bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modern Transformations in the Urban Social Structure in Muscat City
Authors: Mokhtar Belgacem
Published: August 2017

This study intends to gauge the framework of factors and mechanisms that contributed to the restructuring of social setup of Greater Muscat and the thereof ensuing economic, social and environmental disparities between the different residential quarters of the city. In order to produce an approximated model of the old and contemporary social structure of the city, the study used field surveys, interviews, real-estate values and types of housing, in addition to available official data. The study demonstrates clearly that locational criteria of the distribution of households in urban space have shifted from the traditional social values and practices towards predominantly economic estimates that are governed by the environmental comparative advantage of the site, the location attributes, the social content and the level of social amenities. As a result, socio-spatial fragmentation became very conspicuous in the urban space. The study suggests a number of recommendations as regarding urban sprawl, real-estate speculation, gated communities, and the renovation and rehabilitation of deteriorating residential quarters.
Why Do We Still Read George Orwell?
Authors: McBeath Neil
Published: August 2017

This paper approaches Orwell’s writing from the perspective of the 21st century and asks whether Animal Farm, his satirical fable of the USSR, and the dystopian vision of Nineteen Eighty-Four remain relevant. It dismisses the suggestion that these last two novels can be regarded as the natural culmination of Orwell’s earlier work, principally by examining these other writings demonstrates that there is no natural trajectory. The paper also refers to key dates in Orwell’s life and comments on his career at those particular moments. Orwell remains relevant, the paper concludes, because the forces of oppression he so vehemently opposed remain potent today. The residue of Stalinism survives in some countries, while others have become tyrannies where personality cults can flourish. Political doublethink still exists. The very fact that the adjective “Orwellian” remains current in English, and that his metaphors have entered mainstream discourse, are further indications that his work remains important. Far from being a writer of the 1930s, Orwell has been able to transcend both distance and time.
The Problematic of Innovation in the Thought of Hssan Hanafi
Authors: Karbia Karima
Published: August 2017

This  paper aims to shed light on aspects† of innovation in† the thought of Hassan Hanafi in his readings of† Religious DiscourseÆ For the purpose of this paper¨ innovation means the areas in which Hanafi challenged traditional readingsÆ The aim of the paper is to show that innovation in Hanafi’s thought essentially implies a Whole project of†re reading Islamic heritage to humanize it and to adopt a phenomenological approach for the study¨ analysis and reading of religious textsÆ The paper shows that critiquing this project is not easily Applicable In addition¨ it is difficult to strip religious texts of their sacrednessÆ The paper also shows that the project will always remain relative because it is not possible to bring the entire Islamic heritage under the scrutiny of this critical and restructuring projectÆ
A Memetic Translation Assessment: The Case of Translating Polysystem Theory into Arabic
Authors: Jawad Hisham A.
Published: August 2017

This study examines the underlying principles that trigger decisions in translating the polysystem translation theory into contemporary Arabic. The data comprises an English summary in Munday (2001) and its Arabic version. The methodology draws on the ‘memes’ notion and its application to translation. It consists in deconstructing the polysystem theory-meme so as to see why TT has been shaped the way it is. Two translation memes inform the mutation of the theory in Arab culture, i.e. Cognition which accounts for relevant memetic knowledge and expectations of target receptors, and Target calling for the supremacy of TL/TC. It is argued that the theory travels trans-nationally, carrying with it its history, but that history is never unsifted. It may be defied or re-interpreted pursuant to the memetic network in TC. The theory-meme subsumes an apparently cryptic meme of occupation in the political sense. This is evident through mapping the stylistic choices made by Even-Zohar in his article which suppress that sense. Therefore, TT serves as a vehicle whereby the theory-meme replicates itself in TC, having the embedded cryptic meme mutating and surfacing as explicit. It is the meme of occupation propagating in the sphere of Arab culture by general consensus.
The Role of United Nations’ Radio Stations in Promoting the Culture of Peace & Development in Developing Regions
Authors: Nejadat Ali O. , Shatanawi Mohammad N.
Published: August 2017

