bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pule: Development Policy Sovereignty in Samoa
Authors:   , Ulu Avataeao Junior
Published: November 2021

This study examines how the Government of Samoa (GoS) asserts development policy sovereignty when working with aid donors. Observations from findings of a review of development policy, and the author’s work in Samoa since 2002 suggested that GoS does in fact assert development policy sovereignty. The GoS is engaged with the global aid agenda and this is reflected in their development policy. The GoS is able to hold donors accountable to principles set out in high-level aid effectiveness forums. The outcomes of this research show that the GoS has a high level of ownership of their development programme and this is respected by donors. Samoa has a long history of independent thought and action. Through resistance groups such as the Mau a pule movement (Opinion of rule), Samoa stood up to the German and New Zealand colonial administrations between 1900 – 1961 and created a unique constitution when they became independent in 1962. Fa’aSamoa (the Samoan way) was central to the constitution and remains a strong part of Samoan culture today. It is suggested that the GoS officials use the Mau movement mindset when dealing with outsiders that come to Samoa. This is seen as a healthy way to act for a recipient country. Qualitative methodologies were used to keep the GoS at the centre of the research process. Interviews were conducted with representatives of the GoS, the private sector, civil society organisation and donors. All the interviews with Samoans were conducted bilingually. It was found that the GoS asserts its ownership over its own development through an educated, long serving, well informed and prepared public service. Due to a high calibre public service, officials know how to use donor resources to their advantage through the GoS development policy. Furthermore GoS officials are not intimidated by donors and are therefore not afraid to hold donors accountable to outcomes of high level aid effectiveness talks. The GoS follows the principles of the current global aid agenda in the contest for aid sovereignty - pule.
Beyond Imitation, Without Limitations: A Student Music Therapist Supports the Participation and Development of Young People with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties in a School Setting
Authors:   , Clerkin Conor
Published: November 2021

This exploratory study sought to uncover the methods and techniques a student music therapist employed to support the participation of young people with complex needs in a school setting. Individual music therapy sessions were carried out over nine months, and clinical documentation was generated throughout this period. Data sources included clinical notes, a reflective journal, and audiovisual recordings from music therapy sessions. Once a research question had been established, the existing data was reviewed retrospectively through a process of secondary analysis, and both inductive and deductive methods of analysis were employed to enable meaningful interpretations of the data to occur. A process of coding and thematically linking elements of music therapy practice allowed for a model of understanding to emerge, and findings suggest that the behaviours and strategies utilised by the student music therapist to support the young people’s participation in music therapy fell into three thematic groupings: creating a collaborative environment; following and leading; and dynamic flow. Themes are defined and the codes within elaborated upon, with case examples from the data included as appropriate to illustrate their meaning. Findings are discussed, and links are made to the literature in relevant fields. While results cannot be generalised to other settings, it is hoped that the detail and in depth analysis of practice provide a thorough and meaningful insight into the types of interaction that can occur in music therapy with young people with complex needs, and the value of specific supports to participation identified in this research.
New Agoraphobia: Reclaiming Controllability in a Society of Total Surveillance
Authors:   , Tchernov Aleksei Sergueevich
Published: November 2021

Increasingly ubiquitous forms of surveillance networks and methods are becoming commonplace in today’s societies. While their application is rational and for the most part beneficial their presence effects the perception of space, eroding margins of privacy, increasing pressure on public space, and in some cases perpetuating unjustifiable feelings of persecution and mental unrest. These consequences reduce individual control over one’s environment and furthermore represent an instance of a type of space itself creating anxieties, similarly to the onset of agoraphobia in the 1860’s. Applying a tripartite design approach of three different scales to a hypothetical scenario of an escalated total surveillance society in an urban setting leads to an exploration of physical space and the spatialisations of power and emotion in the issues of overexposure, crowding, and loss of control. Through the resulting designs it is demonstrated how an informed application of thresholds, materiality, and physically reconfigurable environments in built form can allow for instances of relief and grounding, the gesture such a relief provides itself also embodies intent and reaction, furthering the physical with a symbolic and psychosocial response.
Institutional Repositories in New Zealand: An Analysis of Coordinators’ Perspectives
Authors:   , Benseman Gregory James
Published: November 2021

