Knockin' on Digital Doors. Dealing with online [dis]credit in an era of digital scientific inquiry

This chapter aims at presenting and discussing credible online recruitment eliciting techniques targeting scientific purposes adjusted to the digital age. Based on several illustrations conducted by the author within the framework of both quantitative and qualitative inquiries, this chapter critically explores the digital ethos in three main challenges faced when dealing with online recruitment for scientific purposes: entering the normality of the everyday life, entering the idiosyncrasy of multicultural lives, and entering the chaos of busy lives. By the end, a toolbox for establishing and evaluating (dis)credibility within online recruitment strategies is presented. Moreover, it is argued that success of data collection at the present time in online environments seems to rely as ever on internal factors of the communication process vis-à-vis e-mail content, design and related strategies.

New insight on the underdrawing of 16th Flemish-Portuguese easel paintings by combined surface analysis and microanalytical techniques

This paper focusses on the study of the underdrawings of 16th century easel paintings attributed to the workshop of the Portuguese-Flemish Master Frei Carlos. This investigation encompasses multidisciplinary research that relates the results of surface exams (infrared reflectography, standard light photography and infrared photography) with analytical investigations. The surface analysis of Frei Carlos’ underdrawings by infrared reflectography has shown heterogeneous work, revealing two different situations: (1) an abundant and expressive underdrawing, revealing a Flemish influence and (2) a simple and outlined underdrawing. This preliminary research raised an important question related to this Portuguese-Flemish workshop and to the analytical approach: Is the underdrawing's heterogeneity, as observed in the reflectograms, related to different artists or is this rather an effect that is produced due to the use of different materials in the underdrawing's execution? Consequently, if different materials were used, how can we have access to the hidden underdrawings? In order to understand the reasons for this dissemblance, chemical analysis of micro-samples collected in underdrawing areas and representing both situations were carried out by optical microscopy, micro Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX) and micro-Raman spectroscopy (μ-Raman). Taking into account the different possibilities and practical and theoretical limitations of surface and punctual examinations in the study of easel painting underdrawings, the methodology of research was adjusted, sometimes resulting in a re-analysis of experimental results. This research shows the importance of combining multispectral surface exams and chemical analysis in the understanding of the artistic creative processes of 16th century easel paintings.