This study aims to identify the role of United Nations Radio Stations (represented by Maraya Radio in South Sudan) in promoting the culture of peace and development, and to know if this broadcast service contributes to promoting awareness of such concepts. The study uses appropriate descriptive methodology to measure and analyze the characteristics of media content which are related to these concepts. In addition to that, it examines the effect of these concepts on the audience of such a broadcasting service. This is a descriptive study in which the researchers analyzed the content of the programs related to the concepts of peace and development presented by Maraya Radio. The researchers also distributed a questionnaire to the audience of this radio station in South Sudan to know how they are affected by the programs offered at this station. The study examined three programs of Maraya and analyzed them using artificial week method. The findings show that the topics on peace occupied the first position among all topics covered by Maraya with a percentage of (38.5%). The topics on peace also came first in terms of the time allocated for such programs with a percentage of (49%). The content on the theme of “life without conflict” came first among all the content themes broadcasted by Maraya with a percentage of (20.1%), whereas the content related to the theme of ‘enhancing women’s image in society’ came second with a percentage of (15%), followed by the content on the theme ‘encourage to learn’ with a percentage of (11.8%).
Online Website-based Communication Strategies Used by Public Relations Departments in Government Institutions in the Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Al-Zadjali Muna Sulaiman Abdullah
Published: August 2017

This study aims at identifying the online website-based communication strategies used by Public Relations Departments in government institutions that are subject to the civil service law and its executive regulations in the Sultanate of Oman. This study is descriptive and the researcher used Content Analysis to describe and analyze the contents of all the websites of the governmental institutions, and the communication patterns and technical tools used. The research design also aims to identify the communication strategies on which these contents focused. The most important findings of this study show that there is an increasing number of government institutions using websites as part of their public relations communication policy. Most of the content of these websites had regulatory and legal information, defining and analytic information, service and interaction information, and general information. However, there is an apparent lack of strategic information in these websites. The pattern of news coverage is a common communication pattern in all the websites, compared to other communication patterns. The study concludes that all websites use Roller’s communication strategies, but they focus on one-way communication from the institution to the public, represented by strategies such as, information, persuasion and interpretation.
Job Satisfaction of Public Relations Practitioners at Saudi Arabia Hospitals ( A Survey Study)
Authors: Alawnah Hatem , Alenezy Abdullah
Published: August 2017

The aim of this study is to identify the degree of job satisfaction among practitioners of public relations in Saudi Arabia hospitals. This aim is best achieved through studying the relationship between the degree of job satisfaction and certain demographic variables, that include: gender, academic qualifications, level of experience and hospital category. Furthermore, the study aims to examine the views of top hospital administrators towards the nature of public relations in their institutions , and the obstacles facing these departments based on the views expressed by the sample population of the study. The sample consisted of (155) practitioners of public relations in private and public hospitals. The study adopts the survey method. The study concludes that salary satisfaction is the most important factor in job satisfaction, and that 91% of the practitioners of public relations are males. Also it concludes that more than half of the practitioners of public relations in Saudi Arabia hospitals have from 1 – 5 year experience, and that the third of these public relations practitioners have a salary that ranges 6000-8000 SR. It also shows that more than third of them have nothing to do with public relations in terms of their expertise and experience.
The Sentence in Its Syntactic and Semantic Aspects in Al-Salimi’s Grammatical Scholarship
Authors: Statiyyeh Sameer , Abooshi Halah Al
Published: August 2017

This research aims at defining the concept of the sentence, its components, and types according to the Omani scholar Abdullah bin Humaid Al-Salimi (1913). Like most Arab grammarians, Al-Salimi concentrated on the syntactic level of the sentence without denying the semantic aspect. Al-Salimi adopted the traditional grammatical concept of the sentence. According to Arab grammarians, the sentence is the minimum structure that makes sense. It consists of two main factors: the subject and object. This concept makes problems when applied to the relative clause and the first part of the conditional clause. Both conditional and relative clauses consist of two elements, i.e. subject and object but they do not make complete meaning. Like traditional grammarians, Al-Salimi divided the sentence according to initiation and implication. Initiation is when the sentence starts with a noun, then it will be classified as a nominal sentence; otherwise it will be considered a verbal sentence. Implication is when the small sentence is implied in the big sentence. This research arrived at some findings which include the following results: 1-Al-Salimi was a traditional grammarian but he had some innovative ideas. 2-Al-Salimi’s approach can be considered structural, but one that does not ignore semantic considerations. 3-The sentence classification in Salimi’s work is built on syntactic principles.
Making Amends: The Transformation of Theseus and the Feminization of Marriage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Authors: Campbell Charles
Published: August 2017