This study is a small scale qualitative survey of coordinators working in institutional repository development in New Zealand since critical mass was reached in 2009. It aims to summarise their opinions on the current and future roles of their repository as both a preservation archive, and a discovery resource representing their institution’s research community. The research uses narrative development techniques within the interpretivist paradigm to provide a contextual analysis of the repository’s relationship with other repositories and the National Library. It is supported by quantitative analysis of the sampled repositories’ holdings and the metadata quality with which the holdings are endowed. The analysis finds that since the establishment of New Zealand repositories, coordinators have adapted their collection strategies to encourage depositors towards Open Access publishing. These findings are placed in the context of the growth of non-mandated repository holdings and the technical infrastructure for harvesting resources, and integrating workflows with university research management systems. The results are used to discuss the goals coordinators have for improving the efficiency and visibility of their repository.
Infrastructure Resilience in the Samoas: Policy Approaches
Authors:   , Mowll Richard
Published: November 2021

‘Resilience’ is a term that is increasingly being used regarding community development issues. It is a particular issue on Pacific Islands where development issues exist, and the exposure of communities to natural hazards is apparent. Climate change is increasingly affecting Pacific Island communities. Many Pacific Island communities live on low-lying atolls, and communities on ‘high’ islands are generally located close to the coast. Both sets of communities are therefore highly exposed to storm and high seas events. Additionally, earthquake, tsunami and volcanic hazards exist. Infrastructure is a key aspect of resilience. Policies and technical issues regarding infrastructure resilience globally are the subject of a literature review. Research presented compares the policies taken to resilient infrastructure in (Western) Samoa against those taken in American Samoa. These two territories shared common cultural histories until the 19th century, both are ‘high’ islands and both face a similar range of natural hazards faced due to their relative close proximity in the Pacific Ocean. Analysis highlights where lessons can be learnt both globally and from the Samoas’ approaches to resilient infrastructure. The lessons learnt in this thesis include the value of taking a holistic approach to disaster risk reduction, involving the community in hazard identification and disaster risk reduction, and working on these issues in a timely manner. Additionally, it is seen that careful long-term planning of land use with natural hazards in mind, which is found to be an economically sound approach, is of value in disaster risk reduction.
Narratives of Incorporation: An Anthropological Analysis of Same-Sex Civil Unions in New Zealand
Authors:   , Steven Dionne
Published: November 2021

In this thesis I examine civil unions from the perspective of New Zealand-based same-sex couples who have chosen to formalise their relationship. My approach is qualitative and in-depth and focuses on interpreting participants' own meanings and beliefs while also recognising the need for broader contextual knowledge. Through participants’ narratives, I explore why it was important for couples to have a civil union, how they chose to mark or enact the occasion, and the meanings they attribute to their choices and actions. Rather than treating the civil union as an isolated event, my analysis situates the civil union within four longer processual trajectories: individual biographical narratives, partner interactions, close social relationships, and trajectories of a socio-political nature. I then explore the contours of participants’ civil union ceremonies in terms of scale, style, and symbolic content. Throughout the thesis, I argue that civil unions facilitate incorporation for same-sex couples on a number of levels: incorporation in terms of inclusion in an important ‘meaning-constitutive’ practice; familial incorporation; and incorporation into mainstream society more generally. The incorporating effects of civil unions owe much to the symbolic capacities of law, the meaning inscribed in the socially dominant cultural model of marriage, and the characteristics of ritual. The importance of ritual to the anthropological enterprise is reaffirmed through this study; not only do rituals provide an important lens through which to examine the normative values of society but also the origins of social revitalization.
Put to the Test: The Folk-­Tale Motif of the "Test to Prove Worthiness" in Three of Shakespeare's Comedies
Authors:   , Nicoll Antipas Philippa
Published: November 2021

Critics have recognised folk‐tales as being among the varied sources Shakespeare has mined for the plots of his plays. However, this recognition has often formed the basis of an argument which seeks to excuse what are perceived as flaws in Shakespeare’s plays, for example claiming that humanised characters jostle against their folk‐tale or popular culture archetypes, or that friction is generated when a folk‐tale plot is placed into a realistic setting. There has been little examination of Shakespeare’s relationship to his sources from folk‐tale, and so in this thesis I use the motif of the “test imposed to prove worthiness” (Stith Thompson’s Motif H900) as an example of the way Shakespeare develops, doubles and ultimately subverts these sources. I examine three comedies which employ this motif: The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice and All’s Well That Ends Well. In the first play I argue that the testing of Katherina’s obedience rebounds to test Petruccio’s masculinity. In The Merchant, I argue that the casket test and doubled ring test play a crucial role in the development of Bassanio’s worthiness and loyalty, simultaneously casting doubt on Portia’s faithfulness. Finally, in relation to All’s Well, I argue that the test motif and by extension its folk‐tale sources are subverted so that the impossible tasks rebound not only on Bertram, but on the play as a whole, testing the genres of romance and realism. I find that testing cycles have a structural function as they fall between the couples’ weddings and consummations. Because of this placement, they are linked to private and public anxieties about sexuality and fidelity, in turn demonstrating their thematic function. The development, doubling and subversion of folk‐tales allow Shakespeare to explore ideas fully, often contrapuntally. Thus, my thesis seeks to address the gap in the critical studies by contending that Shakespeare makes innovative use of his folk‐tale sources. While ambiguity is certainly generated in each of the three plays, this is a deliberate effect rather than a flaw; no apology is required.
The Role of the Dopamine D1 Receptor in Cognition
Authors:   , Arola Anne
Published: November 2021

