Purpose: Postdoctoral scholars are increasingly pursuing diverse career paths requiring broad skill sets. This study aims to create a more comprehensive understanding of current approaches and strategies for postdoctoral scholars professional learning and development. Design/methodology/approach: This literature review is a systematic examination and synthesis of the current literature describing professional learning and development pertaining to postdoctoral scholars. The objectives and components of initiatives were extracted and narratively synthesized to identity important patterns and themes across the literature. Findings: Commonalities amongst professional learning and development initiatives for postdoctoral scholars included skills development in the following areas: teaching and learning, mentorship, academic careers, academic writing, industry careers, networking, career planning, project management, time management, communication, leadership and balancing work-life demands. Originality/value: In synthesizing the literature that describes professional learning and development opportunities for postdoctoral scholars, it is apparent that opportunities look different in every setting with no empirical evidence that one strategy is more effective than another. Given the significant resources often required to support professional learning and development initiatives, a deeper understanding of the benefits and deficiencies of various components is needed to ensure scarce resources are invested in the most effective strategies.
This study examines the research methods, topics, and trends of empirical MOOC research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the MOOC phenomenon through reviewing 541 empirical MOOCs research published from 2009 to 2019. The results indicate that: (1) the majority of studies adopted quantitative research methods followed by mixed research methods and qualitative research methods, (2) the most frequently adopted data collection method was survey, followed by platform database and interviews, (3) almost half of the studies used at least two data collection methods such as survey and interview, (4) the majority of researchers adopted descriptive statistics for data analysis, followed by inferential statistics and content analysis, (5) the research topics primarily focused on students, followed by design-focused, context and impact-focused, and instructor-focused. Among these student-focused topics, learner retention, learning experience, social learning, and engagement were the most mentioned, and (6) the affiliations of the first authors of the MOOC studies were mainly from the U.S. followed by China and Spain. Implications and future research were discussed.
Due to increased levels of stigma, discrimination and victimization Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning or Intersex (LGBTQI+) youth face particular challenges in society. With the intention of better understanding the challenges and issues that LGBTQI+ youth are experiencing, this systematic review explored qualitative studies with a focus on mental health services and the requisite social support service policies and programs for LGBTQI+ youth. Qualitative research systematically examines the expressed thoughts and feelings of the research participants, and through reflective analysis of the themes and links discussed, can provide rich and nuanced understanding. A synthesis of the included studies identified five core themes: (1) Isolation, rejection, phobia, need for support; (2) Marginalization; (3) Depression, self-harm and suicidality; (4) Policy and environment; and (5) Connectedness. Key results suggest that community, school, and family resources to support resilience will optimize LGBTQI+ mental health. This systematic review of qualitative research provides a source of rich information to inform the provision of services and policies that will address the disparity into mental health statistics for the LGBTQI+ population.
BACKGROUND: Although aging persons with cognitive disabilities may benefit from information technologies (IT), researchers have identified barriers affecting their IT use. However, most studies do not emphasize the needs and experiences reported by these users themselves. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors affecting IT use from the perspective of aging persons with cognitive disabilities. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed studies published between January 2008 and December 2018 that investigated IT use by aging persons with cognitive disabilities as reported by these individuals. Factors affecting participants’ IT use were synthesized through a thematic analysis of relevant studies’ findings. RESULTS: Seven studies were included in our analysis. We found technology-related (accessibility, usefulness, cost), social (support, stigma and other social pressure), and personal (experience with IT, attitudes toward IT use, functional limitations, life situation) factors related to participants’ IT use. Stigma was identified as a key barrier to IT use that has been underestimated in previous quantitative research. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the role that stigma plays in the use and adoption of technology among aging persons with cognitive disabilities is critical to developing successful strategies to promote this population’s IT use.
