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There is an inclination towards openness in research greatly supported by the accessibility of open access theses and dissertations (OATDs) from many universities and research institutions through institutional repositories or collaborative efforts like the OATD.org. This study aims to explore different trends in the availability of theses through OATD.org to assess different dimensions concerning the OATD landscape.

An online survey was conducted to examine the availability of theses from 1994 to June 2023. The indexed theses were analyzed for their incorporation into OATD.org during different time frames. The data were further analyzed to reveal different facts concerning OATDs, with a focus on their growth and evolving trends.

OATDs are fast becoming available globally, with a significant overall growth rate. The data depicts growing trends in almost all the identified time frames, with the highest during 2004–2008. Moreover, there is a significant gap in the availability of OATDs from different geographical domains, with the highest-indexed OATDs from developed countries, indicating that the OATD landscape is still in its infancy in developing nations.

This study is limited to the coverage encompassed by the OATD.org portal, which is the best and most significant resource for finding OATDs published worldwide.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first ordered and thorough attempt to explore the trends in the availability of OATDs through OATD.org.

In the current scenario, with rapid socioeconomic transformation occurring in all aspects of society, the adversities experienced by older adults have come to the forefront. The lived experiences within joint families are making it harder for the elderly to adjust to the changed familial setup. In such a situation, they undergo many problems which are most often overlooked and considered not worthy of serious attention. Loneliness and isolation are the most crucial and serious issues experienced by the elderly within the nuclear family. After spending a significantly larger part of their lives within large families, with caring people, interdependent, adjusting to the changing familial setup has become hard and strenuous. Moreover, lack of emotional support is yet another major concern of the elderly. As they grow older, care and emotional support become necessary to maintain an effective and active life in old age. However, such emotional support and care that the joint family offered is missing in the changing familial setup. Now, in light of these issues, this paper aims to explore the multidimensional concerns of the elderly (60 years and above) who, on account of familial transitioning from joint to nuclear in Kashmir, are experiencing isolation and other, hard to adjust, life changes. The paper is based on 20 oral narratives conducted, over time, with elderly people undergoing life changes due to family transition from joint to nuclear. The finding of the study revealed that the elderly experience a greater degree of change in their lifestyle due to the family transition from joint to nuclear.

This is a qualitative study that describes the multidimensional concerns of the older adults. The study was conducted in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir using in-depth face-to-face interviews with 20 respondents aged 60 years and above who have witnessed a transition in family from joint to nuclear and have undergone many problems during this transition. Apart from this, two interviews with the sons of older persons were also included in the study to know the status of age in the current situation. After the data was collected from the first 10 respondents, the study witnessed a data saturation, as the same set of results were obtained. Meanwhile, 3 more respondents were included in the study to make sure that no data was left behind; however, again same results were witnessed. This led the investigator to halt the data collection process. Thereafter, the data was then analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis technique, which involved familiarizing oneself with the data, looking for themes, validating and refining themes, identifying and labeling themes and finally creating the report.

The traditional joint family is undergoing rapid transformation in the current scenario. With a trend toward the nuclearization of families, which resulted in the diminishing status of the elderly, the vulnerabilities of the elderly have come to the forefront (Kumar et al., 2014). The transition of the family from joint to nuclear can be difficult for the elderly as it involves the elderly having to adjust and adapt to a new social milieu, which can be quite complex as it involves major changes in their lifestyle and daily routine. The elderly may also experience difficulty with increased social isolation and reduced family interaction. Such problems may seem insignificant and trivial to the younger ones, but stepping into the shoes of the elderly would help us understand the intensity and vulnerability of such problems. This cultural shift is quickly making changes, in part due to the rise of individualism in modern societies and the existence of a consumerist perspective among the younger generations. Such situations lead to greater alienation and isolation among the elderly from society in general and the members of the family in particular.

The is an empirical study conducted to know the status of older adults in nuclear families.

The purpose of this study is to examine the appropriate components and sub-components of Muslim-friendly hospital practices that comply with Islamic medical ethics and Sharia requirements.

A systematic literature review procedure based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses publication standards was used to analyse and identify the precise components and sub-components of Muslim-friendly hospital practices from 239 shortlisted papers.

The study revealed that Sharia compliance prescription, Islamic infrastructure, Islamic medical practices, compassion and support, competencies of Islamic medical services, conducive Islamic surroundings, reasonable and convenience services and Islamic work culture are important elements that need to be in practice by Muslim-friendly hospital providers.

This study focuses on studies conducted between January 2010 to August 2022 from the Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar databases. This study contributes to the literature through the identification of eight main components and 53 sub-components that were found to be the core and essential determinants in the establishment of the Muslim-friendly hospital practices framework.

The proposed Muslim-friendly hospital practices framework are envisaged to motivate policymakers in Malaysia and Indonesia as well as other Muslim countries to implement the proposed framework through a greater number of supportive legislative measures as well as practical promotion and education policies to further enhance the market.

