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Books in Social sciences

The Social Sciences collection forms a definitive resource for those entering, researching, or teaching in any of the many disciplines making up this interdisciplinary area of study. Written by experts and researchers from both Academic and Commercial domains, titles offer global scope and perspectives.

Key subject areas include: Library and Information Science; Transportation; Urban Studies; Geography, Planning, and Development; Security; Emergency Management.

  • Digital Video Surveillance and Security

    • 1st Edition
    • Anthony C. Caputo
    • English
    Digital Video Surveillance and Security provides a blueprint for the IP-based electronic security system clients need, allowing security professionals to protect their client's place of business or home. The author gives detailed plans on the best camera position, areas of coverage, and hardware and software to select to maximize the effectiveness of newer lower-cost networked technologies. Clear, step-by-step descriptions and detailed illustrations describe the integration of such components as the current or new security system, door and window sensors, or other access controls, offering the capability of instantly launching a video of the area under surveillance on a computer or HDTV. Today's digital video surveillance solutions are networked, digitally archived, offering granular, managed accessibility from anywhere (any office, home, PDA, or smart phone), and providing interoperability and simple scalability. With recent advances in technology, DVS is economically attainable for most businesses. Security consultants can use this information to guide their clients in making budget-friendly choices of design and equipment and assembling the optimal system for their needs. Systems installers can use this step-by-step illustrated guide to master this crucial new technology.
  • Seven Deadliest Web Application Attacks

    • 1st Edition
    • Mike Shema
    • English
    Seven Deadliest Web Application Attacks highlights the vagaries of web security by discussing the seven deadliest vulnerabilities exploited by attackers. This book pinpoints the most dangerous hacks and exploits specific to web applications, laying out the anatomy of these attacks including how to make your system more secure. You will discover the best ways to defend against these vicious hacks with step-by-step instruction and learn techniques to make your computer and network impenetrable. Each chapter presents examples of different attacks conducted against web sites. The methodology behind the attack is explored, showing its potential impact. The chapter then moves on to address possible countermeasures for different aspects of the attack. The book consists of seven chapters that cover the following: the most pervasive and easily exploited vulnerabilities in web sites and web browsers; Structured Query Language (SQL) injection attacks; mistakes of server administrators that expose the web site to attack; brute force attacks; and logic attacks. The ways in which malicious software malware has been growing as a threat on the Web are also considered. This book is intended for information security professionals of all levels, as well as web application developers and recreational hackers.
  • Information Literacy Landscapes

    Information Literacy in Education, Workplace and Everyday Contexts
    • 1st Edition
    • Annemaree Lloyd
    • English
    Drawing upon the author’s on going research into information literacy, Information Literacy Landscapes explores the nature of the phenomenon from a socio-cultural perspective, which offers a more holistic approach to understanding information literacy as a catalyst for learning. This perspective emphasizes the dynamic relationship between learner and environment in the construction of knowledge. The approach underlines the importance of contextuality, through which social, cultural and embodied factors influence formal and informal learning. This book contributes to the understanding of information literacy and its role in formal and informal contexts.
  • Pursuing Information Literacy

    Roles and Relationships
    • 1st Edition
    • Emmett Lombard
    • English
    The primary purpose of Pursuing Information Literacy is to inspire individual thinking and application. The book reviews important information literacy and its social significance and the application of information literacy in a number of different sectors. The future of information literacy is explored in concluding chapters.
  • Gatekeepers of Knowledge

    A Consideration of the Library, the Book and the Scholar in the Western World
    • 1st Edition
    • Margaret Zeegers + 1 more
    • English
    Throughout its history, the Western library has played a significant role in bringing the book to the hands of Western scholars. This book analyses that history, examining constructs of librarianship, publishing and scholarship within that history as gate keeping access to knowledge. Exploring significant events in the field from the time of the Lyceum to the present day in the development of repositories of books and their access by scholars. Gatekeepers of Knowledge engages in an analysis of those events from a perspective that makes visible the ways in which the production, storage and access of books, have been privileged, while others have been marginalised.
  • The Critical Assessment of Research

