Anna Villarroya

Response Rates and Data Quality in Web and Mail Surveys Administered to PhD Holders

Despite the extensive use of web surveys today, there are certain methodological factors related to participant cooperation and data quality, which remain unclear and require further study. Here, the authors compare responses to a survey administered in two formats—electronic or by post—in terms of overall response rate and the quality of the data collected. Web and mail questionnaires were sent to a sample of 572 PhD holders, asking them about aspects related to their academic career and personal and family data to investigate the factors that determine scientific productivity. The web questionnaire elicited a significantly higher response rate than the mail questionnaire. Response rates did not differ between males and females; however, topic salience had an effect on the response rate. Finally, data quality was higher in web surveys than in the mail surveys, with fewer overall errors, fewer missing items, and longer responses in open-ended questions.

Scientific output and impact of postdoctoral scientists: a gender perspective

This paper analyses the scientific output and impact of 731 Ph.D. holders who were awarded their doctorate at Spanish universities between 1990 and 2002. The aim was to identify any differences in the amount of scientific output and the impact of publications, in terms of citations, according to gender. The analysis revealed no significant differences in the amount of scientific output between males and females. However, the proportion of female Ph.D. holders with no postdoctoral output was significantly higher than that of their male counterparts, and the median number of papers published after Ph.D. completion was also lower among women. As regards pre- and postdoctoral research, the data showed that early scientific output may be a good predictor of subsequent productivity in both gender groups. The results also indicated that articles by female Ph.D. holders were cited significantly more often, even when self-citations were excluded.

PhD theses in Spain: A gender study covering the years 1990–2004

In this study we analyse gender equality in the preparation, supervision and defence of PhD theses in Spain in the period 1990–2004.The results indicate a tendency towards greater equality in the number of men and women successfully completing doctoral studies. However, the gender imbalance among thesis supervisors and on thesis assessment boards is more apparent, with a predominance of male academics. Moreover, the gender of the PhD student is clearly related to the gender of the supervisor, and both are related to the gender of the members of the assessment boards of PhD theses in Spain.

The inequalities in school choice in Spain in accordance to PISA data

In Spain as in other European countries, policies on school choice have been implemented in tandem with the channelling of public resources into private education. Given the application of public money to private schooling, the primary objective of this paper is to analyse the extent to which Spanish families enjoy equality in their ability to exercise school choice. To do so, the analysis focuses on the factors that affect school choice in Spain using data from the 2003 and 2006 PISA evaluations. Specifically, the influence of personal, family, geographic, motivational and educational policy factors are all considered in the context of deciding whether to attend a public or private school. The results reveal a broad similarity across the factors driving the selection of private schools which either receive some public funding (known as ‘concerted’) or independent, showing a greater proportion of families from better socioeconomic, educational and cultural backgrounds in these types of schools. In addition, the geographic distribution of schools has an effect on school selection. Given that concerted schools form part of the public educational offering (because of the state funding they receive), the state has the ability to take a wide range of actions to promote greater equality of choice in the case of public and concerted schools. In this respect, a series of measures are set out regarding student selection, the distribution of information and the geographic distribution of schools.

Cultural policies and national identity in Catalonia

This article looks at the general trends regarding identity in Catalan cultural policy. National identity is not a new issue in Catalonia, since language and culture have been key factors in constructing the Catalan nation throughout its history. Nevertheless, the increasing flow of immigrants from other countries, particularly since 2000, has resulted in a strengthening of identity issues. The article examines how this social change has affected the definition of cultural policies and describes the measures implemented by the Catalan government. We conclude that considerable progress has been made in terms of the promotion of national identity through cultural policies, although some questions remain regarding the social use of the Catalan language and the consumption of cultural products in Catalan.

Changing trends in Spanish library services: Conceptualization and measurement in official statistics

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how public libraries have been conceptualized and measured in official Spanish statistics over the past 15 years. This allows us to reflect on the transformation of the very nature and aims of libraries during the first 15 years of the 21st century. We examine the main official statistical source of information on cultural participation, the Survey on Cultural Habits and Practices in Spain, and track the impact of social change and digitization on library services. By analysing the 2002–2003, 2006–2007, 2010–2011 and 2014–2015 surveys, we monitor changes in the questionnaires and in the derived indicators, and relate the findings to general trends and challenges for public libraries in contemporary societies.

The institutionalization of Brazilian cultural policies after the military dictatorship (1985–2016)

Abstract Cultural policies in Brazil have experienced both advances and setbacks in a predominantly undemocratic institutional environment. The fact that a large part of the population has been constantly deprived of their basic rights has undermined the monitoring and social control of public policies. Within this context, culture, seen historically as a luxury, has been considered relatively unimportant and the policy analyses dedicated to it have not kept pace with other areas such as education and health. Analyses of cultural policies invariably focus on certain sectors or instruments and are dispersed over different disciplines. In this article, we seek to provide an overview and assessment of post-military dictatorship cultural polices in Brazil. To do so, we use a holistic analytical framework in order to assess Brazilian cultural policies through five axes: institutional configuration, instruments of intervention, distribution of competences by levels of government, lobby capacity of actors and logics, and priorities, goals and values of cultural policies.

Measuring Participation in the Arts in Spain

This chapter provides an overview of the primary sources of statistical information available on cultural participation as well as some research over the last two decades. We start by presenting alternative sources of information: official statistics provided by the Spanish National Statistics Office and by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (or by the former Ministry of Culture), and international, national public opinion surveys, and regional statistics. We proceed reviewing research using the aforementioned information. We also identify some areas that deserve future attention, and conclude with a discussion of comparative issues and policy recommendations.

A cluster analysis of the business models of Spanish journals

This article provides an analysis of Spanish journals’ business models. It presents an integrated approach to the concept of a business model, looking at (1) economics and finances, (2) operation, and (3) the strategic dimensions of the publishing activities. It is based on a cluster analysis of 327 journals that responded to a survey carried out between November 2012 and March 2013. Our findings revealed four business models that differed mostly in the economic and financial dimensions. The greatest difference between the clusters was in the distribution of expenses, and two different operational patterns were revealed by the allocation of staff and volunteer resources. The main barrier to open access was perceived to be financial limitations by three clusters and organizational structure by one cluster, with the subscription‐based journals least likely to be open access or to be tempted to become open access.