NobleBlocks

National Library of Wales

archiveAberystwyth, United Kingdom

Research output, citation impact, and the most-cited recent papers from National Library of Wales (United Kingdom). Aggregated across the NobleBlocks index of 300M+ scholarly works.

Total works
208
Citations
2.1K
h-index
23
i10-index
49
Also known as
Llyfrgell Genedlaethol CymruNational Library of Wales

Top-cited papers from National Library of Wales

Investigating Victorian Journalism
Laurel Brake, Aled Jones, Lionel Madden
1990· Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks136doi:10.1007/978-1-349-20790-9

Part 1 Theorizing journalism: reading the periodical press - text and context, Lynn Pykett towards a theory of the periodical as a publishing genre, Margaret Beetham popular narrative and political discourse in Reynolds' Weekly Newspaper, Anne Humphreys newspaper and periodicals in historical research, Edward Royle. Part 2 The diversity of Victorian journalism: local journalism in Victorian political culture, Aled Jones Welsh periodicals - a survey, Brynley F.Roberts Yr Amserau - the first decade 1843-52, Philip Henry Jones London's local newspaper - patterns of change in the Victorian period, Michael Harris the history of the Standard, Dennis Griffiths the growth of a national press, Lucy Brown. Part 3 Directions in journalism studies: Victorian periodicals and academic discourse, B.E.Maidment sources for the study of newspapers, Joel H.Wiener the golden stain of time - preserving Victorian periodicals, Scott Bennett technology and the periodical press, Deian Hopkin.

A genetic chronology for the Indian Subcontinent points to heavily sex-biased dispersals
Marina Silva, Marisa Oliveira, Daniel Vieira, Andreia Brandão +4 more
2017· BMC Evolutionary Biology80doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0936-9

BACKGROUND: India is a patchwork of tribal and non-tribal populations that speak many different languages from various language families. Indo-European, spoken across northern and central India, and also in Pakistan and Bangladesh, has been frequently connected to the so-called "Indo-Aryan invasions" from Central Asia ~3.5 ka and the establishment of the caste system, but the extent of immigration at this time remains extremely controversial. South India, on the other hand, is dominated by Dravidian languages. India displays a high level of endogamy due to its strict social boundaries, and high genetic drift as a result of long-term isolation which, together with a very complex history, makes the genetic study of Indian populations challenging. RESULTS: We have combined a detailed, high-resolution mitogenome analysis with summaries of autosomal data and Y-chromosome lineages to establish a settlement chronology for the Indian Subcontinent. Maternal lineages document the earliest settlement ~55-65 ka (thousand years ago), and major population shifts in the later Pleistocene that explain previous dating discrepancies and neutrality violation. Whilst current genome-wide analyses conflate all dispersals from Southwest and Central Asia, we were able to tease out from the mitogenome data distinct dispersal episodes dating from between the Last Glacial Maximum to the Bronze Age. Moreover, we found an extremely marked sex bias by comparing the different genetic systems. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal lineages primarily reflect earlier, pre-Holocene processes, and paternal lineages predominantly episodes within the last 10 ka. In particular, genetic influx from Central Asia in the Bronze Age was strongly male-driven, consistent with the patriarchal, patrilocal and patrilineal social structure attributed to the inferred pastoralist early Indo-European society. This was part of a much wider process of Indo-European expansion, with an ultimate source in the Pontic-Caspian region, which carried closely related Y-chromosome lineages, a smaller fraction of autosomal genome-wide variation and an even smaller fraction of mitogenomes across a vast swathe of Eurasia between 5 and 3.5 ka.

The a, b, c s of oceanographic lidar predictions: a significant step toward closing the loop between theory and experiment
Alan Laux, Richard I. Billmers, L. Mullen, Brian M. Concannon +3 more
2002· Journal of Modern Optics79doi:10.1080/09500340110088498

Small-angle phase functions (0.05° < θ < 20°) have been measured for turbid samples that were then used in a Monte-Carlo theoretical light-scattering model. The measured phase function yields excellent agreement between model predictions and long-path tank measurements.