The dopamine D1 receptor (DD1R) has been linked to cognitive functioning in various human and animal studies using diverse methods from pharmacological manipulations to brain imaging. Moreover, suboptimal or supraoptimal functioning of the DD1R has been linked to cognitive dysfunction. However, the previous research on this topic has mainly relied on correlational evidence, or the use of drugs that are not selective to the DD1R. Therefore, the current study investigated whether cognitive dysfunction is due to suboptimal functioning of the DD1R. The DD1R mutant rat (Smits et al., 2006) provides an opportunity to examine the role of the DD1R in cognitive functioning. The performance of the DD1R mutant rats was compared to that of littermate control rats (wildtypes). Across five experiments we found tentative evidence to suggest that the DD1R is necessary for normal cognitive ability. First, the DD1R mutant rats were unable to improve their performance when an egocentric strategy was required in the starmaze, using both positive and negative reinforcement. Second, compared to wildtype rats, the DD1R mutants were impaired in learning an allocentric strategy in the starmaze with positive reinforcement when they had been previously trained in an egocentric task. Third, the mutants were unable to improve when an egocentric strategy was required in the Y-maze. Finally, the DD1R mutant rats took longer than the wildtypes to reverse their learning when a baited arm was switched after two weeks of training with a different arm as the baited arm in the T-maze. Despite some of the limitations of the experiments, these initial findings suggest an impairment in cognition. Ideas for future research and applications are discussed.
Living with Tensions: Stories of Chinese Early Childhood Teachers’ Teaching and Learning Experiences in the Contemporary Urban Chinese Context
Authors:   , Zhou Jing
Published: November 2021

This narrative inquiry explores 6 Chinese early childhood teachers’ teaching and learning experiences in Shanghai and Beijing, where Chinese and Western educational ideas and practices co-exist. Interviews with teachers, kindergarten directors, and parents, and participatory observations and collected documents are analysed and interpreted to reveal the teachers’ experiences of being both teacher and learner in the contemporary urban Chinese context. The teachers’ experiences and voices are at the centre of this study and are represented in poetic format. The themes emerging from the teachers’ poems are discussed alongside relevant literature in order to gain in-depth understanding of each teacher’s teaching and learning experience in specific kindergarten contexts. Emerging themes embody the reality of teaching and learning, professional learning in the embedded community of practice, and the teachers’ professional and personal selves. Tensions and challenges the teachers faced in teaching and learning are identified. The enabling and constraining factors that may deskill, re-skill, or empower the teachers are discussed. The teachers’ stories suggest that they experience tensions between the multiple and contradicting educational ideas; the embedded kindergarten community’s interpretation of teaching and learning at multiple levels; the teachers’ personal practical knowledge; and their life as a multifaceted human being. The research suggests the need for kindergarten directors, scholars and policymakers to pay attention to the dynamic relationships between a kindergarten’s structure, curriculum, pedagogy, images of the child, teachers’ personal practical knowledge, professional learning, and teachers’ inner selves and agency.
Kinser Inequalities and Related Matroids
Authors:   , Cameron Amanda
Published: November 2021

Kinser developed a hierarchy of inequalities dealing with the dimensions of certain spaces constructed from a given quantity of subspaces. These inequalities can be applied to the rank function of a matroid, a geometric object concerned with dependencies of subsets of a ground set. A matroid which is representable by a matrix with entries from some finite field must satisfy each of the Kinser inequalities. We provide results on the matroids which satisfy each inequality and the structure of the hierarchy of such matroids.
Whistling in the Dark: an Acoustic Study of Little Spotted Kiwi
Authors:   , Digby Andrew
Published: November 2021

