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Article
Publication date: 1 May 2020

R.K. Bhatt, Monika Singh, Jyoti Rana and Jatin Kumar

This paper aims to study the organisation and management of grey literature (GL) to select social science libraries. Further, the study is an attempt to make known the types of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study the organisation and management of grey literature (GL) to select social science libraries. Further, the study is an attempt to make known the types of GL; extent of demand and the frequency of use of GL; GL collection in other languages; workshops or training programmes or seminars for GL; bibliographic control for GL, etc., in select social science libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey with the help of a questionnaire followed by interviews was conducted among the social science libraries understudy to explore the issues and challenges involved in organizing and managing GL.

Findings

The study finds that 83.3% of libraries have a separate wing for the management of GL and the majority of the GL acquired by the library are accessed through compact disc and are present in digital form access via online public access catalog.

Originality/value

The paper explores the organisation and management of GL by social science libraries, which is a unique study on its own as the management of GL is not much popular here in India. The study paves the path for more issues to be explored in the area i.e. GL.

Details

Collection and Curation, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9326

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 July 2020

Heidi Michalski Ribeiro and Jose Rubens Morato

This proposal is a case study of the Belo Monte dam. The article deals with human rights and environmental violations arising from the construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric…

1400

Abstract

Purpose

This proposal is a case study of the Belo Monte dam. The article deals with human rights and environmental violations arising from the construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant in the northern region of Brazil. This paper aims to evidence human rights violations brought by the construction Belo Monte dam, a glimpse of the COVID-19 scenario and how Brazilian regulation allowed those violations.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objective of this article, the Brazilian norms, public policies and the current situation of the affected communities were analyzed, focusing on the human rights violations and the historical timeline of this mega-project. The analysis was directed to the hardcore social sciences, considering analytical and qualitative research.

Findings

The data gathered and the references consulted proved that many human rights violations occurred and that the vulnerability of indigenous and local people increased with the construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Plant in the northern region of Brazil. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this adverse scenario since indigenous and local people already had their vulnerabilities increased with the construction of Belo Monte.

Research limitations/implications

The Belo Monte Dam has had severe and irreversible impacts on the lives of local communities, especially indigenous peoples, as it had destroyed their culture and the environment. The authors were not able to do fieldwork, due to the great distance of the dam. In this sense, the research does not cover all the social–environmental issues, as an ethnographic approach is necessary.

Originality/value

The authors intend to bring attention to harms caused to indigenous people and the local communities, expecting to create an alert of what this kind of project can do to vulnerable peoples' life, especially now with the pandemic scenario, which makes indigenous and traditional communities more vulnerable to diseases due to the loss of their territories.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 29 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 December 2023

Somipam R. Shimray, Sakshi Tiwari and Chennupati Kodand Ramaiah

The purpose of this study is to examine characteristics of retracted publications from Indian authors and inspect a relationship between journal impact factor (JIF) and the number…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine characteristics of retracted publications from Indian authors and inspect a relationship between journal impact factor (JIF) and the number of authors (NoA).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examined the general characteristics of retracted publications and investigated the correlation between JIF and NoA from Indian authors from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2022. Data were mined from retraction watch http://retractiondatabase.org/ (n = 1,459) and determined the year of publication, year of retraction, authors, journals, publishers and causes of the retractions. A journal citation report was extracted to gather the JIFs.

Findings

About one-third of retracted papers were published in 2020; 2022 has the highest retraction rate (723); studies with two authors represent about one-third (476) of the published articles; Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing (354) has the highest number of retractions; Springer published the most retracted papers (674); and the majority of the journal (1,133) is indexed in journal citation reports, with impact factor extending from 0.504 to 43.474. Retraction due to legal reasons/legal threats was the most predominant reason for retraction.

Originality/value

This study reflects growth in author collaborations with a surge in the JIF. This study recommends that quick retraction is essential to reduce the adverse effects of faulty research.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1908

EVERYONE interested in the British library movement will learn with sorrow and regret that one of its greatest friends and strongest champions has passed away, in the person of…

Abstract

EVERYONE interested in the British library movement will learn with sorrow and regret that one of its greatest friends and strongest champions has passed away, in the person of Thomas Greenwood, the kind‐hearted and generous advocate of libraries, who won the respect and regard of every English libiarian. From one of his own periodicals the following particulars are abstracted:—

Details

New Library World, vol. 11 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

Article
Publication date: 12 May 2020

Ana Selene Pineda Neisa and Douglas Durán Chavarría

Despite the restricted interpretation of the principle of equality and non-discrimination made by some members of the prison staff in Costa Rica, most of the authorities and…

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the restricted interpretation of the principle of equality and non-discrimination made by some members of the prison staff in Costa Rica, most of the authorities and policymakers are committed to the express prohibition of unjust treatments on grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation. Notwithstanding, there is a gap between the normative framework and the reality of the detention facilities in the country. This paper aims to present the progress and challenges in the Costa Rican penitentiary system on the specific needs of LGBTI persons deprived of liberty, from a human rights perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is the result of the analysis conducted by United Nations Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD) from the data collected and systemized during a qualitative study, led by the same institution in 2016, regarding the situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Persons (LGBTI) persons deprived of liberty. These findings and a review of the actions implemented recently by the competent authorities to protect the rights of these population groups allowed to present an approach of the current situation of the Costa Rican penitentiary system.