Positioning place: polylogic approaches to research methodology
Jon Anderson, Peter Adey, Paul Bevan
2010· Qualitative Research77doi:10.1177/1468794110375796

This article focuses on the difference that place makes to methodological practice. It argues, following Sin, that the spatial contexts in which methods are carried out remain ‘largely excluded from any theorization of the social construction of knowledge’ (2003: 306). Through viewing ‘place’ as both a social and a geographical entity (following Cresswell, 1996), this article argues that although the importance of social relationships in methodology is widely accepted (through, for example, processes of researcher reflexivity), the influence of the ‘where of method’ has received less attention. The article addresses this issue by arguing for the explicit consideration of the geographical dimension of place in methodology. It does so by introducing the notion of a polylogic approach to method. The polylogic approach moves away from the conventional configuration of method as a dialogue (e.g. between researcher and researched) and towards method explicitly including researcher, researched, and the geographic place of methodology.

What’s new in atopic eczema? An analysis of the clinical significance of systematic reviews on atopic eczema published in 2006 and 2007
Hywel C Williams, D. J. C. Grindlay
2008· Clinical and Experimental Dermatology42doi:10.1111/j.1365-2230.2008.02906.x

This review summarizes clinically important findings from 19 systematic reviews published between January 2006 and August 2007 on the topic of atopic eczema (AE). The evidence suggests that avoidance of allergenic foods during pregnancy or the use of hydrolyzed or soy formula milks does not prevent eczema. Delayed introduction of solids may decrease eczema risk. Asthma typically develops in around a third of children with eczema, and wheezing in early infancy is a predictor of risk. Established topical corticosteroids such as betamethasone should be used just once daily. Topical tacrolimus and pimecrolimus can be used for people who become dependent on topical corticosteroids, especially on sensitive sites such as the face. Wet wraps are useful in secondary care for inducing remission in a child, but they are not a treatment for mild eczema and they should not be used long term. Oral ciclosporin can be used for inducing a remission in severe eczema, and azathioprine can be considered for maintenance treatment. Narrowband ultraviolet (UV)B phototherapy can be used for chronic AE, and UVA1 may be useful for acute eczema. There is little convincing evidence of a clinical benefit with evening primrose oil for eczema, but there is some good new evidence that educational support to eczema families is beneficial. Future trials need to be larger, and include active comparators, patient-reported outcomes and longer-term aspects of disease control. They should be better reported, and registered on a public clinical trials register.

VHF coherent radar signals from the <i>E</i> region ionosphere and the relationship to electron drift velocity and ion acoustic velocity
E. Nielsen, C. F. del Pozo, P. J. S. Williams
2002· Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres36doi:10.1029/2001ja900111

The Scandinavian Twin Auroral Radar Experiment (STARE) coherent radar system measures the Doppler shifts caused by ∼1 m plasma waves in the high‐latitude E region ionosphere. These Doppler velocities are here related to the electron drift velocity and ion acoustic velocity derived from measurements with the incoherent radar system European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT). The Doppler velocity is limited in magnitude to near the ion acoustic velocity in the plasma. For large flow angles θ, i.e., the angle between the radar line of sight and the electron drift velocity, the Doppler shifts are equal to the component of the electron drift velocity on the line of sight. For θ ∼ 40° the Doppler velocity is equal to the ion acoustic velocity at 105‐km altitude, and for decreasing flow angle the Doppler velocity increases. For 0° &lt; θ &lt; 60° the variation with flow angle can be described as cos α θ, where the α decreases from 0.8 to 0.2 with an increase in drift speed from ∼400 to 1600 ms −1 . The ratio of the line‐of‐sight velocity for θ ∼ 0° to the ion acoustic velocity decreases from 1.2 at low velocities to 1.05 at large velocities. The systematic variations of the Doppler shifts with drift speed and flow angle make it possible, in principle, to recover the electron velocity from the coherent radar measurements. The observations are used to illustrate how well the recovery is possible in practice.