This study of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream asks why Theseus changes his mind about forbidding the marriage of Hermia and Lysander and what this change means for the view of marriage developed in the play and for the experience of art which the play engenders. By emphasizing the love of women for each other, the vows of sisterhood and the cult of Diana, the play prepares the way for Theseus’ change of mind and for the feminization of marriage and the celebration of imagination with which the play ends. We can observe these emphases in patterns of language and imagery (especially the flower motif), in metaphors and allusions and in descriptions of the union of opposites. The interplay of chaste love and desire delineates the art of metaphor and drama which the audience must grasp to fully appreciate the play. In Acts 4 and 5 Theseus’ resistance to romantic love melts away, along with his opposition to the imagination. Thus, during the wedding feast of Act 5, Theseus defends the amateur theatrics of the workmen as being excellent «if imagination amend them» (5.1.209); and he is associated in his language and ideas with Puck, the most fantastic and transformative character in the play. Theseus is himself transformed from the seducer and betrayer of women described in 2.1.77-80 into a worthy husband for Hippolyta, one who meets her halfway in her respect for the visions of lovers and poets.
The Role of Social Networks in Egypt’s January 2011Revolution
Authors: Naser Hosni Mohamed
Published: August 2017

This paper examines the role of the online social networks, especially Facebook, during the Egyptian revolution in January 2011. Analysis of a sample of pages shows how these networks helped people exchange information before, during and after the 18 days revolution which ended the reign of former president - Hosni Mubarak. The study analyzes how online discussions and media coverage before the revolution enabled citizens to communicate with each other and share content online, and eventually move their revolutionary ideas from the virtual world to the streets of Egypt. Analysis shows that during the revolution, social media functioned as a political organizer, an alternative media, and a medium for citizen journalism. The study reveals that social media created an alternative public sphere for Egyptian activists, thus helping them communicate their ideas with the general public without restraints. In addition, social networks provided people with the opportunity and the freedom to discuss their country’s situation at all levels. Success of the revolution shows the important role social media plays as a means of information sharing. The study concludes that using social media networks helped the Egyptian revolution and had significant impact on the democratic transition in Egypt.
A Folk Story from Dhofar A Pathway to Indigenous Knowledge
Authors: ElMahi Ali Tigani , Khatheri Ahmed Mohamed al
Published: August 2017

Folktales serve certain aspects and involve meaningful intentions in the society. This paper assess a Dhofari folk story in Oman. The story denotes the significance of folk explanation for the first emergence of poultry in Dhofar. It compares the beautiful coloured bird the Arabian partridge, Alectoris melanocephala in Dhofar’s environment with the common domestic chicken Gallus domesticus. The paper concludes that the folktales target the conservation of the society’s traditions, educating and enlightening the society’s members especially the young generations and most all demonstrates the faculty of folk explanation. Therefore, the paper urges that these folktales must be documented and studied, since they represent a valuable key part in the Omani cultural heritage.
Evaluation of Higher Diploma in Medical Librarianship Programme offered by SQU Department of Information Studies in the Light of the Professional Competences Approved by MLA
Authors: Kallow Sabah Mohammed
Published: August 2017

The paper aims to evaluate the programme of Higher Diploma in Medical Librarianship offered by the Department of Information Studies, Sultan Qaboos University, in the light of the professional competences approved by the Medical Library Association (MLA). The process covers the offered courses and their instructors, labs and existing sources of information in this area. The study is based on surveys conducted to identify the competences and specifications of medical librarians as defined by medical informatics professional associations. It has applied the analytic, descriptive approach to assessing the programme’s course descriptions and the extent to which the courses conform to the professional competences mentioned above. The findings suggest that the courses have achieved 94.11% of such competences. Recommendations have been made as to ways and means of programme improvement and applicability in other information studies departments in the Arab world. professional competence,
An Investigation into Assessment Preferences of Gulf Arab Students
Authors: Al-Hamly Mashael , Coombe Christine
Published: August 2017

The purposes of this study are to gain insight into Gulf Arab EFL students’ preferences when being assessed in their university-level English courses and to investigate if gender and degree of test anxiety have an impact on these preferences. Data were obtained from responses on an adapted form of Birenbaum’s (1994) Assessment Preferences Inventory. Results show that the students participating in this study favor assessments with multiplechoice (MCQ) questions as they are viewed as being easier to prepare for, easier to take, and thus will bring in relatively higher scores. Results also indicate that students are very much in favor of choosing how they will be assessed and data report a strong preference for multiple measures, and low stakes assessment. Implications for the classroom are also discussed.
The Competence of the Judicial Authority in Deciding the Validity of Parliamentary Membership
Authors: Shatnawy Faysal
Published: August 2017

