This special volume contains a selection of papers that were presented as part of the Seventh International Symposium on Natural and Man-Made Hazards (HAZARDS-98), held in Chania, Crete Island, Greece, during May 1998. The Symposium attracted broad international interest because many cases of natural disaster events, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, storm surges, forest fires, etc., that occurred in several parts of the world during the 1990s were presented not only for their physics but also from the point of view of their impact on society and their environmental consequences. Among these cases are the 1997 Red River Valley flood in Canada and the large earthquake of 18 November 1997, in Zakynthos, Greece. In addition, the volume contains contributions that apply advanced statistical methods and artificial intelligence techniques, such as GIS, and systems analysis to approach the description of physical processes, the discrimination of experimental data and the assessment and management of risk. Audience: This volume forms an excellent reference for scientists, students, engineers, the insurance industry, authorities specializing in public safety and natural hazards preparedness and mitigation plans.

Rapid molecular identification and typing of micro-organisms is extremely important in efforts to monitor the geographical spread of virulent, epidemic or antibiotic-resistant pathogens. It has become a mainstay of integrated hospital infection control service. In addition, numerous industrial and biotechnological applications require the study of the diversity of organisms. Conventional phenotypic identification and typing methods have long been the mainstay of microbial population and epidemiological studies, but such methods often lack adequate discrimination and their use is normally confined to the group of organisms for which they were originally devised. Molecular fingerprinting methods have flourished in recent years and many of these new methods can be applied to numerous different organisms for a variety of purposes. Standardisation of these methods is vitally important. In addition, the generation of large numbers of complex fingerprint profiles requires that a computer-assisted strategy is used for the formation and analysis of databases. The purpose of this book is to describe the best fingerprinting methods that are currently available and the computer-assisted strategies that can be used for analysis and exchange of data between laboratories.

This book is dedicated to the memory of Jan Ursing (1926 - 2000), Swedish microbiologist, taxonomist and philosopher.

..".taxonomy is on the borders of philosophy because we do not know the natural continuities and discontinuities..."

"In 1925 Howard Johnson was the first to establish the mass-market menu. And thus the fast-food chain was born.

The United States' first Thanksgiving Day Parade was presented by Gimbels in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 25, 1920.

Aretha Franklin, the "Queen of Soul," was the first woman inducted in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

Throughout history, much of human progress has been driven by the need to be the first or even the only person to accomplish something.

In "First/Only," an unique collection of interesting facts, author Nedson W. Campbell has compiled a reference to some of the most significant and groundbreaking events in human history. From Cain, the first person ever to commit a murder, to BOX-USA, the only interactive music video station, Campbell provides a plethora of remarkable bits of information that may help you start a conversation or spark a debate.

1. This book offers the first practical introduction to the principles and methods of Evidence-Based Policing. While there is a growing literature on the topic, most existing books are written at a high level. 2. Pedagogical features include tables, figures and short vignettes and summaries in each chapter. Further resources will be included on the author's website, including his Podcast, Reducing Crime. 3. This book has an international market and will appeal to both students studying practical policing courses and police professionals.

In 1998 Armenia was commemorating the tenth anniversary of the catastrophic Spitak earthquake. The Second International Conference on "Earthquake Hazard and Seismic Risk Reduction" sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Armenia and United Nation's International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (UN/IDNDR) was held in dedication to that event between 14-21 September (later referred to as Yerevan Conference). The Yerevan Conference has been organized by the National Survey for Seismic Protection (NSSP) of the Republic of Armenia. All level's decision-makers (from the ministers to the local authorities), politicians, scientists, leaders of the executive and legislative powers, psychologists, leading businessmen, representatives from the private sector and the media as well as from the International Organizations have been invited by the Armenian NSSP to take part in joint discussion of the Seismic Risk Reduction Problem for the first time in the history of such forums. Armenian NSSP's such initiative has been triggered by the experience of the Spitak earthquake and other disasters. They showed that it will be possible to reduce the risks, posed by the natural disaster, only through the common efforts of all the community in co-operation with the International institutions.