Collaboration by academic libraries: What are the benefits, what are the constraints, and what do you need to do to be successful?
Jeremy Atkinson
2019· New Review of Academic Librarianship33doi:10.1080/13614533.2019.1575016

For academic libraries, effective collaboration is no longer an option but a necessity. The world around academic libraries is changing rapidly (Pinfield, Cox, & Rutter, 2017). In universities ther...

Comparing and using assessments of the value of information to clinical decision-making.
Christine Urquhart, John B. Hepworth
1996· PubMed31

This paper discusses the Value project, which assessed the value to clinical decision-making of information supplied by National Health Service (NHS) library and information services. The project not only showed how health libraries in the United Kingdom help clinicians in decision-making but also provided quality assurance guidelines for these libraries to help make their information services more effective. The paper reviews methods and results used in previous studies of the value of health libraries, noting that methodological differences appear to affect the results. The paper also discusses aspects of user involvement, categories of clinical decision-making, the value of information to present and future clinical decisions, and the combination of quantitative and qualitative assessments of value, as applied to the Value project and the studies reviewed. The Value project also demonstrated that the value placed on information depends in part on the career stage of the physician. The paper outlines the structure of the quality assurance tool kit, which is based on the findings and methods used in the Value project.

A Review of Information Systems Development Methodologies
Sheryl Walters, J.E. Broady, Richard J. Hartley
1994· Library Management29doi:10.1108/01435129410067331

A key area affecting library management is the effective and efficient management and development of information systems. The concept of an information systems development methodology (ISDM) is a management approach that has been virtually ignored in the context of library management. Provides a critique of the literature relating to ISDMs with a view to exploring their use by libraries in the future. Examines the historical development of ISDMs, followed by a definition of the term, and an outline of the requirements for ISDM. Subsequently discusses themes in information systems development in relation to the main types of ISDM associated with them, leading to a consideration of the problems with ISDMs and with their usage. Outlines the need for the further refinement of ISDMs in the light of these problems. Finally, suggests theoretical reasons for the use of ISDMs by library managers.

Assessing and measuring impact of a digital collection in the humanities: An analysis of the SPHERE (Stormont Parliamentary Hansards: Embedded in Research and Education) Project
L. M. Hughes, Paul S. Ell, Gareth Knight, Milena Dobreva
2013· Digital Scholarship in the Humanities24doi:10.1093/llc/fqt054

Although a substantial corpus of digital materials is now available to scholarship across the disciplines, objective evidence of their use, impact, and value, based on a robust assessment, is sparse. Traditional methods of assessment of impact in the humanities, notably citation in scholarly publications, are not an effective way of assessing impact of digital content. These issues are problematic in the field of Digital Humanities where there is a need to effectively assess impact to justify its continued funding and existence. A number of qualitative and quantitative methods exist that can be used to monitor the use of digital resources in various contexts although they have yet to be applied widely. These have been made available to the creators, managers, and funders of digital content in an accessible form through the TIDSR (Toolkit for the Impact of Digital Scholarly Resources) developed by the Oxford Internet Institute. In 2011, the authors of this article developed the SPHERE project (Stormont Parliamentary Hansards: Embedded in Research and Education) specifically to use TIDSR to evaluate the use and impact of The Stormont Papers, a digital collection of the Hansards of the Stormont Northern Irish Parliament from 1921 to 1972. This article presents the methodology, findings, and analysis of the project. The authors argue that TIDSR is a useful and, critically, transferrable method to understand and increase the impact of digital resources. The findings of the project are modified into a series of wider recommendations on protecting the investment in digital resources by increasing their use, value, and impact. It is reasonable to suggest that effectively showing the impact of Digital Humanities is critical to its survival.

The public library as street corner university: back to the future?
Judith Broady‐Preston, Andrew Cox
2000· New Library World24doi:10.1108/03074800010332801

Examines the concept of the street corner university, and assesses the political, social and marketing implications of such a concept being adopted as a vision for the UK public library service. Current views regarding the provision of public library services are explored from the perspectives of Government and the profession. Issues regarding equity of provision and the role of the library service promoting policies of social inclusion are discussed and evaluated. Concludes that, unless the public library service can meet the challenges facing it, it will become increasingly marginalized within society. The dominant paradigms of the profession must be viewed as complementary rather than contradictory, and the successes of the present reconciled with visions of the future, if the true potential of both the street corner university concept and the public library service is to be achieved.

