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Photography is one of the greatest weapons of modern science and technology. Why it has not been equally effectively used in the classroom and lecture room is something of a mystery but, doubtless, the need to plan somewhat far in advance and to become involved in fairly lengthy and exacting darkroom work after the exposures have been made is mainly responsible.

Practically every school or college now possesses a good 16 mm projector, designed to project silent film or to add sound from optical film track or magnetic stripe. Many such machines also enable the user to add sound by recording, on the magnetic stripe, a suitable commentary as he views the projected film. Simple methods of adding sound accurately synchronized from tape run through a tape recorder are less common, but this can be achieved if one is prepared to go to some trouble to ensure mechanical synchronization.

Readability applications are the software products designed to make online text more readable. Using information foraging theory as a framework, the purpose of this paper is to study the extent, if at all, using a readability application improves skimming comprehension in a low-clutter online environment. It also seeks to identify the perceived benefits or effects of using a readability application for skimming comprehension.

Ten participants skimmed two articles each, one in a low-clutter online document presentation environment, the other using an online readability application, as a timed, information foraging exercise. After reading each article, respondents answered true/false comprehension questions and follow up questions.

There was little difference in the comprehension of respondents after skimming in the two online documentation presentation environments. The readability environment was the preferred environment.

This study suggests that since participants claimed to prefer the text presentation of the readability application interface, interface designers may wish to create library interfaces for information seeking that follow the readability application format. Because some of the participants found themselves reading rather than skimming when using the readability application, readability for tasks other than skimming may be enhanced.

This is a practical study investigating an existing online readability application and its effects on an existing online reading environment as they pertain to information seeking behavior in general and to information foraging in particular.

A numerical integration scheme using the Monte Carlo method is discussed to evaluate the singular integral in boundary elements. A numerical demonstration is given for some potential problems. Results evaluated by the Monte Carlo method are compared with the analytical ones for accuracy and computation time. Examination shows the validity and capability of the approach.

Growing numbers of international students on Australian university campuses in the last decade have generated interest, change and quality challenges. Research suggests that the future success of Australian universities rests on their ability to meet the challenge of providing a stimulating and rewarding higher education experience for domestic and international students alike. The Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) has sought, through its second round of quality reviews, to focus on the performance of Australian universities with regard to international activities. Specifically, this paper seeks to establish the “pulse” in relation to the issues and strategies aimed at the social engagement of international students as part of their wider experience on campus.

A thematic analysis approach was adopted to explore “internationalisation” in 14 AUQA audit reports published between 2006 and 2010.

The findings of the study have led to first, the development of a definition of social engagement as an aspect of the international student experience. Second, they identify the key contexts targeted by universities as being relevant to the social engagement of international students. Third, the findings focus on the strategies adopted by universities in enhancing social engagement.

Observations of AUQA university reports point to the need for further research concerned with student engagement with communities beyond the campus and also to explore online software as a tool for social engagement. One limitation of the study lies in the fact that, whilst many university reports allude to student experience questionnaires, the voice of international students in describing their own social experiences is not emphasised.

Together with a focus on social engagement from the student's own point‐of‐view, the findings of this study are likely to be a useful resource for university staff considering the contexts in which the social engagement of international students is targeted and the strategies they adopt.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a Monte Carlo variance reduction method based on Control variates to solve Fredholm integral equations of the second kind.

A numerical algorithm consisted of the combined use of the successive substitution method and Monte Carlo simulation is established for the solution of Fredholm integral equations of the second kind.

Owing to the application of the present method, the variance of the solution is reduced. Therefore, this method achieves several orders of magnitude improvement in accuracy over the conventional Monte Carlo method.

Numerical tests are performed in order to show the efficiency and accuracy of the present paper. Numerical experiments show that an excellent estimation on the solution can be obtained within a couple of minutes CPU time at Pentium IV‐2.4 GHz PC.

This paper provides a new efficient method to solve Fredholm integral equations of the second kind and discusses basic advantages of the present method.