The number of health-care providers contemplating the integration of Islamic or Muslim-friendly practices into their strategic plans and daily operations is continuously increasing. However, the dearth of studies that provide conclusive evidence of the correct determinants of Muslim-friendly hospital practices that ensure strict Islamic medical ethics and Sharia-compliant service delivery standards had created an impediment that needs to be addressed urgently.

This study aims to examine the extent to which traditional juristic approaches to determining intention in Islamic law are altered in the institutional framework and standard-setting project of the Malaysian state.

The study used the transnational law theory, which views normativity as culturally, socially and religiously embedded. The development of norms, customs and laws is also contingent on self-maximizing behavior. The Sharīʿa Advisory Council’s interpretation of the bayʿ al-ʿīnah standard is a case study of this approach to the development of law.

This study shows that traditional approaches to determining the validity of an Islamic contract have been displaced by the institutional logic of the state, which prioritizes uniformity and certainty in law and reflects liberal, Western and capitalistic values. Islamic standard setting is part of the state’s objective to uniformize law due to the globalization of financial markets. The normative collisions in the standard-setting project produce a new jurisprudence based on the state’s uniform and purposive determination of a contract’s validity.

Further research on institutional frameworks is needed to conceptualize how Islamic commercial principles and ethics can be incentivized in the state’s legal systems.

Few works, if any, have examined the interaction of the state’s institutional environment with jurists’ traditional approaches to determining contractual intention. Most scholarship assumes the decisive role of market forces, but the role of law and institutions in this context is under-researched.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the Sharīʿah Basis of AAOIFI’s Sharīʿah Standard No. (60) – “Waqf” and gain an insight into the Islamic jurisprudential schools of thought depended on while drafting/issuing the standard.

This research uses a qualitative methodology and AAOIFI’s Sharīʿah Standard No. (60) – “Waqf” as a case study. This is referred to as a single/holistic case study design.

The findings of this study reveal that while AAOIFI’s Sharīʿah Standard No. (60) – “Waqf” did depend on the Maliki school of fiqh, it certainly referenced other jurisprudential schools of thought, such as Ḥanafī and Shāfiʿī schools of law. This raised a question of legal pluralism and how contemporary Sharīʿah jurisconsults are able to select rulings within particular Islamic jurisprudential schools to fit current needs and for the overall betterment of society.

This research does not delve into the technical aspects of AAOIFI’s waqf standard (furūʿ al-fiqh), but rather, is limited to understanding the basis of rulings therein and the jurisprudential schools of thought heavily depended on.

Given that the (revised) AAOIFI waqf standard is relatively new, limited studies have been conducted particularly focusing on the basis of Sharīʿah rulings therein. This research contributes to knowledge by providing one of the starting points to deliberate on this matter.

The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive systematic literature review using bibliometric approach to investigate the academic structure of World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement research.

The study examines the bibliographic information for 1,858 articles from Scopus and the Australian Business Deans Council-indexed journals published between 1995 and 2024 using Dimensions.ai and Google Scholar search engines. Exploratory-cum-descriptive research design with bibliometric approach is used to answer the stated literature review research questions.

The data shows a gradual decline in WTO-Dispute Settlement System (WTO-DSS) research relative to the total international business area in the three decades. Developed countries appear as key contributors to the research, with the USA and the UK standing out as the most productive and influential research countries. The study shows a significant change in the focus of this research corpus from legalized to non-legalized approaches, with a greater emphasis on transparency and environmental sustainability. The research identifies global politics and international trade law as influential subjects in the discipline.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study is a first of its kind where bibliometric approach has been used to study the evolution of WTO-DSS literature. The study adds to the understanding of WTO Dispute Settlement research patterns and recommends future research options.

This paper aims to examine the acceptance of Zakat institutions in Malaysia towards Micro Credit-Qard Hasan Financing through Zakat Fund (MCZF) for post-pandemic asnaf entrepreneurs. The study is motivated by the declining trend in Zakat collection and the increasing number of asnaf individuals in the post-pandemic period. This necessitates alternative initiatives such as the MCZF scheme by Zakat institutions. However, the reception of the MCZF scheme in Malaysia is unfavourable, despite studies suggesting its suitability for Zakat institutions and asnaf entrepreneurs.

This study adopts a qualitative methodology involving library and field research as data collection methods. The library research encompasses reviewing relevant books, articles, statutes and circulars. In terms of the field study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five selected Zakat management officers from Zakat institutions and two proficient academics specialising in Shariah and Zakat management. The interview data generated several themes analysed using the content analysis method. Consequently, the snowball method was employed to determine the sample size of Zakat institutions, ensuring comprehensive coverage of their acceptance of the MCZF scheme.

The study’s findings reveal that three Zakat institutions accept the MCZF scheme for implementation, justifying it as a matter of differing opinions (khilaf) that allows room for ijtihad based on the current needs and well-being (maslahah). However, one of the Zakat institutions expresses unpreparedness to implement the scheme due to obstacles posed by an official fatwa. Additionally, the study demonstrates that two Zakat institutions reject the MCZF scheme, citing reasons such as the principle of direct ownership (tamlik) in giving Zakat funds, the prohibition specified by the official state fatwa, and the prevailing societal expectation of direct Zakat distribution without loans.