With its focus on the practical application of the techniques of multivariate statistics, this book shapes the powerful tools of statistics for the specific needs of ecologists and makes statistics more applicable to their course of study. It gives readers a solid conceptual understanding of the role of multivariate statistics in ecological applications and the relationships among various techniques, while avoiding detailed mathematics and the underlying theory. More importantly, the reader will gain insight into the type of research questions best handled by each technique and the important considerations in applying them. Whether used as a textbook for specialised courses or as a supplement to general statistics texts, the book emphasises those techniques that students of ecology and natural resources most need to understand and employ in their research. While targeted for upper-division and graduate students in wildlife biology, forestry, and ecology, and for professional wildlife scientists and natural resource managers, this book will also be valuable to researchers in any of the biological sciences.

This book offers insights into key research-based strategies that can help to alleviate global challenges faced by both individuals and groups in society. Focusing on conducting qualitative research, the chapters highlight an approach for understanding human thoughts and actions, and examining how things actually function in society. Explaining both the theoretical and practical aspects of doing qualitative research, the book uses examples from real-world research projects to emphasise how to conduct qualitative research in the social sciences. Pranee Liamputtong draws together contributions covering qualitative research in cultural and medical anthropology, sociology, gender studies, political science, criminology, demography, economic sciences, social work, and education. Each chapter discusses the essence of a discipline before examining the contribution of qualitative enquiry and then interrogating traditional qualitative research methods as well as emerging or innovative methods. This will be an invigorating read for students and scholars of the social sciences. Its combination of theoretical and practical insights will also be essential for qualitative researchers.

Gender as a social class along with its concomitant heteronormative gender coercion seem to be intransigent across time and cultures. But across these cultures we also see a degree of nonconforming behaviour which very often carries significant multi-dimensions of stigma and risk; because the exception proves the rule, an understanding of gender nonconformity sheds light on the normative operation of gender in society. A Feminist Post-transsexual Autoethnography attempts to demythologise trans and gender diversity by conducting an in-depth critical analysis of the life choices of the autoethnographic subject (the author), who was so uncomfortable with their culturally allocated masculinity that they chose to live an apparently normal female life. The research is post-transsexual in that the subject forgoes passing in their affirmed gender to ensure the integrity of the data. A Feminist Post-transsexual Autoethnography may primarily appeal to students and researchers interested in the Sociology of Gender and Sociology of Trans and Gender Diversity, as well as the broader areas of embodiment and power differentials based on gender, class, nationality, location, temporality, sexuality and gender (non)conformity. This insightful volume may also be of interest to those within the fields Health Promotion and Education, Human Rights, Social Justice and Equity or the Social and Cultural Anthropology of Gender.

Research Without Tears provides a concise and fascinating guide for those starting their first research project and writing a paper, report or thesis. John Creedy, a well published writer himself in both journals and books, argues that the process of planning and executing a research project, and producing a research paper which communicates results in a clear and succinct way, is far from self-evident even to those with extensive experience of writing other types of report or essay.This unique and invaluable book therefore sets down explicitly some of those points that even experienced researchers often take for granted in an accessible and clear manner. The book covers topics including; planning a first research project; writing a first research paper; writing a thesis and the relationship with a supervisor; invaluable sections with advice on structure, writing clearly and pitfalls to avoid; and, the differences between journal and book publishing and what to expect from editors of both publishing formats as well as experienced advice on the processes of publishing. This highly interesting and valuable book will be essential reading for academics in economics and other related sciences.

This book explores the complex problem of how to measure the 'success' of social organisations, projects and activities. Whether improving a local situation, organizing a campaign around sustainability, or assessing the intangible effects of perceived social benefits, currently we have only have a very limited range of mechanisms for judging effectiveness. On the one hand, a market-driven logic demands that qualitative perceptions and experiences are quantified into simplified and numerically defined variables. On the other, community projects are left un-assessed, as one-off outcomes of local and situated processes that must somehow automatically 'make things better'. For academics, researchers and other professionals working in this field this has resulted in the deep frustration of not being able to assess the things that are most centrally important: higher human values such as integrity, trust, respect, equality and social justice. Measuring Intangible Values argues that we can make shared social values - and their measurement - central to decisions about improving civil society. But because these social values are intangible, we need to develop ways of eliciting and validating them at the local level that can capture people's shared meanings across multiple goals and perspectives. We need to develop mechanisms for evaluating whether these values are met that use rigorous but also relevant measures. And we need to develop ways of doing this that are scalable, transferable and comparable across different kinds of organisations and fields of activity. This book will be valuable for researchers in all social science disciplines which touch on human values, such as sociology, social psychology, human geography, social policy, architecture and planning, design and community studies.

