scholarly journals The multi-actor approach in thematic networks for agriculture and forestry innovation

2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Feo ◽  
Pieter Spanoghe ◽  
Els Berckmoes ◽  
Elodie Pascal ◽  
Rosa Mosquera-Losada ◽  
...  

AbstractThe co-creation and sharing of knowledge among different types of actors with complementary expertise is known as the Multi-Actor Approach (MAA). This paper presents how Horizon2020 Thematic-Networks (TNs) deal with the MAA and put forward best practices during the different project phases, based on the results of a desktop study, interviews, surveys and expert workshops. The study shows that not all types of actors are equally involved in TN consortia and participatory activities, meaning TNs might be not sufficiently demand-driven and the uptake of the results is not optimal. Facilitators are key to contributing to the relationships and the mutual understanding between different actors. Moreover, a user-friendly digital knowledge platform linked to demonstration activities and peer-to-peer exchange can improve the sharing of knowledge, enhancing impact in agricultural and forestry innovation in the longer term.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13116
Author(s):  
Elena Feo ◽  
Hannes Mareen ◽  
Sylvia Burssens ◽  
Pieter Spanoghe

Thematic networks (TNs) are Horizon2020 projects promoted by the European Innovation Partnership Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) that collect existing knowledge and best practices on a given theme in agriculture and forestry. Their purpose is to make these available in easily understandable formats for users such as farmers/foresters and advisors. Videos are a powerful tool for communication and dissemination about project outcomes; thus, they are frequently used as part of project activities. Despite the large number of videos that have been produced by TNs, only a few have reached a high number of views. Hence, most have not reached a wide public, decreasing the impact of TNs’ outputs. This paper analyzes several characteristics of TN videos in order to suggest best practices. That is, we investigated whether each characteristic influences the number of views or average percentage watched. Using the analysis, we suggest several best practices. For example, future TNs should show practical content prioritizing farmers as a speaker and translate videos in more than one language. Better involvement of project partners increases the contact with farmers; thus, outcomes are more easily spread, and the chance of being applied increases. To increase the visibility of videos, a user-friendly digital knowledge platform linked to demonstration activities and peer-to-peer exchange will improve the sharing of knowledge. This will further enhance a TN’s impact and sustainability in agricultural and forestry innovation in the longer term.


Author(s):  
Max Z. Li ◽  
Megan S. Ryerson

Community outreach and engagement efforts are critical to an airport’s role as an ever-evolving transportation infrastructure and regional economic driver. As online social media platforms continue to grow in both popularity and influence, a new engagement channel between airports and the public is emerging. However, the motivations behind and effectiveness of these social media channels remain unclear. In this work, we address this knowledge gap by better understanding the advantages, impact, and best practices of this newly emerging engagement channel available to airports. Focusing specifically on airport YouTube channels, we first document quantitative viewership metrics, and examine common content characteristics within airport YouTube videos. We then conduct interviews and site visits with relevant airport stakeholders to identify the motivations and workflow behind these videos. Finally, we facilitate sample focus groups designed to survey public perceptions of the effectiveness and value of these videos. From our four project phases, to maximize content effectiveness and community engagement potential, we synthesize the following framework of action items, recommendations, and best practices: (C) Consistency and community; (O) Organizational structure; (M) Momentum; (B) Branding and buy-in; (A) Activity; (T) Two-way engagement; (E) Enthusiasm; and (D) Depth, or as a convenient initialism, our COMBATED framework.


Author(s):  
Yannick van Hierden ◽  
Timo Dietrich ◽  
Sharyn Rundle-Thiele

In recent years, the relevance of eHealth interventions has become increasingly evident. However, a sequential procedural application to cocreating eHealth interventions is currently lacking. This paper demonstrates the implementation of a participatory design (PD) process to inform the design of an eHealth intervention aiming to enhance well-being. PD sessions were conducted with 57 people across four sessions. Within PD sessions participants experienced prototype activities, provided feedback and designed program interventions. A 5-week eHealth well-being intervention focusing on lifestyle, habits, physical activity, and meditation was proposed. The program is suggested to be delivered through online workshops and online community interaction. A five-step PD process emerged; namely, (1) collecting best practices, (2) participatory discovery, (3) initial proof-of-concept, (4) participatory prototyping, and (5) pilot intervention proof-of-concept finalisation. Health professionals, behaviour change practitioners and program planners can adopt this process to ensure end-user cocreation using the five-step process. The five-step PD process may help to create user-friendly programs.


2020 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2094892
Author(s):  
Athira Amira Abd Rauf ◽  
Maizatul Akmar Ismail ◽  
Vimala Balakrishnan ◽  
Loh Sau Cheong ◽  
Novia Indriaty Admodisastro ◽  
...  

