bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How the United Kingdom's Criminal Records Bureau can reduce the prevalence of elder abuse by improving recruitment decision‐making
Authors: Mustafa Nageen
Published: August 2011

Specifically, organisations in both the private and public care sectors will be examined. Incidents reported by the media surrounding the failures in recruitment procedures will be discussed. An evaluation of recruitment decision‐making will be carried out and details of the present study, which considers how recruitment decisions are being made at present by organisations in the National Health Service (NHS), social care (SC), higher education (HE), further education (FE) and care home (CH) sectors, will be reported. The first wave of data collection consisted of informal interviews carried out with a series of recruitment decision‐makers from these organisations. Results showed that a variation in recruitment decision‐making between organisations exists, and so the protection of vulnerable persons may be being put at risk.
A model and strategy for multi‐agency adult protection training in Kent and Medway
Authors: Aylett Jay
Published: August 2011

This paper describes the development of a multi‐agency model for adult protection training in Kent and Medway and sets this in the context of the evolution of wider adult protection policy and competence. The rationale for the planning and development of the model is outlined and the content and coverage of the different levels of training are described. Key issues include the progression of staff and managers and the implementation and operation of the model. These are explored in relation to the different demands on the safeguarding activities in Kent and Medway and the different agency and professional interests at stake. Future developments are also briefly mapped and discussed.
Sepecialisation in adult protection in Kent Police and the role of the police in investigations
Authors: White Nigel , Lawry Trevor
Published: August 2011

The police are key partners in adult protection work locally and take lead responsibility for investigating alleged crimes committed against vulnerable adults in our communities. They therefore play a critical role in many serious and complex adult protection investigations. This paper describes how a large police service has organised its adult protection resources and maps out the basic processes and responsibilities involved in leading criminal investigations involving vulnerable adults. Using a case study it also identifies and examines the different demands criminal work brings at the inter‐agency, agency and case levels and identifies solutions and pointers for best practice.
Challenging provider performance: developing policy to improve the quality of care to protect vulnerable adults
Authors: Giordano Andrea , Street Dave
Published: August 2011

This article considers the interagency challenges to improving provider performance and quality through the development and ongoing implementation of a new Caerphilly Area Adult Protection Committee (AAPC) provider performance monitoring process. It details procedures for moving from a reactive to a preventative approach to raise quality and to reduce abuse and neglect, exploring the links between commissioning and protection of vulnerable adults.
Realising the safeguarding potential of the Mental Capacity Act 2005: early reports from adult safeguarding staff
Authors: Manthorpe Jill , Rapaport Joan , Harris Jess , Samsi Kritika
Published: August 2011

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 was implemented in England and Wales in 2007. This article reports the findings of interviews with 15 adult safeguarding co‐ordinators in the London area about the operation of the Act and its impact upon adult safeguarding work, particularly in relation to people with dementia. The interviews covered participants' own training and understanding of the Act, their confidence in practice and capacity to be local sources of expertise about the Act and their perceptions of whether its existence is known among the public. The article concludes that adult safeguarding co‐ordinators are mostly well informed but would welcome specific updating, especially around the new offences introduced by the Act.
Not just in the Mental Capacity Act: using the law to protect vulnerable adults
Authors: Hewitt David
Published: August 2011

Vulnerable adults have recently gained greater protection. A lot of attention has focused on the effect of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, but many significant provisions can be found elsewhere. It may be that those provisions, and the possibilities they introduce, are not fully understood by those who could make the best use of them. That would be unfortunate. Where it enjoys powers for adult protection purposes, a public authority might have to explain any failure to use them, particularly where that failure has unfortunate consequences. This paper does not deal directly with the law on adult social care. Nor even, in general terms, does it describe the law relating to the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. It does, however, discuss some of the more significant adult protection provisions and in the process, refers to the No Secrets guidance, which was published in 2000 and remains the chief resource for adult protection work. (Department of Health & Home Office, 2000).
The patient journey: where has all the care gone?
Authors: Dennis Monica
Published: August 2011

This paper presents a personal perspective from a carer about her mother's experience of care in hospital following a stroke.
Safeguarding adults: perspectives from primary care trusts in Kent and Medway
Authors: Draper Tina , Roots Susan , Carter Hilary
Published: August 2011