Findings

While acknowledging the gravity of the violations of fundamental rights of LGBTI people in prison, they are far from showing a systematic pattern of aggression or discrimination against those people. What they do indicate is a penitentiary system that reproduces and exacerbates the marginalization and discrimination experienced by these populations in society. Despite the implementation of some measures to meet the particular needs of these groups, there is also evidence of an institutional culture that tolerates and normalizes certain levels of verbal violence and non-lethal aggression perpetrated by some system staff and by other individuals deprived of liberty.

Practical implications

Visualize the discrimination faced by some of the most invisible prisoners in the penitentiary system. Highlight some of the challenges that might be addressed to protect the rights of certain groups of prisoners affected by structural discrimination provide key data to identify the task list that should be guiding the actions to strengthen human rights guarantees for LGBTI people in prison. Present some good practices implemented by the Costa Rican penitentiary system, which might be useful for some other countries of the region.

Originality/value

There is a lack of information in Latin America about the rights situation of people that, besides the imprisonment, faced some other conditions of vulnerability, such as gender identity or sexual orientation. In a region where overpopulation, precarious living conditions and the critical situation of the prisons are no longer news, this paper pretends to draw attention to the progress and challenges of the penitentiary system concerning some of the most marginalized people in prison. In that regard, this document constitutes also a way of vindication of their rights.

Details

Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3841

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 September 2022

Tri Duc Tran, Van Tu Duong, Hung Huy Nguyen and Tan Tien Nguyen

Humanoid robots have been utilized in many fields such as medical, construction, and disaster response. While humanoid robots nowadays can achieve great capabilities, the one-leg…

Abstract

Purpose

Humanoid robots have been utilized in many fields such as medical, construction, and disaster response. While humanoid robots nowadays can achieve great capabilities, the one-leg balancing task still poses a challenging problem. This paper aims to propose a novel approach to solve the problem.

Design/methodology/approach

To aid the balance of one leg in humanoid robot, an external balance mechanism is inserted to the back of the humanoid robot. First, a dynamic model of the humanoid robot with balance mechanism and its simplified model are introduced. Second, a backstepping-based control method is utilized to build the proposed controller for one-leg stance system through two steps. For the first step, a minimum observer-based controller with a virtual control input is used to control the first sub-system reaching the desired reference input. For the second step, a virtual control input is considered as a reference input of a second sub-system, then a model reference adaptive controller (MRAC) is employed to control the second sub-system reaching the virtual control input in presence of uncertainties. By using the external balance mechanism, the sideway balancing task is separated from normal walking function. Furthermore, the utilization of the balance mechanism ensures the humanoid robot's hip adduction does not exceed the threshold of a human when walking. Finally, a simulation study is carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Findings

This paper proposes a model reference adaptive control using state observer for balancing one leg of humanoid robot in stance phase that extends our previous research (Tran et al., 2021).

Originality/value

The main research contents have been introduced.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-6427

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2021

Riyaz Ali Shaik and Elizabeth Rufus

This paper aims to review the shape sensing techniques using large area flexible electronics (LAFE). Shape perception of humanoid robots using tactile data is mainly focused.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the shape sensing techniques using large area flexible electronics (LAFE). Shape perception of humanoid robots using tactile data is mainly focused.

Design/methodology/approach

Research papers on different shape sensing methodologies of objects with large area, published in the past 15 years, are reviewed with emphasis on contact-based shape sensors. Fiber optics based shape sensing methodology is discussed for comparison purpose.

Findings

LAFE-based shape sensors of humanoid robots incorporating advanced computational data handling techniques such as neural networks and machine learning (ML) algorithms are observed to give results with best resolution in 3D shape reconstruction.

Research limitations/implications

The literature review is limited to shape sensing application either two- or three-dimensional (3D) LAFE. Optical shape sensing is briefly discussed which is widely used for small area. Optical scanners provide the best 3D shape reconstruction in the noncontact-based shape sensing; here this paper focuses only on contact-based shape sensing.

Practical implications

Contact-based shape sensing using polymer nanocomposites is a very economical solution as compared to optical 3D scanners. Although optical 3D scanners can provide a high resolution and fast scan of the 3D shape of the object, they require line of sight and complex image reconstruction algorithms. Using LAFE larger objects can be scanned with ML and basic electronic circuitory, which reduces the price hugely.

Social implications

LAFE can be used as a wearable sensor to monitor critical biological parameters. They can be used to detect shape of large body parts and aid in designing prosthetic devices. Tactile sensing in humanoid robots is accomplished by electronic skin of the robot which is a prime example of human–machine interface at workplace.

