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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 Twins for Smart Cities and Villages

    • 1st Edition
    • October 17, 2024
    • Sailesh Iyer + 3 more
    • English
    Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Villages provides a holistic view of digital twin technology and how it can be deployed to develop smart cities and smart villages. Smart manufacturing, smart healthcare, smart education, smart agriculture, smart rural solutions, and related methodologies using digital twins are discussed, including challenges in deployment, their solutions and future roadmaps. This knowledge, enriched by a variety of case studies presented in the book, may empower readers with new capabilities for new research as well as new tasks and strategies for practical implementation and real-world problem solving.The book is thoughtfully structured, starting from the background of digital twin concepts and basic know-how to serve the needs of those new to the subject. It continues with implementation to facilitate and improve management in several urban contexts, infrastructures, and more. Global case study assessments further provide a deep characterization of the state-of-the-art in digital twin in urban and rural contexts.

  • Change Management in Information Organizations

    • 1st Edition
    • September 10, 2024
    • Zhixian Yi
    • English
    Against the background of the acceleration of change caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Change Management in Information Organizations presents topics in change management for information organizations that are of practical help for rapidly adapting to, and managing, changing circumstances. As organizations re-examine practices, services and resources, and innovate for competitive advantage, the book offers theoretical and evidence-based material: including empirical research and insights from academic library directors. It introduces fundamental concepts of change management enabling professionals to conceptualize, plan, set up, carry out and evaluate change. Across twelve chapters, this book provides a solution for those managing change in information organizations, bringing them up to speed on models, approaches and methods of change management. The book enables information professionals, academic librarians, archivists, museum specialists, library managers and administrators, university administrators, and graduate students in library and information science to successfully negotiate the new realities.

  • International Encyclopedia of Public Health

    • 3rd Edition
    • September 2, 2024
    • Stella R. Quah
    • English
    The International Encyclopedia of Public Health, Third Edition, Seven Volume Set is an authoritative and comprehensive guide to the major issues, challenges, methods, and approaches of global public health. Spanning across 7 volumes, 13 subject areas and 398 chapters, this new edition takes a multidisciplinary approach and presents the history, methodology, and latest advances in biomedical research and related scientific fields, including social sciences, life sciences, and bioengineering to address public health research, disease, health processes, and disciplines. The book offers readers evidence-based analysis and information on solutions to real-world problems in global and local health through a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach.Covering all dimensions of the field, from the details of specific diseases, to the organization of social insurance agencies, the articles included comprise the fundamental research areas of global public health: historical roots, scientific research methodology and approaches, public health of vulnerable population subgroups (the aged, children and adolescents, at-risk populations), environmental and occupational epidemiology, and much more.

  • Technological Pathways for Africa's Net-Zero Economy

    Technology Solutions to Unlock Africa’s Sustainable Future
    • 1st Edition
    • August 30, 2024
    • Samuel Chukwujindu Nwokolo + 3 more
    • English
    Technological Pathways for Africa's Net-Zero Economy: Technology Solutions to Unlock Africa’s Sustainable Future explores the potential of African countries to transition towards a net-zero economy. It highlights sustainable development challenges and opportunities Africa faces and provides insights on technological pathways toward this goal. The book emphasizes the importance of harnessing renewable energy resources, promoting green innovation, and building resilient infrastructure for a sustainable future. It calls for strong policy frameworks and international collaboration to support African countries in their transition. The book outlines seven scenarios supporting Africa's technological paths to a net-zero economy: leapfrogging, hybridization, adaptation, decentralization, sustainable development, promotion, and finance.These scenarios aim to adopt innovative technologies and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Investing in education and capacity-building programs is crucial for African countries to effectively implement sustainable energy solutions, so the book also highlights the role of education and awareness in fostering a culture of sustainability among African communities and empowering them to actively participate in climate action initiatives.

  • Smart City Assessment

    A Novel Framework for Development and Evaluation of Smart Cities
    • 1st Edition
    • August 13, 2024
    • Azzam Abu-Rayash
    • English
    Smart City Assessment: A Novel Framework for Development and Evaluation of Smart Cities outlines a new assessment model for smart cities, including energy, environmental, and economic factors. It introduces a new paradigm to the understanding of smart cities by defining it using eight main domains, each domain using four specific performance indicators. This book defines a smart city as one with a smart environment, smart economy, smart society, smart culture, smart governance, smart energy, smart infrastructure, smart transportation, and one that is resilient to pandemics and global emergencies.This book begins by outlining these basic elements of a smart city, from sustainability to transportation networks. It then proposes a framework for evaluation, before analyzing both technological and socioeconomic factors in more detail. Central to the reader’s understanding are the wide range of detailed case studies based on real-world cities, analyzing their smart-ness and demonstrating the application of a Smart City Index ranking based on the assessment criteria. The application of this novel and comprehensive methodology is applied on 20 cities worldwide and trends, relationships between indicators and domains are assessed to better understand the dynamic connections in this composite network of indicators. Providing the theoretical background as well as the practical assessment tools necessary, this book offers a timely discussion of the criteria and development for smart, sustainable urban living.

