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EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
Online journal promoting
networking in researchCase study: www.uasjournal.fi
Lotta Linko (Twitter @viestintalotta), Mauri Kantola, Mervi Friman
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
Agenda• UAS Journal • Action research, methods, and data• Interventions and results• Conclusions
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
UAS Journal in a nutshell• Online journal on education, research and development
activities in practice-oriented higher education• Published by the UAS Rectors’ Conference • Financed by the universities of applied sciences • Open-access, free-of-charge, four issues a year since 2011• Mission of the journal:
– Provide information (‘general’ public)– Provide a network (applied universities & world of work)
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
UAS Journal as network• Rectors’ Conference & board• Field-specific groups • R&D directors• R&D projects• UAS’ publications • Online presence and social networks• International collaboration
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
4. Editing and publishing
The UAS Journal network: promotes networking, creates synergies, aids cooperation and spreads information
between interest groups
Business & Industry
Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences
Rectors’ Conference
Board of Editors
Authors
Visiting Editors
Chief Editor
Subeditor
The UAS Journal publication: documents actions, gathers themes, informs on activities & results, and
offers a forum for discussion
2. Building and strengthening the
author network
3. Widening the scope of topics and
articles
1. Supporting the activities and cooperation of interest groups
6. Widening and engaging the
audience
5. Evaluating and developing the
publication and the activities around it
Public Sector
Non-Governmental Organisations
Municipal and Governmental Organisations
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
Methods and data• Has the UAS Journal had an effect on the networking
activities in research?• Action research as framework• Three processes: production, marketing, networking• Qualitative interviews• User survey• User statistics
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
Action research• Planned and documented self-evaluation• Researchers are part of the research process • Helps in focusing the interventions• Strips the processes• Forces to make planned interventions• Enables measurable results
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
Networking interventions• Supporting co-writing (template, guide)• Utilising theme editors and their networks• Integrating the board of editors and advisors• Providing online working & meeting• Links to online peers • Social media presence • Changing the journal platform (OJS to WP)• Seminar promotion• Discontinuing peer reviews
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
Quantitative results• Number of writers, articles, and co-written articles increased (Producers)• Every issue now has a one or more theme editors (5-7 yearly) • Internal workspace open to board of editors but not yet widely used,
online meetings facilitate participation from all over the country (2-4 meetings yearly)• All UAS’ online publications are found at our site (the first list ever)• Account, profile or group in Facebook (700 f.), Twitter and LinkedIn (inactive)• New publication platform enables social activities• Research of UAS Journal presented in international EAIR, ECER, EARLI/EAPRIL forums
and national seminars• Three other Finnish peer-reviewed journals: focus on those and utilise resources
otherwise• Growth in user statistics (Consumers)
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
Producers
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
Consumers
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
• Interviews with eight board members/theme editors:• New information, new viewpoints, new practices, new partners,
new colleagues and cooperation • Increased public visibility of UAS research activities • Better networking with other UAS and unis • Publishing research results, improved reviewing and writing skills
Theme editors’ interviews
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
User survey• User survey on the renewed site for three weeks 23 May - 10
June 2016• 296 answers, 85% (or 260) of respondents UAS staff/students• On a scale of “agree - agree somewhat - disagree”,
67% agreed on ease of use , 63% appealing visuals, and 66% fast response time;52% relevant contents, 73% expert contents, 76% current contents, 62% shareable contents
• The expectations of 91% of readers were met
EAIR Forum 2016, Birmingham
Conclusions1. Changes in the environment will continue2. Networking and networks have changed3. The role of the UAS Journal has changeda. National, shared media to spread themed information
from UAS’ to the world of workb. A platform to raise discussion around current topics in
different fields