Tianjin Automotive Test Center & National Passenger Car Quality Supervision and Inspection Center——A State Testing and Universality Techniques Research Base in China

Tianiin Automotive Test Center has a test capability as well as a capability of conducting universality techniques research. With fixed assets of around RMB 76.44 million yuan and an architectural area of 11,200 sqm, test labs mainly include: auto emission test lab, full-scale vehicle crash test lab, auto safety test lab, auto lighting and view field test lab, engine test lab,

The Flemish Performance-based Research Funding System: A Unique Variant of the Norwegian Model

The BOF-key is the performance-based research funding system that is used in Flanders, Belgium. In this paper we describe the historical background of the system, its current design and organization, as well as its effects on the Flemish higher education landscape. The BOFkey in its current form relies on three bibliometric parameters: publications in Web of Science, citations in Web of Science, and publications in a comprehensive regional database for SSH publications. Taken together, the BOF-key forms a unique variant of the Norwegian model: while the system to a large extent relies on a commercial database, it avoids the problem of inadequate coverage of the SSH. Because the bibliometric parameters of the BOF-key are reused in other funding allocation schemes, their overall importance to the Flemish universities is substantial.

Redesigning the Model of Book Evaluation in the Polish Performance-based Research Funding System

Purpose: This study aims to present the key systemic changes in the Polish book evaluation model to focus on the publisher list, as inspired by the Norwegian Model. Design/methodology/approach: In this study we reconstruct the framework of the 2010 and 2018 models of book evaluation in Poland within the performance-based research funding system. Findings: For almost 20 years the book evaluation system in Poland has been based on the verification of various technical criteria(e.g. length of the book). The new 2018 model is based on the principle of prestige inheritance(a book is worth as much as its publisher is) and is inspired by the publisher list used in the Norwegian Model. In this paper, we argue that this solution may be a more balanced policy instrument than the previous 2010 model in which neither the quality of the publisher nor the quality of the book played any role in the evaluation.Research limitations: We work from the framework of the 2018 model of book evaluation specified in the law on higher education and science from 20 July 2018, as implementation acts are not available yet. Practical implications: This study may provide a valuable point of reference on how structural reforms in the research evaluation model were implemented on a country level. The results of this study may be interesting to policy makers, stakeholders and researchers focused on science policy. Originality/value: This is the very first study that presents the new framework of the Polish research evaluation model and policy instruments for scholarly book evaluation. We describe what motivated policy makers to change the book evaluation model, and what arguments were explicitly raised to argue for the new solution.

A Local Adaptation in an Output-Based Research Support Scheme(OBRSS)at University College Dublin

University College Dublin(UCD) has implemented the Output-Based Research Support Scheme(OBRSS) since 2016. Adapted from the Norwegian model, the OBRSS awards individual academic staff using a points system based on the number of publications and doctoral students. This article describes the design and implementation processes of the OBRSS, including the creation of the ranked publication list and points system and infrastructure requirements. Some results of the OBRSS will be presented, focusing on the coverage of publications reported in the OBRSS ranked publication list and Scopus, as well as information about spending patterns. Challenges such as the evaluation of the OBRSS in terms of fairness, transparency, and effectiveness will also be discussed.

Academic Nursing Center Primary Care Quality Improvement Using an Electronic Health Record and a Practice-Based Research Network

Practice-based research networks (PBRN) seek to improve healthcare through the use of research, quality improvement, and collaborative learning. When used by nontraditional models of care such as the nurse managed healthcare center (NMHC), PBRNs can be incorporated into successful quality improvement (QI) programs. UT Health Services is a NMHC utilizing a PBRN as one component of a comprehensive QI program in an effort to deliver high quality healthcare.

Methods and Practices for Institutional Benchmarking based on Research Impact and Competitiveness: A Case Study of ShanghaiTech University

Purpose: To develop and test a mission-oriented and multi-dimensional benchmarking method for a small scale university aiming for internationally first-class basic research.Design/methodology/approach: An individualized evidence-based assessment scheme was employed to benchmark ShanghaiTech University against selected top research institutions,focusing on research impact and competitiveness at the institutional and disciplinary levels.Topic maps opposing ShanghaiTech and corresponding top institutions were produced for the main research disciplines of ShanghaiTech. This provides opportunities for further exploration of strengths and weakness. Findings: This study establishes a preliminary framework for assessing the mission of the university. It further provides assessment principles, assessment questions, and indicators.Analytical methods and data sources were tested and proved to be applicable and efficient.Research limitations: To better fit the selective research focuses of this university, its schema of research disciplines needs to be re-organized and benchmarking targets should include disciplinary top institutions and not necessarily those universities leading overall rankings.Current reliance on research articles and certain databases may neglect important research output types.Practical implications: This study provides a working framework and practical methods for mission-oriented, individual, and multi-dimensional benchmarking that ShanghaiTech decided to use for periodical assessments. It also offers a working reference for other institutions to adapt. Further needs are identified so that ShanghaiTech can tackle them for future benchmarking.Originality/value: This is an effort to develop a mission-oriented, individually designed,systematically structured, and multi-dimensional assessment methodology which differs from often used composite indices.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Capacity Built through a Community-Based Participatory Research Project Addressing Diabetes and Obesity in South and East Los Angeles

Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, are more prevalent in low-income and minority communities. One promising method to understand and address these chronic conditions is through Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR). CBPR engages and empowers community members to identify risk factors and work toward solutions as equal partners with researchers. One positive and lasting outcome may be an increase in the community capacity which includes individual and community leadership development, policy making, creating connections and utilizing existing community resources. Evaluating community capacity created as a result of a CBPR project is one way to measure its effectiveness. This paper is a retrospective analysis of the capacity built during a CBPR study of diabetes and obesity in East and South Los Angeles which are two low-income and minority neighborhoods. Four people, who were heavily involved in the project, completed a retrospective analysis of the capacity built utilizing a validated instrument. There was consensus about the capacity built, which included: excellent participation by community members, inclusion of members’ ideas to leverage additional funding, and pride of community members in their participation in the project. One area that could have been strengthened was increased access for leadership and research experience among community members, especially since the project ended prematurely. There were differences among the two community groups with East Los Angeles members focusing more on tangible interventions and grant writing, while South Los Angeles members had a greater policy focus. Communities and researchers who are embarking on a CBPR project can learn from those who have implemented the strategy. Measuring capacity built during and after the project, can be one way to understanding the contributions of a project in a community. CBPR is an empowering research methodology which, done correctly, can build community capacity and have long-term impacts on individuals and communities.

Research in spinal surgery: Evaluation and practice of evidence-based medicine

Evidence-based medicine(EBM) is a common concept among medical practitioners, yet unique challenges arise when EBM is applied to spinal surgery. Due to the relative rarity of certain spinal disorders, and a lack of management equipoise, randomized controlled trials may be difficult to execute. Despite this, responsibility rests with spinal surgeons to design high quality studies in order to justify certain treatment modalities. The authors therefore review the tenets of implementing evidencebased research, through the lens of spinal disorders. The process of EBM begins with asking the correct question.An appropriate study is then designed based on the research question. Understanding study designs allows the spinal surgeon to assess the level of evidence provided.Validated outcome measurements allow clinicians to communicate the success of treatment strategies, and will increase the quality of a given study design. Importantly,one must recognize that the randomized controlled trial is not always the optimal study design for a given research question. Rather, prospective observational cohort studies may be more appropriate in certain circumstances, and would provide superior generalizability. Despite the challenges involved with EBM, it is the future of medicine. These issues surrounding EBM are important for spinal surgeons, as well as health policy makers and editorial boards, to have familiarity.

Brain Research on Mental Disorders: A Criticism

Objective: To expose the problems and inherent limitations of neuroscience-based brain research on mental disorders. Method: Discussion of the theory underlying brain research on mental disorders, followed by a systematic evaluation of typical studies. Results: The fundamental problem is that brain researchers fail to differentiate between biological mental disorders in which brain processes cause the disorder (notably schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and melancholic depression) and learned mental disorders in which brain processes mediate but do not cause the disorder (which is the case with reactive depression, reactive anxiety, OCD, and PTSD). Researchers have been unsuccessful in identifying mechanisms in the brain that cause biological mental disorders, and will never be able to locate the innumerable specific neural connections that mediate learned mental disorders. Moreover, the author’s review of typical studies in this field shows that they have serious problems with theory, measurement, and data analysis, and that their findings cannot be trusted. Conclusions: Neuroscience-based brain research on mental disorders, unlike other neurological research, has been an expensive failure and it is not worth continuing.

实证研究在临床实践指南制订中的思考及方法学建议

临床实践指南制订的方法学理论在真实的制订情境下存在诸多问题,缺乏对于实际情况的考量,致使其对于指南制订的指导性下降。本文深入剖析了指南制订中理论与实践相关的多方面难点,包括指南制订时方法学理论与实践存在偏差、缺乏大样本的指南方法学相关的实证研究、方法学理论在实证运用后对于局限性和未来研究建议的报告内容不足且形式不规范的问题。为提高未来指南制订方法学的指导性,本课题组提出了多项方法学建议,包括倡导开展对方法学理论进行验证的实证研究、促进大样本实证研究和对比研究开展、规范实证研究后对局限性和未来研究建议的报告内容和形式,以期为指南制订方法学研究者及指南制订小组提供参考。

