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This pilot study investigated three historical risk factors for pathological arson identified in Jackson's Only Viable Option theory (Jackson, 1994), which views the act as an adaptive response to circumstances that are difficult to tolerate and which the individual does not have the necessary skills to resolve by appropriate means. Twenty men with mild learning disabilities were recruited from inpatient forensic services. It was hypothesised that there would be a greater incidence of risk factors among individuals with an index offence of arson than those without, and that risk factors would significantly predict an index offence of arson. Significant differences were found between the groups for perceived inability to effect social change and childhood experiences of fire, but not for the family problems under investigation. However, the sample size was too small to draw reliable conclusions on the predictive ability of the risk factors. The findings suggest that perceived inability to effect social change and childhood experiences of fire are risk factors characteristic of men with learning disabilities who have set fires, lending support to elements of Jackson's theory and providing opportunities to develop evidence‐based practice. However, the underlying causes of these risk‐factor characteristics remain unclear. It is hoped that the present study will help inform the choice of risk factors under investigation and improve the design of a larger study.

The purpose of this paper is to outline and evaluate the development of a thinking skills programme for adults with learning disabilities at risk of offending.

The programme was evaluated over three years using self-report clinical measures related to treatment targets and feedback from participants.

Results showed a statistically significant improvement in general empathy (t=1.800, df=15, p=<0.05) and perspective taking (t=1.898, df=15, p=<0.05). Improvement in impulsivity and locus of control was not significant. Feedback from service users was positive.

Findings suggest that thinking skills programmes can be of benefit to adults with learning disabilities at risk of offending.

There is a need to provide opportunities for adults with learning disabilities to address generic deficits and factors supporting offending behaviour and to increase readiness for offence-specific treatment.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a three‐year contract to provide learning disability in‐reach to young offenders serving a sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) at HMYOI Aylesbury.

A whole population sample (n=75) was obtained between December 2009 and July 2011, where all had received an assessment of intellectual functioning using either the in‐reach screening protocol, consisting of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test – Version 2 (KBIT‐2) and four background questions, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) or the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).

It was found that 5.5 per cent of the population had a standard score of less than 70 (significant impairment) and a further 18.6 per cent fell between 70 and 79 (borderline range). The mean standard score of the KBIT‐2 (85.8) was consistent with previous studies of prison populations. The background had a significant but weak association with the KBIT‐2 scores, but lacked sufficient specificity.

Further research is required if these findings are to be generalised to the wider prison population.

Systematic screening for learning disability can be of clinical benefit in identifying the needs of young offenders, which is the first step to addressing these needs.

A number of publications by the Department of Health, the Home Office and third sector organisations have identified the need for services for offenders with a learning disability. In‐reach provision to prisons is still in its infancy and, currently, no gold standard exists for screening tools.

The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with information literacy including instruction in the use of information resources and research and computer skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. This review, the twenty‐first to be published in Reference Services Review, includes items in English published in 1994. A few are not annotated because the compiler could not obtain copies of them for this review.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the structure and impact of a Queensland Research Support Network (RSN) in emergency medicine (EM).

This paper presents a descriptive summary of EM networks, network evaluations and the structure and development of the Emergency Medicine Foundation’s (EMF) RSN in Queensland, including an observational pre- and post-study of research metrics.

In two years, the RSN supported 33 Queensland emergency departments (EDs), of which 14 developed research strategies. There was an increase in research active clinicians, from 23 in 2015 to 181 in 2017. Collaborator engagement increased from 9 in 2015 to 276 in 2017 as did the number of research presentations, from 6 in 2015 to 61 in 2017. EMF experienced a growth in new researchers, with new investigators submitting approximately 60 per cent of grant applications in 2016 and 2017. EMF also received new applications from a further three HHS (taking EMF-funded research activity from 8 to 11 HHS).

This paper describes changes in KPIs and research metrics, which the authors attribute to the establishment of the RSN. However, it is possible that attribution bias plays a role in the KPI improvements.

This network has actively boosted and expanded EM research capacity and capability in Queensland. It provides services, in the form of on-the-ground managers, to develop novice clinician-researchers, new projects and engage entire EDs. This model may be replicated nationwide but requires funding commitment.

The RSN improves front-line clinician research capacity and capability and increases research activity and collaborations with clear community outcomes. Collaborations were extended to community, primary health networks, non-government organisations, national and international researchers and academic institutions. Evaluating and measuring a network’s benefits are difficult, but it is likely that evaluations will help networks obtain funding.

This paper relays the process the authors used to develop a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework in the emergency services team at Australian Red Cross. The paper aims to provide useful information and guidance to support others to build and improve their M&E frameworks, which are fundamental for guiding achievement of department or organisational goals.

This paper uses a case study to describe the participatory agile methodology applied to develop the framework. The completed framework includes indicators mined from pre-existing literature and highlights the benefits of using an agile and participatory approach to cultivate user buy-in, enhance operational relevance and create timely results.

Development of the M&E framework streamlined measurement across the team, improved programmatic strategic alignment, identified gaps in data collection and promoted utilisation of evaluative information. Additionally, it was an exercise in evaluation capacity building, with many process uses, which positively influenced the implementation stage.

There are very few scholarly papers that outline the process taken to develop M&E frameworks, and none in the humanitarian, emergency services field. Additionally, this paper offers an innovative use of agile in facilitating a collaborative, sustainable and meaningful framework.

Team-based assignments must be constructed to contribute to the effective development of teamwork skills, an important learning objective for most schools of business. The purpose of this paper is to understand how students view the usefulness of team assignments in order to inform more effective pedagogical techniques related to team-based assignments and the development of student teamwork competencies.

Data were collected from Likert-scale online surveys administered to students upon completion of the first-year team-based introductory business course. Survey items were developed to assess the team-related activities and components in the course and students’ perceived usefulness of team-based assignments. Results from exploratory factor analyses are presented.

Data analyses indicated that survey items contributed to students’ perceived usefulness of team-based assignments. Across three studies, the authors developed a new measure to evaluate effectiveness of team-based assignments.

For those educators who utilize team-based assignments in their courses, this study provides a much needed measure to assess the effectiveness of assignments intended to develop students’ teamwork competencies. The findings also serve to provide evidence of assurance of learning, and evidence of how students are developing in the area of interpersonal skills and abilities to manage interactions that most schools of business and universities deem as essential learning outcomes as a result of Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business requirements.

Evidence from online surveys of 755 students in a pilot study and two additional studies conducted longitudinally over a two-year period support a new measure to assess the usefulness of specific team assignments.