Adult protection has been a relatively recent concept for staff working within the health economy. Priorities have focused on raising awareness, developing an understanding of safeguarding responsibilities, challenging established practices and attitudes and embedding the concept within the culture of NHS organizations and the daily work of staff at all levels. Although social services have the lead for safeguarding activities (Department of Health, 2000), statutory health bodies have now begun to integrate their adult protection activities more effectively and positively with social services and the police. This paper reviews the journey undertaken by the three primary care trusts (PCTs) in Kent and Medway in developing adult protection expertise and sharing multi‐agency adult protection practice with both social services and the police. The three safeguarding vulnerable adults leads from the PCTs have joined together to look at how far we have come and what we still need to achieve.
Independence and learning disabilities: why we must also recognize vulnerability
Authors: Fyson Rachel
Published: August 2011

Services for adults with learning disabilities are currently based on the promotion of four key principles: rights, independence, choice and social inclusion. This paper will argue that, while these principles are welcome, they need to be balanced against a fifth principle ‐ that vulnerable adults should be adequately protected against the risk of abuse. It will draw on both recent high‐profile cases of violence and abuse against people with learning disabilities and research evidence to explore whether current plans to transform adult social care through the use of self‐directed support and individual budgets offer a safe future.
Risks of living with Alzheimer's disease: a personal view
Authors: Morgan Kathleen
Published: August 2011

This paper describes one woman's personal experience of Alzheimer's disease and her reflections on risk and what it means to her. From the point of diagnosis there are risks to the person living with a dementia, and alongside those for the individual come risks to the family who are also living with the illness. The author argues that people living with dementia must challenge risks, try to find ways round them and be supported to carry on taking risks, as the alternative is to give up control and give in to the illness.
The influence of belonging to virtual brand communities on consumers' affective commitment, satisfaction and word‐of‐mouth advertising
Authors: Royo‐Vela Marcelo , Casamassima Paolo
Published: August 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to explore some of the effects of belonging to a virtual brand community on consumer behaviour. It also proposes the concept of belonging as a three‐dimensional construct.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper proposes that belonging to a virtual community has positive effects on consumer satisfaction, affective commitment and word‐of‐mouth behaviour. After validation of the measurement scales the hypotheses are contrasted through modelling.

Findings

The data show that belonging to a virtual community may enhance consumer satisfaction, affective commitment and word‐of‐mouth advertising towards the brand around which the community is developed. In addition, the paper introduces a third dimension to the construct of belonging, called non‐participative belonging. Active participative belonging influences the level of satisfaction and affective commitment more positively than passive and non‐participative belonging.

Research limitations/implications

Data were obtained through surveys, web surveys and online interviews. There were also limitations of sample size and sampling procedure.

Practical implications

Managers may enhance consumer satisfaction, affective commitment and word‐of‐mouth advertising by developing virtual brand communities and promoting consumers' participation in them.

Originality/value

Previous works that have focused on virtual brand communities have never concentrated on virtual brand communities within Facebook. In addition, prior to this study, belonging to a virtual brand community was a two‐dimensional construct: active and passive participative belonging. The paper identifies a third dimension as non‐participative belonging. Thus this paper offers new areas for future research.
Language resources used in multi‐lingual question‐answering systems
Authors: Olvera‐Lobo María‐Dolores , Gutierrez‐Artacho Juncal
Published: August 2011

Purpose

In the field of information retrieval, some multi‐lingual tools are being created to help the users to overcome the language barriers. Nevertheless, these tools are not developed completely and it is necessary to investigate more for their improvement and application. One of their main problems is the choice of the linguistic resources to offer better coverage and to solve the translation problems in the context of the multi‐lingual information retrieval. This paper aims to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is focused on the analysis of resources used by the multi‐lingual question‐answering systems, which respond to users' queries with short answers, rather than just offering a list of documents related to the search. An analysis of the main publications about the multi‐lingual QA systems was carried out, with the aim of identifying the typology, the advantages and disadvantages, and the real use and trend of each of the linguistic resources and tools used in this new kind of system.

Findings

Five of the resources most used in the cross‐languages QA systems were identified and studied: databases, dictionaries, corpora, ontologies and thesauri. The three most popular traditional resources (automatic translators, dictionaries, and corpora) are gradually leaving a widening gap for others – such as ontologies and the free encyclopaedia Wikipedia.

