scholarly journals Reproduction during lactation of dairy cattle: Integrating nutritional aspects of reproductive control in a systems research approach

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 76-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P McNamara ◽  
Shannon L. Shields
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Reproductive Control ◽  
Systems Research

Developing the role of perennial forages for crop–livestock farms: a strategic multi-disciplinary approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick S. Llewellyn ◽  
Michael J. Robertson ◽  
Richard C. Hayes ◽  
David Ferris ◽  
Katrien Descheemaeker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Perennial Species ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Farmer Participatory Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Livestock Farms

Developing new and improved grazing systems for crop–livestock farms where crop production is the major driver of farm management decisions presents a unique research and development challenge. In southern Australia, a substantial proportion of animal production from grazing comes from regions and farms where cropping is the major enterprise. In this paper, we describe a multi-disciplinary farming-systems research approach (EverCrop) aimed at improving farm profitability, risk management and environmental impacts through the development and integration of new grazing options with an emphasis on perennial species. It has been used to analyse and target new opportunities for farmers to benefit from perennial species across dry Mediterranean-type and temperate regions of southern Australia. It integrates field experimentation, on-farm trialling, farmer participatory research, soil–plant–climate biophysical modelling, whole-farm bioeconomic analysis and evaluations of adoptability. Multi-functional roles for summer-active grasses with winter cropping, integration of forage shrubs and establishment of new mixes of perennial grasses in crop rotations to improve farming system performance are identified, along with an analysis of factors likely to affect rate of uptake by farmers.

scholarly journals Lessons from a Health Policy and Systems Research programme exploring the quality and coverage of newborn care in Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e001937
Author(s):  
Mike English ◽  
David Gathara ◽  
Jacinta Nzinga ◽  
Pratap Kumar ◽  
Fred Were ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Health System Strengthening ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Systems Research

There are global calls for research to support health system strengthening in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). To examine the nature and magnitude of gaps in access and quality of inpatient neonatal care provided to a largely poor urban population, we combined multiple epidemiological and health services methodologies. Conducting this work and generating findings was made possible through extensive formal and informal stakeholder engagement linked to flexibility in the research approach while keeping overall goals in mind. We learnt that 45% of sick newborns requiring hospital care in Nairobi probably do not access a suitable facility and that public hospitals provide 70% of care accessed with private sector care either poor quality or very expensive. Direct observations of care and ethnographic work show that critical nursing workforce shortages prevent delivery of high-quality care in high volume, low-cost facilities and likely threaten patient safety and nurses’ well-being. In these challenging settings, routines and norms have evolved as collective coping strategies so health professionals maintain some sense of achievement in the face of impossible demands. Thus, the health system sustains a functional veneer that belies the stresses undermining quality, compassionate care. No one intervention will dramatically reduce neonatal mortality in this urban setting. In the short term, a substantial increase in the number of health workers, especially nurses, is required. This must be combined with longer term investment to address coverage gaps through redesign of services around functional tiers with improved information systems that support effective governance of public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

scholarly journals Climate change mitigation beyond agriculture: a review of food system opportunities and implications

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith T. Niles ◽  
Richie Ahuja ◽  
Todd Barker ◽  
Jimena Esquivel ◽  
Sophie Gutterman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Systems Research

AbstractA large body of research has explored opportunities to mitigate climate change in agricultural systems; however, less research has explored opportunities across the food system. Here we expand the existing research with a review of potential mitigation opportunities across the entire food system, including in pre-production, production, processing, transport, consumption and loss and waste. We detail and synthesize recent research on the topic, and explore the applicability of different climate mitigation strategies in varying country contexts with different economic and agricultural systems. Further, we highlight some potential adaptation co-benefits of food system mitigation strategies and explore the potential implications of such strategies on food systems as a whole. We suggest that a food systems research approach is greatly needed to capture such potential synergies, and highlight key areas of additional research including a greater focus on low- and middle-income countries in particular. We conclude by discussing the policy and finance opportunities needed to advance mitigation strategies in food systems.

Improving corporate disclosure through XBRL

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 338-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo La Torre ◽  
Diego Valentinetti ◽  
John Dumay ◽  
Michele Antonio Rea
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Design Science ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Systems Research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential for eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) to go beyond static reporting. A taxonomy structure of information is developed for providing a knowledge base and insights for an XBRL taxonomy for integrated reporting (IR). Design/methodology/approach Design Science (DS) research, as a pragmatic exploratory research approach, is embraced to create a new “artefact” and thematic content analysis is used to analyse IR in practice. Findings Using XBRL for IR allows a shift from static and periodic reporting to more relevant and dynamic corporate disclosure for stakeholders, who can navigate and retrieve customised disclosure information according to their interest by exploiting the multidimensionality of IR and overcome some of its criticisms. The bi-dimensional taxonomy structure the authors’ present allows users to navigate disclosure from two different perspectives (content elements (CE) and capitals), display specific themes of interest, and drill down to more detailed information. Because of its evidence-based nature and levels of disaggregation, it provides flexibility to preparers and users of information. Additionally, the findings demonstrate the need to codify sector-specific information for the CE, so that to direct the efforts toward the development of sector-specific taxonomy extensions in developing an XBRL taxonomy for IR. Research limitations/implications The limitations of DS research are, first, the artefact design and, second, its effects in practice. The first limitation stems from the social actors’ perspective taken into account to develop the taxonomy structure, which derives from the analysis of the reporting practices rather than a pluralistic approach and dialogic engagement. The second limitation relates to the XBRL taxonomy development process because, since the study is limited to the “design” phase being codification and structuring the knowledge base for an XBRL taxonomy, there is a need to develop a taxonomy in XBRL and then apply it in practice to empirically demonstrate the potential and benefits of XBRL in the IR context. Practical implications The taxonomy structure is targeted at entities interested in designing an XBRL taxonomy for IR. This is a call for academics and practitioners to explore the potential of technology to improve corporate disclosure and open up new projections for resurging themes on intellectual capital (IC) reporting with prospects for IC “fourth-stage” research focused on IC disclosure. Originality/value This is an interdisciplinary research employing the DS approach, which is rooted in information systems research. It is the first academic study providing pragmatic results for using XBRL in the context of IC and IR.