The competence of the judicial authority in deciding the validity of parliamentary membership The law of the election defines the procedure related to the electoral process stage and relevant to voting, sorting and then declaration of the results. It is common for disputes to occur about the validity of the electoral process. Such disputes are called the validity of parliamentary membership, where it is necessary to state the competent authority which shall assume to examine and consider such disputes in the issues of the validity and legitimacy of the membership, so as to ensure non-occupancy of the seats therein the parliament by who does not actually and in fact represent the nation or who seized unlawfully its will. Just to give a chance for the voters to raise an appeal the validity thereof shall constitute an important guarantee for the true representation to the will of the nation, as this is shall be through investigating the appeal to reveal what is vitiating the election in terms of errors and defects conduced to have the unqualified candidate win the parliament membership, and therefore, shall rectify such errors and defect to invalidate the election made in the electoral district and to take action to cause the process of election once again in accordance to the procedures the election law requires. The study herein is an endeavor to define the controls that the Court of Appeal of Jordan is adopting while addressing the matter of the validity of the electoral appeals on the occasion of the parliamentary elections.
The Question of “Death” in Three Stories: A Comparative Study
Authors: Al Lawati Ehsan Sadiq Mohammed
Published: August 2017

ries representing two different cultures and two different historical periods. The first one is a story from Persia, dating back to the seventh Century AH (13th Century AD), by the well- known Iranian writer Sa’di Al-Shirazi. The other two were written by the two Arab writers; Yosuf Idrees and Abdu Salaam Al ‘Ojaily. The presence of “Death” as a theme in these three stories constitutes a distinctive and common feature that cuts across these three stories despite the differences among them in terms of setting, time, details and characters. This, in turn, vividly demonstrates that human beings have a common concern irrespective of differences. This, consequently, proves the prominent role played by comparative literature in enhancing, and cementing common understanding among human beings and, therefore, making it firmly rooted in them. The study also aims to focus on this theme at two levels; the implicit and the explicit. The main objective is to make the reader become fully acquainted with how these two concerted levels lead to a common artistic vision in the three stories in spite of their differences in terms of content and details (i.e. setting, time, character, etc.).
Administrative Detention and Its Objective and Procedural Warrantees: A Study of the Jordanian Law
Authors: Hatamla Saleem
Published: August 2017

Personal freedom is the essence of human life. It is not created by legislation or laws. It is rather regulated by laws to reconcile its various aspects and achieve the common good of the community. It, therefore, does not accept restrictions except those that are necessary. The freedom of people should always be maintained; it is not permissible to arrest or detain any person except in accordance with the law. Accordingly, the Jordanian legislator was keen to put in place the procedural rules of administrative detention in terms of setting clear conditions for the practice of this detention and the reasons for resorting to it in order to reduce the abuse of this exercise by the authorities and to reduce the vulnerability of individuals at risk of such a practice. It is well-known that these actions result in a restriction of personal freedom but also it is known that these measures are aimed to protect society from risks. Detainees in this type of arrest are taken without trial, and it is exercised by the executive authority under the powers granted to it by the law. If all these precautions are meant to protect personal freedom and maintain its integrity, then how can the executive authority intervene in personal freedom and exercise maximum restrictions on it and tries to repeal it, given that this type of arrest is essentially a precautionary punitive measure? However, in this sense, it is in stark violation of the principle of legality of crimes and punishments, and it violates constitutional and legal warrantees. Despite all these principles about the sanctity of personal freedoms and the warrantees against excessive use of executive detention, it should be acknowledged that it is sometimes necessary for authorities to administer such a measure. This perplexing situation makes us endeavor to study the provisions and terms governing this kind of arrest and investigate its reasons, in an attempt to state the legal basis that calls for its justification. The study also addresses the main principles governing the behavior of authorities while exercising this detention and the main effects of such a practice.
Egypt in modern Sudanese poetry: Vision and technical tools
Authors: Abdelmageed Mohammed Mahgoub Mohammed
Published: August 2017

This research studies Egypt in a selected sample of poems of modern Sudanese poetry. The study used the textual method to analyze stylistic and technical aspects of the poems chosen for this study. Sudanese poets have different views of Egypt based on their culture and psychological makeup and literary approach. Some poets had a simple vision despite their elevated diction, artificial rhetoric, and lifeless pathos; others had a more complex vision especially those who saw in Egypt the central state, with its science, history and civilization, and the ability to move the Arabs to wider horizons. The conservative poets relied heavily on stylistics and symbolic language expressions and intensified their structural formulations to meet the public’s tastes for clamor. Some used modern techniques like the narration, storytelling, and the internal monologue to express their visions. It was found that most texts analyzed in this study used the Khalili prosodics with the exception of a few new direction poets who used free verse to express themselves with smooth musicality without barriers as long as their poetry was fueled with profound passion, proper conscience, and a sense of simplicity. The Sudanese poet did not get rid of his old presentation of the image considering it a means for explanation, clarification, and extreme exaggeration. The image, therefore, appeared to be sensual and largely an imitation of ancient types. This, however, does not prevent the emergence of new forms.
Beyond Theoretical Education: The Prospects for National Wealth in Dhofar
Authors: ElMahi Ali Tigani
Published: August 2017