Originality/value

The perspective offered by the translation discipline can improve the effectiveness of QA systems.
Using online collaborative tools for groups to co‐construct knowledge
Authors: Kai‐Wai Chu Samuel , Kennedy David M.
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on and describe the use of MediaWiki and Google Docs at undergraduate level as online collaboration tools for co‐constructing knowledge in group project work.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants included 22 undergraduate students from the Information Management Programme at the University of Hong Kong. All the students had used MediaWiki for the major project in their knowledge management course and Google Docs for their final year project. Questionnaires and semi‐structured telephone interviews were administered after completion of the course/final year project. All interview conversations were audio‐recorded and transcribed for analysis. Each transcript was e‐mailed to the interviewee for accuracy review. The qualitative data supplemented, enriched and clarified the quantitative responses from the online surveys.

Findings

The results indicated that some of the students had positive experiences using the tools for online collaboration in the group projects. Although more students found MediaWiki an effective knowledge management tool than Google Docs, many students highlighted the user‐friendly features of Google Docs.

Originality/value

These platforms (MediaWiki and Google Docs) gave teachers the facility to closely monitor student progress, and to provide feedback to assist in the effective management of the report‐writing process. Moreover,the use of Google Docs in an academic setting remains largely unexplored in the literature, even though the collaborative features of MediaWiki and Google Docs are relatively comparable.
Examining the critical success factors of mobile website adoption
Authors: Zhou Tao
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to examine the critical success factors of mobile web site adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the valid responses collected from a questionnaire survey, the structural equation modelling technique was employed to examine the research model.

Findings

The results indicate that system quality is the main factor affecting perceived ease of use, whereas information quality is the main factor affecting perceived usefulness. Service quality has significant effects on trust and perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and trust determine user satisfaction.

Practical implications

Mobile service providers need to improve the system quality, information quality and service quality of mobile web sites to enhance user satisfaction.

Originality/value

Previous research has mainly focused on e‐commerce web site success and seldom examined the factors affecting mobile web site success. This research fills the gap. The research draws on information systems success theory, the technology acceptance model and trust theory as the theoretical bases.
Interpretations and misinterpretations of scientometric data in the report of the Royal Society about the scientific landscape in 2011
Authors: Jacsó Péter
Published: August 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss some caveats about the findings of Part 1 of the Royal Society's report from the perspective of the choice and reliability of the source base, and the bibliometric and scientometric indicators.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper argues that the Royal Society's report gives too much emphasis to the growth rate of the publications of Chinese researchers when interpolating those data and forecasting that, within the decade and possibly as early as 2013, China will be ahead of even the USA in terms of the number of publications.

Findings

In an era when the “publish or perish” slogan is replaced by the “get cited or perish” mantra, the report barely discusses how much China is behind the world average and especially the above countries in terms of the most important scientometric indicators that take into account the productivity/quantity aspect and the citedness of publications as a proxy for quality.

Originality/value

The paper illustrates that there are much better measures for the assessment of research activity than the one‐dimensional productivity numbers, such as the h‐index or the uncitedness rate, and the citations/publication rate where China is far below and the USA is far above the world average scores, and uses some charts to paint a more realistic picture of the scientific landscape.
Incentives from stock option grants: a behavioral approach
Authors: Bahaji Hamza
Published: August 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the valuation of stock options from the perspective of an employee exhibiting preferences as described by cumulative prospect theory (CPT). In addition, it elaborates on their incentives effect and some implications in terms of design aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on the CPT framework to derive a continuous time model of the stock option subjective value using the certainty equivalence principle. Numerical simulations are used in order to analyze the subjective value sensitivity with respect to preferences‐related parameters and to investigate the incentives effect.

Findings

Consistent with a growing body of empirical and experimental studies, the model predicts that the employee may overestimate the value of his options in‐excess of their risk‐neutral value. Moreover, for typical setting of preferences parameters around the experimental estimates, and assuming the company is allowed to adjust existing compensation when making new stock option grants, the model predicts that incentives are maximized for strike prices set around the stock price at inception. This finding is consistent with companies’ actual compensation practices. Finally, the model predicts that an executive who is subject to probability weighting may be more prompted than a risk‐neutral executive to act in order to increase the firm's assets volatility.

Originality/value

This research proposes an alternative theoretical framework for the analysis of pay‐to‐performance sensitivity of equity‐based compensation that takes into account a number of prominent patterns of employee behavior that expected utility theory cannot explain. It contributes to recent empirical and theoretical researches that have advanced CPT framework as a promising candidate for the analysis of equity‐based compensation contracts.
Multiple large shareholders and earnings informativeness
Authors: Boubaker Sabri , Sami Hind
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to add to the understanding of the monitoring role of multiple large shareholders (MLS) by examining their impact on the informativeness of firms' earnings.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses regression models that relate earnings to stock returns for a sample of 402 French publicly traded firms covered during 2003‐2007.