The parents of children with dyslexia often experience more parenting stress and depressive symptoms compared to other parents. Studies have shown that supporting and encouraging such parents help in reducing their frustrations, fear, anger, and low self-esteem towards their children. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the different types of support needed by the parents of children with dyslexia and to explore the relationships between the required support with the parents’ marital status. Fifty questionnaires were distributed to the parents of children with dyslexia and analyzed. The findings showed that the type of support needed for parents of children with dyslexia could be grouped into social, peer-to-peer, financial, and government support. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that there were no significant differences between the social (p = 0.4014), peer-to-peer (p = 0.5020), and government (p = 0.7121) support with parents’ marital status. However, based on one-way ANOVA analysis, there was a significant difference found between the parents’ marital status and financial support (p = 0.0241). Accordingly, it is anticipated that the implication of this research could be used as a guide and a reference for supporting and encouraging parents of children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 4005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelats Lobo ◽  
Ginestra

The classic cell culture involves the use of support in two dimensions, such as a well plate or a Petri dish, that allows the culture of different types of cells. However, this technique does not mimic the natural microenvironment where the cells are exposed to. To solve that, three-dimensional bioprinting techniques were implemented, which involves the use of biopolymers and/or synthetic materials and cells. Because of a lack of information between data sources, the objective of this review paper is, to sum up, all the available information on the topic of bioprinting and to help researchers with the problematics with 3D bioprinters, such as the 3D-Bioplotter™. The 3D-Bioplotter™ has been used in the pre-clinical field since 2000 and could allow the printing of more than one material at the same time, and therefore to increase the complexity of the 3D structure manufactured. It is also very precise with maximum flexibility and a user-friendly and stable software that allows the optimization of the bioprinting process on the technological point of view. Different applications have resulted from the research on this field, mainly focused on regenerative medicine, but the lack of information and/or the possible misunderstandings between papers makes the reproducibility of the tests difficult. Nowadays, the 3D Bioprinting is evolving into another technology called 4D Bioprinting, which promises to be the next step in the bioprinting field and might promote great applications in the future.


ExELL ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-82
Author(s):  
Džemal Špago

AbstractRhetorical questions (RQs), as a cross-breed of questions and statements, represent an effective tool in putting forward the Speaker’s ideas, as well as influencing the ideas and opinions of other people. Because of their communicative effectiveness and multifunctionality, they are frequently used in different contexts and for different purposes, and, as such, they represent an interesting topic for further research. The aim of this paper is threefold: (i) to explore the nature of the implied answer to RQs, (ii) to offer a classification of RQs based on the Speaker’s communication style, and (iii) to examine whether (or to what extent) the Speaker-Addressee relationship (peer-to-peer, superior-to-inferior, inferior-to-superior) influences the selection and frequency of use of different types of RQs. Using Stalnaker’s (2002) model of Common Ground and Caponigro and Sprouse’s (2007) concepts of Speaker’s and Addressee’s Beliefs, the author redefines the nature of the answers implied by RQs, claiming that they are imposed on the Addressee rather than mutually recognized as obvious. Based on the model of communication styles as defined by Yuan et al. (2018), RQs are classified into aggressive, friendly and sarcastic/ironical questions with imposed answers. The analysis of the corpus, which consisted of 275 RQs taken from ten American movie scripts, showed that friendly RQs are more common than the other two types, and that, in instances where one of the interlocutors is in a superior position, superior-to-inferior RQs are by far more common than vice versa. The finding that RQs asked by inferiors make up less than a third of RQs occurring between interlocutors with different social standing is in line with the view that answers to RQs are imposed on Addressees.


Author(s):  
Neal Roese ◽  
Andrea Meyer

In this case, students step into the shoes of a brand manager at UK-based online peer-to-peer lending company Zopa as she decides whether or not to recommend that the company undertake a brand redesign. Students are provided a brand design worksheet to help them understand the component parts of brand strategy and brand design and to help structure their assessment of Zopa's current brand. They are then challenged to consider if, to what extent, and how Zopa's brand design should change as a function of the company's brand strategy. Finally, they will learn a set of best practices, or guidelines, for approaching brand redesigns.


Examining inherent challenges with interpreting usage from different vendors' reports leads to the authors' reflections on how to deal with the challenges of comparing “apples” with “oranges” in different types of usage reports and look for possible solutions. The case study intends to help librarians make sense of usage reports provided by e-book vendors and to introduce library science students to benefits and challenges of usage reports. Chapter 7 summarizes findings of the author's research on COUNTER and non-COUNTER reports and vendor practices. The authors hope to share with vendors and the standards community librarians' perspectives and their experiences with vendor-provided usage reports. The chapter concludes with the following recommendations for best practices in dealing with vendor usage reports: 1) read and become familiar with the COUNTER Code of Practice; 2) observe terminology used to describe data categories in COUNTER reports; 3) consult vendor documentation to understand exactly how data are counted; 4) find the unique data that are offered in non-COUNTER reports; 5) gain perspective on overall usage by cross examining data between COUNTER and non-COUNTER reports; and 6) contribute to the ongoing process of improving usage reporting.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Ozren Rafajac ◽  
Alen Jakupović

An integral communication tool is producing a coherent message while attempting to achieve synergy among different types of communicators. By encouraging a purposeful dialogue and automatic exchange of relevant information, these kinds of tools can improve our mutual understanding, cooperation, collaboration and competitiveness. The main problem in collaboration is finding compatible partners, friends and people (with similar interests) with whom we can build long-term relationships in different fields of life, such as family relations, education and leisure. The same applies to all economic activities. The authors find a solution to this problem in the development of an integral communication tool that has the three main objectives: self-improvement, relationship improvement and qualitative improvement of collaboration. By analyzing the requirements of potential users, the authors have developed a conceptual model of an integral communication tool that explains its basic functions, subsystems and information connections.


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