Song function and evolution are two central topics of avian bioacoustic research. Discerning why birds sing and why they have such diversity of song can yield rich information on behaviour and speciation, and can provide important tools for conservation. Knowledge of vocal behaviour of a wide range of bird groups is necessary, yet avian bioacoustic studies have been hampered by a bias towards male song birds, with many species and even whole groups relatively unstudied. The New Zealand kiwi (Apterygidae) are vocal and threatened taxa, and calls play an important part in their conservation. Yet kiwi acoustic behaviour is poorly understood, and although the five species differ significantly in their ecology, only one has been subject to detailed acoustic study. This thesis addresses this gap in knowledge of kiwi ecology with the first acoustic study of the little spotted kiwi (LSK). The principal aims are to improve understanding of kiwi calling behaviour, and to provide further acoustic tools for kiwi conservation. On a broader scale, enhanced knowledge of the acoustic ecology of the taxonomically and ecologically distinct kiwi will provide insight into song function and signal evolution in all birds. Sexual call dimorphism in LSK is shown to be unrelated to size differences, and instead has likely functional significance, with male calls more suited for territorial defence. There is striking ‘acoustic cooperation’ between the sexes which constrains the function of duets in LSK. Analysis of complex vocal features, the first in any ratite, reveals that two-voicing is unexpectedly rare in this species, but that non-linear phenomena are common. Their association with territorial calls and high frequencies indicates that these features provide acoustic emphasis to enhance resource defence or convey aggression or fitness information. Non-linear phenomena are very common in nestling LSK calls, in accordance with the hypothesis that they add unpredictability to prevent habituation. LSK have surprisingly low inter-individual call variability, suggesting that this species may not use calls for individual identification. This lack of variability may be a result of the low genetic diversity in this species. A long-term dataset reveals significant fluctuations in calling rates with temporal and environmental factors. These trends indicate that calls serve an important function for reproduction and pair contact, and that calls may reflect foraging activity. They also provide evidence that kiwi are adversely affected by light pollution. A comparison of automated acoustic methods with manual call counts shows that while they have a different biases, autonomous techniques are highly effective for kiwi conservation monitoring. Microphone array methods have great potential for enhancing conservation and behavioural information through spatial monitoring of kiwi, but are demonstrated not to be suitable with currently available equipment.
Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Cultural Competency Research: The Revision and Expansion of the Sociocultural Adaptation Construct
Authors:   , Wilson Jessie Kaye
Published: November 2021

International migration trends have heralded a marked increase in intercultural contact, creating a greater need for effective cultural competency in both inter- and intra-cultural situations. The current research programme, positioned within the field of acculturation psychology, examined a specific behavioural aspect of cultural competency known as sociocultural adaptation. Defined as an individual’s acquisition and expression of culturally appropriate behavioural skills used to negotiate interactive aspects of a new cultural setting, an in-depth examination of the sociocultural adaptation construct was provided. Three studies addressed issues concerning the review, revision, and expansion of work on the topic of cross-cultural behavioural competency. Study 1 offered a meta-analytic review of the correlates or antecedents of sociocultural adaptation. Results emphasised the importance of individual differences, such as personality characteristics and motivation, in relation to adaptation difficulties. Suggestions were also provided for future theoretical and applied research regarding how demographic (e.g, age, gender), situational (e.g., language proficiency), and individual differences (e.g., cross-cultural empathy) components relate to and influence an individual’s successful cross-cultural adjustment. Study 2 examined the operationalisation of behavioural competency through revision of an existing measure of sociocultural adaptation (the Sociocultural Adaptation Scale or SCAS) and investigated five adjustment domains: Ecological, interpersonal, personal interests and community involvement, language, and professional/work adjustment. The final study sought to corroborate the factor structure of the revised SCAS and explored the effects of migration motivation and perceived discrimination—two underrepresented variables in the acculturation literature—in relation to cross-cultural adjustment using path analysis techniques. Direct linkages were found between migration motivation and positive psychological outcomes, and behavioural competency and discrimination were found to have significant mediating effects on the relationship between these two variables. The limitations and contributions of these studies are discussed in relation to the existing acculturation psychology literature, and new avenues for theoretical and applied applications of the findings are suggested.
Evaluating the Success of Gender Mainstreaming in New Zealand Official Development Assistance Since 2000
Authors:   , Bennett Philippa
Published: November 2021

