Cultural dimensions of a large-scale mixed-farming program: competing narratives of stakeholder actors

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 956 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Rickards ◽  
R. J. Price
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Public Science ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Mixed Farming ◽  
Insight Into

Grain & Graze was an innovative, multi-scale, multi-organisational, inter-disciplinary and triple bottom line research, development and extension (RD&E) program conducted to investigate and improve mixed-farming systems in Australia from 2003 to 2008. This paper reports on a sociological evaluation of the program’s institutional arrangements that was undertaken as one of a small number of social research projects within the program. Based on discourse analysis and investigation of participant experiences, it found the program was characterised by two competing views of what the program was or ought to be. Weaving across the program’s formal and informal elements and national and regional scales of management, these ‘narratives’ reflect the program’s coexisting ‘revolutionary’ aspirations and ‘organisational’ aspirations. Attention to the coexistence of these narratives and the way they were expressed within the program provides insight into the values, complexity and challenges of agricultural RD&E programs. It points to the significance the broader philosophical and governance context has for contemporary agricultural RD&E programs and other public science and sustainable development initiatives.

Grain & Graze: an innovative triple bottom line approach to collaborative and multidisciplinary mixed-farming systems research, development and extension

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 729 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Price ◽  
R. B. Hacker
Keyword(s):  
Triple Bottom Line ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Research Development ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Mixed Farming ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Explicit Recognition ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Farming Systems Research

The Grain & Graze program attempted to improve the ‘triple bottom line’ of mixed-farming systems in Australia through a major program of research, development and extension (RD&E) that operated across nine regions, with a total budget of A$31million provided by four R&D corporations and over 60 regional partners. Regional activities were complemented by a series of national projects and management and governance arrangements were organised at both regional and national levels with significant producer input. While the two-tiered management structure resulted in both tensions and opportunities the outputs of the program were substantial including 278 demonstration and trial sites, 180 training courses, over 200 publications, tools and manuals, over 100 research papers and a database of national and regional data. Over 8000 producers participated in program events, over 5000 actively trialled new activities and around 3200 adopted recommended practices despite severely unfavourable seasonal conditions over the 5 years of the program. A return on investment of 3.4 : 1 for the core funders was comparable to some other agricultural RD&E programs if lower than others. The program expanded the scope of farming systems RD&E in Australia through explicit recognition of the triple bottom line and development of formal and informal approaches to integration across these dimensions. It established regional and inter-regional networks of producers and scientists that can be expected to have ongoing significance. The papers that follow in this special issue reflect the magnitude of the program’s achievements.

Research management, institutional arrangements and the quest for integration in mixed-farming innovation: the emergence of point-of-practice integration

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 928 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Price
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Institutional Arrangements ◽  
Research Management ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Multidisciplinary Research ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Research Teams

Modern science and contemporary research and development programs are characterised by societal, managerial and political expectation that they be integrated. For some this means paying attention to the principles of the triple bottom line; for others it is about taking a holistic approach to finding solutions to complex problems; whereas for yet others it is about maximising co-investment, partnerships and collaboration and focusing these on the problems of the day. Each of these aspirations involves integration, although in very different ways. Grain & Graze attempted to deal with all these forms. With highly specified objectives and targets dealing with economic, environmental and social outcomes, 66 partners involving three scales of governance as well as science and community collaborators, and multidisciplinary research teams working across 50 or so research projects, integration was the catchcry of Grain & Graze. At its core the program dealt with cropping and grazing farming systems, adding yet another dimension of integration to the mix. This paper explores each of the forms of integration and the institutional arrangements in Grain & Graze that either supported or limited their success. It finds that frameworks for integration are highly challenged when these several forms of integration take place simultaneously, particularly when the expectations among diverse stakeholders about integration are unclear and when there is scant expertise and experience in operating within integrated frameworks. Under such situations, point-of-practice integration becomes a critical form of integration, a form which can and should be planned for at the commencement of complex research programs involving an on-ground adoption expectation.

scholarly journals At close quarters: Combatting Facebook design, features and temporalities in social research

