Globalisation and China's Military Modernisation: Fear not China
- Authors: Jiang, Xiaoli , Gong, Yihong
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The Global Studies Journal Vol. 3, no. 2 (2010), p. 195-206
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- Description: China has one of the most powerful military forces in the world. However, a little over 100 years ago, the Chinese military was repeatedly defeated by Western colonial powers and Japan. These defeats motivated the Chinese to make dramatic changes to their military forces.
Tapping the turn: The social dimensions of water management
- Authors: Harriden, Kate , Graymore, Michelle
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australasian Journal of Environmental Management Vol. 20, no. 3 (2013), p. 175-178
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- Description: Guest editorial
- Description: C4
How vocational education and training researchers use theory in their research
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Clayton, Berwyn
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Training Research Vol. 10, no. 3 (2012), p. 251-258
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- Description: This paper is a preliminary investigation of the place that theory plays in vocational education and training (VET) research. Vocational education and training is an academic discipline, whose theory base has not previously been analysed in detail. The VET research community considers itself to be somewhat undervalued both by the broader education discipline in Australia and by some stakeholder bodies. Yet the community and its experienced researchers have a high reputation overseas. It could be that a better articulation of the theoretical framework within which we work, and the bodies of knowledge upon which we draw, may lead to a greater utilisation of our work by the broader scholarly community and, importantly, by relevant policy-makers. © eContent Management Pty Ltd.
- Description: 2003010685
Introduction: Social media special issue
- Authors: Backer, Elisa , Hay, Brian
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tourism, Culture and Communication Vol. 13, no. 1 (2013), p. 1-4
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- Description: C4
Herbaceous vegetation response to a grazing exclusion in patches and inter-patches in semi-arid pasture and woody encroachment
- Authors: Good, Megan , Schultz, Nick , Tighe, Matthew , Reid, Nick , Briggs, Sue
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment Vol. 179, no. (2013), p. 125-132
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- Description: Semi-arid rangelands have strong feedbacks between vegetation and abiotic factors (rainfall and soil), which manifest at the small patch/inter-patch scale. The effects of excluding grazing at the small patch scale have not been studied in these systems, despite fine-grained patch/inter-patch mosaics determining landscape-scale ecosystem function and productivity. We established small (1 m × 1 m) grazing exclosures and monitored change in herbaceous vegetation cover quarterly over 2 years, in grazed and ungrazed patches (high herbaceous vegetation cover) and inter-patches (low herbaceous vegetation cover), in woody encroachment and pasture sites in semi-arid eastern Australia. Prior to excluding grazing, herbaceous groundcover in pasture patches (63–67%) was significantly greater than in woody encroachment patches (15–16%) or inter-patches in both vegetation states (0–1%). The effect of grazing exclusion on herbaceous cover varied between patch type and vegetation state. In the absence of grazing, herbaceous cover was significantly greater in pasture patches than in woody encroachment patches at every monitoring time. Initial differences in herbaceous cover between woody encroachment patches and pasture patches was significantly less pronounced with continued grazing pressure, indicating that grazing pressure can negatively influence the positive effect of a lack of woody plants on herbaceous growth in pastures. Grazed pasture patches had significantly less herbaceous cover than ungrazed pasture patches at every monitoring time, whereas in woody encroachment, grazed patches had less herbaceous cover than ungrazed patches on only two occasions in the second year. Inter-patches in both vegetation states failed to respond to grazing exclusion in the 2-year study period. Herbaceous cover change in semi-arid rangelands is a function of grazing, rainfall and woody plant incidence. If grazing pressure in pasture patches is not carefully managed to maintain herbaceous cover, the positive effects of high rainfall and low woody plant abundance on herbaceous cover can rapidly diminish. Improving herbaceous groundcover overall will require an interventionist approach to overcome barriers to plant establishment in inter-patch areas such as the lack of resource retention.