Gender mainstreaming is one of the most widespread methods employed by donor countries and their partners to address gender equality and women’s empowerment in development. New Zealand has had a varied history of engagement on gender issues within its aid programme. As reportedly one of the first countries within the OECD to have a specific gender policy, New Zealand’s commitment to women has waxed and waned. Case and point, in 2011, when asked where women came into New Zealand’s growing Pacific focus for aid, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that he was not interested in prescribing a gender within the aid programme. This research evaluated how gender mainstreaming has been implemented into the policies of New Zealand’s Official Development Assistance (NZODA) since 2000.   Research methods used included reviewing past and present NZODA policies, carried out alongside interviews with development specialists who had worked in the New Zealand aid and gender environment. Using a feminist lens, the research revealed that New Zealand’s ODA has had limited investment in gender equality and women’s empowerment, despite gender being mainstreamed or mandated as a cross-cutting issue since 2002. The previous structure which administered NZODA, NZAID, released an in-depth gender policy late in its existence and struggled to retain staff in the gender advisor role. The refocus of NZODA, with the subsequent reintegration of aid into foreign affairs in 2009 meant the expiration of this policy. Two years later, the new body established to administer NZODA, the NZ Aid Programme, released its only policy, where gender equality and women’s empowerment featured little and appeared tokenistic. As well as this lack of investment in women, this research revealed that gender mainstreaming appears to be misunderstood, which can only contribute to its widely perceived ineffectiveness. Recommendations argue for a committed focus on gender best practice within NZODA, alongside greater investment in programmes and activities that specifically focus on women and gender issues.
Superconducting Proximity Effect in Magnetic Molecules
Authors:   , Jaurigue Lina
Published: November 2021

We studied the transport through magnetic molecules (MM) coupled to superconducting (S), ferromagnetic (F) and normal (N) leads, with the aim of investigating the interplay between the magnetism and the superconducting proximity effect. The magnetic molecules were modeled using the Anderson model with an exchange coupling between the electron spins and the spin of the molecule. We worked in the infinite superconducting gap limit and treated the coupling between the molecule and the superconducting lead exactly, via an effective Hamiltonian. For the F/N-MM-S systems we used a real-time diagrammatic perturbation theory to calculate the electronic transport properties of the systems to first order in the tunnel coupling to the normal or ferromagnetic lead and then analysed the properties with respect to the parameters of these models. For these systems we found that the current maps out the excitation energies of the eigenstates of the effective Hamiltonian and that various parameters in these systems can lead to a negative differential conductance. In the N-MM-S case the current had no overall spin dependence, but when the normal lead is instead ferromagnetic there was a spin dependence and both the electronic and molecular spin expectation values could take on non-zero values. We also found that the polarisation of the ferromagnetic lead suppresses the superconducting proximity effect. Furthermore in the N-MM-S case the Fano factor indicated a transition from Poissonian transport of single electrons to Poissonian transport of electron pairs as the superconducting proximity effect goes out of resonance, however in the F-MM-S case this did not occur. For the S-MM-S systems we calculated the equilibrium Josephson current and found that in the infinite superconducting gap limit no 0 − π transition was possible. Advantages of this study compared to related ones are that we allow for arbitrarily large Coulomb interactions and we take into account coupling to the superconducting lead non-perturbatively. This is however at the expense of working in the superconducting gap limit. Recently it has been possible to couple single molecules to superconducting leads. This study therefore aims to be indicative of the transport properties that will be observed in future experiments involving single magnetic molecules coupled to leads.
Location of Active Faults using Geomorphic Indices in Eroded Landscapes, South Taranaki, New Zealand
Authors:   , Ries William Francis
Published: November 2021

South Taranaki region has a number of active faults that show surface expression in the younger and harder materials near the coast and central volcanoes of the North Island, but these traces finish abruptly inland when they cross into older, heavily eroded, mudstone and sandstone. Current methods to locate surface evidence of active faults (i.e. geomorphic interpretation of stereographic aerial photography) are not fully successful in this region. Erosion occurs here at a greater rate than surface rupture of faults which causes the removal of surface expression, and/or dense tree cover obscures surface expression. International studies of tectonic activity in eroded landscapes have identified geomorphic indices as useful reconnaissance tools to locate active faults. This research applies geomorphic indices to the Taranaki region for the first time. Four indices are tested; stream length-gradient index, stream channel sinuosity, hypsometry and drainage basin asymmetry. Results are obtained by applying the indices to four freely available national Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) of differing resolutions. This allowed comparison between DEMs, providing the ability to test DEM quality and at what scale geomorphic indices could be applied to these freely available data. Results show that the geomorphic indices used can identify changes to the equilibrium state at a catchment and stream channel scales. However, the myriad of physical processes occurring at a range of temporal scales within this area make identification of a tectonic signature a challenging task. Conclusive examples of tectonic processes are evident and analysis suggests that these examples are likely to be due to recent or large fault ruptures. There are many areas where a tectonic influence to the equilibrium state of a stream or catchment can be inferred. These areas could then be targeted for detailed geophysical or ground based geological studies. Furthermore, the comparison of results from the four DEMs highlights a range of issues with DEM collection methods and resolution. This study concludes that geomorphic indices can provide an effective method to locate evidence of recent and large faulting events. However, this type of analysis is hindered by the resolution of available digital elevation data.
The impact of sustainability on fire safety
Authors:   , Al-Janabi Mohammad Musa
Published: November 2021