This study focuses solely on five Zakat institutions in Malaysia, all of which have specific fatwas concerning the MCZF scheme. Future research may explore Zakat institutions in other states. Furthermore, this study specifically concentrates on asnaf entrepreneurs. Hence, further research could investigate the applicability of the MCZF scheme for other asnaf groups, such as asnaf students.

This study examines the acceptance of Zakat institutions towards the MCZF scheme and the justifications provided by Zakat institutions for its implementation. The findings of this study can guide Zakat institutions in Malaysia in accepting and implementing the MCZF scheme. It can significantly impact these institutions by assisting asnaf entrepreneurs in securing capital and expanding their businesses.

This study has substantial implications for society, particularly for asnaf entrepreneurs, as loans provided through Zakat funds can help boost their business capital. Consequently, this can elevate the asnaf group from being recipients of Zakat to becoming contributors. Furthermore, when Zakat funds are provided as debt to asnaf entrepreneurs, they can be motivated to grow their businesses since they commit to repaying the debt through instalments.

This study analyses the acceptance of the MCZF scheme by Zakat institutions in Malaysia as an alternative initiative to support asnaf entrepreneurs after the pandemic.

It aims to understand crowdfunding’s effect on women’s entrepreneurship and summarize key findings, methods, and challenges women face in using crowdfunding for financing.

This literature review examines 36 empirical studies on crowdfunding use by women entrepreneurs. It follows the PRISMA framework, using Scopus and citation tracking to categorize studies on crowdfunding’s potential to empower women financially and address their barriers to accessing finance.

The review identified seven key themes: opportunities and challenges for women in crowdfunding, equity crowdfunding’s potential, gender differences in crowdfunding outcomes, the role of social capital and networks, investor trust and decision-making, the influence of language, communication, and platform design, and the importance of considering intersectionality and context. Crowdfunding offers women entrepreneurs access to capital and helps them overcome traditional financing barriers. Women-led campaigns achieve comparable or even higher success rates compared to their male counterparts. However, under-representation, lower funding requests, pitching difficulties, and limited access to networks remain as challenges.

This study has limitations inherent to systematic reviews, including potential methodological flaws or biases in the included studies and the exclusion of relevant studies due to time and resource constraints.

Crowdfunding can be promoted as a viable financing option for women entrepreneurs and design targeted initiatives to support them. Building social capital, enhancing financial literacy, and creating networking opportunities can contribute to their success in navigating crowdfunding platforms effectively.

This review offers a comprehensive analysis of empirical studies conducted between 2012 and 2023. It provides up-to-date insights, identifies key themes, and offers actionable recommendations for policymakers and organizations seeking to support women entrepreneurs in effectively accessing and utilizing crowdfunding platforms.

This study aims to explore the evolving field of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) through an analysis of 996 records retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database from 2019 to 2022.

WoS database was analyzed for PINNs using an inhouse python code. The author’s collaborations, most contributing institutes, countries and journals were identified. The trends and application categories were also analyzed.

The papers were classified into seven key domains: Fluid Dynamics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD); Mechanics and Material Science; Electromagnetism and Wave Propagation; Biomedical Engineering and Biophysics; Quantum Mechanics and Physics; Renewable Energy and Power Systems; and Astrophysics and Cosmology. Fluid Dynamics and CFD emerged as the primary focus, accounting for 69.3% of total publications and witnessing exponential growth from 22 papers in 2019 to 366 in 2022. Mechanics and Material Science followed, with an impressive growth trajectory from 3 to 65 papers within the same period. The study also underscored the rising interest in PINNs across diverse fields such as Biomedical Engineering and Biophysics, and Renewable Energy and Power Systems. Furthermore, the focus of the most active countries within each application category was examined, revealing, for instance, the USA’s significant contribution to Fluid Dynamics and CFD with 319 papers and to Mechanics and Material Science with 66 papers.

This analysis illuminates the rapidly expanding role of PINNs in tackling complex scientific problems and highlights its potential for future research across diverse domains.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a decision support model to prioritize equity crowdfunding (ECF) evaluation criteria under an uncertain environment.

The proposed decision support model first identifies a holistic list of evaluation criteria and subcriteria. These criteria are then analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method in an interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy (IVIF) environment to identify the relative importance attached by crowdfunding investors to five sets of evaluation criteria (fundraiser, platform, project, campaign and investment characteristics) and their associated subcriteria. The proposed decision support model and ECF evaluation criteria were empirically examined using a real-life case study from January to February 2023.

The case study illustrated that the decision support model enhanced fairness and transparency in the prioritization of ECF evaluation criteria. Project characteristics were the most important criterion, followed by fundraiser characteristics and investment characteristics. These results can serve as a benchmark to help crowd investors choose ventures more wisely and make better investment decisions.

The tasks of modeling and prioritizing ECF evaluation criteria are relatively rarely addressed in the literature, especially under uncertainty. This study is one of the first attempts to use the AHP to explore ECF evaluation criteria in an IVIF environment; in particular, it sheds light on the importance that crowd investors attach to criteria related to fundraiser, platform, project, campaign and investment characteristics.