Findings

The paper shows that earnings informativeness is significantly positively related to the owner's ultimate cash flow rights. Consistent with the alignment effect, stock ownership aligns management and shareholders interests which reduces managers' incentives to manipulate accounting information. It also finds that earnings informativeness is significantly negatively related to the excess control of the ultimate controlling shareholder. This result supports the entrenchment effect and suggests that controlling shareholders have greater incentives to obscure accounting figures when expropriation is likely. Finally, control contestability of the largest controlling shareholder mitigates information asymmetry problems thereby enhancing earnings informativeness.

Research limitations/implications

The findings stress the importance of MLS in enhancing internal monitoring and mitigating agency costs. Because France is characterized by a weak legal system, highly concentrated ownership structures and excess control, the results provide valuable insights to mitigate extreme agency problems.

Originality/value

The paper adds to the literature on corporate governance and the quality of accounting information by investigating strategic interactions between various blockholders and their impact on earnings informativeness. The study complements prior studies on the monitoring role of MLS by demonstrating that both their presence and control size translate into significantly greater earnings informativeness.
Do IFRS provide better information about intangibles in Europe?
Authors: Sahut Jean‐Michel , Boulerne Sandrine , Teulon Frédéric
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the information content of intangible assets under IAS/IFRS when compared to local GAAP for European listed companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs multivariate regression models for a sample of 1,855 European listed firms in a six‐year period, from 2002 to 2004 in local GAAP and from 2005 to 2007 in IAS/IFRS to investigate the empirical relationships between market value of European firms and book value of their intangible assets.

Findings

The results suggest that the book value of other intangible assets of European listed firms is higher under IFRS than local GAAP and has more informative value for explaining the price of the share and stock market returns. European investors, however, consider the financial information conveyed by capitalized goodwill to be less relevant under IFRS than with local GAAP. Thus, identified intangible assets capitalized on European company balance sheets provide more value‐relevant information for shareholders than unidentified intangible assets that have been transferred into goodwill, with the exception of Italian and Finnish investors.

Originality/value

The paper adds to the existing literature on IFRS by documenting the association between the market value of European listed firms and the book value of their goodwill and other intangibles assets. The study complements prior studies by demonstrating that country differences persist despite the use of common accounting standards and that legal and regulatory country characteristics as well as market forces could still have a significant impact on the value relevance of accounting data.
Related parties transactions and firm's market value: the French case
Authors: Nekhili Mehdi , Cherif Moêz
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to study the impact of the related parties' transactions (RPTs) on firm value, and to identify the ownership and governance characteristics of companies that engage in this type of transactions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses 3SLS simultaneous model carried out on a sample of 85 companies listed on the Paris Stock Exchange during the period 2002‐2005.

Findings

The results show that RPTs are mainly influenced by the voting rights held by the main shareholder, the size of the board of directors, the degree of independence enjoyed by the audit committee and the board of directors, the choice of external auditor, the debt ratio and the fact of being listed in the USA. Mainly the transactions carried out directly with the main shareholders, directors and/or managers that have a negative influence on firm value.

Research limitations/implications

In future studies, it will be interesting to test the impact of the level of expertise as well as the level of qualification in the field of accounting and finance of the members of the French audit committees on the frequency of RPTs.

Originality/value

The current research complements prior studies on the RPT by showing that the frequency of RPTs can be damaging to companies and can destroy their market value.
Nonlinear mean reversion in oil and stock markets
Authors: Jawadi Fredj , Bellalah Mondher
Published: August 2011

Purpose

While price studies such as Jawadiet al.generally focus on the relationships between oil and stock markets through the study of oil price on stock markets, this paper takes a different perspective to the linkages between oil and stock markets. This study sets out to investigate the efficiency hypothesis for oil markets while testing for whether oil price dynamics depend on stock market fluctuations or not.

Design/methodology/approach

Using nonlinear econometric modeling, this paper investigates the oil market adjustment dynamics for four developed and emerging countries: France, the USA, Mexico and the Philippines. Our findings show strong evidence of significant linkages between oil and stock markets for all the countries under consideration.