There is a growing demand for building green buildings that are perceived to have benefits environmentally through promoting recycling, energy efficiency and efficient use of resources. The green movement has also led to innovative technologies that are focused on reducing cost. However, the fire safety industry has concerns with the use of certain technologies that create passages for smoke and fire to spread such as passive ventilation or materials that can burn severely and release large amount of toxins. The benefit of this research is to determine which features are high risk and are commonly used. The aim of this research is to investigate whether sustainable or green features have an influence on fire safety in commercial buildings and determine which feature or features would have the most significant implications for building safety in regards to tenability. A detailed investigation was done on passive ventilation such as double skin facade and the thesis also briefly discusses other green features and their implications. There were two methods used to collect data. The first was a qualitative study done through sending out surveys to fire engineers to rate and rank the most significant features that have negative implications for fire safety in reference to the New Zealand Building Code Fire Safety Section criteria and objectives. Then, a one hour interview was carried out to determine the reason behind the engineers’ choice and their perceptions. The results from the surveys and the interviews were that double skin facade and atrium were ranked the most significant. The surveys established double skin facade has the highest ranking in terms of the worst feature, and the fire engineers reinforced that double skin facade needs to be studied as there is not enough research that have gone into this feature. While atrium issues are known and mitigation measures are well developed. A subsequent analysis for only double skin facade is conducted using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) because little literature is found in regards to fire safety and double skin facade. FDS was used to simulate 14 small models and 2 large models for the best and worst scenarios of DSF. Each of the 14 models, one to three parameters are changed as part of the sensitivity study to determine which parameter have the most and least effect on fire safety in term of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and visibility. The issues the engineers raised and the mitigation measures were modelled, because the engineers had stated their opinions not facts. The output results from FDS illustrated that it is essential that the system shuts off in a fire event to prevent smoke spread to upper floors, which is the same mitigation measure that were emphasised at the interviews.
Learning in a foreign environment: The perception and use of concept mapping strategy by Saudi International students in Higher Education
Authors:   , Abu Askar Reem
Published: November 2021

Learning in higher education demands the assimilation of a wide range of complex information. One way in which learners are able to represent complex information in a meaningful way is through concept mapping. This multiple case study aims to provide an in-depth picture of how six Saudi women students, who use concept mapping to support their learning, view concept maps; and what factors that constrain or enhance their use of this strategy within university study in New Zealand .Through think alouds, one-to-one interviews and a focus group discussion, these students revealed their use and understanding of concept maps. The findings of this study indicate that concept mapping is a useful tool for learning and can be used effectively by international students to support their learning. However while concept mapping was found to support the development of critical and creative thinking skills, this study suggests that concept mapping by itself does not teach these skills. This research concludes that Saudi women at university in New Zealand need support to develop their own academic voice and to become confident in their ability to study independently and think critically and creatively. One of the ways in which this support can be provided is through participating in the collaborative development of concept maps.
Radiation Imaging with Caesium Bromide Storage Phosphors
Authors:   , Winch Nicola Maree
Published: November 2021