Digital distraction is a common phenomenon in e-reading contexts, and it is worth exploring in depth from the perspectives of information (digital content), users (readers) and technology (digital reading medium). Since screen reading has close links with multitasking and potential distraction, any investigation of reading in the digital environment must factor in this reality. This paper aims to investigate the extent and effects of digital distraction while reading on screens. Special emphases go to exploring multitasking while reading.

Survey and analysis methods are employed.

The extent of digital distraction among college students it found is alarming. All the top four sources of distraction are communication-based activities. Female students tend to concentrate more than males when they read on screens. An overwhelming majority of participants choose to read in print to reduce distractions and to concentrate effectively. Screen reading is inherently distracting, primarily due to multitasking. It appears that repeated multitasking during academic endeavors carries substantial costs.

Implications of digital distraction are discussed, and directions of future research are suggested.

The purpose of this paper is to provide ebook designers and researchers with design insights by promoting historical knowledge about books and reading as sources of ideas to implement in current and future ebooks.

The authors review historical features of books and practices of reading that have been implemented, weakened, or lost over time, referring to historical texts and resources, and relate them to ebook viewers (software) and readers (hardware) that are currently on the market. In particular, the review focuses on the physical form of the book and the practices of reading, annotation, and bookshelving.

While some older forms and reading practices have been implemented in ebook devices, others have been forgotten over time, due in part to physical constraints that are no longer relevant. The authors suggest that features that constrained print books and print reading in the past might actually improve the design of ebooks and e-reading in the present.

This review is necessarily based on a limited set of existing historical sources.

Translating insights into novel tangible designs is always a challenging task. Ebook designers can gain insights from this paper that can be applied in a variety of design contexts.

No previous work on ebook design has foregrounded historical aspects of books and reading as viable sources of ideas to implement in ebooks.

This research investigated how biological scientists' perceived academic reputation, community trust, and norms all influence their perceived academic reciprocity, which eventually leads to their data sharing intentions.

A research model was developed based on the theory of collective action, and the research model was empirically evaluated by using the Structural Equation Modeling method based on a total of 649 survey responses.

The results suggest that perceived academic reputation significantly increases perceived community trust, norm of data sharing, and academic reciprocity. Also, both perceived community trust and norm of data sharing significantly increases biological scientists' perceived academic reciprocity, which significantly affect their data sharing intentions. In addition, both perceived community trust and norm of data sharing significantly affect the relationship between perceived academic reciprocity and data sharing intention.

This research shows that the theory of collective action provides a new theoretical lens for understanding scientists' data sharing behaviors based on the mechanisms of reputation, trust, norm, and reciprocity within a research community.

This research offers several practical implications for facilitating scientists' data sharing behaviors within a research community by increasing scientists' perceived academic reciprocity through the mechanisms of reputation, trust, and norm of data sharing.

The collective action perspective in data sharing has been newly proposed in this research; the research sheds light on how scientists' perceived academic reciprocity and data sharing intention can be encouraged by building trust, reputation, and norm in a research community.

This study investigates the multifaceted barriers and facilitators affecting research data sharing across the research data lifecycle. It aims to broaden the understanding of data sharing beyond the publication phase, emphasizing the continuous nature of data sharing from generation to reuse.

Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the Institutional Theory to hypothesize the influence of various factors on data sharing behaviors across the lifecycle. A questionnaire survey and structural equation modeling are utilized to empirically test these hypotheses.

This study identifies critical factors influencing data sharing at different lifecycle stages, including perceived behavioral control, perceived effort, journal and funding agency pressures, subjective norms, perceived risks, resource availability, and perceived benefits. The findings highlight the complex interplay of these factors and their varying impacts at different stages of data sharing.

This study illuminates the dynamics of research data sharing, offering insights while recognizing its scope might not capture all disciplinary and cultural nuances. It highlights pathways for stakeholders to bolster data sharing, suggesting a collaborative push towards open science, reflecting on how strategic interventions can bridge existing gaps in practice.

This study offers actionable recommendations for policymakers, journals, and institutions to foster a more conducive environment for data sharing, emphasizing the need for support mechanisms at various lifecycle stages.

This study contributes to the literature by offering a comprehensive model of the research data lifecycle, providing empirical evidence on the factors influencing data sharing across this continuum.