Socio-ecological value of wetlands: The dilemma of balancing human and ecological water needs
- Authors: Graymore, Michelle , McBride, Dawn
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australasian Journal of Environmental Management Vol. 20, no. 3 (2013), p. 225-241
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- Description: Humans' need for water has changed flow regimes, degraded ecosystems and depleted water resources. In the Wimmera Mallee in Victoria, the dilemma between human and ecological water requirements began in the colonial era when a channel and dam system was built to transport water. Prolonged drought prompted government to replace this with the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline. This pipeline produced a closed system, reducing water available for the environment, including on-farm wetlands. This study identifies the socio-ecological values of on-farm wetlands and the impact the changed water regime had on these. An interpretative landscape approach was used to integrate geophysical, ecological and social information on nine on-farm wetlands. This identified a range of socio-ecological values on-farm wetlands provide, including aesthetic, amenity, production and biodiversity, that are impacted by the pipeline system. A range of implications for on-farm wetland management were also identified. © 2013 Copyright Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand Inc.
- Description: C1
Getting in through the front door : The first hurdle of researching in companies
- Authors: Smith, Erica
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Training Research Vol. 10, no. 3 (2012), p. 153-163
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- Description: This paper examines what is arguably the most important issue in qualitative research - access to willing participants - specifically in the context of companies. This is of considerable importance in vocational education and training (VET) as workplaces are the site of much VET activity. While research textbooks discuss many issues in research, few address this topic explicitly or in depth. From those textbooks aimed at undergraduate students (e.g., Polonksy and Waller, 2005) to the more scholarly books such as the 'Sage Handbook of Organisational Research Methods' (Buchanan & Bryman, eds., 2009) there is scarcely a mention of the problem of gaining access to organisations. Yet access is the major hurdle for most researchers, particularly when researching in companies. Attempting to gain access is a lengthy and sometimes dispiriting activity with outcomes that are often satisficing rather than optimal. The paper, based on Australian researchers' experiences, reports on the difficulties of gaining access to suitable sites, and the ways in which access were gained, and reflects on the outcomes of the access process. This is undertaken partly through the author's self-reflection on her own experiences in carrying out three VET research projects during 2010, requiring access in total to 13 case study sites and 20 phone interview participants, and partly through email interviews with other VET researchers who have researched within companies during three recent years. © eContent Management Pty Ltd.
- Description: 2003010577
Netflix and chill? What sex differences can tell us about mate preferences in (hypothetical) booty-call relationships
- Authors: March, Evita , Van Doorn, George , Grieve, Rachel
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Evolutionary Psychology Vol. 16, no. 4 (2018), p. 1-10
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- Description: The booty-call relationship is defined by both sexual characteristics and emotional involvement. In the current study, men’s and women’s preferences for a booty-call mate were explored. Men and women were predicted to exhibit different mate preferences depending on whether they considered a booty-call relationship a short- or long-term relationship. Participants (N = 559, 74% women) completed an anonymous online questionnaire, designing their ideal booty-call mate using the mate dollars paradigm. Both sexes considered the physical attractiveness and kindness of a booty-call mate a necessity, expressing both short- and long-term mate preferences. The current study highlights the need to explore mate preferences outside the dichotomy of short- and long-term relationships, providing evidence of a compromise relationship.
Livestock grazing effects on riparian bird breeding behaviour in agricultural landscapes
- Authors: Hansen, Birgita , Fraser, Hannah , Jones, Christopher
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment Vol. 270-271, no. (2019), p. 93-102
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- Description: Globally, many bird species that rely on native woodland or forest environments are declining due to vegetation clearing for livestock pastures and cereal cropping. In many landscapes, woodland remnants are restricted to waterways and roadsides in narrow, sometimes degraded patches, and not all patches can necessarily provide the resources required to support bird populations. This study investigated the influence of livestock grazing and vegetation characteristics on bird breeding activity in riparian zones in northern Victoria, Australia, where much of the landscape is used for production and has experienced significant loss of woodland. Birds were broadly categorised as ‘woodland’ or ‘non-woodland’ species, based on dependency on woodlands for breeding. The majority of woodland species detected were relatively common, and where riparian zones were heavily grazed, there was significantly lower woodland bird breeding activity compared to non-woodland bird breeding activity (the latter increasing with grazing intensity). Woodland and non-woodland birds had consistently opposite responses to grazing intensity, vegetation and landscape characteristics, suggesting that the factors influencing breeding differ markedly between these two groups. Thus, where riparian zones are intensively grazed, the bird community shifts from predominantly woodland to largely non-woodland species. This has implications for the conservation of both rare and common woodland bird species in southern Australia. Simple changes in land management, for example, livestock exclusion from important breeding habitat, may confer large gains for population persistence of woodland bird species.