Dhofar region in southern Oman possesses a wealth of livestock. This wealth is managed traditionally by different Dhofari groups in a distinct landscape and ecological conditions. By the seventies, development addressed all aspects of live in the Sultanate. Education turned out to be a prime objective in development plans. In Dhofar, young generations of pastoralists found their way into education. It is known that the route of education starts directly from primary school level to the university level. Consequently, theoretical university education detach and disengage young Dhofaris from their forefathers’ traditional profession and most of all their wealth. Dhofar’s livestock is unequivocally a national wealth that needs to be invested and developed by young Dhofari generations, trained in modern scientific management in order to investment in Dhofar’s livestock . Therefore, it is a call for a focused education and training to address the potential of the region and its wealth. The paper attempts to draw attention to a situation which is taking place in Dhofar region and proposes certain recommendations.
The allegiance-offering ceremony of the caliphs and their heirs in the second Abbasid era (550-656 AH / 1155-1258 AD)
Authors: Alkadhat Mohammad
Published: August 2017

The period of this study witnessed a revival of the Abbasid Caliphate Institution after getting rid of foreign control. This was accompanied by a desire to revive the ceremonies that had stopped since the beginning of the fourth century AH. The ceremony of allegiance-offering to the Caliphs and their heirs was among several ceremonies that were revived during this period. The allegiance-offering ceremony was organized according to certain arrangements which begin on the day the former Caliph passes away, and end with a public allegianceoffering ceremony. This study attempts to trace those ceremonies, highlighting the religious and the media dimensions, which the Caliphate Institution was keen on stressing in these celebrations. The Caliphs saw in these ceremonies and the accompanying festivities and celebrations an important tool to enhance the image and aura of the Caliphate in the hearts of the public. They also saw these ceremonies as an opportunity to enhance the spiritual bond between the public and the Caliphate and the Caliphs. They also saw the ceremonies as a chance to assert their religious leadership of the Muslim World.
Style in Literary Translation: A Practical Perspective
Authors: Almanna Ali , Farghal Mohammed
Published: August 2017

This paper explores a stylistic approach to translating literary texts from Arabic into English and vice versa. It is held that in order to be in a position to render literary texts effectively and accurately, one needs to: (1) analyze and describe varieties of language, (2) identify and discern all important aesthetic aspects of text in order to interpret and appreciate texts properly, (3) activate processes and experiences of reading along with one’s intuitive responses to the text, and (4) activate all aspects of knowledge stored in one’s mind on language, text-typological demands, generic conventions, sociological roles of participants in the real world and in text, cultural environment and so on. Through the analysis of authentic data, it argues that by adopting a comprehensive stylistic approach, translators, as special text readers, can easily derive a better understanding and appreciation of texts, in particular literary texts. The data analysis demonstrates that literary translators, in addition to possessing other types of competences, need to develop first an analytical and evaluating competence that enables them to analyze and appreciate stylistic features, and second transferring/translating competence that enables them to prioritize the competing elements with a minimum loss.
The Legal Regulation of Compensation for Consequential Damage in the Jordanian Civil Legislation
Authors: Al Sarairah Ibraheim Saleh
Published: August 2017

In legal language, damage is money paid to a plaintiff for injuries or losses suffered. It is possible that the impact of damage could extend to others who are associated or linked to the injured party and this is called ‘consequential damage’. In this specific case, the damage must be proven to be a direct and immediate consequence of the relevant fault. In fact, consequential damage is a direct harm to the other injured party. There are certain conditions that must be observed for the injured party to be compensated. These are: the injury must be directed to the original injured party, there must be a relation between the original injured party and the consequentially damaged party, and the availability of causation between the damage and the consequential damage. As to the scope of consequential damage, the paper identifies consequentially damaged parties as kinsmen and individuals who have a common financial interest. The paper explains how to file a direct claim for compensation and explains how to estimate compensation for consequential damage and the principles governing this issue. The paper also discusses problems related to consequential damage and suggests solutions to these problems.
The Other’s Image in Arabic Feminist Narrative
Authors: Qbilat Nizar , El-Faouri Awni
Published: August 2017