This thesis is centred on the development of a new method to prepare semitransparent CsBr:Eu²⁺ imaging plates for high resolution X-ray radiography. Methods of characterising the performance of these plates, and their application to dual energy imaging and neutron imaging are discussed. The basic preparation method, based on high-pressure uniaxial compression of powder mixtures of CsBr and EuBr₂, produces imaging plates which show good transparency and resolution. These imaging plates have a conversion efficiency of 1.5 pJmR⁻¹mm⁻³ compared to 5.1 pJmR⁻¹mm⁻³ for a commercial needle imaging plate. Water is found to play a critical role in the photostimulated luminescence activation in CsBr:Eu²⁺ storage phosphors, and imaging plates subsequently hydrated at room temperature have an increased conversion efficiency of up to 11 pJmR⁻¹mm⁻³, better than the commercial material. A model has been suggested for the generation of the PSL active site in the imaging plates based on thermomechanical sintering and water-induced crystal regrowth. A precise method for determining the conversion efficiency and stimulation energy of X-ray storage phosphor materials using an integrating sphere has been developed and used to characterise the materials developed in this thesis. A novel read-out method for storage phosphor imaging plates based on flood illumination and a semi-professional digital camera has also been developed and tested. Good quality X-ray images are obtained and the method shows excellent promise as a low-cost, portable X-ray imaging system. A stratified detector using CsBr imaging plates has been developed for use in dual-energy imaging. Results suggest that it is possible to perform dual-energy imaging with this structure. CsBr:Eu²⁺ imaging plates have been produced with added neutron converters for use as thermal neutron imaging plates. An imaging plate with 5 % ¹ºB₂O₃ added as a neutron converter has a PSL output 50 % that of a commercial neutron imaging plate. Neutron imaging with these imaging plates has been successfully demonstrated.
Radical spaces: New Zealand's resistance bookshops, 1969-1977
Authors:   , Simpson Megan
Published: November 2021

‘Radical Spaces’ explores the Resistance Bookshops and their place within the culture of protest and radical politics in New Zealand between 1969 and 1977. The bookshops, which were set up by activists in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch aimed to raise consciousness about political issues by selling political and countercultural texts which had limited availability in New Zealand. These ‘radical spaces’ of the 1970s are closely examined, looking at specific political campaigns, the interconnections between the groups and individuals involved, and the role that the Resistance Bookshops played in supporting the radical political momentum that flourished in New Zealand from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s. For the Resistance Bookshops, distributing texts was part of the political process, it was recognised that there was power in ideas and print was a leading medium for which to circulate them. This thesis examines the role of print as a key part in political mobilisation. All radical political groups whether ‘Old Left’, ‘New Left’, feminist or anarchist used print to educate, communicate and persuade people to participate in street politics and the wider radical culture that was emerging in New Zealand during this period. The Resistance Bookshops provided a bridge between political groups and the printed material that helped shape the ideas behind individual campaigns. These spaces were instrumental in the dissemination of radical ideas and are important expressions of a ‘movement’ which placed prime importance on education as a political tool.
Anion Adsorption onto Clay Mineral Surfaces using Radioisotope Techniques
Authors:   , Furkert Roderick John
Published: November 2021

Any reaction that occurs between two substances will depend initially on the reaction, or lack of reaction, of the various atoms or molecules that are on the surface of the substances being brought into contact with each other. When reactions involving substances of very small particle size are investigated the actual detailed composition of the surface layer of these particles become of paramount importance.
Smart Games: Emergent Game Design
Authors:   , Johnstone Keaton
Published: November 2021

Gaming is a rapidly growing recreational activity. Over the last two decades we have seen a proliferation of games across all genres and user demographics. The consumption of content in modern games has grown as a result of the advancing technology available to game designers, as well as the growing expectations of the audience. The need for increasing the value of the content and expanding potential audience grows every day. Using dynamic adjustments to the underlying game systems as the player experiences the game, this paper will demonstrate how using emergent principles combined with other foundational systems, such as evolutionary algorithms, can increase the value of the content created for any game. This added value is of benefit to both those who have made the game, and the users who experience the results.
English Language Butchered: A Study of the Correlational Relationship Between Text Messaging Frequency and the Instance of Jargon in Formal Writing
Authors:   , Lewis-Mohabir Bridget Nicola
Published: November 2021

The rapidly evolving text messaging phenomenon among teenagers and young adults is noteworthy. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between text messaging frequency and use of text messaging jargon in formal writing. The sample consisted of 152 Year 11-13 secondary school students (68 males and 84 females) ranging from ages 14 to 18. The participants were taken from three Secondary Schools and Colleges in the greater Wellington area. This study used a non-experimental quantitative design; specifically, a correlational research design. A ten- item questionnaire was used to assess general text messaging behaviours and text messaging frequency. The participants‘ formal writing pieces were also assessed and text messaging jargon forms such as alternative phonetic spelling, vowel deletion and alphanumerisms were identified. The participants‘ language ability (represented by their NCEA scores for the previous year) was also assessed. The results revealed that the participants sent an average of 95 text messages per day with girls averaging about 126 messages per day while the boys averaged 64 messages per day. Overall, the research revealed that there was a weak negative correlational relationship (-0.01; p=.986) between frequency of text messaging and instance of text jargon in formal writing. Therefore, the principal conclusion of the study was that the two variables, frequency of text messaging and instance of jargon in formal writing were not statistically related.
Optical Properties of Rare Earth Nitrides
Authors:   , Azeem Muhammad
Published: November 2021