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 205395171880231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Gangneux ◽  
Stevie Docherty
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
The Other ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Research ◽  
Social Media Research

As researchers we often find ourselves grappling with social media platforms and data ‘at close quarters’. Although social media platforms were created for purposes other than academic research – which are apparent in their architecture and temporalities – they offer opportunities for researchers to repurpose them for the collection, generation and analysis of rich datasets. At the same time, this repurposing raises an evolving range of practical and methodological challenges at the small and large scale. We draw on our experiences and empirical data from two research projects, one using Facebook Community Pages and the other repurposing Facebook Activity Logs. This article reflects critically on the specific challenges we faced using these platform features, on their common roots, and the tactics we adopted in response. De Certeau’s distinction between strategy and tactics provides a useful framework for exploring these struggles as located in the practice of doing social research – which often ends up being tactical. This article argues that we have to collectively discuss, demystify and devise tactics to mitigate the strategies and temporalities deeply embedded in platforms, corresponding as far as possible to the temporalities and the aims of our research. Although combat at close quarters is inevitable in social media research, dialogue between researchers is more than ever needed to tip the scales in our favour.

Evolution of mixed farming systems for the delivery of triple bottom line outcomes: a synthesis of the Grain & Graze program

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 966 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Hacker ◽  
M. J. Robertson ◽  
R. J. Price ◽  
A. M. Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Structural Adjustment ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Triple Bottom Line ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Mixed Farming ◽  
Explicit Consideration ◽  
Definition Of

The continued evolution of mixed farming systems will depend on the development of technology which addresses the basic biophysical constraints of the agro ecological zone within which these systems have developed. However, the application of these technologies will increasingly depend on the extent to which they address all dimensions of the social–economic–environmental system within which mixed farmers operate. The Grain & Graze program has accelerated the adoption of several technologies that can provide a basis for continuing evolution of mixed farming systems (e.g. grazing of cereals, drought containment of livestock, perennial pastures) while initiating the development and exploration of others whose potential will be realised in the longer term (e.g. pasture cropping, integrated pest management in mixed farming systems, cover cropping and alley farming with old man saltbush). Some technologies capable of supporting continued evolution were not addressed comprehensively by the program but remain opportunities for future development, particularly technologies for feed demand management and inter-seasonal feed transfer. The program made considerable progress in fostering the explicit consideration of the ‘triple bottom line’ consequences of new technology. It has confirmed that no universal solution to the question of profitability and sustainability is to be expected but has also demonstrated that methodology is available to make the formal consideration of this question much more robust. Clearer definition of the institutional requirements for support of change in complex systems, and for effective management of large national projects, will provide key underpinnings to ensure that subsequent programs achieve the benefits of scale in RD&E that Grain & Graze has convincingly demonstrated. In addition, we argue that ongoing evolution of mixed farming systems that will deliver triple bottom line outcomes will require policies that achieve appropriate cost sharing for delivery of environmental benefits and increased capacity for structural adjustment within the industry itself, to account for changes in demography, infrastructure and farm management arrangements.

scholarly journals Public Awareness: What Climate Change Scientists Should Consider

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8369
Author(s):  
Mohammad Rahimi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Connected Network ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Valuable Addition ◽  
Scientific Approach ◽  
Design Solutions ◽  
Mitigate Climate Change

In this Opinion, the importance of public awareness to design solutions to mitigate climate change issues is highlighted. A large-scale acknowledgment of the climate change consequences has great potential to build social momentum. Momentum, in turn, builds motivation and demand, which can be leveraged to develop a multi-scale strategy to tackle the issue. The pursuit of public awareness is a valuable addition to the scientific approach to addressing climate change issues. The Opinion is concluded by providing strategies on how to effectively raise public awareness on climate change-related topics through an integrated, well-connected network of mavens (e.g., scientists) and connectors (e.g., social media influencers).

scholarly journals Current advances of epigenetics in periodontology from ENCODE project: a review and future perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Dan Cho ◽  
Woo-Jin Kim ◽  
Hyun-Mo Ryoo ◽  
Hong-Gee Kim ◽  
Kyoung-Hwa Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Periodontal Diseases ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Encode Project ◽  
Dna Elements ◽  
Crucial Information ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
Systemic Health

