title: Tales of a cross-cultural research journey: Navigating potholes, roadblocks and dead-ends

authors: Cobb, Donella J.

abstract: Undertaking doctoral studies in a different cultural context presents a plethora of challenges for doctoral students. This chapter documents the experiences of one researcher navigating the early stages of her doctoral journey in a cultural context significantly different from her own. While the development of the initial research framework has taken careful development, it has been the ethical considerations throughout this initial stage that have presented ongoing challenges, particularly when considering research from a critical perspective. This chapter highlights some important reflections for doctoral students undertaking research in developing countries, particularly in relation to communication, in-country ethics procedures, time delays and financial considerations. The difficulties encountered on the doctoral journey have highlighted the need to take a critical and reflexive stance throughout the development of the initial research proposal and to be flexible to change the direction of the research if and where needed. Because of a recent change in political circumstances, this nation will remain nameless throughout this chapter in order to protect those who may be implicated with the original work.

text: Tales of a cross-cultural research journey: Navigating potholes, roadblocks and dead-ends Undertaking doctoral studies in a different cultural context presents a plethora of challenges for doctoral students. This chapter documents the experiences of one researcher navigating the early stages of her doctoral journey in a cultural context significantly different from her own. While the development of the initial research framework has taken careful development, it has been the ethical considerations throughout this initial stage that have presented ongoing challenges, particularly when considering research from a critical perspective. This chapter highlights some important reflections for doctoral students undertaking research in developing countries, particularly in relation to communication, in-country ethics procedures, time delays and financial considerations. The difficulties encountered on the doctoral journey have highlighted the need to take a critical and reflexive stance throughout the development of the initial research proposal and to be flexible to change the direction of the research if and where needed. Because of a recent change in political circumstances, this nation will remain nameless throughout this chapter in order to protect those who may be implicated with the original work.

year: 2014

title: Recovery and Purification of Titanium Dioxide and Aluminium Compounds from Corundum By-product of the TiPro Process

authors: Jennings, Philip Anthony Charles

subjects: Aluminium

abstract: The TiPro process developed at the University of Waikato utilises an aluminothermic reaction to create titanium rich intermetallic alloys or alloy powders by solid-liquid separation. The product is then reduced with calcium vapour or calcium hydride to lower the oxygen content. This process involves intimately mixing titanium oxide powder with stoichiometric quantities of aluminium powder and heating the mixture to initiate a thermite reaction that transfers oxygen from the titanium oxide to the aluminium to produce titanium aluminide alloy and aluminium oxide. The liquid alloy is drained off from the by-product, called corundum, before going on to further processing. The corundum is left behind and contains significant quantities of valuable titanium alloy and aluminium and titanium oxides which must be recovered to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of the process.
	This thesis describes and explains proof-of-concept wet chemistry methods of processing the corundum by-product to recover and separate the valuable metal oxides. Using acid-base equilibria, over 90% of the titanium was recovered from the corundum phase as impure titanium oxide. Aluminium was recovered as aluminium hydroxide and aluminium oxide, both of which can be processed into feedstock for fresh aluminium smelting and hence represent a potential revenue stream. The products were characterised using SEM-EDX and XRD to determine their composition and structure. The proposed treatment produces no waste other than environmentally benign neutral salt water.

text: Recovery and Purification of Titanium Dioxide and Aluminium Compounds from Corundum By-product of the TiPro Process The TiPro process developed at the University of Waikato utilises an aluminothermic reaction to create titanium rich intermetallic alloys or alloy powders by solid-liquid separation. The product is then reduced with calcium vapour or calcium hydride to lower the oxygen content. This process involves intimately mixing titanium oxide powder with stoichiometric quantities of aluminium powder and heating the mixture to initiate a thermite reaction that transfers oxygen from the titanium oxide to the aluminium to produce titanium aluminide alloy and aluminium oxide. The liquid alloy is drained off from the by-product, called corundum, before going on to further processing. The corundum is left behind and contains significant quantities of valuable titanium alloy and aluminium and titanium oxides which must be recovered to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of the process.
	This thesis describes and explains proof-of-concept wet chemistry methods of processing the corundum by-product to recover and separate the valuable metal oxides. Using acid-base equilibria, over 90% of the titanium was recovered from the corundum phase as impure titanium oxide. Aluminium was recovered as aluminium hydroxide and aluminium oxide, both of which can be processed into feedstock for fresh aluminium smelting and hence represent a potential revenue stream. The products were characterised using SEM-EDX and XRD to determine their composition and structure. The proposed treatment produces no waste other than environmentally benign neutral salt water.

year: 2013

title: Indigenous languages shaping multi-lingual interfaces

authors: Keegan, Te Taka Adrian Gregory

subjects: computer science

abstract: This paper reports on an investigation into the indigenous language usage of two bilingual/multilingual digital libraries. Results show that the indigenous language was significantly used by clients and indicate why clients chose to use the indigenous language. Feedback from clients has suggested how the interface should be improved to assist both indigenous and non-indigenous language usage. These results serve as an example of how indigenous languages are shaping multilingual interfaces.

text: Indigenous languages shaping multi-lingual interfaces This paper reports on an investigation into the indigenous language usage of two bilingual/multilingual digital libraries. Results show that the indigenous language was significantly used by clients and indicate why clients chose to use the indigenous language. Feedback from clients has suggested how the interface should be improved to assist both indigenous and non-indigenous language usage. These results serve as an example of how indigenous languages are shaping multilingual interfaces.

year: 2008