This study aims at shedding some light on the images of women in some feminist novels known as Feminist Literature. The research depicts a number of Arabic feminist writers concentrating on the structure of Feminist Literature generally, and Arabic women writers specifically. The study examines the characters, the narrative angle and the narrative sequence and its objective sensitivity at three levels: the woman as an author, a narrator, and the artistic character dealing with issues of justice, liberty and equality with man, considering the various humanitarian models: the striver, the lover and the educated within the borders of the forbidden, the fear, and the limitations. The popularity of Feminist Literature is one of the issues of modernity in the Arab world. The role of Jordanian women writers is apparent in literature. Their creative works compete with those of dominant men in terms of imagery and artistic presence. The inner persona of the woman writer is dominant even though her work represents a realistic view. The problematic issue of writing for women writers seems to be plunged in paradox and sharp in its novelistic representation. The novelistic modules studied indicate the success the Arab woman writer achieved in terms of the use of artistic tools, and the ability to confront and reveal the untold. Although the feminists’ novels seem to dwell in an anxious environment, they represent an arena of conflict representing the artistic and living realities.
Egyptian Revolution and Its Impact on Work Values Among A Sample of Teachers in Assiut Governorate
Authors: ElBahnasawy Ahmed Kamal Abd Elwahab
Published: August 2017

This study aims to identify the difference on work values and its constituent dimensions according to some variables: study sample (first sample immediately after the revolution, second sample 3 years after the revolution), gender (male and female), urban vs. rural, and interactions between these variables among a sample of teachers in Assuit. Sample of the study (N= 1121) includes male and female teachers (first sample N= 641, second sample N=480). Results show significant differences between the two samples in management, setting, supervision relations, life styles, safety, autonomy, multiplicity, economic return and general work values on behalf of the first sample. However differences in altruism and status were recorded for the second sample. Gender differences were found only in management dimension for male teachers. No significant differences were found either due to rural vs. urban place of living, or the interaction between gender and place of living. Yet, significant differences were found due to the interaction between the two samples and gender on the general score of values and some of the dimensions (safety, status, autonomy and multiplicity).
The Role of Social Communication Networks in Constructing Public Opinion among Students at Saudi Arabian Universities (Umm AlQura University as a model)
Authors: Almadani Osamah Ghazi
Published: August 2017

The study aimed to investigate the role of social communication networks in constructing public opinion among students at Saudi Arabian Universities. This study is descriptive in nature and used the survey method. The sample of the study consisted of N 200 students from Umm Alqura university from the practical and theoretical colleges (College of social sciences- Colleges of medical sciences- Colleges of applied sciences). The tools of the study included a questionnaire – public opinion construction scale for the students at Saudi Arabian universities. The results of the study indicated that a high level percentage in constructing public opinion came from the students who used the social communication websites which was 41.86%, where the intermediate level was 55.23%, while the low level was 2.91%.The results showed also that there is a statistically significant difference between the mean score of the study sample in the scale of the role of social communication networks in constructing public opinion among the students according to the different levels in using different social communication networks. There is a statistically significant difference between the mean score of the study sample in the scale of the role of social communication networks in using social communication through the internet according to the different level of experience in using the internet among the participants.
The Role of Open Art Studio in Encouraging University Students to Practice Art Activities
Authors: Al-Yahyai Fakhriya , Alhajr Salman , Al-Amri Mohammed , Al-mamari Badar , Abdelmoula Wissem
Published: August 2017

The current study aims to explore the role of the Open Art Studio in encouraging university students to practice arts. It seeks to answer the following main research questions: What is the role of the Open Art Studio in enhancing university-students’ life in terms of educational, sociological and physiological aspects? The findings of the study show the importance of practicing art activities in the Open Art Studio in enhancing university-students’ life as well as analyzing the integrating role of the educational, physiological and sociological of practicing art in the Open Art Studio. This study ended with some important recommendations such as the importance of higher educational institutions in encouraging students’ participation in practicing all types of arts activities and supporting them and offering incentives, the necessity of art specialists participating at universities in planning policy of outside classrooms activities and supervising these activities according to their specializations, and allocating some time in the study timetable for practicing extracurricular activities in all university disciplines. Finally, it recommends the need to further study the difficulties behind the university students’ limited number of visits to Open Art Studios.
The Effect of Camel in the Arabic Criticism Discourse
Authors: Bani amer Asem “Mohmad Amen”
Published: August 2017

This study deals with the presence of camels in the structure of Arabic criticism discourse and its standards. These standards were taken from the behavior of camels, sush as virility, endurance and patience as descrbed by poets. Thus, the effect of camels become a method of Arab criticism.
The Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Skills of School Principals in Al-Ramtha District
Authors: Abd-Alrahman Ibrahim Mariam , Hani Bani- , Al-Aal Abd , Saleh Mohammad
Published: August 2017