Purpose This paper aims to systematically review the current literature on compassion in mental health from a historical, service user and carer (SUAC)/academic researcher perspective with respect to the current paradigm/biomedical model. Design/methodology/approach Searches were conducted in CIANHL Complete, Academic Search Complete, British Education Index, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, Scorpus, Proquest Central using a simplified PRISM approach. Findings In the UK, the SUAC-movement facilitated the adoption of more compassionate mental health in statutory services. Across the world, compassion-based approaches may be viewed as beneficial, especially to those experiencing a biomedical model “treatment”. Health-care workers, suffering burnout and fatigue during neoliberal economics, benefit from compassion training, both in their practice and personally. Randomised control trials (RCTs) demonstrate compassion-type interventions are effective, given sufficient intervention timing, duration and design methodology. Psychology creates outcome measures of adequacies and deficiencies in compassion, demonstrating their importance statistically, with reservations. The effective protection of mental health by self-compassion in both SUACs and health care professionals is evident. It is clear from qualitative research that SUACs prefer compassionate mental health. It also makes a large difference to mental health in general populations. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are given, including a necessity to fund RCTs comparing compassionate mental health interventions with the biomedical model. Unless statutory mental health services adopt this emerging evidence base, medics and their SUACs will continue to rely on pharmaceuticals. Originality/value This is the first integrated literature review of compassion in mental health from a historical, SUAC/academic researcher viewpoint using all research methodologies.
Many believe that smart contract can provide an innovative solution to some of the real-world problems. Thus, it is expected that blockchain-based smart contracts can dramatically increase economic efficiency and productivity in financial, banking and capital markets. In fact, smart contracts are a powerful novel tool for major changes in the financial, legal and contractual systems of the future, which will change the business model, create efficiency and added value, reduce legal disputes and increase the speed and transparency of financial transactions. Another innovative solution of smart contracts is their wide application in the internet of objects (IoT). For example, smart contract can be used to track goods in smart transport system, or it can be applied in future smart cars without a driver in order to pay for gasoline when fueling or pay for the insurance in the case of an accident automatically and immediately. Due to the widespread applications of smart contract in e-government, supply chain, intellectual property creation, patient electronic records, electronic voting, electronic insurance, smart transport and so on, its importance is clearly identified. Therefore, considering the emergence of smart contracts and given the scattered studies in this field, an attempt has been made to present a comprehensive and systematic model of the challenges of smart contract based on blockchain technology and the distributed ledger by the systematic review of previous studies (papers published in internationally accredited journals and theses reviewed between 2016 and 2019), using a meta-synthesis qualitative research method and Sandelowski and Barroso's (2006) seven-step model.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify and systematize journal articles that relate to new product development (NPD) within a circular economy (CE) and to present an integrative framework. Design/methodology/approach It was conducted a qualitative research based on a systematic review of the literature. Findings As results, it is presented the identification of the main practices and actions of CE applied to NPD, as well as the drivers, barriers and the stakeholders involved in the integration between CE and NPD. Originality/value The main contributions of this research are: mapping the state-of-the-art on the topic and systematizing the existing knowledge; providing useful insights for product development professionals considering adopting CE practices and tools in their NPD processes; and presenting a unique, integrative framework to guide organizations’ actions.
Purpose: Postdoctoral scholars are increasingly pursuing diverse career paths requiring broad skill sets. This study aims to create a more comprehensive understanding of current approaches and strategies for postdoctoral scholars professional learning and development. Design/methodology/approach: This literature review is a systematic examination and synthesis of the current literature describing professional learning and development pertaining to postdoctoral scholars. The objectives and components of initiatives were extracted and narratively synthesized to identity important patterns and themes across the literature. Findings: Commonalities amongst professional learning and development initiatives for postdoctoral scholars included skills development in the following areas: teaching and learning, mentorship, academic careers, academic writing, industry careers, networking, career planning, project management, time management, communication, leadership and balancing work-life demands. Originality/value: In synthesizing the literature that describes professional learning and development opportunities for postdoctoral scholars, it is apparent that opportunities look different in every setting with no empirical evidence that one strategy is more effective than another. Given the significant resources often required to support professional learning and development initiatives, a deeper understanding of the benefits and deficiencies of various components is needed to ensure scarce resources are invested in the most effective strategies.
