Anita Greenhill, Kate Holmes, Jamie Woodcock, Chris Lintott, Brooke D Simmons, Gary Graham, Joe Cox, Eun Young Oh and Karen Masters
The purpose of this paper is to examine intrinsic forms of motivation and particular incidents of play, socialisation, fun and amusement on an online crowdsourced citizen science…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine intrinsic forms of motivation and particular incidents of play, socialisation, fun and amusement on an online crowdsourced citizen science platform. The paper also investigates gamised activity (Greenhill et al., 2014) as a form of intrinsic motivation adding a sense of play to work and tasks (Xu et al., 2012). These concepts are explored through close scrutiny of the online citizen science platform Zooniverse.org.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative techniques with an interpretivist approach are used to analyse online content found within citizen science platforms, related forums and social media by examining incidents of play, socialisation, fun and amusement to investigate how these aspects are applied as a form of user motivation.
Findings
The authors find that when users classify crowdsourced tasks voluntarily it does not matter how users are classifying as long as it is accurately. However, what does matter is why they are doing it particularly because of the complex processes that builds relationships between users and the platform. The authors present a conceptual model to enable deeper understandings of how forms of social interaction and play are motivating users contributing to citizen science project to participate in the online processes.
Practical implications
The findings of this paper provide practical implications for how citizen science, and also other crowdsourcing platforms, can engage with notions of play and gamification to motivate participation.
Originality/value
Using detailed examples of online content, the authors reveal how participants of the Zooniverse.org demonstrate aspects of “gamised” behaviour. The authors argue that the exploration of gaming as well as play provides evidence that contributing to citizen science projects can be both utilitarian and hedonic.
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Keywords
Roopinder Oberoi, Ian G. Cook, Jamie P. Halsall, Michael Snowden and Pete Woodock
Social enterprise plays a pivotal role in helping people and communities. Since the global financial crisis of 2008, there has been an upsurge of social enterprise within a local…
Abstract
Purpose
Social enterprise plays a pivotal role in helping people and communities. Since the global financial crisis of 2008, there has been an upsurge of social enterprise within a local, national and global context. The purpose of this paper is to explore the debates and issues presented by social enterprise in a very complex globalized world.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors apply two geographical case studies: China and India. The purpose for selecting both China and India is their increasing economic super power on the global stage. It is argued that the concept of social enterprise within the geographical context of China and India is significant to their individual economies.
Findings
The concept of social enterprise within the geographical context of China and India is significant to their individual economies and as explored within the notion of “think global, act local” the conceptual debates of place, space and time enables people to take positive action and enable the development of healthy communities.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the discussion around the definition of the nature of social enterprise and gives concrete examples of the contextually specific nature of the term.
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Jeremy Woodcock and Jamie Gill
The purpose of this paper is to describe the attempts by one youth homelessness service to implement the conceptual ideas of the psychologically informed environment (PIE) into a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the attempts by one youth homelessness service to implement the conceptual ideas of the psychologically informed environment (PIE) into a practical and beneficial service for very challenging young people who have been homeless, are leaving care or have left custody.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach of the paper is descriptive, outlining the thinking behind a PIE with young people and the operationalising of this understanding in the day-to-day practice of the service.
Findings
Although homelessness and housing support staff are not therapists, the nature of the work entails a need for understanding and sensitivity, and the activities of the service are designed to create positive opportunities and relationships. Reflective practice, supervision and evaluation are then essential tools in developing a “learning organisation”, where the collective dynamics at an organisational level support the psychological work of the PIE.
Research limitations/implications
The implications for homelessness work that can be drawn from the outcome of this project is to better understand how the PIE linked to the concept of a learning organisation can provide a truly robust framework for providing a service that can evolve harmoniously, tying in disparate funding streams to offer very challenging young people an outstanding service that addresses their homelessness and its underlying causes.
Practical implications
The practical implications shown are the psychological skills that can be developed in housing workers; the limits of those skills and how they are complemented by partnership work with other voluntary sector organisations and mainstream health providers; how the ideas of the learning organisation can naturally underpin the work of the PIE.
Originality/value
The combination of the concept of the learning organisation, reflective practice and the PIE provides a highly original and truly robust framework for providing housing workers with the psychological tools to make a transformative difference in the lives of especially vulnerable young homeless people.
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Claire Gately, Andrew Bowen, Anne Kennedy, Wendy MacDonald and Anne Rogers
This paper explores the perceptions of prisoners to the barriers and opportunities for managing long term conditions in a prison setting. A qualitative study using semi‐structured…
Abstract
This paper explores the perceptions of prisoners to the barriers and opportunities for managing long term conditions in a prison setting. A qualitative study using semi‐structured interviews was conducted with prisoners from two local prisons in England. All the prisoners involved in the study had a long term condition and were attending an Expert Patients Programme (EPP) course, a lay‐led self care programme. A number of themes emerge from the data in relation to the impact prison has had on lifestyle and control of long term conditions. The structured prison regime allowed some to regain control over previously chaotic lifestyles but the lack of access to a healthy diet and exercise facilities as well as lack of opportunities to practice new health behaviours learnt whilst in prison, prevented a healthier lifestyle being adopted. Another main theme was in relation to the ability of prisoners to negotiate access to health care services and professionals. The study found a number of pre‐existing factors which would need to be addressed if prisoners were to become fully engaged in future health initiatives, such as EPP.