This experimental thesis uncovers the fundamental optical features of rare earth nitride compounds and relates them to their electronic structure. Experimental observations for the optical energy gaps for thin films of GdN, DyN, SmN and EuN are made for the first time. Thin films are grown by thermal evaporation in ultra high vacuum environment and are passivated by MgF₂ layers. Initial characterizations indicate the polycrystalline thin films of RENs are strongly textured along [111] direction.  Optical characterization techniques, Fourier transform infrared and conventional UV/Vis spectrometers are used in conjunction with SQUID magnetometer and DC electrical resistivity. Transmission and reflection spectra for rare earth nitride thin films were obtained in the photon energy range 0.5 – 5.5 eV in their paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phases. Paramagnetic GdN has a direct energy gap of 1.30±0.05 eV which coincides well with theoretically predicted energy gap. A red-shift in the fundamental absorption edge of ferromagnetic GdN is observed along with onset of absorption at higher energy attributable to the exchange splitting of conduction and valence bands of GdN. The spin split joint density of states is in remarkable agreement with theoretically calculated spin polarized band structure of GdN. Similarly for DyN a consensus is found between theory and experiment on the energy gap of 1.20±0.05 eV at room temperature. However, in the case of SmN, an energy gap of 1.30±0.1 eV is underestimated by theory to 0.81 eV. For EuN, the experimentally determined value of energy gap is 0.97±0.05 eV. This value is used to tune the band structure calculation by QSGW theory which returns a ferromagnetic semiconducting solution for EuN.
An annotated bibliography of multidisciplinary information security resources, for the purpose of maintaining privacy and confidentiality in New Zealand government records management
Authors:   , Feary Brendan
Published: November 2021

Research Problem Maintaining privacy and confidentiality of data in an age of e-government and electronic recordkeeping is one of the key challenges for records management staff today. In New Zealand this issue has attracted negative attention through several recent public sector privacy and security breaches, raising questions about systemic issues, accountability, and a disconnect between strategy and implementation. How government responds will depend in large measure on the advice received regarding solutions to information security. A bibliographic gap on the relationship between records management and information security has been identified in the academic literature.  Methodology Using targeted search strategies this annotated bibliography draws together articles from a range of journals with the aim of developing a consolidated resource for practitioners to become acquainted with the multifaceted and multidisciplinary nature of information security. The outcome is a resource directly relevant to the New Zealand context, which identifies key perspectives, relationships, technical issues, and shortcomings in research.  Results Key findings relate to publishing trends, divided disciplines, and shortcomings in research pertaining to records management relationships with IT groups and engagement in e-government.  Implications Includes the development of more comprehensive e-government information and security strategies, the re-examination and utilisation of existing relationships, and the strengthening of records management's position as a contributor to research and leadership in the array of possible responses to information security.
Perceptions of self-service technology in the small, rural public library of New Zealand: Self-issue @ Selwyn Library – a case study
Authors:   , Grant Christine
Published: November 2021

Self-service technologies are prevalent in our society, and libraries are no exception. The general consensus emerging from the literature outlines the main benefits of self-service implementation: namely resource saving and enhanced customer services. However a more negative view emphasises potential challenges such as cost, staff and customer resistance, as well technical difficulties, not to mention the “dehumanizing of the library”. Much of this current research has tended to focus on the experiences of larger urban libraries with correspondingly large budgets and economies of scale. To address an apparent gap in the literature, this paper aimed to find out how well self-service is accepted in the small, rural public library of New Zealand by conducting a case study on one technology at one library: self-issue at Selwyn Library. A threefold approach was taken: first the statistics were analysed to give a picture of what was happening in terms of self-issue usage; second, staff were interviewed to get their insights and viewpoints; third, customers, both users and non-users of self-issue, were surveyed for their perspectives. The study concluded that self-issue did have a place within the small rural New Zealand public library context. Though some barriers existed there was a section of library customers who embraced it and staff were positive about the potential benefits self-issue could effect. The context also meant that there was a degree of flexibility that may be unavailable to larger institutions. The dual characteristics of not having expensive security systems to integrate with coupled with close customer relationships, allowed smaller libraries to try their own self-issue systems without exorbitant expenditure. The study’s main limitation is that it is based on the experiences and data from one library which has only had self-issue for just over a year, and the particular situation that exists there may not be applicable to other libraries.