This Handbook provides a comprehensive guide to the topical and methodological breadth and diversity of the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies. The chapters, each written by leading experts in the field, illustrate cutting-edge quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies used in environmental studies research. The Handbook will make an ideal primary or supplemental textbook for graduate research and methods courses. It will also be an excellent resource for environmental studies students, faculty and researchers.' - Robin Leichenko, Rutgers University, US'Usually a book with a title like this is bought by libraries, used occasionally by desperate researchers seeking a new analysis tool. This book is not like that - although between the covers you will find everything need for such emergencies. Rather this is a walk through magic and mystery of environmental science, from cultural aspects to green economy, virtual water to the latest in gaming. Buy and use it for emergencies by all means, but it's a great read too!' - Peter Bridgewater, Centre for Museums and Heritage, The Australian National University 'An up-to-date collection of methods and applications for analyzing environmental problems ranging from energy return on energy invested to international trade in virtual water and much else. The book will be of both academic and practical value to ecological economists, geographers, and environmental scientists. Highly recommended.' - Herman E. Daly, University of Maryland, US This Handbook presents methods to advance the understanding of interdependencies between the well-being of human societies and the performance of their biophysical environment. It showcases applications to material and energy use; urbanization and technological transition; economic growth and social vulnerabilities; development and governance of social and industrial networks; and the role of history, culture, and science itself in carrying out analysis and guiding policy as well as the role of theory, data, and models in guiding decisions. Unique features include: - in-depth presentation of methods and applications in environmental studies - diverse examples of research methods complemented by a wide geographic and thematic range of applications - a careful balance between a review of the state of the art in environmental studies and an exploration of new developments in research methods and applications - strong emphasis on historic, social, and cultural issues together with the life sciences needed to fully assess environmental change - accessibility to a wide readership. Academics and students interested in broadening their knowledge of methods and applications in environmental studies will find this book to be a valuable resource. It will also be of great use to practitioners in environmental agencies looking to gain an insight into particular research methods. Contributors: L. Alcada-Almeida, P. Antunes, E.B. Barbier, A.M.Bassi, C.R. Binder, R. Boyd, L.K. Campbell, J.J.T. Connolly, C. Court, L.C. Dias, A. Drachen, K. Feng, D.R. Fisher, H. Folmer, H. Ghadimi, B. Gill, S. Goessling-Reisemann, C.A.S. Hall, D. Hardy, C. Hartefeld, K. Hubacek, M.E. Ibarraran, R. Jackson, H.W. Kua, S. Locke, M. Olazabal, M. Paolisso, M. Patterson, M. Popp, D. Reckien, M. Ruth, R. Santos, R. Schoell, J. Schubert, L. Shi, S. Silva, H. Smith, K. Stave, E.S. Svendsen, C. Taiapa, D.S.K. Thomas, P. Von Mouche, N. Videira, J. Zhu, T. Zimmermann

Fieldwork for Design looks at why ethnographic approaches have been turned to in the design of computing devices for the workplace, for the home and elsewhere. It presents a history of ethnography, both as it was practiced before computer science picked it up and since, most especially in the CSCW and HCI domains. It examines, further, the various ethnographic or a ~fieldworka (TM) frameworks currently popular, explaining and examining what each claims and entails. The focus of the book throughout is on the practical relationship between theory and practice, a relationship that is often misunderstood yet fundamental to successful design.

The book is illustrated with real examples from the authorsa (TM) various experiences in academic and commercial settings, reporting on the use of ethnography before, during and after design innovation and implementation. The result is a book that provides the working knowledge necessary for using any kind of ethnographic approach in the design of computer technologies.

Written to provide an overview of the topic for researchers and graduates, as well as practitioners, this book will prove an invaluable resource for all in the field.

