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Early childhood education and care (ECEC) in England is provided to children from birth to the age of five. Nursery provision is delivered as a mixed market economy partly financed by the government, with the remainder paid by stakeholders and/or families. Political changes over the past 20 years have resulted in significant shifts in the levels of support given to nursery provision and to children and their families, and the universal support that was once provided has become fragmented. COVID-19 lockdowns and global factors have brought a number of key challenges to the surface including financial sustainability for nursery provision and beyond, the development of young children's emotional and communication skills, children's ability to socialise and play, and how to support the families who are experiencing the most financial and social need. This is set against a backdrop of Portsmouth, a city of contrasts with both affluent and low socioeconomic status areas and diverse family needs. This chapter explores steps taken by two charity and voluntary organisations to support young children and their families and the ways in which these organisations take a socially innovative approach when working with very young children. The chapter reports on how these organisations provide approaches that bridge the gaps left by state retrenchment and shows how these local innovations can support young children to develop, learn and thrive, complementing existing nursery provision.

This paper considers the implications of not knowing – hypocognition – the lack of a cognitive or linguistic representation of a concept, algorithms, held by librarians responsible for programs of information literacy in universities in NSW, Australia.

A practice-based study of university librarians and their role in the development of algorithmic literacy, using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, showed that they had limited socio-technical knowledge of algorithms.

Not knowing led most participants to anthropomorphise algorithms, including those found in search engines such as Google, sometimes explaining them as something mysterious, although they were aware that the algorithms were gathering data about them and their online interactions. Nonetheless, they delegated responsibility for online activities. These online interactions were not presented in system terms, but often could be interpreted as examples of Goffman’s civil inattention, a social norm used in interactions with strangers, such as fellow passengers. Such an understanding prevented the development of robust algorithmic literacy.

With technologies disrupting social norms, algorithms cannot be considered strangers who understand such civility; instead, metaphorically and practically, they rudely rummage through wallets and phones. Acknowledging the implications of the reliance on socio-cultural understandings of algorithms and their anthropomorphic representations for explaining online system-based interactions can present new ways for developing algorithmic literacy.

This study suggests that the links between hypocognition and the anthropomorphising of algorithms can undermine the development of knowledge and skills in information and digital literacies.

The purpose of this study is to revisit the conventional wisdom about a key contribution [i.e. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis] in the field of strategic management. The societal context and the role of academics, consultants and executives is taken into account in the emergence of SWOT analysis during the 1960–1980 period as a pivotal development within the broader context of the satisfactory, opportunities, faults, threats (SOFT) approach. The authors report on both the content and the approach, so that other scholars seeking to invigorate indigenous theories and/or underreported strategy practices will thrive.

Applying a historiographic approach, the authors introduce an evidence-based methodology for interpreting historical sources. This methodology incorporates source criticism, triangulation and hermeneutical interpretation, drawing upon insights from robust evidence through three iterative stages.

The underreporting of the SOFT approach/SWOT analysis can be attributed to several factors, including strategy tools being integrated into planning frameworks rather than being published as standalone materials; restricted circulation of crucial long-range planning service/theory and practice of planning reports due to copyright limitations; restricted access to the Stanford Research Institute Planning Library in California; and the enduring popularity of SOFT and SWOT variations, driven in part by their memorable acronyms.

In the spirit of a renaissance in strategic planning research, the authors unveil novel theoretical and social connections in the emergence of SWOT analysis by combining evidence from both theory and practice and delving into previously unexplored areas.

Caution is advised for scholars who examine the discrete time frame of 1960–1980 through mere bibliometric techniques. This study underscores the risks associated with gathering incomplete and/or inaccurate data, emphasizing the importance of triangulating evidence beyond scholarly databases. The paradigm shift of strategic management research due to the advent of large language models poses new challenges and the risk of conserving and perpetuating academic urban legends, myths and lies if training data is not adequately curated.

The paper reports the findings of a research project exploring the information experiences of bonsai growers in Australia as an example of a serious leisure pursuit.

The study used phenomenology as a qualitative approach in an interpretive paradigm. The data collection technique was a semi-structured interview with open-ended questions, and 23 volunteers were recruited via a maximum variation sampling strategy. The study employed the Serious Leisure Perspective and Information Experience as its theoretical frameworks.

Bonsai growers rely on three primary sources of information: publications, people, and plants. They use formal and informal publications across various media. They interact with fellow bonsai growers to share experiences and seek advice. The shape and conditions of bonsai trees are sources of embedded information that help them to make informed decisions in their practice. They have a culture of information sharing on many grounds, such as local clubs, online forums, and workshops. Their embodied information manifests in their sophisticated skills of shaping bonsai trees to express the aesthetic principles of this ancient art.

The findings are contextual and cannot be generalised. A generalisation of the result needs to be tested in a broader population.

Engaging in the bonsai hobby often fosters a sense of community among bonsai enthusiasts. Understanding these social connections can contribute to the development of supportive networks and enhance belongingness.

The study contributes to understanding the information experiences in serious leisure. It offers new evidence-based insights that can inform the design of information systems and services tailored to the needs of leisure pursuers.