Search results

1 – 10 of 881
Per page
102050
Citations:
Loading...
Access Restricted. View access options
Book part
Publication date: 25 October 2019

James Martin, Jack Cunliffe and Rasmus Munksgaard

Abstract

Details

Cryptomarkets: A Research Companion
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83867-030-6

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Book part
Publication date: 16 August 2023

Abstract

Details

Digital Transformations of Illicit Drug Markets: Reconfiguration and Continuity
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80043-866-8

Access Restricted. View access options
Book part
Publication date: 25 November 2024

Alexia Maddox

In this chapter, I unpack the sociotechnical frontier of Web3, anchoring its analysis in the historical intertwining of computational histories and cryptographic cultures. It…

Abstract

In this chapter, I unpack the sociotechnical frontier of Web3, anchoring its analysis in the historical intertwining of computational histories and cryptographic cultures. It explores the case study of cryptomarkets to illustrate the originating culture of a laissez-faire-valuing techno-elite. The chapter traces the computational and social origins of Web3, from Robert Axelrod’s work on cooperation to the cypherpunk movement and the development of digital currencies. The Silk Road cryptomarket serves as a microcosm of the larger Web3 ecosystem, offering insights into its potential to disrupt established systems and the complex policy considerations this disruption gives rise to. The chapter examines the community dynamics, social connection, and identity-building practices within cryptomarkets, revealing the tension between experimental energy and outsider perspectives. It situates the emergent form of the Web3 community within its history of technological development, moving beyond community dynamics to larger shifts in computational process and power. The chapter concludes by offering policy recommendations that address trust in decentralised systems, adapt to borderless digital communities, and empower innovative forms of activism through technology. The chapter maintains a critical stance throughout, acknowledging the diverse and sometimes contradictory nature of the Web3 community while exploring its potential to reshape digital interactions and challenge existing power structures.

Details

Insider and Outsider Cultures in Web3: Data Ownership, Transparency and Privacy
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-795-6

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 21 March 2024

Monica J. Barratt, Ross Coomber, Michala Kowalski, Judith Aldridge, Rasmus Munksgaard, Jason Ferris, Aili Malm, James Martin and David Décary-Hétu

Drug cryptomarkets increase information available to market actors, which should reduce information asymmetry and increase market efficiency. This study aims to determine whether…

197

Abstract

Purpose

Drug cryptomarkets increase information available to market actors, which should reduce information asymmetry and increase market efficiency. This study aims to determine whether cryptomarket listings accurately represent the advertised substance, weight or number and purity, and whether there are differences in products purchased from the same listing multiple times.

Design/methodology/approach

Law enforcement drug purchases – predominantly cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and heroin – from Australian cryptomarket vendors (n = 38 in 2016/2017) were chemically analysed and matched with cryptomarket listings (n = 23). Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted.

Findings

Almost all samples contained the advertised substance. In most of these cases, drugs were either supplied as-advertised-weight or number, or overweight or number. All listings that quantified purity overestimated the actual purity. There was no consistent relationship between advertised purity terms and actual purity. Across the six listings purchased from multiple times, repeat purchases from the same listing varied in purity, sometimes drastically, with wide variation detected on listings purchased from only one month apart.

Research limitations/implications

In this data set, cryptomarket listings were mostly accurate, but the system was far from perfect, with purity overestimated. A newer, larger, globally representative sample should be obtained to test the applicability of these findings to currently operating cryptomarkets.

Originality/value

This paper reports on the largest data set of forensic analysis of drug samples obtained from cryptomarkets, where data about advertised drug strength/dose were obtained.

Details

Drugs, Habits and Social Policy, vol. 25 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2752-6739

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 18 October 2018

Sara Rolando and Franca Beccaria

The purpose of this paper is to analyse dynamics amongst members to better understand in what terms and to what extent marketplace forums can be seen as new forms of harm…

133

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse dynamics amongst members to better understand in what terms and to what extent marketplace forums can be seen as new forms of harm reduction.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative analysis focused on conversations about psychoactive substances on the forum community of AlphaBay Market. A sample consists of 100 online threads. The data, collected in July 2016, were analysed by applying the grounded theory approach with the support of Atlas.ti.

