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1 – 10 of over 36000Yao‐Wen Hsu, Yi‐Chan Chung, Ching‐Piao Chen and Chih‐Hung Tsai
Each amusement park has a wayfinding system, while symbols are important mediums to guide tourists to find their destinations. It is very important that whether the meanings of…
Abstract
Each amusement park has a wayfinding system, while symbols are important mediums to guide tourists to find their destinations. It is very important that whether the meanings of symbols recognized by tourists immediately. This paper mainly discusses the recognition of graphic symbols in amusement park, and proposes the improvement suggestions. Materials for this study were drawn from 20 different graphic symbols of a theme amusement park in Taiwan. The testees were required to evaluate the design of graphic symbols based on symbolic meaning and graphics recognition to summarize the confusion matrix. The results show that there are three groups of graphic symbols easy to be confused, and five symbols not meeting a criterion of 67 per cent correct responses. The reasons were discussed, and improvement and relevant suggestions have been proposed, which may be helpful to redesign of symbols.
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Steve Chapman, Peter Bland, Max Bowerman, Babatunde Adeshokan and Jo Kidd
The paper is a commentary (an outline or explanation) about the theme of this edition (supporting independence) from the point of view of people with learning difficulties. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper is a commentary (an outline or explanation) about the theme of this edition (supporting independence) from the point of view of people with learning difficulties. The paper has been co-written by people with and without learning difficulties.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on discussions using several open prompt questions around what people understand by independence and why it is important to them.
Findings
The team found that being listened to and taken seriously, having real involvement in the community, good support that is personalised and co-produced services are all key to ensuring people can be as independent as possible.
Originality/value
The paper is uniquely co-written by people with and without learning difficulties and provides an insight into why independence is so important for people with learning difficulties.
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Yenming Zhang and Suan Fong Foo
Balanced leadership is attracting increasing attention from academia and practitioners. In this rapidly changing world, maintaining balance while moving ahead is becoming a…
Abstract
Purpose
Balanced leadership is attracting increasing attention from academia and practitioners. In this rapidly changing world, maintaining balance while moving ahead is becoming a challenge for organizational leaders concerned with effective leadership. The traditional concept of balancing, theoretically, has been frequently re‐visited by researchers, while new concepts of balancing are being developed by researchers and practitioners, in order to effectively guide the practice in the real institutional settings. The purpose of this paper is to examine the classic Chinese perspectives from Wu Xing, I Ching and Tao Te Ching. Some western perspectives (e.g. Waters and Leithwood) on balanced leadership are also examined, to reach a hybrid model in an effort to decipher the meanings of balancing, and to address their applicability in modern organizational lives.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper provides analyses of the perspectives in the Chinese classics Wu Xing, I Ching and Tao Te Ching, and presents insights on the principles for organizational leaders to apply in dealing with changes.
Findings
There is a philosophical base for balanced leadership. It is becoming imperative for leaders to practice balanced leadership in the following aspects of organizational lives: Leaders' steady dispositions; Harmonious human relations; Categorization of the magnitudes of change for improvement; and a hybrid model integrating both eastern and western concepts of balanced leadership.
Research limitations/implications
This paper focuses on one domain of leadership – balancing in the interactions between the leaders and their people. It is relevant for those who have interest in, and are concerned for, the vertical, lateral relations, organizational development and improvement.
Originality/value
This paper reflects the researchers' deep insight into the Chinese classics, their expertise, and their empirical practices in organizational leadership. The paper will help those with similar interests in this area to better understand the implications of the Chinese perspectives.
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The ongoing development of new graphic symbol sets in conjunction with a lack of literature supporting professionals in choosing the optimum set(s) for their users was the driving…
Abstract
Purpose
The ongoing development of new graphic symbol sets in conjunction with a lack of literature supporting professionals in choosing the optimum set(s) for their users was the driving force behind this research project. The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that professionals take into consideration when they choose one graphic symbol set instead of another.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the phenomenology of pedagogy, semi-structured interviews were used with three speech and language therapists (SLTs), three special education teachers, one teacher for pupils with hearing loss, one foundation year teacher and one SENCo/deputy head teacher. Thematic analysis was used to process the data.
