May 17, 2023 |
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See The Top 5 Reads of April 2023
April brings all semester deadlines closer, this past month’s trending research papers on Zendy were a diverse bunch. Discover and dive into everything from the United Nations universal period review, a study on bio emulsifiers derived from micro-organisms, a comprehensive analysis of the effects of social media within specific industries, the factors that cause academic stress among college students and finally, the issues that organic farming causes within the agriculture sector. From mental health studies to biological proposals and general information on the United Nations imperative initiatives; we've covered it all. Introduction to Universal Periodic Review Introduced in 2006, the universal periodic review is an opportunity through which all UN member states are given the opportunity to objectively review and scrutinise the human rights records of all other member states. This was established in an effort to eliminate the self-regulatory mechanism and open conversation for accountability and detailed records of human rights policies and initiatives. Read more on Zendy: Introduction to Universal Periodic Review Bioemulsifiers Derived From Micro-organisms: Application in Food and Drug Emulsifiers are known to reduce the speed of chemical reactions and enhance their stability. Bio emulsifiers have unique features like non-toxicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, efficiency at low concentrations, and high selectivity in different pH balances, temperatures, and salinities. This research paper closely studies organisms with biosurfactant-producing abilities and how this can be utilised in environmental remediation and the petroleum industry. Read more on Zendy: Bioemulsifiers Derived From Micro-organisms: Application in Food and Drug An Integrated Analysis of the Impact of Social Media This journal article observes the impact of social media within the fields of business, education, society and youth by determining precisely what social media is utilised for and how these key features can benefit but also serve as drawbacks within each industry mentioned earlier. Published in 2016, this study takes place at a time when social media culture was shifting to the modernisation we are familiar with today. Read more on Zendy: An Integrated Analysis of the Impact of Social Media The Factors That Cause Academic Stress on College Students This case study identifies examination fear, fear of failure, the discriminating nature of teachers and peers, and poor classroom experience as academic stress triggers. Using this guideline, the study discovers the findings through a comprehensive survey to determine which remedial measures should be incorporated within curriculums and educational systems across the world. Read more on Zendy: Effect of Perceived Academic Stress on College Students Agricultural Science and Organic Farming This research paper states that organic farming bans all uses of almost every synthetic fertilizer and pesticide. This ban does not take into account the range of differences in the materials from dangerous to benign components; it also neglects the scientific research depicting that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides can be the best solution for specific agricultural issues. Read more on Zendy: Agricultural Science and Organic Farming: Time to Change Our Trajectory Discover millions of e-books, journal articles, proceedings and more on Zendy now.
Impacting Academia: How Do The Sustainable Development Goals Help Reduce Inequalities in Research?
To combat global challenges like climate change, poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) organised a framework in 2015 to effectively rectify these issues. In this blog, we highlight how research and academia play a vital role in advancing the SDGs through the Publishers Compact, from generating evidence-based solutions to shaping policies that drive sustainable development. We also explore the ways in which the SDGs are helping to reduce inequalities in research communities. What are the sustainable development goals? The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a total of 17 goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a global call to action to prioritise and overcome the world's most imperative social, economic, and environmental issues. They provide a clear roadmap for countries, organisations, and individuals to transform our world into an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable place for present and future generations. Caption: image credits: sdg-tracker.org Which SDGs directly impact research communities? SDG 4: Quality Education This sustainable development goal is focused on promoting equal access to quality education for all. Mainly targeting STEM fields, SDG 4 aims to increase the skill and knowledge of the global workforce to encourage and increase contributions to research and innovation. By 2030, SDG 4 will ensure that gender disparities in educational sectors are eliminated, increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing countries and build educational facilities that are child and disability friendly. SDG 5: Gender Equality SDG 5 strongly focuses on eliminating discrimination against women and girls to promote their equal participation in all aspects of life. By addressing gender inequality in research communities, such as the underrepresentation of women in STEM disciplines, the sustainable development goals can create a more diverse and inclusive scientific community. