title: Exploring the cause of game (derived) arousal: What biometric accounts of player experience revealed

authors: Schott, Gareth R.

subjects: violence

abstract: The function of this paper is to present research findings that ordinarily would never see the light of day, not because they have no value or significance, but they might seem marginal and less significant given the main focus of the research conducted. When studying player experience, there is value in widening the focus of research to avoid attributing too much value to one kind of experience over others. The findings presented here come from a much larger three-year research study into player experiences with games containing violence. The broad intent of the study was to query the strong association between effects research and responsive regulation measures (game classification). The research was guided by the idea that exploring “the extent to which the public’s perception of causal links between game playing and various social ills’ might be ‘moderated or even undermined by [knowledge of] how players actually respond to and negotiate their way through the content and characteristics of the medium” (OFLC, 2009, p. 24). To do this, the research employed a mixed methodology to examine player experience (as introduced in Schott et al., 2013a). The study produced a number of data points in order to characterize the multi-dimensional nature of players’ experiences. This paper focuses specifically on the outcome of utilizing a biometric measure (GSR) as a guide for determining which aspects, from game experiences that required hours of game play, should be assessed for their significance. The value of employing GSR as a textually neutral method for detecting which aspects of a game had an impact on players is assessed.

text: Exploring the cause of game (derived) arousal: What biometric accounts of player experience revealed The function of this paper is to present research findings that ordinarily would never see the light of day, not because they have no value or significance, but they might seem marginal and less significant given the main focus of the research conducted. When studying player experience, there is value in widening the focus of research to avoid attributing too much value to one kind of experience over others. The findings presented here come from a much larger three-year research study into player experiences with games containing violence. The broad intent of the study was to query the strong association between effects research and responsive regulation measures (game classification). The research was guided by the idea that exploring “the extent to which the public’s perception of causal links between game playing and various social ills’ might be ‘moderated or even undermined by [knowledge of] how players actually respond to and negotiate their way through the content and characteristics of the medium” (OFLC, 2009, p. 24). To do this, the research employed a mixed methodology to examine player experience (as introduced in Schott et al., 2013a). The study produced a number of data points in order to characterize the multi-dimensional nature of players’ experiences. This paper focuses specifically on the outcome of utilizing a biometric measure (GSR) as a guide for determining which aspects, from game experiences that required hours of game play, should be assessed for their significance. The value of employing GSR as a textually neutral method for detecting which aspects of a game had an impact on players is assessed.

year: 2016

title: Using Captain Scott's discovery specimens to unlock the past: has Antarctic cyanobacterial diversity changed over the last 100 years?

authors: Jungblut, Anne D.

subjects: Antarctica

abstract: Evidence of climate-driven environmental change is increasing in Antarctica, and with it comes concern that this will propagate to impacts on biological communities. Recognition and prediction of change needs to incorporate the extent and timescales over which communities vary under extant conditions. However, few observations of Antarctic microbial communities, which dominate inland habitats, allow this. We therefore carried out the first molecular comparison of Cyanobacteria in historic herbarium microbial mats from freshwater ecosystems on Ross Island and the McMurdo Ice Shelf, collected by Captain R.F. Scott's ‘Discovery’ Expedition (1902–1903), with modern samples from those areas. Using 16S rRNA gene surveys, we found that modern and historic cyanobacteria assemblages showed some variation in community structure but were dominated by the same genotypes. Modern communities had a higher richness, including genotypes not found in historic samples, but they had the highest similarity to other cyanobacteria sequences from Antarctica. The results imply slow cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene genotype turnover and considerable community stability within Antarctic microbial mats. We suggest that this relates to Antarctic freshwater 'organisms requiring a capacity to withstand diverse stresses, and that this could also provide a degree of resistance and resilience to future climatic-driven environmental change in Antarctica.

text: Using Captain Scott's discovery specimens to unlock the past: has Antarctic cyanobacterial diversity changed over the last 100 years? Evidence of climate-driven environmental change is increasing in Antarctica, and with it comes concern that this will propagate to impacts on biological communities. Recognition and prediction of change needs to incorporate the extent and timescales over which communities vary under extant conditions. However, few observations of Antarctic microbial communities, which dominate inland habitats, allow this. We therefore carried out the first molecular comparison of Cyanobacteria in historic herbarium microbial mats from freshwater ecosystems on Ross Island and the McMurdo Ice Shelf, collected by Captain R.F. Scott's ‘Discovery’ Expedition (1902–1903), with modern samples from those areas. Using 16S rRNA gene surveys, we found that modern and historic cyanobacteria assemblages showed some variation in community structure but were dominated by the same genotypes. Modern communities had a higher richness, including genotypes not found in historic samples, but they had the highest similarity to other cyanobacteria sequences from Antarctica. The results imply slow cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene genotype turnover and considerable community stability within Antarctic microbial mats. We suggest that this relates to Antarctic freshwater 'organisms requiring a capacity to withstand diverse stresses, and that this could also provide a degree of resistance and resilience to future climatic-driven environmental change in Antarctica.

year: 2017

title: Research support in New Zealand University Libraries

authors: Howie, Jess

abstract: Researcher-facing librarians in New Zealand are providing guidance across more of the research lifecycle than ever before in response to an increasingly complex scholarly ecosystem. This research explored the development of research support through survey responses from all eight New Zealand University Libraries. From the responses it was possible to ascertain the level of services offered or planned in the four key areas of research impact, Research Data Management, scholarly communication and Kaupapa Māori research. Skills gaps and barriers to service development were also identified. Comparison with an earlier study revealed that research impact and Research Data Management services have developed well over the last 6 years. A good level of maturity was identified in scholarly communication services but support for Kaupapa Māori research was identified as an area for development. Barriers to service development included lack of resourcing and low recognition of library value from the wider institution.

text: Research support in New Zealand University Libraries Researcher-facing librarians in New Zealand are providing guidance across more of the research lifecycle than ever before in response to an increasingly complex scholarly ecosystem. This research explored the development of research support through survey responses from all eight New Zealand University Libraries. From the responses it was possible to ascertain the level of services offered or planned in the four key areas of research impact, Research Data Management, scholarly communication and Kaupapa Māori research. Skills gaps and barriers to service development were also identified. Comparison with an earlier study revealed that research impact and Research Data Management services have developed well over the last 6 years. A good level of maturity was identified in scholarly communication services but support for Kaupapa Māori research was identified as an area for development. Barriers to service development included lack of resourcing and low recognition of library value from the wider institution.

year: 2019-01-01