Findings

As in Jawadiet al.who focus on stock price dynamics regarding oil price, the findings of this present paper, which focuses more on the oil industry, also point to an asymmetrical mean‐reversion between oil and stock markets that occurs in a nonlinear manner. They reject the informational efficiency hypothesis for oil markets. Indeed, while the previous literature often highlights the stock markets' dependence on the oil industry, this study contributes to the literature by concluding in favor of significant feedback from stock to oil markets, which is not compatible with the efficiency principle according to Fama.

Research limitations/implications

This paper develops a new nonlinear framework that should improve the investigation of oil‐stock market linkages. Future research could check the forecasting properties of this model to forecast the future dynamics of oil prices.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the literature by suggesting that it is not only oil shocks that affect stock markets, but that the latter also have a strong nonlinear impact on oil markets, reducing the diversification benefits of oil‐stock portfolios.
Risk premia in CO2 allowances: spot and futures prices in the EEX market
Authors: Madaleno Mara , Pinho Carlos
Published: August 2011

Purpose

– This paper seeks to analyze stylized statistical properties of the recent traded asset CO2 emission allowances, for spot and futures returns, examining also the relation linking convenience yield and risk premium, for the German European Energy Exchange (EEX) between October 2005 and October 2009.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study was conducted through empirical estimations of CO2 allowances risk premium, convenience yield, and their relationships.

Findings

– Future prices from an ex-post perspective are examined to show evidence for significant negative risk premium, or a positive forward premium. A positive relationship between risk premium and time-to-maturity is found. Both financial concepts are found to be negatively affected by spot price volatility. Convenience yield is positively influenced by CO2 price, while influencing the risk premium positively.

Practical implications

– From a financial perspective, allowances seem to be producing the desired effects in terms of environmental policies, although a lot more remains to be done. The presence of risk premium and convenience yield makes it clear that agents act in this commodity market according to risk consideration. Results change depending on phase and futures contracts used for the determination of both financial terms, indicating that uncertainties over the future of EU-ETS seem to be decreasing.

Originality/value

– Previous research has mainly focused on the first phase of the EU-ETS (2005-2007), whereas this paper extends the analysis period here. The paper finds some opposite results compared with previous commodities theories and designs some policy implications, given the results attained.
Industrial hazardous waste in the framework of EU and international legislation
Authors: J. Inglezakis Vassilis , Zorpas Antonis
Published: August 2011

Purpose

– The aim of the present study is to present in a systematic way the subject of industrial hazardous waste from the point-of-view of definitions in engineering, science and legislation. This analysis is necessary, as many different approaches and overlapping definitions are used for the classification of waste, leading to different results, a situation that often complicates the collection and interpretation of data on waste.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is conducted by bringing together the extended experience of the authors and other experts in the field of environmental legislation and a wide variety of scientific and legislative sources as well as articles and research reports. The focus is the European Union, while several approaches from the international area are presented.

Findings

– The study presents and clarifies several waste typologies and provides a roadmap for professionals and researchers in the field of waste management. Furthermore, the findings reveal the need for a unified and robust definition of the term as well as the need for globalization of similar terms in order to unify and value the relevant data.

Practical implications

– The study highlights the problem of definitions and approaches as well as the gap between what engineers and legislation experts mean by the term industrial hazardous waste. The paper represents an effort to establish a basis for unification of the relevant terms.

Originality/value

– The paper provides an in-depth analysis on the industrial hazardous waste field and the relevant problems including actual data found in the international literature. The value of the research is that it brings together all existing experience and knowledge in the field in the form of a review paper, useful for professional and policy makers in the field.
Proposal for a new allocation method of environmental goals applied to an Algerian cement factory
Authors: Saadi Saadia , Djebabra Mébarek , Boubaker Leila
Published: August 2011

Purpose

– This paper seeks to focus on environmental management and is part of a persistent operation of industrial enterprises. This context is justified by the fact that, despite taking the value of environmental management, many Algerian enterprises fail to ensure integration of environmental considerations into their business activities.

Design/methodology/approach

– It is a proposal of a method for corporate environmental policy through the allocation of the global environmental goal.

Findings

– The method of allocation of the global environmental goal proposed is based on the criticality of the environmental risk that must make it acceptable or tolerable. The allocation principle used is based on a judicious choice of the weight allowance with reference to the criticality grid of environmental risks.

Practical implications

– The method of allocation of the global environmental goal is a valuable help to Algerian companies to ensure better integration of the environment into production, especially Algerian cement factories known for their polluting activities.