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities SDG 10 aims to reduce social, economic and political inequalities in all aspects of life, including research communities. By promoting equal access to research opportunities, resources, and funding, SDG 10 aims to level the playing field and reduce disparities in the scientific community. SDG 17: Partnerships for Goals SDG 17 places an emphasis on the importance of collaboration to achieve all social development goals. By encouraging and promoting collaboration between researchers, academic institutions, governments and other relevant bodies; the SDGs can create a more integrated research community. To further encourage participation in the succession of the SDGs, the general public needs to be aware of the progress made and the research conducted to progress each SDG. To understand the growth since the launch of the SDGs in 2015, the United Nations has created an accurate SDG tracker. What is the SDGs Publishers Compact? Launched in 2020, the Publishers Compact consists of fellows segregated into 4 groups to tackle 4 key initiatives to amplify SDG content in the publishing sector which will disseminate worldwide and encourage the application and general practice of the SDGs within other industries. Firstly, the Compact ensures the integration of SDG educational materials. Academic societies have been developing methods for publishers to recognise and rectify the lack of SDG-related content and activities in their education systems and materials. An increase in SDG-related content within schools and universities will likely result in a higher participation and contribution from students, professors, researchers and life long learners in the succession of the 17 goals. Moreover, the compact promotes applying and practicing the SDGs. This is to encourage authors, editors, and publishers to create summarised content and formats that are useful and appealing to various industries and sectors (such as businesses, services etc). There is also a list of “Top Actions” tips to encourage the integration of SDGs into daily practice and to catalyse research based on the challenges and opportunities practitioners face. Furthermore, the Publishers Compact is dedicated to redefining the impact indicators of research, like academic rankings and incentives. This is a work in progress, as a list of “Top Actions” tips for publishers, editors, authors, librarians and graduate students is being developed and completed. The committee is preparing a resource to highlight SDG research papers and their impact on policy, education, society and more. Finally, the Publishers Compact is committed to shifting culture in higher education. This initiative is dedicated to taking steps to affect culture change throughout the academic and publishing ecosystem. This requires evaluating the various stakeholders and their needs, to move the focus toward the SDGs. While the initial focus will be on connecting with and elevating those already working with SDGs, eventually this will transition to highlighting additional associations (e.g. journal editors), companies (e.g. publishers) and institutions (e.g. educators and researchers) and the spaces where the SDGs can be incorporated. Zendy, which is a product of Knowledge E, is a signatory of the United Nations Publishers Compact. In our efforts to democratise knowledge, we are committed to the causes and principles that the SDGs are striving to achieve by 2030. By increasing the dissemination of research globally, we aim to contribute in creating a sustainable world driven by knowledge and research. How is open science contributing to the implementation of SDGs? Open science encourages transparency, collaboration and inclusivity in scientific research by publishing research without restrictions; making it as accessible as possible. This has the potential to significantly contribute to the implementation and succession of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Open science facilitates the dissemination and usage of research to promote evidence-based solutions, which will accelerate the progress towards the SDGs in the following ways. Promotes collaborative research and innovation - This enables scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and other relevant bodies to work together across disciplines and regions. This collaborative approach will contribute to interdisciplinary research, the integration of local and indigenous knowledge, and allow diverse perspectives and expertise to be included in the development of sustainable solutions. Enhances the accessibility and usability of research outputs - This makes scientific knowledge widely accessible and usable. Open access publishing of research articles, data, books and other research outputs can enable researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from developing regions to access the latest scientific findings and potentially apply them. Supports evidence-based policymaking and decision-making processes - By openly sharing research findings, data, and methodologies, policymakers can access a database of research-based evidence to further advance policy development and implementation. Open science also promotes transparency in the evaluation of policies, allowing for accountability and learning from successes and failures. Facilitates advancements that contribute to the SDGs - Openly sharing research data, methodologies, and software can allow collaboration among researchers and enable the development of new technologies and solutions that address complex challenges. Promotes inclusivity and diversity in the scientific community - By promoting open and transparent research practices, open science can create opportunities for underrepresented groups, including women and people from low-income countries, to participate in the scientific process and contribute their unique perspectives and knowledge to address the SDGs. At Zendy, we believe research papers and educational materials should be affordable and accessible to anyone anywhere. Zendy Open was launched in an effort to disseminate research papers without paywalls or restrictions. We stand to democratise knowledge so that policymakers, governments, researchers, students and relevant authoritative bodies can make informed research-based decisions that impact society. By creating an open access and open science platform, we look to eliminate discrimination and empower the world through knowledge to create a healthy and equally participative educational environment worldwide. What impact will the implementation of SGDs