How closely do Australian Training Package qualifications reflect the skills in occupations? An empirical investigation of seven qualifications
- Authors: Smith, Erica , Smith, Andy , Hampson, Ian , Junor, Anne
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Training Research Vol. 13, no. 1 (2015), p. 49-63
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP110200888
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- Description: This paper uses evidence from an Australian research project into under-recognized skills in occupations, gathered through industry-level interviews and company case studies, to examine VET curricula. The project, funded by the Australian Research Council, focused on skill in jobs traditionally regarded in Australia as unskilled. As part of the project, the evidence about skill was compared with the relevant qualifications. The qualifications are contained in Training Packages, which form the basis of most formal VET training in Australia. The qualifications for the seven occupations were in three broad industry areas (manufacturing, services and property services) and had all been developed in recent decades, unlike apprenticed trades which have long-standing qualifications and curricula in Australia. The comparison exercise showed some mismatches between the skills that were found in the researched occupations and the content of the qualifications. Some of the issues are believed to have broader applicability beyond these specific occupations and qualifications and thus can provide evidence to improve the design of Training Packages themselves.
- Description: This paper uses evidence from an Australian research project into under-recognized skills in occupations, gathered through industry-level interviews and company case studies, to examine VET curricula. The project, funded by the Australian Research Council, focused on skill in jobs traditionally regarded in Australia as unskilled. As part of the project, the evidence about skill was compared with the relevant qualifications. The qualifications are contained in Training Packages, which form the basis of most formal VET training in Australia. The qualifications for the seven occupations were in three broad industry areas (manufacturing, services and property services) and had all been developed in recent decades, unlike apprenticed trades which have long-standing qualifications and curricula in Australia. The comparison exercise showed some mismatches between the skills that were found in the researched occupations and the content of the qualifications. Some of the issues are believed to have broader applicability beyond these specific occupations and qualifications and thus can provide evidence to improve the design of Training Packages themselves. © 2015 Taylor & Francis.
Are patients with concussion getting optimal discharge advice at a regional emergency department?
- Authors: Brown, Ashlee , Twomey, Dara , Wong Shee, Anna
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Rural Health Vol. 26, no. 2 (2018), p. 134-135
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- Description: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), known as concussion, is receiving increasing global attention. Growing concerns about the potential long-term effects of mTBI have highlighted the need for good management and follow- up care.1 Given that regional emergency departments (EDs) experience higher rates of mTBI presentations compared with metropolitan EDs and are often the first point of contact, the provision of evidence-based care in these settings is crucial for positive patient outcomes.2 Followup after mTBI has shown promising results in reducing the number and severity of symptoms.
The convincing ground, Portland Bay, Victoria, Australia: An exploration of the controversy surrounding its onomastic history
- Authors: Clark, Ian
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Names Vol. 62, no. 1 (2014), p. 3-12
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- Description: This paper presents the results of a case study into the historiography of the Convincing Ground toponym at Portland Bay, Victoria, Australia. This study shows that research by Connor (2005a) into the usage of the phrase "convincing ground" in nineteenth-century Australia is superficial, and his preference for one explanation of the origin of the Convincing Ground toponym that relates to intra-whaler conflict resolution is superficial and inadequate. This analysis supports the alternative narrative that the toponym has its origin in a dispute between whalers and Aborigines over possession of a beached whale. Furthermore, Connor failed to consider the possibility that the phrase "convincing ground" is polysemous, which means that we should not expect to find a singular homogenous explanation or application in the literature. He also failed to discuss the real possibility that the Convincing Ground may also be a onomastic palimpsest and that both the Aboriginal-whaler dispute narrative and the intra-whaler dispute narrative may be legitimate explanations relevant at particular moments in the place's history. © American Name Society 2014.