Originality/value

– The method of allocation of the global environmental goal is framed by the proposed GRAI approach and especially by its concept of “period-horizon” which can enhance the contribution of the proposed method, especially to the planning decisions for achieving the global environmental goal.
Business in climate or climate in business?
Authors: Sepúlveda Joel , Mendizabal Maddalen
Published: August 2011

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to present a new methodological approach to help companies improve their decision-taking capacity regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of climate change (CC).

Design/methodology/approach

– The study was conducted by combining a wide variety of sources including articles and research reports. Taking into account the complexity of adapting in a context of climate change, the paper developed a simplified conceptual model that integrates multi-criteria analysis. A vulnerability matrix was generated as a combination of adaptive capacity, exposure and sensitivity and how to measure the magnitude, persistence, uncertainty, temporality, degree of importance in combination with the impacts.

Findings

– The first results reveal that activities related to water resources or natural ecosystems are more important than those related to energy or tourism sectors, and that there is a relationship between opportunities and adaptation needs.

Practical implications

– The paper documents the inverse relationship between adaptation measures and opportunities in a study that may be a starting-point for further research into empirical observations of sector vulnerability and the impact and integration of the factor of resilience.

Originality/value

– The paper provides a common language to use in the business world for concepts related to climate change. It provides a methodological approach for finding solutions to the problem of resource optimisation in companies and helps to find new business opportunities for sectors.
Impacts of bitumen deposit on surface waters
Authors: Adebiyi F.M. , Asubiojo O.I.
Published: August 2011

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the quality of the surface waters of the bitumen deposit area of Nigeria and also to establish the relationship between the deposit and the waters.

Design/methodology/approach

– Physico-chemical parameters were measured using standard analytical procedures, while the elemental contents were determined using total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Data acquired were interpreted using statistical techniques – charts,t-test, pollution index (PI) and cross-plot analysis.

Findings

– A river located close to the bitumen well contained the highest concentrations of metals that are known to be associated with hydrocarbon formation. Comparison of the levels of the analyzed parameters in the waters with their standard permissible limits showed that the levels of Cl−, SO42-, total alkalinity and Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in the river very close to the capped bitumen well and big rivers were high and low in the small streams. This was corroborated by their pollution index values. Results of the cross-plot analysis of the waters-river close to bitumen well/bitumen (R2=0.5); small streams/bitumen (R2=0.8) and big rivers/bitumen (R2=0.2) showed moderate; strong and weak positive correlations respectively, suggesting moderate, strong and weak inter-element correlations respectively between the sets of waters and the Nigerian bitumen deposit, and also establishing relationships between the deposit and the surface waters.

Originality/value

– The paper provides insight into the potability of the waters; establishment of the inter-element relationship between the bitumen deposit and the waters. These results can serve as a fingerprint for bitumen exploration elsewhere and for similar mineral deposit settings.
IT for a better future: how to integrate ethics, politics and innovation
Authors: Carsten Stahl Bernd
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The paper aims to explore future and emerging information and communication technologies. It gives a general overview of the social consequences and ethical issues arising from technologies that can currently be reasonably expected. This overview is used to present recommendations and integrate these in a framework of responsible innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The identification of emerging ICTs and their ethical consequences is based on the review and analysis if several different bodies of literature. The individual features of the ICTs and the ethical issues identified this way are then aggregated and analysed.

Findings

The paper outlines the 11 ICTs identified. Some of the shared features that are likely to have social relevance include an increase in natural interaction, the invisibility of technology, direct links between humans and technology, detailed models and data of humans and an increasing autonomy of technology that may lead to power over the user. Ethical issues include several current topics such as privacy, data protection, intellectual property and digital divides. New problems may include changes to the way humans are perceived and the role of humans and technology in society. This includes changing power structures and different ways of treating humans.

Research limitations/implications

The paper presents a piece of foresight research which cannot claim exact knowledge of the future. However, by developing a detailed understanding of possible futures it provides an important basis for current decisions relating to future technology development and governance.

Practical implications

The paper spells out a range of recommendations for both policy makers and researchers/industry. These refer to the framework within which technology is developed and how such a framework could be designed to allow the development of ethical reflexivity.

Social implications

The work described here is likely to influence EU policy on ICT research and technology research and innovation more broadly. This may have implications for the type of technologies funded and broad implications for the social use of emerging technologies.