As an HCI researcher and practitioner, I am delighted to see, at last, a balanced view about the practice of ethnography within our field.

Gary Marsden, Associate Professor of HCI, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Dr Dave Randall is Senior Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

Professor Richard Harper is a Senior Researcher for Microsoft

Mark Rouncefield is a Senior Research Fellow at Lancaster University

The problems and issues of natural hazards and disasters, both globally and in Canada, are becoming increasingly important since the costs of extreme natural events have been escalating, and significant vulnerabilities exist in Canadian society. Without thoughtful and effective mitigation, these costs and human suffering are likely to continue to increase. An assessment of knowledge, research, and practice in risk, hazards and disasters fields is a fundamental step towards the goal of prevention and mitigation.

This book on natural hazards and disasters in Canada is the first comprehensive interdisciplinary publication on this subject, and is the result of a national assessment on this topic. A variety of papers from the physical and social sciences explores both the risks associated with these hazards, and adaptive strategies that can be used to reduce those risks.

Audience: This excellent collection of papers is intended for academics, professionals and practitioners involved in hazard reduction activities who wish to obtain a better understanding of Canadian natural hazards.

Researchers are expected to produce original findings, yet nobody explains how original contributions are conceived in economics. Recently there have been calls for more creativity in economic research, yet there is no literature that explores creative research apart from collections of biographical essays. This book aims to address that gap, exploring the process of conceiving and generating ideas for interesting and original research contributions in economics (and potentially other social sciences too). Creative Research in Economics serves both a practical and theoretical purpose. Theoretically it presents a unique way of thinking about the nature of problems and questions in economics and the role of social science researchers in society. As such it offers an interesting way to think about the philosophy of science and methodology in economics, and how new ideas emerge in the discipline. Practically it develops techniques for finding interesting and original research contributions (as opposed to conventional data-gathering research). Whether you are a graduate student looking for that first interesting question, a novice researcher in search of fresh avenues for research after your PhD, or a seasoned academic looking to teach the philosophy and methodology of economics in more interesting ways, you will find this book of great use.

The book features many figures and tables illustrating longitudinal data and numerous homework problems.

The associated web site contains many longitudinal data sets, examples of computer code, and labs to re-enforce the material.

Weiss emphasizes continuous data rather than discrete data, graphical and covariance methods, and generalizations of regression rather than generalizations of analysis of variance.

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union almost a decade ago, there has been rapid evolution of interactions between the Western nations and individual countries of the former Soviet Union. As part of that interaction, the autonomous independent Republic of Azerbaijan through its scientific arm, the Geological Institute of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences under the Directorship of Academician Akif Ali-Zadeh and Deputy Director Ibrahim Guliev, arranged for personnel to be seconded to the University of South Carolina. The idea here was to see to what extent a quantitative understanding could be achieved of the evolution of the Azerbaijan part of the South Caspian Basin from dynamical, thermal and hydrocarbon perspectives. The Azeris brought with them copious amounts of data collected over decades which, together with the quantitative numerical codes available at USC, enabled a concerted effort to be put forward, culminating in two large books (Evolution of the South Caspian Basin: Geological Risks and Probable Hazards, 675 pps; and The South Caspian Basin: Stratigraphy, Geochemistry, and Risk Analysis, of which were published by the Azerbaijan Academy of 472 pps. ) both Sciences, and also many scientific papers. Thus, over the last four to five years an integrated comprehensive start has been made to understand the hydrocarbon proneness of the South Caspian Basin. In the course of the endeavor to understand the basinal evolution, it became clear that a variety of natural hazards occur in the Basin.

Plenty of books tell you how to do research. This book helps you figure out WHAT to research in the first place, and why it matters. The hardest part of research isn't answering a question. It's knowing what to do before you know what your question is. Where Research Begins tackles the two challenges every researcher faces with every new project: How do I find a compelling problem to investigate-one that truly matters to me, deeply and personally? How do I then design my research project so that the results will matter to anyone else? This book will help you start your new research project the right way for you with a series of simple yet ingenious exercises. Written in a conversational style and packed with real-world examples, this easy-to-follow workbook offers an engaging guide to finding research inspiration within yourself, and in the broader world of ideas. Read this book if you (or your students): have difficulty choosing a research topic know your topic, but are unsure how to turn it into a research project feel intimidated by or unqualified to do research worry that you're asking the wrong questions about your research topic have plenty of good ideas, but aren't sure which one to commit to feel like your research topic was imposed by someone else want to learn new ways to think about how to do research. Under the expert guidance of award-winning researchers Thomas S. Mullaney and Christopher Rea, you will find yourself on the path to a compelling and meaningful research project, one that matters to you-and the world.

