Research and Education
http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/
The Higher Education Academy has a number of well-developed databases of materials designed for educators, and the Economics Network is one that should not be missed. The homepage includes a brief introduction to the network and an area designed particularly for newcomers to the site. On the right hand side of the homepage, visitors can take in economics podcasts and learn about new case studies, such as "Teaching and Learning Economics Through Cinema". Leaving that area, visitors will want to click on the "Resources" area to delve into their "Reflections on Teaching" series and their 600 sources of online teaching materials, including glossaries, interactive tutorials, and online texts. From there, visitors are also welcome to sign up to receive monthly email updates and also look at their other sites, which include "Why Study Economics?" and "Internet Economist". [KMG]
http://sunsite3.berkeley.edu/wikis/congresearch/
Making a clear and direct path through the vast amount of Congressional materials can be quite a chore, even for the most seasoned and experienced researcher. Fortunately, the University of California at Berkeley Library has created these fine Congressional tutorials. Designed to help users locate materials both online and in the library, these tutorials are in the form of short Flash-enabled videos. Most of the tutorials last about two minutes, and they include "Find a Bill", "How Do I Contact My Representative?", "Find Congressional Debate", and "Find a Hearing". After viewing one (or more) of these tutorials, users can also make their way to the "What's going on in Congress right now?" area to stay on top of the various activities of this important legislative body. [KMG]
http://www.historyandpolicy.org/
Some might wonder about the connection between history and contemporary policymaking. Well, the passionate and dedicated individuals at the History & Policy organization are committed to looking at the intersection of these two areas of inquiry and research. History & Policy is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge, The Institute of Historical Research, and The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It is managed by its four founding historians, and visitors to the site can browse their papers by theme, author, or keyword. The papers offer a wide range of perspectives on history and policy-related matters, and recent works have included papers on social housing and tenant participation, genocide in the twentieth century, and "The Prime Minister as World Statesman". Practicing historians can also sign up to join their network, and anyone is welcome browse through their events calendar and register for email updates. [KMG]
http://www.foodpolicyinstitute.org/default.asp
Established as a research unit of Rutgers University, the Food Policy Institute is interested in "supporting public and private decision makers who shape aspects of the food system within which government, agriculture, industry and the consumer interact." Interested parties can get the basic sense of what the Institute does on a regular basis by looking over the short introductory essay in the "About Us" area. Moving on, users can look over the "Research Projects" area, and then make their way to the "Publications" area. Policymakers and agricultural specialists will be delighted to learn about reports such as "The U.S. Food Import System: Issues, Processes and Proposals" and "The Economic Impact of Agritourism in New Jersey: A 2006 Assessment". The site is rounded out by the "Resources" section, which contains handy links to government agencies, academic institutions, and industry groups working in this area. [KMG]
http://icarus.med.utoronto.ca/neurons/index.swf
Most people might know that neurons are electrically excitable cells in the nervous system that process and transit information. But after that, many more might ask: "How do they work?" or "What kind of actions can they perform?" This website, created by researchers at the University of Toronto, steps in to help answer such difficult questions through interactive presentations and animations. Visitors will find twelve different topical sections here, including "Anatomy of a Neuron", "Axonal Transport", and "Neurotransmitter Release". Each of these sections includes dynamic visualizations, coupled with textual explanations that help users understand what's going on. And for visitors who find themselves having difficulty navigating the site, there is also a "How to Use the Program" primer that's quite nice. Additionally, teachers and others can download selected animations from the site for use in non-commercial purposes. [KMG]
http://missinglinkpodcast.wordpress.com/
Professor Elizabeth Green Musselman of Southwestern University is excited about the history of science, and she's devised a rather ingenious way to get others excited about it as well. She's created a monthly podcast which can be found on this site, along with lists of suggested readings for those who are looking for additional information. Episodes currently available include "Time's Arrow", which features an exploration of time's "strange behavior" and "Constant Companions", which looks at the animals that have accompanied humans through the history of scientific study and medical discovery. Visitors will find that these podcasts are informative, witty, and quite accessible and they can also sign up to receive the RSS feed from the site. [KMG]
Working high above the ground below, researchers who study forest canopies work together on a number of unique scientific endeavors, including tracking the flora and fauna of these unique ecosystems. The Global Canopy Programme is an alliance of 29 scientific institutions interested in exploring "the range and economic value of forest ecosystem services and to share [their] findings with decision-makers in government and finance." Visitors can get acquainted with the Programme's work by watching a short introductory video, read a few journal entries, and look at their latest press releases. The "Forest Ecosystems" area provides a brief overview of the benefits that forest ecosystems provide, such as soil stabilization, climate buffering, and rainfall generation. From there, visitors can look at their "Publications" area, which features factsheets and full-length reports, including "Ecosystem Services of the Congo Basin Forests". [KMG]
http://www.conflictandhealth.com/
Public health experts, doctors, policymakers and others are increasingly interested in the relationship between health and conflict. A number of those people recently collaborated to create the "Conflict and Health" journal. The journal is part of the BioMedCentral publishing group, and it is an open access, peer-reviewed publication, which looks at "the intricate relationship between conflict and health, and how health interventions in war zones may contribute to peace." There is no better way to explore the journal than by looking at some of the recently published articles on their homepage. Recent pieces have included works on HIV and AIDS services in Myanmar and post-traumatic stress disorder among Somali ex-combatants. Visitors can also take a look at their publishing guidelines and sign up to receive their RSS feed. [KMG]