scholarly journals FARMING SYSTEMS RESEARCH APPLIED IN A PROJECT ON FEEDING OF CROP RESIDUES IN INDIA

2000 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. SCHIERE ◽  
KIRAN SINGH ◽  
A. J. DE BOER
Keyword(s):  
Crop Residue ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Field Application ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Farming Systems Research ◽  
By Products ◽  
Feeding Systems

Increased use of prime agricultural land for cropping and non-agricultural uses in many tropical countries implies that crop residues become more important as a source of feed for livestock. Traditionally, much research on crop residue feeding was done by focusing on laboratory measurements of feed quality but neglect of farmers' perceptions led to disappointing results in the transfer of straw feeding technologies based upon laboratory results. Farming Systems Research (FSR) provides methodologies and concepts that bridge the gap between formal commodity research (including crop residues and by-products) and field application. This paper reports the experiences of a project in India that changed the emphasis from a commodity research approach on improved crop residue feeding to a system approach by using three types of FSR. The paper first reviews the achievements of on-station research on feeding systems for crop residues in terms of treatments (biological, chemical, physical) and in terms of breeding and managing cereal crops for more and better straw. Next, it discusses definitions and problems of FSR as encountered in the project's reorientation of livestock research and development programmes. Finally it summarizes the overall results of the three FSR approaches used in the project.

The Application and Adaptation of a Diffusion of Innovation Framework for Information Systems Research in NHS General Medical Practice

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W Wainwright ◽  
Teresa S Waring
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovation ◽  
Primary Care Trust ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research

This paper proposes an adapted diffusion of innovation (DOI) framework that may be considered relevant and useful to researchers undertaking studies of information systems innovations in healthcare organizations. A particular focus concerns problems and issues associated with professional cultures and powerful organizational control structures. A review of four empirical DOI studies are undertaken to identify candidate frameworks for the retrospective analysis of a pilot study conducted across General Medical Practices based within a Primary Care Trust in the north east of England. A research approach, based on phenomenology, semi-structured interviews and template analysis is adopted in order to conduct and provide a rich analysis of the data. The findings are discussed using the modified DOI framework. Discussion and conclusions relate to the extended use of the DOI framework, its further development and how it may be used to understand how ICT innovation is politically constrained, perceived and motivated within healthcare environments

Farming Systems Research: Procedures for Technology Development

1987 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Collinson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Interdisciplinary Cooperation ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Traditional Research ◽  
Close Cooperation ◽  
Farming Systems Research

SUMMARYProcedures for better decision making in agricultural research are considered. Fanning Systems Adaptive Research (FSAR) has evolved to complement the more traditional research approach, allowing better decisions to be made on recommendations to fanners and on priorities for technical research. This is done through the identification of research results most relevant to the development of specific farming systems; the testing of these results by experiments in farmers' fields; and the identification of factors limiting productivity in local farming systems.FSAR involves interdisciplinary cooperation between production agronomists, farm economists and, where appropriate, animal production scientists, in close cooperation with other production specialists and with farmers.

scholarly journals Using Agile Project Management in the Design and Implementation of Activity-Based Costing Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10352
Author(s):  
Victor Jiménez ◽  
Paulo Afonso ◽  
Gabriela Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Activity Based Costing ◽  
Operating Personnel ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Agile Project Management ◽  
Costing System

The success of a costing system is dependent on its appropriation and assimilation by the organization. The involvement of all stakeholders from the early stages of design and implementation plays a critical role in this process. In this paper, the use of agile project management is investigated to support the design and implementation of more effective costing systems. A Design Science Research approach was followed to apply an agile project management approach—the Scrum methodology—to the design and implementation of an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) system in a hospital imaging service. The proposed methodology identifies the roles, the events, and the most important artifacts in the design and implementation of costing systems. Research results show that applying agile project management principles contributes to a higher degree of acceptance of the costing system by the operating personnel, as well as by top management. It was also found that a simpler model (result of sprint 5), instead of a more detailed one (proposed for sprint 4), may better fit the interests of the decision makers and the organization’s accounting and information systems. Thus, the best costing system is not necessarily the most complete or accurate, but the one that is most useful and adapted to the organization’s needs. The definition of the product backlog, the several sprints, and the iterative process were critical in this process. The adoption of the Scrum methodology allowed the design and implementation of an ABC system more adapted to the organization’s needs and allowed the early identification of problems that, traditionally, are only perceived at the end of the implementation process, therefore increasing the performance and economic sustainability of organizations.

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