国内Content-based Instruction研究述评

自从20世纪90年代Content-based Instruction进入中国,得到各个学科领域的关注,最近几年相关研究更是呈井喷之势,尤其是实证研究。但是,对中国知网检索文献的分析显示,CBI研究设计科学性不够,忽略了研究的伦理问题,部分研究由于自变量描述不够,影响了研究的效度。分析同样发现,实验中的干预与CBI不符,研究者将CBI与其它教学方式混淆不清。

Schiff Base型大环化合物的合成研究进展

研究发现Schiff base型大环化合物具有优异的抗菌和过渡金属离子的萃取性能,已经成为有机化学的研究热点之一。综述了Schiff base型大环化合物的合成方法研究进展,并对合成中的一些诸如模板离子的大小与缩合比,脱模板作用等问题作了简要探讨。

E-Research环境下学术机构知识库的构建研究

文章分析了E-Research环境下学术机构知识库的构建必要性,从资源建设模式、服务模式两方面介绍了E-Research环境下学术机构知识库构建模式,并给出了E-Research环境下学术机构知识库的构建方案,该方案主要包括前期设计、运行设计和后期维护设计,最后提出了E-Research环境下学术机构知识库构建的策略。

美国研究性学习教材分析及其对我国的启示——以教材“STEM Student Research Handbook”为例

提升STEM教育质量,离不开STEM课程的创新设计。研究性学习与STEM课程的有机整合,逐步成为STEM课程建设的重要趋势。为挖掘研究性学习与STEM课程整合的内在逻辑,文章以美国“STEM Student Research Handbook”一书为分析对象,从教学内容、教学活动和教学评价三方面分析了该教材在指导学生STEM科学研究方面的特色,研究结果表明:该教材关注科学研究知识的系统性、强调以设计研究引导教学活动、借助信息技术提升研究效率、注重对学生多元学习证据的评价。基于此,文章从多元知识体系奠基、系统研究流程驱动、伴随性评价引导三个方面,论述了该教材对我国STEM课程建设的启示,以期为我国STEM课程的建设提供参考,并助推我国STEM课程与研究性学习的深度融合。

Disclosing and Evaluating Artistic Research

Purpose: This study expands on the results of a stakeholder-driven research project on quality indicators and output assessment of art and design research in Flanders-the Northern, Dutchspeaking region of Belgium. Herein, it emphasizes the value of arts & design output registration as a modality to articulate the disciplinary demarcations of art and design research.Design/methodology/approach: The particularity of art and design research in Flanders is first analyzed and compared to international examples. Hereafter, the results of the stakeholderdriven project on the creation of indicators for arts & design research output assessment are discussed. Findings: The findings accentuate the importance of allowing an assessment culture to emerge from practitioners themselves, instead of imposing ill-suited methods borrowed from established scientific evaluation models(Biggs & Karlsson, 2011)-notwithstanding the practical difficulties it generates. They point to the potential of stakeholder-driven approaches for artistic research, which benefits from constructing a shared metadiscourse among its practitioners regarding the continuities and discontinuities between "artistic" and "traditional" research, and the communal goals and values that guide its knowledge production(Biggs & Karlsson, 2011;Hellstr?m, 2010;Ysebaert & Martens, 2018). Research limitation: The central limitation of the study is that it focuses exclusively on the "Architecture & Design" panel of the project, and does not account for intra-disciplinary complexities in output assessment. Practical implications: The goal of the research project is to create a robust assessment system for arts & design research in Flanders, which may later guide similar international projects. Originality/value: This study is currently the only one to consider the productive potential of(collaborative) PRFSs for artistic research.

外语专业研究性课堂教学模式探索

广义的研究性教学应用于外语专业课堂教学,以思维能力培养为核心,辐射推动学生的内驱力、自主力、合作力以及创造力,能够实现学生的可持续成长,更好促进外语专业拔尖人才培养。在课堂教学设计中,基于教师课前阶段的教材分析与评估而重组教学材料,“以研究为导向”,引导学生培养问题意识,在预习中通过联想学会如何提出问题;“以研究为基础”,在课中阶段融入类比集思的思维训练活动,对师生提出的问题展开对话、讨论与探究,通过聚合性思维做出判断,学会解决问题;还要“以研究成果为导向”,通过课后阶段的反思发现教学中的问题,找到教学研究课题,由此带来知识生产。

以“学”为中心的问题式实验教学改革

基础化学实验不仅可以验证化学理论和训练实验技能,更应注重学生分析问题、解决问题能力的提升。针对基础学科拔尖学生的培养,我们本着因材施教的理念,开展了基础化学实验课程的教学内容、知识体系、教学方法的改革和实践。通过构建以“学”为中心、问题为导向的教学模式,系统提升实验教学在人才培养中的效果和作用。