Motivating mid‐career LIS professionals: the Aberystwyth experience
Judith Broady‐Preston, Shannon Bell
2001· New Library World23doi:10.1108/03074800110408932

Abstract Recent rapid changes in the LIS profession have forced realignment of organisational structures. Professional staff are no longer guaranteed opportunities for advancement, and the rate at which career plateaux are attained within LIS is accelerating. LIS professionals must, therefore, be proactive in seeking out continuing professional development. The Management of Library and Information Services programme offered via distance learning at the University of Wales Aberystwyth is the solution for many professionals to acquire both the skills and the academic credentials necessary to compete in the changing LIS marketplace.

The war of words: the language of British elections, 1880-1914
J. Graham Jones.
2021· Intelligence & National Security23doi:10.1080/02684527.2021.1927540

"The war of words: the language of British elections, 1880-1914." Intelligence and National Security, 37(5), pp. 759–760

Haldane: the forgotten statesman who shaped modern Britain
J. Graham Jones.
2021· Intelligence & National Security22doi:10.1080/02684527.2021.1881733

The author, a Cambridge graduate in economics, is the joint founder and chair of the equity advisory firm Campbell Lutyens, and is now aged 72 years. He is a very late first time author (and not to...

CORRE: a framework for evaluating and transforming teaching materials into open educational resources
Samuel K. Nikoi, Tania Rowlett, Alejandro Armellini, Gabi Witthaus
2011· Open Learning The Journal of Open Distance and e-Learning20doi:10.1080/02680513.2011.611681

Open education resources (OER) are taking centre-stage in many higher educational institutions globally, driven by the need to raise institutional profiles, improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning and achieve universal access to education. Many academics attracted to the idea of turning teaching materials into OER have, however, found the experience challenging and daunting. This article puts forward a workflow framework that provides guidance for evaluating existing teaching materials and turning them into OER using indicative questions against which they can be assessed on quality, ease of access, adaptability and potential usefulness. Recommendations are also made for moving the OER agenda forward, including changing institutional cultures, designing for openness, quality assurance and sustainability.

Library 2.0: balancing the risks and benefits to maximise the dividends
Brian Kelly, Paul Bevan, Richard Akerman, Jo Alcock +1 more
2009· Program electronic library and information systems19doi:10.1108/00330330910978608

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a number of examples of how Web 2.0 technologies and approaches (Library 2.0) are being used within the library sector. The paper acknowledges that there are a variety of risks associated with such approaches. The paper describes the different types of risks and outlines a risk assessment and risk management approach which is being developed to minimise the dangers while allowing the benefits of Library 2.0 to be realised. Design/methodology/approach The paper outlines various risks and barriers which have been identified at a series of workshops run by UKOLN (a national centre of expertise in digital information management based in the UK) for the cultural heritage sector. A risk assessment and risk management approach, which was initially developed to support use of Web 2.0 technologies at events organised by UKOLN, is described and its potential for use within the wider library community, in conjunction with related approaches for addressing areas such as accessibility and protection of young people, is described. Findings Use of Library 2.0 approaches is becoming embedded across many libraries which seek to exploit the benefits which such technologies can provide. The need to ensure that the associated risks are identified and appropriate mechanisms implemented to minimise such risks is beginning to be appreciated. Practical implications The areas described here should be of relevance to many library organisations which are making use of Library 2.0 services. Originality/value The paper should prove valuable to policy makers and web practitioners within libraries who may be aware of the potential benefits of Library 2.0 but have not considered the associated risks.