Findings
The results have shown that when professionals choose a graphic symbol set for their user(s), they focus on the iconicity, the software availability and its features. They are also influenced by any existing graphic symbol policies in the area they work. Training and follow-up support also influence professionals’ experiences when choosing graphic symbol sets for their users.
Practical implications
Given the limited literature pertaining to the topic of this paper, it is proposed that further research is conducted in order to build the theoretical and practical frameworks upon which professionals (such as SLTs and teachers), symbols developers and academics can base their future work.
Originality/value
This research aims to contribute to the scant literature regarding the factors that SLTs take into consideration when choosing a graphic symbol set for their user(s).
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This study evaluated four different packages containing the hypertext facility for use in a browsing system at a museum. The browsing system envisaged would be on a medical or…
Abstract
This study evaluated four different packages containing the hypertext facility for use in a browsing system at a museum. The browsing system envisaged would be on a medical or health topic and would be placed in the permanent exhibition area of the South African Medical Research Council at the South African Museum in Cape Town. The packages evaluated were Hyperties, Guide, KnowledgePro and CoNET. They all run on IBM‐compatible microcomputers. The Hyperties package was found to be the most suitable of the four for the application required. The comparative ease and speed with which a database can be created and the ease of use of a browsing system created with this package were the primary reasons for preferring this program. The experience gained in the study showed that the time which would be required to create the browsing system envisaged using Hyperties would not be excessive. Since the cost of the hardware required for the basic system is also not high, the proposed browsing system could be implemented cost effectively. The implementation of the browsing system did not form part of the study.
The purpose of this paper is to provide the historical background of genealogical records and analyze the value of Chinese genealogical research through the study of names and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide the historical background of genealogical records and analyze the value of Chinese genealogical research through the study of names and genealogical resources.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper examines the historical evolution and value of Chinese genealogical records, with the focus on researching the Islamic Chinese names used by the people living in Guilin. The highlight of this paper includes the analysis and evolution of the Islamic Chinese names commonly adopted by the local people in Guilin. It concludes with the recommendations on emphasizing and making the best use of genealogical records to enhance the research value of Chinese overseas studies.
Findings
The paper covers the history of Islam and describes how the religion was introduced into China, as well as Muslims' ethnicity and identity. It also places focus on the importance of building a research collection in Asian history and Chinese genealogy.
Research limitations/implications
This research study has a strong subject focus on Chinese genealogy, Asian history, and Islamic Chinese surnames. It is a narrow field that few researchers have delved into.
Practical implications
The results of this study will assist students, researchers, and the general public in tracing the origin of their surnames and developing their interest in the social and historical value of Chinese local history and genealogies.
Social implications
The study of Chinese surnames is, by itself, a particular field for researching the social and political implications of contemporary Chinese society during the time the family members lived.
Originality/value
Very little research has been done in the area of Chinese local history and genealogy. The paper would be of value to researchers such as historians, sociologists, ethnologists and archaeologists, as well as students and anyone interested in researching a surname origin, its history and evolution.
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– The purpose of this paper is to explore graphic design best practices and approval processes used by librarians.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore graphic design best practices and approval processes used by librarians.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper used an online, qualitative survey to collect data on librarians’ design processes and best practices. The responses were reviewed to determine categories and themes of librarians’ design processes and best practices to gain an understanding of the state of graphic design in libraries.
Findings
The majority of the respondents reported that there were no formal guidelines, design committees or approval processes at their libraries. While some librarians were aware of and used graphic design best practices, many respondents were unsure of what constituted a best practice in graphic design.