Originality/value

The paper presents a novel and important broad view of the future of ICTs that is required in order to inform current policy decisions.
Toward a normative ethics for technology development
Authors: Rainey Stephen , Goujon Philippe
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to criticise ad hoc approaches to ethics in research and development in technology as descriptive and non‐ethical, and based upon a narrow conception of rationality.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach deploys a theory of normativity that can incorporate values and a broad conception of rationality, in order to account for the relevance of issues for the addressees of normative injunctions.

Findings

A normative approach is possible and required in order to implement ethics in research and development in technology.

Originality/value

The approach draws together themes from current alternative approaches that each fail to deploy the full resources of the normative approach, and so fail to fully account for ethics. This approach identifies and moves beyond present limited approaches.
Forced pirates and the ethics of digital film
Authors: Meissner Nico
Published: August 2011

Purpose

With the rise of the internet, the act of sharing copyrighted material has received a lot of attention, culminating in a flood of lawsuits against file‐sharers as well as studies concerning the costs of file‐sharing for the entertainment industry. This paper attempts to judge whether file‐sharing really is an ethically problematic act and, upon achieving this, goes on to propose strategies to avoid file‐sharing and discuss ethical considerations surrounding those distribution alternatives.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper limits its discussion to the medium of moving images. It tries to achieve above aims by applying the ethics of Immanuel Kant to the phenomenon of file‐sharing on the internet and borrowing ideas for alternative, file‐sharing avoiding, strategies from practitioners and media commentators and applying Kant's ideas to those.

Findings

The paper argues that file‐sharing cannot, per se, be considered to be unethical. While file‐sharing has positive and negative aspects, the proposed alternative distribution strategies, a one‐stop shop and giving films away for free, seem to avoid the negative implications of file‐sharing while not impeding with its positive facets. The paper concludes that, since the suggested strategies exist but are not yet implemented by the commercial film industry, the moral responsibility for file‐sharing lies with the commercial film industry, not with the individual file‐sharer.

Originality/value

The paper hence adds to the discussions surrounding online files haring by shifting the focus towards the entertainment industry as well as by providing alternative, file‐sharing avoiding, distribution solutions.
The portable panopticon: morality and mobile technologies
Authors: De Saulles Martin , Horner David S.
Published: August 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore ethical issues arising from the mass deployment and take‐up of mobile technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The ethical dimensions of mobile technologies and their use among the general population are considered within a conceptual framework drawing on James Moor's belief in a need for “better ethics” for emerging technologies and Michel Foucault's development of Jeremy Bentham's panopticon as a tool of surveillance.

Findings

It is found that the mass deployment and use of mobile technologies amongst the general population raise some interesting questions about the changing nature of surveillance and the ethical issues that come out of this.

Originality/value

The paper offers an original perspective on the ethical issues arising from new mobile technologies and surveillance by inverting the established top‐down notion of technology and control derived from Foucault.
Community Alcohol Services: A call for a pro‐active response
Authors: Foster John , Marshall E. , Peters T.
Published: August 2011

Background: A consistent finding in alcohol research is that residential treatment gains tend to be cost inefficient and short‐lived. Yet this is often the only option offered to alcohol‐dependent subjects who live alone, or who are entering into first time detoxification. Clinical implications: This paper outlines an extension of the services routinely provided by statutory services in the community, which would be community psychiatric nurse‐led. The prescribing responsibility should be with the specialist alcohol treatment agency. Suggestions are made to enhance the uptake of community services including measures to facilitate Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) attendance. Conclusion: Alcohol detoxification in the community is usually safe. If the recommendations are put into practice, a greater number of subjects could be treated in a community setting.
Alcohol information for primary care professionals
Authors: Wood Anna
Published: August 2011

Alcohol Concern decided to develop the service for several reasons. Primary care is the main contact people have with the health service ‐ in any year 70% of the population will visit their general practitioner (GP). This makes primary care an ideal setting in which to detect and identify hazardous and dependent drinkers. While people experiencing difficulties or ill health because of their drinking will not necessarily attend a specialist alcohol service, they will probably visit their GP. Problem drinkers are known to consult their GPs twice as often as the average patient, the most common complaints are gastrointestinal, psychiatric and accidents (Heather & Kaner, in press).
School‐based support groups for adolescents with an addicted parent: Using principles of solution focused therapy
Authors: Gance‐Cleveland Bonnie , Rothman Annette
Published: August 2011