Originality/value

This paper reviews a unique feature of LAFE in shape sensing of large area objects. It provides insights from mechanical, electrical, hardware and software perspective in the sensor design. The most suitable approach for large object shape sensing using LAFE is also suggested.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 48 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2021

Lukman E. Mansuri, D.A. Patel, Chika Udeaja, Busisiwe Chikomborero Ncube Makore, Claudia Trillo, Kwasi Gyau Baffour Awuah and Kumar Neeraj Jha

Across the architecture, engineering and construction industry, the application of building information modelling (BIM) as a digital technology for architectural heritage is…

578

Abstract

Purpose

Across the architecture, engineering and construction industry, the application of building information modelling (BIM) as a digital technology for architectural heritage is becoming increasingly relevant. However, scholarly research on the application of BIM for architectural heritage is still in its infancy stage and the research gaps and future directions of this research area are still unclear. This paper therefore aims to fill this gap by using a systematic and robust review using a mixed-method approach to show the gaps of research for BIM and architectural heritage and point to new directions for future works.

Design/methodology/approach

The study includes a quantitative scientometric analysis and mapping and a qualitative study. A total of 354 articles related to BIM and architectural heritage were analysed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative tools. The qualitative study consists of a systematic literature review supported by data collected from stakeholder and training workshops on digital technologies and BIM for heritage.

Findings

Findings from this study reveal the gaps in the field of heritage and BIM research according to retrieved articles from different countries and journals. Furthermore, emerging domains for future research were identified and these included: as-built modelling and 3D reconstruction; conservation, preservation and management; documentation; maintenance and restoration; virtual technology and simulation.

Originality/value

The common research challenges were identified as an integrated outcome of the findings revealed from the scientometric mapping and qualitative review and resulted in key BIM and heritage research priority recommendations relevant to researchers within this field.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 March 2022

Luu Anh Khoa Lanh, Van Tu Duong, Huy Hung Nguyen, Sang Bong Kim and Tan Tien Nguyen

Generally, humanoid robots usually suffer significant impact force when walking or running in a non-predefined environment that could easily damage the actuators due to high…

Abstract

Purpose

Generally, humanoid robots usually suffer significant impact force when walking or running in a non-predefined environment that could easily damage the actuators due to high stiffness. In recent years, the utilization of passive compliant series elastic actuators (SEA) for driving humanoid's joints has proved the capability in many aspects so far. However, despite being widely applied in the biped robot research field, the stable control problem for a humanoid powered by the SEAs, especially in the walking process, is still a challenge. This paper proposes a model reference adaptive control (MRAC) combined with the back-stepping algorithm to deal with the parameter uncertainties in a humanoid's lower limb driven by the SEA system. This is an extension of our previous research (Lanh et al., 2021).

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, a dynamic model of SEA is obtained. Secondly, since there are unknown and uncertain parameters in the SEA model, a Model Reference Adaptive Controller (MRAC) is employed to guarantee the robust performance of the humanoid's lower limb. Finally, an experiment is carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed controller and the SEA mechanism.

Findings

This paper proposes an effective control algorithm that can be widely applied for the humanoid-SEA system. Besides, the effect of the coefficients in the control law is analyzed to further improve the response's quality.

Research limitations/implications

Even though the simulation shows good results with stable system response, the practical experiment has not been implemented to fully evaluate the quality of the controller.

Originality/value

The MRAC is applied to control the humanoid's lower limb and the back-stepping process is utilized to combine with an external SEA system but still maintain stabilization. The simplified model of the lower-limb system proposed in the paper is proven to be appropriate and can be taken for further research in the future.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-6427

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2011

Konstantinos Mourtzoukos, Ioannis T. Christou and Sofoklis Efremidis

This paper aims to report on lessons learnt from operating a location‐aware mobile social networking application, and critical functionalities that were deemed necessary in order…

740

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to report on lessons learnt from operating a location‐aware mobile social networking application, and critical functionalities that were deemed necessary in order to provide a pleasant user experience. As a result of user feedback, the authors enhanced their social networking system, G2G, with functionalities such as login with Facebook.com credentials without the need to sign up to their system first, and a much improved localization system that works across different mobile operators. Mobile advertisement was included for enhancing the user experience.

Design/methodology/approach

A modular approach has been followed for the system design. The original G2G system interfaced cleanly with the Facebook application programming interfaces (APIs) and the mobile advertisement subsystem through wrapper components.

Findings

The result was a much improved user experience as existing Facebook subscriptions facilitated new users to use the system. Mobile advertisement functionalities were seen as an essential add‐on. The aforementioned functionalities, combined with the ability to upload/search/download location‐aware multimedia notes, and a back‐end interface that allows advertisers to add location‐aware, personalized content, resulted in a significantly enhanced user experience as evidenced by higher user active participation to the system.

Originality/value

The enhanced system integrates seamelessly with Facebook (facilitating thus the entry of new users) and with a mobile advertisement platform, and provides for advanced security functionalities. Moreover, it supports Android‐based smart‐phones.

Details

International Journal of Pervasive Computing and Communications, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-7371

Keywords

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