This study aimed at investigating the degree of using Neuro-Linguistic Programming Skills of school principals in the Al-Ramtha distric. To achieve the purpose of the study, the researcher prepared and developed a questionnaire that included 33 items distributed into six categories: thinking, recognition, believing, human relationships, problem solving and representative schemes. After testing its validity and reliability, the questionnaire was distributed to the sample of the study, who were 68 male and female principals. Sixty five questionnaires were returned and analyzed. The study revealed the following findings (1): The degree of using Neuro-Linguistic Programming skills by the principals of schools at the Directorate of Al-Ramtha was in the middle degree, and (2) no significant differences at the level of (α = 0.05) were found between the means of the ratings of the participants of the study sample (principals of schools) in the role of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Skills in the leading performance of the principals of schools in Al-Ramtha due to the variables of genders, academic qualification. There are statistically significant differences due to years of experience and in favor of the experience (more than 10 years). The researcher recommends more training courses in the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming should be offered to school principals in all the directorates of education.
Modality with Past Time Reference in English-into-Arabic Fiction Translation
Authors: Farghal Mohammed , Al-Hamly Mashael
Published: August 2017

Modality is a semantic medium that colors the way the language user views the world around him/ her in terms of certainty, necessity and obligation; hence, it places extra effort on the translator while attempting to capture modalistic shades of meaning. The task may become more challenging when the translator is dealing with a language pair where modality is grammar-oriented in one member (English, for example) and lexis-oriented in the other (Arabic, for example). The present paper aims to investigate the rendering of speaker participation in the speech event as embodied in modality when translating English fiction into Arabic. In particular, it will examine the corpus of two sets of data involving past modality (modal + have + past participle) extracted from two English novels which will be compared with their counterparts in the Arabic translations. Four main issues will be discussed. The first is to see whether the distinction between epistemic and deontic modality is maintained in translation. The second is to check whether the translators are sensitive to the import of modality in discourse as manifested in the speaker’s attitudes toward what is happening. The third is to check whether English modalized propositions are sometimes erroneously rendered into modality-free Arabic propositions. Last, the study discusses the Arabic modality markers employed to capture past modality. Both a quantitative account (focusing on form and function) and a qualitative analysis (focusing on adequacy of translation procedures) are furnished.
The Relationship between Ecology and Law: Methodology for the Adoption of Scientific Standards for Pollution and their Application in Algerian Environmental Law
Authors: Yahia Ouinas
Published: August 2017

The pollution thresholds expressed in the different fields of experimental knowledge and technology are very difficult to adopt and apply because of their legal texts and inherent difficulties in their development and update of knowledge. To mitigate these difficulties between law and ecology, the research adopted a methodology that takes into account the changing scientific realities in the legal process by assigning technical committees of a holistic or sectoral nature the responsibility to develop and update the legal technical provisions. Despite these adopted solutions, and despite the purely scientific and technical nature of the technical rules, they face the difficulty of achieving scientific consensus, because of the development of scientific knowledge, which is characterized by a large number of rules governing the various elements, materials, and the medium. This makes it sometimes impossible to carry out the scientific consensus on those thresholds.
The Specialization of Information Science and its Relationship with other Specializations: The Experience of the Department of Information Studies at Sultan Qaboos University
Authors: Al Hijji Khalfan Zahran Hamed , Abdullah Khaled Ateeq Saeed
Published: August 2017

This study aims to explore the interdisciplinary research and courses of the Department of Information Studies (DIS) at Sultan Qaboos University with other disciplines in the university, and to explore its impact on the management and development of various academic programs of the department. To achieve this objective, the study utilized qualitative research methods such as: content analysis of documents, written plans, and course syllabi of the department and open interviews with faculty members to identify kinds of relations with other scientific disciplines they seek when building their academic programs. The study revealed that the interdisciplinary relations of the department exist in all its programs. The DIS PhD program was initiated as an interdisciplinary program in cooperation with departments of Information Systems, Management, and Computer Science. Further, the interdisciplinary path of the Masters’ program is clearly seen in the variation of topics that dissertations have discussed, which include human resources, marketing, bibliometric studies, social media, e-government, information literacy, manuscripts, and technology acceptance. The Higher Diploma in Medical Libraries is directed towards qualifying specialist librarians for health and medical libraries. Students admitted in this program are usually selected from those who apply from biology and health sciences. Lastly, in the undergraduate level, DIS provides the bachelor of Learning Resource Centers in Faculty of Education with number of specialized courses. In the main time there are many electives and required courses from different disciplines that are included in the department’s undergraduate study plan.
Psychological Assessment and Guidance of Thoughts, Emotions, and Behavior Among Male and Female of Adolescents by Using the Computer
Authors: Abdelaziz Ahmed Mohamed Saleh
Published: August 2017