There are four to six children with chemically dependent parents in an average classroom. Only 5% of these children receive any supportive services. Children of substance abusers attend school less often, are often late for school, and have a higher incidence of learning disabilities. In an effort to address the needs of this vulnerable population, many school districts offer school‐based support groups (SBSG). Consistent with the principles of solution‐focused therapy, the SBSG focuses on the strengths and resiliency of these youth and helps them develop problem‐solving strategies and find solutions. This study was a qualitative evaluation of SBSG for adolescents with an addicted parent.
Systemic ideas to alcohol dependence: Reflections on an integrative model
Authors: Ayers Colin
Published: August 2011

This paper discusses the contribution of systemic family therapy and theory within the context of a statutory community alcohol service. Systemic couples and family therapy is integrated with conventional models of intervention for alcohol related problems. Potential problems and solutions in developing a multi‐modal approach is discussed, primarily establishing well defined pathways and communication between the various facilities within the same service.
Trauma histories of men and women in residential drug treatment: The Scottish evidence
Authors: Morris Susan , Yates Rowdy , Wilson Jane
Published: August 2011

This article focuses on self‐reported child neglect and abuse in residential drug treatment drawing on data from clients in Scotland collected 1996‐1999. The authors' findings suggest that the prevalence of childhood abuse histories are higher in female drug users than male drug users but argues that diversity of abuse experiences in drug users negate broad treatment plans for those traumatised by such experiences.
Developing a creative curriculum for those working with clients who misuse substances
Authors: Webster Brian , Yardley Jackie , Hegan Laurence , Tebano Christine
Published: August 2011

A substance misuse curriculum was developed using a creative approach. Key players identified were: a community outreach worker, a nurse consultant, a communication expert and an academic. Communication was seen as a fundamental and integral cornerstone of practice and played a major role in the curriculum. The increased awareness of coexisting morbidity was also seen as a growing and relevant issue. Practitioners were involved and played a pivotal role in this development. The role of the academic was to facilitate the process and ensure that the curriculum was evidence‐based, creative and utilised the philosophy of problem‐based learning.
Addiction: A global public health challenge for nurses
Authors: Naegle Madeline
Published: August 2011

With expanded technologic and communication resources there is growing awareness worldwide of the public health problems caused by alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, misuse, abuse and addiction. Trends vary by culture and region but use of tobacco and alcohol is almost universal and is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. While nurses have not universally embraced the prevention and treatment of substance‐related disorders as their province, this is changing as a function of organisations, World Health Organization (WHO) and national initiatives, and the strengthening of nurse education. Actions to promote consensus, identify and review competencies for nurses must consider national and cultural variations, traditions of social change and the need for evidence‐based practice. Collective action by nurses in newly formed and existing organisations, which focus on addictions prevention and treatment, have resulted in initial professional steps. Such progress can be facilitated if achieved in the context of larger international policies and initiatives and in collaboration with members of other professional disciplines.
The expanding role of the Addictions Nurse: Rotation Schemes and Prescriptive Authority
Authors: Coyne Patrick
Published: August 2011

This paper considers future developments for Addictions Nursing. The aim of this paper is to provide a personal vision of two possible developments for Addictions Nurses, which will promote greater global working and improve the care received by service users and communities. The paper addresses the threats to public health posed by substance misuse, the wide number of diverse roles nurses undertake in addressing the problems which arise, and makes a number of suggestions about the development of nursing to maximise its impact on public health. The paper makes a number of recommendations:▪ promote international collaboration to develop the effectiveness of Addictions Nurses — by the strategic use of Work‐Based Learning and Rotation Schemes via ‘The Spiral of Excellence Model of Rotation Schemes’ (www.nurserotation.com)▪ promote international collaboration to develop Addiction Nurse prescribing using the ‘ABC Model of Addictions Nurse Prescribing’▪ Network Addictions Nurse Organisations — use the ‘AMM‐IN’ model of working, and support the work of The International Network of Nurses (TINN) Interested in Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Misuse (www.tinnurses.org)▪ actively influence ICN, WHO, UN to promote public health approaches to substance misuse▪ promote service user and carer involvement in decision‐making▪ challenge the ‘divide and conquer’ approach to substance misuse — ‘tobacco, alcohol or drugs model of disease promotion yet again’ ie the ‘TAD‐DPY’ approach▪ actively challenge short‐termism in strategic workforce development, and in particular the ‘AM‐HRD’ model of human resource development.