Findings

Conversations in the marketplace forum focus mostly on the purchase. Concerns and disputes are voiced in a significant proportion of them, and interactions are affected by a climate of distrust where stigmatisation processes can emerge between users of different drug categories. This casts a certain amount of doubt on the thesis that marketplace forums – like online forums – are new forms of harm reduction and peer-led communities.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on only one marketplace forum. Other such forums should be analysed to corroborate its findings.

Practical implications

Harm reduction interventions in the online environment should take different form according to the forum type, and take the differences and boundaries that separate users of different substances into account.

Originality/value

Thanks to its infrequently used qualitative approach, the study provides a more thorough understanding of the relationships on marketplace forums.

Details

Drugs and Alcohol Today, vol. 18 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1745-9265

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Book part
Publication date: 25 November 2024

Alexia Maddox

This chapter introduces the book’s purpose: to explore the niche technology space of Web3 and use it as a lens to reflect on the internet’s future. I’ll discuss the internet’s…

Abstract

This chapter introduces the book’s purpose: to explore the niche technology space of Web3 and use it as a lens to reflect on the internet’s future. I’ll discuss the internet’s current state and key issues and then move into a definitional tour of Web3 and its underlying technology. The book’s core argument is presented: Web3 provides tangible social proof of what people want for the internet’s future. I’ll examine current challenges such as privacy concerns, unclear data ownership, and lack of transparency in online systems, which create power imbalances between technology controllers and users. The book argues for striving towards a more equitable and transparent digital future. This chapter serves as a starting point, offering insight into my decade-long research. It aims to familiarise readers with the case study approach and Web3 terminology used throughout the book. A chapter-by-chapter roadmap is provided to guide readers through the exploration of Web3 and its implications. Additionally, this chapter introduces my writing style and voice, preparing readers for the deeper analysis to come. While grounded in sociological knowledge, the chapter aims to make Web3 accessible and spark readers’ curiosity, encouraging them to pursue their own inquiries into this emerging field.

Details

Insider and Outsider Cultures in Web3: Data Ownership, Transparency and Privacy
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-795-6

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 28 June 2021

Michael Clark, Michelle Cornes, Martin Whiteford, Robert Aldridge, Elizabeth Biswell, Richard Byng, Graham Foster, James Sebastian Fuller, Andrew Hayward, Nigel Hewett, Alan Kilminster, Jill Manthorpe, Joanne Neale and Michela Tinelli

People experiencing homelessness often have complex needs requiring a range of support. These may include health problems (physical illness, mental health and/or substance misuse…

380

Abstract

Purpose

People experiencing homelessness often have complex needs requiring a range of support. These may include health problems (physical illness, mental health and/or substance misuse) as well as social, financial and housing needs. Addressing these issues requires a high degree of coordination amongst services. It is, thus, an example of a wicked policy issue. The purpose of this paper is to examine the challenge of integrating care in this context using evidence from an evaluation of English hospital discharge services for people experiencing homelessness.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper undertakes secondary analysis of qualitative data from a mixed methods evaluation of hospital discharge schemes and uses an established framework for understanding integrated care, the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care (RMIC), to help examine the complexities of integration in this area.

Findings

Supporting people experiencing homelessness to have a good discharge from hospital was confirmed as a wicked policy issue. The RMIC provided a strong framework for exploring the concept of integration, demonstrating how intertwined the elements of the framework are and, hence, that solutions need to be holistically organised across the RMIC. Limitations to integration were also highlighted, such as shortages of suitable accommodation and the impacts of policies in aligned areas of the welfare state.

Research limitations/implications

The data for this secondary analysis were not specifically focussed on integration which meant the themes in the RMIC could not be explored directly nor in as much depth. However, important issues raised in the data directly related to integration of support, and the RMIC emerged as a helpful organising framework for understanding integration in this wicked policy context.

Practical implications

Integration is happening in services directly concerned with the discharge from hospital of people experiencing homelessness. Key challenges to this integration are reported in terms of the RMIC, which would be a helpful framework for planning better integrated care for this area of practice.

Social implications

Addressing homelessness not only requires careful planning of integration of services at specific pathway points, such as hospital discharge, but also integration across wider systems. A complex set of challenges are discussed to help with planning the better integration desired, and the RMIC was seen as a helpful framework for thinking about key issues and their interactions.

Originality/value

This paper examines an application of integrated care knowledge to a key complex, or wicked policy issue.

