the existence of transversal traits in the 35 science education research studies. These results form a reference framework of theoretical and practical knowledge relevant for research and practice pertaining to teaching and learning science. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 574,599, 2008 [source]