Academic Libraries and Quality: An Analysis and Evaluation Framework
Jeremy Atkinson
2017· New Review of Academic Librarianship17doi:10.1080/13614533.2017.1316749

The paper proposes and describes a framework for academic library quality to be used by new and more experienced library practitioners and by others involved in considering the quality of academic libraries' services and provision. The framework consists of eight themes and a number of questions to examine within each theme. The framework was derived from a detailed content analysis of two major sources of information: the content of a recent book on quality and academic libraries edited by the author; the content of the journal articles, books and conference proceedings identified for the various literature reviews included in the book. To illustrate the development of the framework, some of the main activities, processes, and issues defined within each theme are described, and extensive references from the literature are included.

The strange survival of liberal Britain: politics and power before the First World War <b>The strange survival of liberal Britain: politics and power before the First World War</b> , by Vernon Bogdanor, London, Biteback Publishing, 2023, 880 pp., (Hbk), ISBN: 978-1-785-90762-3.
J. Graham Jones.
2023· Intelligence & National Security16doi:10.1080/02684527.2023.2250502

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes1. Dangerfield, Strange Death of Liberal England (Dangerfield Citation1936).2. Arthur Balfour was the successor to his uncle, Lord Salisbury (Robert Gascoyne-Cecil), as Prime Minister in 1902. This followed Salisbury’s surprise appointment of Balfour as Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1887. This act of nepotism allegedly led to the coining of the phrase ‘Bob’s your uncle’. Langguth, Saki, 69.3. The ‘People’s Budget’ proposed unprecedented new taxes on the lands and incomes of Britain’s most wealthy so as to fund new social welfare programmes. The budget was passed by the House of Commons in 1909 but was then blocked by the House of Lords, until it became law in April 1910.Additional informationNotes on contributorsJ. Graham JonesJ. Graham Jones is from Trecynon in Wales. He holds a PhD from the University of Wales for his research work on the theme of ‘Lloyd George and Welsh Liberalism’. He is the author of The History of Wales: A Pocket Guide; Lloyd George Papers at the National Library of Wales and other repositories; and David Lloyd George and Welsh Liberalism. Jones has also written a number of entries for the Dictionary of Welsh Biography and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS).

Serious games in virtual environments for health teaching and learning
Cristiano Alves Santos, Valtuir Duarte de Souza-Junior, Flávio Ferreira Lanza, Allan Jonny Lacerda +1 more
2017· Rev Rene16doi:10.15253/2175-6783.2017000500019

Objective: to identify the evolution in the use of serious games in virtual environments for health teaching and learning in the literature. Methods:integrative review with searches in the databases: Web of Science, National Library of Medicine, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Results: in total, 82,779 articles were identified, 13 of which were fully read. Serious games are cheaper than simulated surgical procedures, easy to access and appropriate for the development of surgical skills and the training of patients, skills, clinical reasoning and decision taking. Conclusion: serious games have been developed through the elaboration of software and specific interactivity tools, mainly focused on skills development; using internet components, especially in Medicine and Nursing; and use peripherals of the computers in the teaching-learning strategies to encourage clinical reasoning and decision making.

Prevalence of Q fever in a rural practice
Timothy R. H. Davies, Yvonne J. K. Edwards, Alexandra Morgan, E O Caul
1997· Journal of Public Health16doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.pubmed.a024638

BACKGROUND: Q fever is a world-wide condition caused by the rickettsia Coxiella burnetii. It appears more prevalent in agrarian communities and may have serious sequelae. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study using a randomly selected group of the adult working practice population in a rural practice in West Wales was devised. An immunofluorescence test, which identified past infection, was used to look for associations between C. burnetii seropositivity and farm-related or social activities, and to compare the findings with those of other studies. An attempt was made to establish a clinical profile for the illness Q fever. RESULTS: Twenty-one subjects were found to be seropositive to C. burnetii. No definite consistent clinical features were identified. Farming was undoubtedly a risk factor for the disease, maybe with other related factors also important. There was a possibility that alcohol had a protective effect. No sinister sequelae were described. CONCLUSIONS: Q fever occurs more frequently in farmers than in non-farmers, but was less common than previously thought. Is Q fever accurately described in medical textbooks? A case is made for a more co-operative approach between primary carers and epidemiologists in the study of illnesses in populations.