Abstract Background The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project has advanced our knowledge of the functional elements in the genome and epigenome. The aim of this article was to provide the comprehension about current research trends from ENCODE project and establish the link between epigenetics and periodontal diseases based on epigenome studies and seek the future direction. Main body Global epigenome research projects have emphasized the importance of epigenetic research for understanding human health and disease, and current international consortia show an improved interest in the importance of oral health with systemic health. The epigenetic studies in dental field have been mainly conducted in periodontology and have focused on DNA methylation analysis. Advances in sequencing technology have broadened the target for epigenetic studies from specific genes to genome-wide analyses. Conclusions In line with global research trends, further extended and advanced epigenetic studies would provide crucial information for the realization of comprehensive dental medicine and expand the scope of ongoing large-scale research projects.

scholarly journals A Large-Scale COVID-19 Twitter Chatter Dataset for Open Scientific Research—An International Collaboration

Epidemiologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-324
Author(s):  
Juan M. Banda ◽  
Ramya Tekumalla ◽  
Guanyu Wang ◽  
Jingyuan Yu ◽  
Tuo Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
The World ◽  
Data Source

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, an unprecedented amount of open data is being generated for medical, genetics, and epidemiological research. The unparalleled rate at which many research groups around the world are releasing data and publications on the ongoing pandemic is allowing other scientists to learn from local experiences and data generated on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a need to integrate additional data sources that map and measure the role of social dynamics of such a unique worldwide event in biomedical, biological, and epidemiological analyses. For this purpose, we present a large-scale curated dataset of over 1.12 billion tweets, growing daily, related to COVID-19 chatter generated from 1 January 2020 to 27 June 2021 at the time of writing. This data source provides a freely available additional data source for researchers worldwide to conduct a wide and diverse number of research projects, such as epidemiological analyses, emotional and mental responses to social distancing measures, the identification of sources of misinformation, stratified measurement of sentiment towards the pandemic in near real time, among many others.

scholarly journals Multi-Scale Ionospheric Anomalies Monitoring and Spatio-Temporal Analysis during Intense Storm

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 215
Author(s):  
Na Cheng ◽  
Shuli Song ◽  
Wei Li
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Storm ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Ionospheric Disturbance ◽  
Ionospheric Scintillation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Electron Content ◽  
Total Electron ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Intense Storm

The ionosphere is a significant component of the geospace environment. Storm-induced ionospheric anomalies severely affect the performance of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) and human space activities, e.g., the Earth observation, deep space exploration, and space weather monitoring and prediction. In this study, we present and discuss the multi-scale ionospheric anomalies monitoring over China using the GNSS observations from the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC) during the 2015 St. Patrick’s Day storm. Total Electron Content (TEC), Ionospheric Electron Density (IED), and the ionospheric disturbance index are used to monitor the storm-induced ionospheric anomalies. This study finally reveals the occurrence of the large-scale ionospheric storms and small-scale ionospheric scintillation during the storm. The results show that this magnetic storm was accompanied by a positive phase and a negative phase ionospheric storm. At the beginning of the main phase of the magnetic storm, both TEC and IED were significantly enhanced. There was long-duration depletion in the topside ionospheric TEC during the recovery phase of the storm. This study also reveals the response and variations in regional ionosphere scintillation. The Rate of the TEC Index (ROTI) was exploited to investigate the ionospheric scintillation and compared with the temporal dynamics of vertical TEC. The analysis of the ROTI proved these storm-induced TEC depletions, which suppressed the occurrence of the ionospheric scintillation. To improve the spatial resolution for ionospheric anomalies monitoring, the regional Three-Dimensional (3D) ionospheric model is reconstructed by the Computerized Ionospheric Tomography (CIT) technique. The spatial-temporal dynamics of ionospheric anomalies during the severe geomagnetic storm was reflected in detail. The IED varied with latitude and altitude dramatically; the maximum IED decreased, and the area where IEDs were maximum moved southward.

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