have on the research community? The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is expected to have a significant impact on the research community in several ways: Research Priorities: Global research priorities will be aligned with the SDGs, leading to an increased emphasis on research that contributes to the achievement of the goals. This could result in greater funding and resources being allocated to research areas that are aligned with the SDGs. Interdisciplinary Research: The SDGs encourage integrated approaches to sustainable development. This will promote interdisciplinary research, where researchers from different disciplines collaborate to address complex and interconnected challenges. Collaboration and Partnerships: The SDGs emphasise the need for partnerships, wherein governments, academia, civil society, private sector, and local communities come together, to collectively work towards achieving the goals. This will result in increased collaboration and partnerships within the research community as well. Open Science and Data Sharing: The SDGs highlight the importance of data and evidence-based decision-making for monitoring progress towards the goals. This may lead to increased demand for open science practices, such as open access publishing, data sharing, and transparent research methodologies. The research community may witness a greater emphasis on open science, data sharing, and transparent research practices to facilitate knowledge exchange, collaboration, and enable evidence-based policymaking. Global and Regional Collaboration: The SDGs are a global agenda, but their implementation requires localised actions and context-specific solutions. The research community may witness increased global and regional collaboration to address local challenges in alignment with the SDGs. This could involve cross-border research collaborations, knowledge-sharing platforms, and policy exchanges to learn from different contexts and promote solutions that are relevant to specific regions. In summary, the implementation of the SDGs is expected to have a significant impact on the research community. This will result in an increase in publications being disseminated in open access databases to eliminate discrimination in educational sectors and other aspects of society while also promoting interdisciplinary research to find sustainable solutions to the pressing matters the SDGs aim to rectify; furthermore, the Publishers Compact will play a significant role in ensuring that educational sector abides by their commitment to equal access which will accelerate the progress towards the 17 sustainable development goals. The research community is likely to play a critical role in generating knowledge and evidence-based solutions that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs and drive sustainable development worldwide. Zendy, which is a product of Knowledge E, is a proud signatory of the United Nations Publishers Compact. Discover millions of journal articles, e-books, proceedings and so much more now on Zendy.
How You Can Use Zendy to Benefit Your Research
What is Zendy? The Zendy academic library is designed to accompany users on their journey of discovery across a broad spectrum of disciplines. It is an intuitive and user-friendly platform that accommodates a vast collection of academic research covering all major fields. Developed in close collaboration with researchers, students, institutions, and publishers, Zendy aims to democratise knowledge and make it accessible to all. Zendy was established with the vision of making academic content more accessible and affordable for individuals worldwide, regardless of their field of study, area of interest or geographic location. Welcome to Zendy! When you log in, you’ll be met with recommended articles. Using Zendy To Your Advantage Zendy offers a wide selection of academic research. Discover peer-reviewed journal articles, e-books and proceedings across disciplines; from science and technology to arts and humanities, Zendy has it all. The academic library provides access to full-text articles and books from various leading publishers, making it a tool students, professors and avid readers can benefit from. What Makes Zendy Stand Out? With an aim to democratise access, Zendy offers two unique solutions to users. The first is Zendy Plus, a subscription service giving users unlimited access to premium academic content for the monthly price of a single research paper. Secondly, Zendy Open - a free open access research library packed with research tools to make content easier to navigate and discover. With a single Zendy Plus subscription; you can access academic content across numerous fields from leading publishers like Taylor & Francis, Wiley, Emerald, EBSCO, Sage and many more. Zendy Plus is available in UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Jordan, Nigeria, Morocco, and Algeria. To facilitate Zendy’s vision of democratising access and promoting research-based solutions and decision-making, the subscription offers access to millions of academic articles in over 45 languages in an active effort to make academic material inclusive and accessible. Zendy Plus allows users to access a vast collection of premium academic research for the monthly price of a single research paper. Easy Citations Researchers and students know that generating citations and reference lists are time-consuming tasks. On Zendy, we’ve simplified how you can get your citations done. It only takes one click to access citations in multiple formats as shown below. Simply click “Cite” to get an accurate citation for the academic material you’re referencing Once clicking on “cite” you’ll have this window on your screen and you may pick the citation format you’d like to use from the top right drop-down menu Advanced filters Zendy’s comprehensive filters will effortlessly refine your research discoverability process. Your searches can be filtered by author, publication, title, H-index score, Scientific Journal Rank (SJR), International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), International