Defining publication bias: protocol for a systematic review of highly cited articles and proposal for a new framework.

BACKGROUND: Selective publication of studies, which is commonly called publication bias, is widely recognized. Over the years a new nomenclature for other types of bias related to non-publication or distortion related to the dissemination of research findings has been developed. However, several of these different biases are often still summarized by the term 'publication bias'. METHODS/DESIGN: As part of the OPEN Project (To Overcome failure to Publish nEgative fiNdings) we will conduct a systematic review with the following objectives:- To systematically review highly cited articles that focus on non-publication of studies and to present the various definitions of biases related to the dissemination of research findings contained in the articles identified.- To develop and discuss a new framework on nomenclature of various aspects of distortion in the dissemination process that leads to public availability of research findings in an international group of experts in the context of the OPEN Project.We will systematically search Web of Knowledge for highly cited articles that provide a definition of biases related to the dissemination of research findings. A specifically designed data extraction form will be developed and pilot-tested. Working in teams of two, we will independently extract relevant information from each eligible article.For the development of a new framework we will construct an initial table listing different levels and different hazards en route to making research findings public. An international group of experts will iteratively review the table and reflect on its content until no new insights emerge and consensus has been reached. DISCUSSION: Results are expected to be publicly available in mid-2013. This systematic review together with the results of other systematic reviews of the OPEN project will serve as a basis for the development of future policies and guidelines regarding the assessment and prevention of publication bias.

Quality of web-based information on bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate web-based information on bipolar disorder and to assess particular content quality indicators. METHODS: Two keywords, "bipolar disorder" and "manic depressive illness" were entered into popular World Wide Web search engines. Websites were assessed with a standardized proforma designed to rate sites on the basis of accountability, presentation, interactivity, readability and content quality. "Health on the Net" (HON) quality label, and DISCERN scale scores were used to verify their efficiency as quality indicators. RESULTS: Of the 80 websites identified, 34 were included. Based on outcome measures, the content quality of the sites turned-out to be good. Content quality of web sites dealing with bipolar disorder is significantly explained by readability, accountability and interactivity as well as a global score. CONCLUSIONS: The overall content quality of the studied bipolar disorder websites is good.

Dossier sur le peintre Jules-Louis Moréteau (cahier et notes diverses). Don de sa nièce, Yvette Courtiau

Donateur : Courtiau, Yvette

Archives du cartographe Pierre Lapie, données par P.-O. Lapie (144 pièces dont 37 cartes)

Donateur : Lapie, Pierre-Olivier (1901-1994)

Competitive intelligence yksikön palvelustrategia

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, kuinka yrityksen Compeitive Intelligence (CI) yksikön palvelustrategia pitäisi rakentaa ja mitä tekijöitä ottaa huomioon palvelustrategian rakentamisessa, jotta se parhaiten tukisi CI-yksikön integrointia muuhun organisaatioon. Tutkimus suoritettiin laadullisena case tutkimuksena. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin kirjallisuudesta, artikkeleista sekä suorittamalla teemahaastatteluja. Tutkimuksen teoreettisena pohjana käytettiin näkemyksiä markkina-, kilpailu- ja liiketoimintatiedosta, palveluiden markkinoinnista sekä tietojohtamisesta. Tutkimuksen empiirinen aineisto kerättiin haastattelemalla kymmenen CI-yksikön asiakasta kohdeyrityksestä. Niin teorialähteiden kuin kohdeyrityksessä kerätyn materiaalin pohjalta voidaan sanoa, että palvelustrategiaa suunniteltaessa oleellisia elementtejä, joilla voidaan parantaa CI:n integrointia muuhun organisaatioon, ovat palvelu/tuote, jakelu sekä viestintä ja vuorovaikutus. Palvelustrategian rakentamisessa erityisessä ja keskeisessä asemassa on vuorovaikutus. Vuorovaikutuksen merkitys korostuu, koska sillä on vaikutusta palvelustrategian muihin elementteihin, kuten tiedon laatuun ja proaktiiviseen tiedon jakeluun.

La veille bibliographique. Partie 2, Un élément de surveillance

Cet article est la seconde partie d'une série de quatre consacrée aux résultats d'une veille bibliographique sur la surveillance biologique de l'exposition aux produits chimiques en milieu de travail (SBEPC MT). Alors que la précédente partie présentait les objectifs et l'organisation de la veille, cette partie ainsi que la partie 3 vont donc présenter une vue d'ensemble de la base de données en fonction de l'indexation des articles analysés par différents mots clés.

Organisaatiokenttä vai paikallisyhteisö: OP-ryhmän strategiat institutionaalisten ja kilpailullisten paineiden ristitulessa

Tässä johtaminen ja organisaatiot -oppialaan kuuluvassa väitöstutkimuksessa selvitetään, miten asiakasomisteisten osuuskuntien johtajat sekä hallintohenkilöt vastaavat organisaatioidensa kohtaamiin institutionaalisiin ja kilpailullisiin paineisiin sekä kuinka he pyrkivät vaikuttamaan organisaatiokenttänsä instituutioihin yritystensä kilpailuaseman parantamiseksi pankkisektorilla. Asiakasomisteisten osuuskuntien päätöksentekoa tarkastellaan kolmen kriittisen tapauksen kautta. Tapauksia analysoidaan hyödyntäen institutionaalista organisaatioteoriaa. Kyseisen teoriapohjan soveltaminen strategisen päätöksenteon tutkimiseksi antaa mahdollisuuden tarkastella asiakasomisteisten osuuskuntien eri toimijoiden ja instituutioiden välistä dialogia aiempaa laajemmin. Pitkittäisaineisto (v. 1939 - 2005) koostuu kaikkiaan 57 haastattelusta sekä laaja-alaisesta historiallisesta arkistomateriaalista. Työn keskeinen kontribuutio on asiakasomisteisten osuuskuntien päätöksenteon kytkeminen institutionaaliseen organisaatioteoriaan, erityisesti legitimiteettiin sekä instituutioihin vaikuttamiseen liittyviin kysymyksiin. Työssä esitetään väite, jonka mukaan pankkisektorilla ryhmänä toimiva asiakasomisteinen osuuskunta hakee legitimiteettiä organisaatiokentän lisäksi paikallisyhteisöstä, mikä tuottaa jännitteen liiketoiminnan harjoittamiseen sekä strategiseen johtamiseen.