  • Introduction to Emergency Management

    • 8th Edition
    • August 7, 2024
    • George Haddow + 2 more
    • English
    Introduction to Emergency Management, Eighth Edition sets the standard for excellence in the field and has educated a generation of emergency management professionals. This trusted resource provides a comprehensive overview of core concepts in emergency management and instructs in their application, addressing why the emergency management profession exists, what actions its professionals and practitioners are tasked with performing, and what achievements are sought through the conduct of these various efforts. Students and new professionals alike will gain an enhanced understanding of key terminology and concepts, enabling them to work with emergency management specialists.Fully updated throughout, the new edition includes revised workflows and communications; explanations of FEMA, state, and local emergency management organizational policies; the growing role of the private sector in emergency management; Covid-19 pandemic preparedness and response; and the impact of climate change on emergency management policies and practices, among other timely examples and application areas. Each chapter features all-new case studies on recent disasters, key terms, summary points, and self-review questions. Student and faculty use is supported by an expanded ancillary package, featuring a fuller instructor manual, lecture PowerPoint Slides, and linked documents, data sets, references, and video examples.

  • International Perspectives on Public Transport Responses to COVID-19

    • 1st Edition
    • July 30, 2024
    • Takeru Shibayama + 1 more
    • English
    International Perspectives on Public Transport Responses to COVID-19Internationa... Perspectives on Public Transport Responses to COVID-19 examines the pandemic response of transport policymakers around the world and analyzes what can be learned to prepare for the next epidemic—or any other critical event that threatens transportation services. It combines theoretical analysis with a compendium of country-focused case studies to provide scientific evidence and decision-making support for the actions that each transportation official must make going forward.This book begins with Part 1, a thematic and comparative section on response and recovery efforts. It provides insights into topics such as mitigation strategies and preparedness of the public transport sector to epidemics prior to COVID-19; responses during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery from it; public transport services in urban and rural areas during the pandemic; and social (or physical) distancing and any other protective on-board measures. Part 2 then offers a set of international case studies, wherein various authors from different countries review their governments’ and operators' responses. Each chapter is guided by a set of common research questions based on disaster mitigation theory. Part 3 then focuses on learnings and comparative analysis from the COVID-19 pandemic for future epidemic mitigation strategies in the public transport sector.Governments, public transport authorities and operators, as well as students and researchers will learn what has and has not worked well during the COVID-19 pandemic. These insights will help them to mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover from unexpected disruptive events like pandemics in the future.

  • Scaling the Smart City

    The Design and Ethics of Urban Technology
    • 1st Edition
    • July 3, 2024
    • Nicole Gardner
    • English
    Scaling the Smart City engages with the smart city as a problem of scale. It disentangles the smart city from its corporate and technocratic stronghold by presenting an accessible design framework that productively aligns philosophical thinking on technology with foundational technical understandings of urban technology and smart system design.The knowledge and know-how to design and create urban technologies and smart cities are steadily moving from a niche field to a core industry competency. This book outlines a cross-scalar design framework, developed to teach smart city design to designers and engineers. It unpacks smart city initiatives and demystifies physical computing system design concepts, while complementing and mediating between critical social theory perspectives of the smart city and technically comprehensive case studies. The book’s analysis of real-world case examples and design prototypes demonstrates how design thinking and practice can better engage with the ethical implications of creating urban technologies and smart systems for society. It uses a clear, accessible, and instructive style of writing that synthesizes relevant scholarship and concepts to develop the reader’s foundational understanding of the contemporary smart city paradigm.This book is an invaluable resource for readers in the established fields and professions of design, architecture, urban design, and city planning, as well as the emerging fields of urban technology and urban interaction design.

  • Aircraft Leasing and Financing

    Tools for Success in International Aircraft Acquisition and Management
    • 2nd Edition
    • June 21, 2024
    • Vitaly Guzhva + 2 more
    • English
    Aircraft Financing and Leasing: Tools for Success in Aircraft Acquisition and Management, Second Edition provides students and industry professionals with unique insights into the latest developments in the Commercial Aircraft and Engine Leasing and Financing industry that has grown into one of the most distinctive and important industries globally. This book offers a blend of academic and professional views that make it educational and relevant to the everyday operations of the industry. It can be used as a stand-alone textbook as well as a practitioner's guide.Given the impact of the COVID-19 virus on airlines around the world, the industry has experienced substantial changes since the first edition was published. This second edition is thoroughly revised and includes some new case studies and an entirely new chapter on Environmental Considerations with Respect to Aviation Finance.Aircraft Financing and Leasing details the industry’s foundational concepts, including aviation law and regulation, airline credit analysis, maintenance reserve development, insurance, transaction cost modeling, risk management tools such as asset and credit diversification, and the art of lease negotiations. Different types of aircraft are explored, highlighting their purposes, as well as when and why airline operators and investors choose specific models over others. In addition, the book covers important factors such as modeling financial returns for leased aircraft and appraising aircraft values.Users will find this an ideal resource for practitioners or as an outstanding reference for senior undergraduate and graduate students.

  • Library Career Management in the Digital Age

    A New Tool for Development
    • 1st Edition
    • June 18, 2024
    • Katarina Michnik
    • English
    Library Career Management in the Digital Age, A New Tool for Development presents a new model, the Librarian Career Management Tool, that can be used to identify and structure possible opportunities and challenges to the career development of academic librarians in the digital age. Because of this heterogeneity in the field, there is a need for a theoretical and practical tool that distils variation down to fundamental principles which people can then work with. The tool discussed in the book collates all possible career paths into a taxonomy of influencing factors and natural relationships between these factors for the digital librarian context.The advantage of modeling these distinct patterns is to enable informed and far-sighted decisions on the motivations for the next steps in an individual’s career. In addition, it enables key trends in digital information management to be better understood.

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