Standard Book Number (ISBN), and keyword. To utilise Zendy’s advanced filters, click on the arrow within the search bar on the right. From this drop-down menu, you may select the filter you’d like to apply and proceed from there Favourites This particular feature serves as a wish list for research you find intriguing. You can essentially add articles to read either later or come back to for quick references. Save time scrolling by simply just clicking on the ‘thumbs up’ icon at the bottom right of the research you’re interested in. To add a research paper to your favourites, simply click the thumbs-up icon located on the bottom right. Access your favourites by logging in and selecting ‘My Library’ from the drop-down menu on the top right or simply click ‘My Library’ located to the right of the Zendy icon at the top By selecting ‘Favourites’ at the top of the page, you can access all the research you’ve liked and saved here. Read History This feature collates every piece of research you have accessed on Zendy. In case you forget to add some academic research to your reading list, you now have the option to go into your read history and locate key research easily. Just like how you accessed your Favorites list, you’ll need to go to ‘My Library’ from either one of the options shown above. Click on ‘Read History’ and easily access all the academic research you’ve previously read or visited. Reading Lists Customise your very own reading list now on Zendy. Arrange your academic research based on genre, publication or simply your area of interest. Pick up right where you left off across articles, e-books, proceedings and much more, you’ll never need to search again for a source you know you’ll come back to. From either the drop-down menu on the top right or the option on the top left, you need to select ‘My Lists' From this page, you’ll need to select the ‘Create List’ Option to organise your reads. Simply name your list and save it, you can now begin adding academic research papers to this list. Once the list has been created, you can begin adding academic content to it by clicking on the ‘add to list’ on the bottom right. You may then select the list you’d like to segregate the research paper into and click ‘done’. Your academic research material has been successfully saved to your desired list for you to access at any time you need it. Dive into research papers across many disciplines while taking advantage of Zendy’s amazing features and discover millions of e-books, journal articles, proceedings and more on Zendy now.
See the Top Reads of March 2023
Globally, March is recognized as the month of reading; which is fitting for this blog post. The 2023 month of reading on Zendy followed a pattern of natural and social sciences with a hint of engineering. Join us in discovering the research methods and techniques commonly used in social psychology, a study on human capital and its benefits within Africa, the formulation of a polyherbal soap and hand sanitiser, the next generation of obesity research and finally, the basics of development engineering. Research Methods and Techniques Utilised in Social Psychology The objective of this study was to identify research methods utilised by researchers within the field of social psychology. This study was conducted between 2011 and 2012 with 545 psychologists globally; the methods had been divided into two groups, participative research which included life history, action research, in-depth interviews, discourse analysis and observational research. The latter was field & lab experiments which consisted of computer simulations and correlational studies. Read more here: Social Psychology - Research Methods and Techniques The Importance of Human Capital in Africa This study argues and presents that countries that invest in human capital have improved economic development prospects. Utilising comparative analysis methods, it was observed that South Africa had better developmental outcomes than Nigeria because the nation spends an increased percentage of income on human capital. Read more here: Human as Capital - An Imperative for Africa Formulation of Poly Herbal Soap and Sanitizer This journal article dives into a soap and hand sanitiser being formulated using leaf and bark extracts of Cassia fistula, Ficus religiosa and Milletia pinnata. This concoction was then evaluated for various physiochemical parameters and depicted both good characteristics and antimicrobial effects. The researchers propose to standardize this formula for antiseptics and disinfectants. Read more here: Formulation and Evaluation of Poly Herbal Soap and Hand Sanitizer The Next Generation of Obesity Research Arguing that science by itself cannot combat obesity in America, this journal article argues that while obesity is not the only epidemic within the United States, it does pose a significant challenge. Reducing the percentage of obese individuals requires changing two fundamental aspects of life: food consumption and physical activity. This article suggests that America needs effort in every aspect of society, like households, schools, community organisations, all government levels, transportation, agriculture, the food industry, media, medical practice, and biomedical research. Read more here: The Next Generation of Obesity Research The Basics of Development Engineering Development engineering is an emerging field and this textbook serves as an introduction to the discipline’s theories, methods and applications. The book has a broad scope, covering everything from the development of mobile apps to hardware and software solutions to providing electricity and water. Furthermore, it is also interdisciplinary as it draws methods and theories from social and natural sciences along with different branches of engineering. Dive deep into the 6 sections which are energy and environment, market performance, education and labour, water sanitation and health, and digital governance and connectivity. Read more here: Introduction to Development Engineering Discover millions of e-books, journal articles, proceedings and more on Zendy now.