Value Processingin Organizations - Individual Perceptions in Three Case Companies

Values and value processes are said to be needed in every organization nowadays, as the world is changing and companies have to have something to "keep it together". Organizational values, which are approvedand used by the personnel, could be the key. Every organization has values. But what is the real value of values? The greatest and most crucial challenge is the feasibility of the value process. The main point in this thesis is tostudy how organizational members at different hierarchical levels perceive values and value processes in their organizations. This includes themes such as how values are disseminated, the targets of value processing, factors that affect the process, problems that occur during the value implementation and improvements that could be made when organizational values are implemented. These subjects are studied from the perspective of organizational members (both managers and employees); individuals in the organizations. The aim is to get the insider-perspective on value processing, from multiple hierarchical levels. In this research I study three different organizations (forest industry, bank and retail cooperative) and their value processes. The data is gathered from companies interviewing personnel in the head office and at the local level. The individuals areseen as members of organizations, and the cultural aspect is topical throughout the whole study. Values and cultures are seen as the 'actuality of reality' of organizations, interpreted by organizational members. The three case companies were chosen because they represented different lines of business and they all implemented value processing differently. Sincethe emphasis in this study is at the local level, the similar size of the local units was also an important factor. Values are in 'fashion' -but what does the fashion tell us about the real corporate practices? In annual reports companies emphasize the importance and power of official values. But what is the real 'point' of values? Values are publicly respected and advertised, but still it seems that the words do not meet the deeds. There is a clear conflict between theoretical, official and substantive organizational values: in the value processing from words to real action. This contradiction in value processing is studied through individual perceptions in this study. I study the kinds of perceptions organizationalmembers have when values are processed from the head office to the local level: the official value process is studied from the individual's perspective. Value management has been studied more during the 1990's. The emphasis has usually been on managers: how they consider the values in organizations and what effects it has on the management. Recent literature has emphasized values as tools for improving company performance. The value implementation as a process has been studied through 'good' and 'bad' examples, as if one successful value process could be copied to all organizations. Each company is different with different cultures and personnel, so no all-powerful way of processing values exists. In this study, the organizational members' perceptions at different hierarchical levels are emphasized. Still, managers are also interviewed; this is done since managerial roles in value dissemination are crucial. Organizational values cannot be well disseminated without management; this has been proved in several earlier studies (e.g. Kunda 1992, Martin 1992, Parker 2000). Recent literature has not sufficiently emphasized the individual's (organizational member's) role in value processing. Organizations consist of differentindividuals with personal values, at all hierarchical levels. The aim in this study is to let the individual take the floor. Very often the value process is described starting from the value definition and ending at dissemination, and the real results are left without attention. I wish to contribute to this area. Values are published officially in annual reports etc. as a 'goal' just like profits. Still, the results/implementationof value processing is rarely followed, at least in official reports. This is a very interesting point: why do companies espouse values, if there is no real control or feedback after the processing? In this study, the personnel in three different companies is asked to give an answer. In the empirical findings, there are several results which bring new aspects to the research area of organizational values. The targets of value processing, factors effecting value processing, the management's roles and the problems in value implementation are presented through the individual's perspective. The individual's perceptions in value processing are a recurring theme throughout the whole study. A comparison between the three companies with diverse value processes makes the research complete

Identifying the Role of Final Consumption in Structural Path Analysis: An Application to Water Uses

The complexity of the connexions within an economic system can only be reliably reflected in academic research if powerful methods are used. Researchers have used Structural Path Analysis (SPA) to capture not only the linkages within the production system but also the propagation of the effects into different channels of impacts. However, the SPA literature has restricted itself to showing the relations among sectors of production, while the connections between these sectors and final consumption have attracted little attention. In order to consider the complete set of channels involved, in this paper we propose a structural path method that endogenously incorporates not only sectors of production but also the final consumption of the economy. The empirical application comprises water usages, and analyses the dissemination of exogenous impacts into various channels of water consumption. The results show that the responsibility for water stress is imputed to different sectors and depends on the hypothesis used for the role played by final consumption in the model. This highlights the importance of consumers’ decisions in the determination of ecological impacts. Keywords: Input-Output Analysis, Structural Path Analysis, Final Consumption, Water uses.

El Registre General d'entrada i sortida de documents. Estudi d’un cas: El Registre General de l'Ajuntament de Santa Perpètua de Mogoda

El treball de recerca del Màster en Arxivística i Gestió de Documents de l’ESAGED (Escola Superior d’Arxivística i Gestió de Documents) ha consistit en l’estudi i l’avaluació del registre general d’entrades i sortides de documents de l’Ajuntament de Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, en fase de producció. A més d’estudiar-ne el context extern i intern s’han auditat les funcionalitats de l’eina tecnològica que gestiona el Registre General. S’explica el desenvolupament de la recerca i els resultats obtinguts. Finalment, es presenten les propostes de millora en fase de producció a fi d’augmentar l’autenticitat i la integritats de les dades, i també unes propostes de conservació del Registre General actual. Paraules clau: Registre General, preservació, base de dades, assentaments, ajuntament, classificació, gestió de documents, dades, informació, fiabilitat, integritat, autenticitat.