Research limitations/implications
The paper was exploratory and the respondents cannot be said to be representative of all librarians and, therefore, generalizations to all librarians are not possible.
Practical implications
Findings may help librarians who assume design duties in their libraries in exploring best practices and discussing design approval processes.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the few papers in the library science literature on graphic design as applied specifically to librarians. It increases our understanding of graphic design in libraries.
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Provides a comprehensive review of the significance attributed to the usefulness, practicality and appropriateness of graphic novels in the school library media center with…
Abstract
Purpose
Provides a comprehensive review of the significance attributed to the usefulness, practicality and appropriateness of graphic novels in the school library media center with specific implications for collection development.
Design/methodology/approach
A careful review of recent literature provides the school media specialist with an overview of graphic novels including definitions, challenges, benefits, helpful resources, curricular connections and collection development issues. The sources reflect the recent trends in the increasing popularity of graphic novels and their use and benefit in school media centers.
Findings
Presents information on the definitions of graphic novels and the challenges and benefits specific to the school media center. Notes that while challenges exist, the benefits of including graphic novels in the school library media center are many, including engaging reluctant readers. Offers practical information for collection development and provides useful sources that serve many purposes.
Practical implications
Offers background information for the school library media specialist about graphic novels. Includes advice and practical strategies for building a graphic novel collection in the school media center.
Originality/value
This paper reflects recent trends toward increased interest in graphic novels and offers the school media specialist practical advice on how to best meet that growing interest by including graphic novels in the school media center.
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This bibliographic essay examines the scope and variety of nonfiction works in comics form with the intent of expanding librarians’ awareness of the diversity of such materials…
Abstract
Purpose
This bibliographic essay examines the scope and variety of nonfiction works in comics form with the intent of expanding librarians’ awareness of the diversity of such materials and serving as a resource for librarians.
Design/methodology/approach
It provides some theoretical background for understanding what constitutes nonfiction in graphic form and an overview of works available in print.
Findings
The article provides a representative (but not comprehensive) survey of graphic nonfiction works in the genres of memoir, travel, journalism, history, biography, science, essays and educational materials.
Research limitations/implications
The essay focuses on materials published in books in English; the library world would benefit from subsequent research exploring the richness of materials available in other formats and other languages.
Originality/value
The field of graphic nonfiction is expanding, and this article serves as a guide for libraries interested in building or expanding collections in this format.
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Miranda Y.P. Lee, Daniel W.C. So and Lornita Y.F. Wong
This paper aims to identify inter‐linguistic and inter‐cultural commonalities and differences between web sites targeting, respectively, English and Chinese viewers, and to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify inter‐linguistic and inter‐cultural commonalities and differences between web sites targeting, respectively, English and Chinese viewers, and to examine within‐language and within‐culture variations of web sites for viewers in Greater China.
Design/methodology/approach
Two comparisons were made: among the home and subsidiary web sites of the same corporation, McDonald's (www.mcdonalds.com), and across web sites of five corporations within the aviation industry.
Findings
Corporate identity and positioning, corporate culture and citizenship are projected differently on the McDonald's web sites for the Anglo‐American viewers and the Chinese viewers. Web sites written in the same language, Chinese, reveal within‐language and within‐culture variations in contents and style across different web sites in the fast food and aviation industries within Greater China.
Research limitations/implications
A more extensive research on different industries can be conducted to validate the preliminary findings of this research. Relevant conceptual resources can then be developed to explain the inter‐linguistic and inter‐cultural differences.
Practical implications
Findings from this comparative analysis help raise the corporate communicators' awareness of inter‐linguistic and inter‐cultural as well as within‐language and within‐culture variations when drafting contents for web sites targeting viewers of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Originality/value
Comparative studies of global web sites targeting viewers of, respectively, English and Chinese groups, and within‐language and within‐culture variations in Greater China are still limited. The findings from this research serve as a basis for future investigation for effective bilingual corporate communication from the linguistic and cultural perspectives.
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