Understanding Citation Styles: Your Pocket Guide to Citing Academic Sources
One of the most defining aspects of academic research writing is a demonstration of research-oriented findings. Referring to credible sources and data is made possible through the concept of citations. In this blog, we’ll equip you with citation knowledge across multiple different formats and aid in understanding the purpose of each one. The purpose of citations When you search the definition of the term ‘citation’ on google, you’re met with the following description: a quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, especially in a scholarly work. Citing sources has multiple purposes, the primary focus is to give credit to the original author. When writing a specialised research paper, the author will cite external sources when referencing the material in their own work to establish strength, transparency and authority within their research. This positions their work in a specific context to depict their stance in the larger discussion. Citations also serve as an efficient way to provide references to others wanting to explore the subject or even use them within their own academic research papers. Overall, citing establishes an important roadmap in the research process. Why are there different types of citations? Different citation formats are utilised across different disciplines. While it might be convenient to have one universal citation format, it is not possible because different fields focus on unique information within their respective research; this requires citation formats to be tailored to the field’s primary focus. The APA (American Psychological Association) citation format is utilised in social sciences like psychology, sociology, anthropology as well as education. Moreover, the MLA (Modern Language Association) citation format is largely used within humanities and the Chicago citation format is applied in the fields of Business, History & Fine Arts. Finally, the Harvard citation format is primarily used in education. Citing in APA Referencing Format APA (American Psychological Association) referencing style is a widely used referencing style in social science disciplines, such as psychology, sociology, and education. The style is characterised by the use of in-text citations, which typically include the author's last name and the year of publication of the source being cited. The APA style requires a detailed reference list, which includes all sources referenced in the text. The reference list is arranged alphabetically by the author's last name, and each entry provides comprehensive information about the source, including the title, publisher, and publication date. Book: Author, A.A. (Year of Publication). The Title of work. Publisher City, State: Publisher. Journal Article: Last name, Initials. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page range. DOI or URL Magazine: Author, A.A. (Year, a month of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp. Newspaper: Author, A.A. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, pp. xx-xx. Website: Author, A.A. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Retrieved from URL Citing in MLA Referencing Format MLA (Modern Language Association) referencing style is a popular method of citing sources used in academic writing, particularly in the humanities. The style is characterised by the use of in-text citations, which typically include the author's last name and the page number(s) of the source being cited. The MLA style also requires a comprehensive list of Works Cited at the end of the document, which includes all sources referenced in the text. The Works Cited page is arranged alphabetically by the author's last name or, if there is no author, by the first word of the title. Book: Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. Medium. Journal Article: Author last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Name, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Month Year, Page range. DOI or URL. Magazine: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Magazine Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium. Newspaper: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium. Website: Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” Website Title.Sponsoring Institution/Publisher. Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium. Citing in Harvard Referencing Format Harvard style referencing, also known as author-date referencing, is a widely used referencing system that originated from Harvard University. It is a method of acknowledging sources of information in academic writing, by citing the author's last name and the year of publication in the text. Harvard referencing style also requires a detailed list of references at the end of the document, arranged alphabetically by the author's last name, which includes all the sources cited in the text. This style of referencing is used in many disciplines, including the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. Journal Articles: Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Journal, volume number (issue number), page reference. If accessed online: Available at: DOI or URL (if required) (Accessed: date). Books: Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title. Edition if later than first. Place of publication: publisher. Series and volume number if relevant. Newspaper Article: Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Newspaper, Day and month, Page reference. Online Newspaper Article: Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Newspaper, Day and month, Page reference if available. Available at: URL (Accessed: date). Website: Surname, Initial. (Year that the site was published/last updated) Title of web page. Available at: URL (Accessed: date). Citing in Chicago Referencing Format The Chicago referencing format is commonly used in the fields of Business, History and Fine Arts. It offers two main citation styles: the notes and bibliography style and the author-date style. The notes and bibliography style involves the use of footnotes to provide brief citations within the text and a corresponding bibliography at the end of the document. In contrast, the author-date style involves in-text citations that include the author's last name and the date of publication. A comprehensive reference list is also required at the end of the document. Journal Article: Author last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Month or Season Year): Page range. DOI or URL. Book: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. Magazine: Last Name, First Name. Article title. Magazine Title, Month Date, Year of publication. Newspaper: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name, Publication Date. Website: Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” Website Title. Web Address (retrieved Date Accessed). Citations and referencing bring attention to details within each format. While it is a time-consuming section to fulfill in an academic paper, it’s also an important skill to have as a researcher, to be able to dissect other research papers and build an authoritative and strengthened academic paper with your own research. Understanding which citation format is best suited for your discipline is equally important; this citation pocket guide covered the 4 commonly utilised citation styles which are APA, MLA, Harvard and Chicago. Discover an array of academic resources now on Zendy where you can read through research worry-free because we offer automatic citations across all our books, journal articles, proceedings and more.