This text explores and celebrates imaginative and creative approaches to youth research, showcasing a wide range of innovative methods including music elicitation, mental mapping, blog analysis and mobile methods.

This book is designed to introduce doctoral and other higher-degree research students to the process of scientific research in the fields of Information Systems as well as fields of Information Technology, Business Process Management and other related disciplines within the social sciences. It guides research students in their process of learning the life of a researcher. In doing so, it provides an understanding of the essential elements, concepts and challenges of the journey into research studies. It also provides a gateway for the student to inquire deeper about each element covered . Comprehensive and broad but also succinct and compact, the book is focusing on the key principles and challenges for a novice doctoral student.

This book provides a benchmark treatise on the relationship between ethnography and interpretive approaches to research in the social sciences by accomplishing four specific objectives. First, it situates ethnography as a research method within a broader field of methodologies, contrasting ethnography conducted and written within an interpretive methodology against ethnography conducted and written within a positivist methodology. Second, it maps the range of approaches to ethnography within an interpretive methodology with a specific emphasis on the stances interpretive ethnographies implicitly or explicitly take on issues of truth and power. Third, it provides readers of interpretive ethnography with major evaluative criteria while simultaneously offering practitioners of interpretive ethnography guidelines for conducting and writing interpretive ethnography. And fourth, it draws on the unique strengths of interpretive ethnography to advance a series of provocations and questions about broader tendencies in mainstream social science research.

In contrast to other treatments of ethnography that either ignore or conflate the relationship between ethnography as a research method and broader interpretive and/or positivist methodologies, Pachirat explicitly emphasizes the distinction between method and methodology in order to underscore the advantages of conducting ethnography within an interpretive framework. Rather than drawing inspiration primarily from abstract philosophical literature, Ethnography and Interpretation relies throughout on discussions of actual, exemplary ethnographies in the social sciences to illustrate and animate its arguments and propositions. This concise volume will be valuable reading for teachers, students, and practitioners of ethnographic research across the social sciences.

This cutting-edge book charts the latest ideas and concepts in employment relations research. Mapping out the intellectual boundaries of the field, The Future of Work and Employment outlines the key research and policy outcomes for work and employment in the age of digitisation and artificial intelligence. Internationally renowned contributors unpack the implications of the latest developments in employment relations, from the rise of the gig economy to the role of platform companies, from perspectives such as employment (in)security, equity, fairness, wellbeing and voice. Reviewing the extant literature on the future of work, and exploring the biggest issues facing the modern workforce, this book argues for a research base that allows more sober reflections on the grand claims that dictate the future of work. Empirically-grounded and incisively-argued, the book forms critical reading for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of business and human resource management, featuring insight into the latest developments in the field. Researchers, policymakers and practitioners will also benefit from its implications for policy and its blending of theory and practice.

While executives are keen to harness organizational knowledge and improve business performance, the topic of how academics can produce rigorous and relevant theory in working relationships with practitioners is a much contested topic. Many aspects of this knowledge co-creation can create tensions, and the ways in which research is conducted and published can affect practitioner acceptance, as well as its consequent uptake and use in different contexts. Expertly compiled by Jean Bartunek and Jane McKenzie, with contributions from global thinkers in the field, this book offers a concise and up-to-date review of the essential analysis and action underlying scholarly engagement with the world of business. It discusses the sorts of capabilities academics need to collaborate effectively with practitioners and illustrates good practice through international case studies drawn from acknowledged centres of excellence. These show how to negotiate different constituencies with different priorities, values, and practices to work together to produce research of rigor and relevance. It will be a key reference and resource for all researchers who are engaged with practitioners, and an invaluable tool for training academics to develop research with impact.