Details

Journal of Integrated Care, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1476-9018

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 11 October 2018

David Patton

Whilst drug use appears to be common amongst university students, the purpose of this paper is to move beyond mere drug prevalence, and use the six dimensions of normalisation to…

1668

Abstract

Purpose

Whilst drug use appears to be common amongst university students, the purpose of this paper is to move beyond mere drug prevalence, and use the six dimensions of normalisation to better understand the role and place drugs play in the lives of university students.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 512 students completed a student lifestyle survey.

Findings

A differentiated normalisation is occurring amongst different student groups; the social supply of drugs is common, and some users are “drifting” into supply roles yet such acts are neutralised. Students are “drug literate” and have to navigate drugs, and their consumption, availability and marketing, as part of their everyday student life.

Practical implications

Student drug use is not homogenous and very little is known about the nuances and diversity of their use/non-use beyond prevalence data. Qualitative studies are needed to better understand the processes of differentiated normalisation and social supply.

Originality/value

This is the first study in the UK to use the six dimensions of normalisation amongst a sample of university students.

Details

Safer Communities, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-8043

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 1 February 2000

P.E.D. LOVE, J. SMITH, G.J. TRELOAR and H. LI

Architectural and engineering firms (design firms) have eschewed implementing quality assurance (QA) and other subsequent aspects of quality such as continuous improvement. Their…

504

Abstract

Architectural and engineering firms (design firms) have eschewed implementing quality assurance (QA) and other subsequent aspects of quality such as continuous improvement. Their reluctance to embrace QA has been found to be a contributing factor in the production of poor quality contract documentation. Missing, conflicting and erroneous information contained within contract documentation are major sources of rework and customer dissatisfaction in construction projects. If design firms are to significantly improve the quality of the service they provide, they should implement ISO 9000 quality management and assurance standards. By implementing such standards, it is suggested that design firms will be able to contribute more effectively to the value adding process in the construction supply chain. It is argued that the service offered by design firms should be viewed as a key component of value that drives its success. Therefore, because rework is a major source of dissatisfaction in projects, a case study was used to determine how its occurrence inhibited value creation and thus the quality of service provided. From the case study findings, the need for design firms to implement ISO 9000 quality management and assurance standards so as to improve their service quality is discussed.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 13 July 2020

Andreas Zaunseder and Angus Bancroft

Trading illicit drugs on cryptomarkets differs in many ways from material retail markets. This paper aims to contribute to existing studies on pricing by studying the relationship…

298

Abstract

Purpose

Trading illicit drugs on cryptomarkets differs in many ways from material retail markets. This paper aims to contribute to existing studies on pricing by studying the relationship between price changes in relation to changes in nominal value of the cryptocurrency. To this, the authors qualitatively study product descriptions and images to expand the knowledge on price formation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analysed 15 samples based on visual and textual scrapes from two major drug markets – for Dream Market between January 2014 and July 2015 and for Tochka between January 2015 and July 2015. This longitudinal study relates changes in process to variations in the Bitcoin exchange rate and selling strategies. The analysis of the marketing of drugs online also addressed the development of the vendor profile and product offers.

Findings

Product prices change in relation to variations in the Bitcoin exchange rate. This points to the application of mechanisms for automatic price adaptations on the market level. Real prices of the drug offers constantly increase. The authors assert that there is a bidirectional relationship. Vendors structure price and discounts to encourage feedback. And feedback in combination with signals of commitment and authenticity inform pricing. Product descriptions are an important feature in the successful marketization of goods, whereas product images are predominantly used as an aspect of recognisability and feature of the vendor’s identity.

Research limitations/implications

Findings suggest that there is great potential for further qualitative research into the relationship between the online and offline identity of drug vendors, as well as price setting when entering the market and subsequent changes for offered products.

Practical implications

Findings also suggest that further investigation into the constitution and management of vendor’s identity on the cryptomarkets would allow a better understanding of vendors and their interactions on cryptomarkets.

Social implications

A better understanding of drug trading on cryptomarkets helps to more effectively address potentials for harm in the online drug trade. Also targetting crime would benefit from a better understanding of vendor idenities and pricing.

Originality/value

The findings represent a valuable contribution to existing knowledge on drug trading on cryptomarkets, particularly in view of pricing and vending strategies.

Details

Drugs and Alcohol Today, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1745-9265

Keywords

1 – 10 of 881
Per page
102050