Motivated by the outstanding application of computers across a range of scientific disciplines, including psychology, the researcher designed a psychological scale by use of computer. This scale attempted to help adolescents identify points of strength in their thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Besides, this scale was intended to provide of psychological guidance when yielded weak features of thoughts, emotions, and behavior. The manual scale was designed based on previous literature, tests and scales relevant to thoughts, emotions, and behavior, and items and dimensions of each test were defined. An exploratory study was then conducted to test the variables and ensure the reliability and validity of items. A sample contained of 950 school and university adolescents who ranged in age from 15 to 21 years. The designed scale comprises four groups of six main sub-tests each with a total number of 24 sub-tests. Logging into the application, the participant based on his/her age and gender is requested to respond to six tests by selecting the item that she/he believes to provide a correct description of him/ according to the Likert frequency scale. Upon test completion, the participant is provided with a grand total mark of the six tests with an overall interpretation of what it means as well as sub-totals for each dimension. In cases where there is a decrease of marks on any items of the test, the participant is offered both audio and written guidelines of how to improve. This computer-aided psychological scale was designed to identify 25 dimensions relevant to thoughts, emotions and behaviors among adolescents and test them.
Social and Cultural Dimensions of Genetic Blood Diseases An Anthropological study in the Omani Society
Authors: Al Niblaoi Aida Fouad , Al Hashemi Sultan Mohammed
Published: August 2017

This study attempts to monitor the most important impacts of social and cultural variables on the health situation in the Omani society in general, and the incidence of hereditary blood disease in particular. The study aims to identify the social and cultural dimensions of health and disease in terms of concept and theoretical perspectives; the most important health indicators; the magnitude and spread of hereditary blood diseases in the Sultanate of Oman; and the disclosure of some of the social and cultural factors, and the difficulties facing the health pattern. The study relied on some Theoretical frameworks that provided scientific explanations about addressing the social and cultural dimensions of health and disease. Methodologically, the study was based on both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The study concluded that there are many social and cultural dimensions that shaped some of the factors that caused the incidence of hereditary blood disease in the Omani society. The study concluded that there are many reasons behind genetic blood diseases such as: endogamy and dietary habits, and some popular perceptions about health and disease. It could be argued that there is a gap between the foundations of knowledge in the health system, and the health situation indicators of social and cultural implications.
Using Soft Systems Methodology in Social Sciences: Improvement of the Research Methods Module at the Department of Information Studies at Sultan Qaboos University as an example
Authors: AlHarrasi Nabhan
Published: August 2017

The aim of this research is to examine the usefulness of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) as an approach to develop a plan for improving the Research Methods module at the Department of Information Studies, Sultan Qaboos University. Moreover, the study examines the capacity of SSM in involving different tools for data collections including questionnaire, interviews, and document analysis for exploring the different viewpoints and needs of research participants. The results indicate that SSM greatly facilitated understanding participants’ different viewpoints regarding delivery of change. Moreover, SSM was instrumental in identifying the type and scope of the required change. The various types of conceptual models enabled accommodation of participants’ different perspectives and development of a change plan that would reflect the needs of students. The research found that SSM dealt effectively with the complexity of this situation in which different sources of information, students’ different backgrounds and perspectives, and internal and external factors all required consideration. Therefore SSM is highly recommended for use in making improvements to other social science courses and modules.
Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) A Comparative study of Arabic and International Research Literature with a Special Focus on The Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Zahra Iman
Published: August 2017

Due to the interdisciplinary complicated nature of the concept Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) that has only emerged in the communication field three decades ago and has ever since witnessed dramatic developments in itself and the related fields, the current research paper aims at: shedding more light onto the nature of IMC and the sciences that the concept emerged from; undergoing meta-analysis on a total of 122 Arabic and foreign research papers to track IMC research trends worldwide and discussing the notable gap between IMC research in the Sultanate of Oman and its practice. Findings indicated that IMC is an interdisciplinary relatively new concept combining communication and marketing, then evolved further to include branding as an independent discipline. A quantitative and qualitative gap between Arabic and international research literature concerning IMC was noted, due to the limitations and difficulties of conducting such research in the Arab World. IMC research in the Sultanate falls short, although serious attempts were made in the marketing and branding research fields. Practical wise, most companies working in Oman are practicing the concept without putting it into proper evaluation.