    Traditional and New Methods of Evaluation
    • 1st Edition
    • Alan Bailin + 1 more
    • English
    This book examines the following factors: sponsorship of research, control of the dissemination of research, effects of dominant research paradigms, financial interests of authors, publishers, and editors, role of new technologies (for example, Web 2.0).It is widely accepted among researchers and educators that the peer review process, the reputation of the publisher and examination of the author's credentials are the gold standards for assessing the quality of research and information. However, the traditional gold standards are not sufficient, and the effective evaluation of information requires the consideration of additional factors. Controversies about positive evaluations of new medications that appear in peer-reviewed journals, the financial reports on Enron prior to the revelations that led to its collapse, and obstacles to the publication of research that does not conform to dominant paradigms are just a few examples that indicate the need for a more sophisticated and nuanced approach to evaluating information.Each of the factors is discussed in a factual manner, supported by many examples that illustrate not only the nature of the issues but also their complexity. Practical suggestions for the evaluation of information are an integral part of the text.
  • Aging, Ageism and Abuse

    Moving from Awareness to Action
    • 1st Edition
    • Gloria Gutman + 1 more
    • English
    Population aging is occurring worldwide. Reports of abuse and neglect of older men and women are also evident on a global basis. While much of the work on identification, treatment and prevention of abuse of older persons has been within the family setting, it cannot be separated from the broader experience of growing old in contemporary society. Time and time again, issues around legislation, policy and practice collide with human rights, societal attitudes and stereotypes. Raising awareness of the link among aging, ageism and abuse, is one goal of this book and a necessary first step in the battle to eliminate abuse and neglect of older persons. But awareness is not enough, action needs to be taken to develop, case finding procedures and remedial and preventive policies and programs that are elder-friendly both in intent and in the way that they are implemented. This book offers a thought-provoking examination of selected current policies and programs that have been developed within the health, social services and criminal justice systems. It highlights the special issues and vulnerabilities of older women, older men and persons from the LGTB community. It also features a unique approach to reaching young people through an educational program that shapes attitudes and behavior via graphic art.
  • Google and the Digital Divide

    The Bias of Online Knowledge
    • 1st Edition
    • Elad Segev
    • English
    Beneficial to scholars and students in the fields of media and communication, politics and technology, this book outlines the significant role of search engines in general and Google in particular in widening the digital divide between individuals, organisations and states. It uses innovative methods and research approaches to assess and illustrate the digital divide by comparing the popular search queries in Google and Yahoo in different countries as well as analysing the various biases in Google News and Google Earth. The different studies developed and presented in this book provide various indications of the increasing customisation and popularisation mechanisms employed by popular search engines, which together with “organising the world’s information” inevitably also intensify information inequalities and reinforce commercial and US-centric priorities and agendas.
  • The Evaluation of Research by Scientometric Indicators

    • 1st Edition
    • Peter Vinkler
    • English
    Aimed at academics, academic managers and administrators, professionals in scientometrics, information scientists and science policy makers at all levels. This book reviews the principles, methods and indicators of scientometric evaluation of information processes in science and assessment of the publication activity of individuals, teams, institutes and countries. It provides scientists, science officers, librarians and students with basic and advanced knowledge on evaluative scientometrics. Especially great stress is laid on the methods applicable in practice and on the clarification of quantitative aspects of impact of scientific publications measured by citation indicators.
  • Practical and Effective Management of Libraries

    Integrating Case Studies, General Management Theory and Self-Understanding
    • 1st Edition
    • Richard Moniz Jr.
    • English
    Aimed at library science students and librarians with newly assigned administrative duties the book is about improving one’s thinking and decision making in a role as a library manager. Most librarians get very little exposure to management issues prior to finding themselves in a management role. Furthermore, most library science students do not expect that they will need to understand management yet they quickly find that there is a need to understand this perspective to be effective at almost any library job. Effective library management is about having some tools to make decisions (such as a basic understanding of management theory and how it applies in the library environment, understanding common traps we all fall into, etc.), knowing yourself, being able to motivate others, fostering a diversity (especially within workgroups), being able to communicate effectively, and having an understanding of one’s organizational culture. The book touches on all of these aspects of library management.