Purpose: This paper aims to examine the nature and sufficiency of descriptive information included in open datasets and the nature of comments and questions users write in relation to specific datasets. Open datasets are provided to facilitate civic engagement and government transparency. However, making the data available does not guarantee…

The cancer survival rate has increased and family physicians (FPs) follow cancer survivors who experience long-term problems. Clinical practice guidelines outline best practices in cancer survivor care, but most FPs are unaware of this information. Little is known about specific barriers to survivorship guideline implementation in primary health…

Background: Often, a principal's responsibilities include making decisions about the appropriateness of educational programmes to adopt in their school. Recommendations about programmes can be conflicting; so, a principal may need to search for evidence to inform their decision. Purpose: The purpose of this small-scale study was to clarify how…

Purpose: Public education is an important institution in any democracy, and the significant resources invested form a critical pillar in its provision. The evidence used to manage said resources is, therefore, an important issue for education leaders and a matter public interest. The purpose of this paper is to consider the role education finance…

This article accepts a definition of reconciliation that includes a need for fundamental change in society. The article argues that "knowledge" is critical to the business of the academic enterprise and that the relationship the academy has with knowledge is fundamental; for the academy to truly reconcile, then, changing that…

In 2016, Dalhousie University's Research Ethics Board created an interdisciplinary working group to identify the key ethical challenges of SoTL research, with the overarching aim of recommending best practices and communicating these to researchers in order to support and expand the conduct of ethically sound SoTL research. This essay reflects on…

Online consumer health information (OCHI) is being used at an unprecedented rate, and this trend is expected to continue. Most people have used OCHI, and many may have seen the outcomes of this use (either positive or negative or both). Education and income, as indicators of socioeconomic status, are important contextual factors influencing OCHI…

In this article the authors report findings from a practice-based study that examines the cultural practices of data use among 59 science and engineering faculty from three large, public research universities. In this exploratory study they documented how faculty use teaching-related data "in the wild" using interviews and classroom…

Population-based outcome monitoring could provide useful information about factors that differentially influence the developmental trajectories of deaf or hard-of-hearing children. A strong basis for population-based outcome monitoring is a coordinated, longitudinal data collection, and management infrastructure that includes quality local…

Recent changes in Canadian copyright law have prompted Canada's educational institutions to reexamine their need for a blanket copying license. Users' rights under the amended Copyright Act now include fair dealing for purposes of education, and the Supreme Court has established that copying short excerpts for classroom use can qualify as fair…

Digitalisation, globalisation, demographic shifts and other changes in work organisation are constantly reshaping skill needs. This can lead to persistent skill shortages and mismatch which are costly for individuals, firms and society in terms of lost wages and lower productivity and growth. These costs can be reduced through better assessment…

Chemical information literacy is an essential skillset for navigating, evaluating, and using the wealth of print and online information. Accordingly, efforts are underway to improve students' acquisition and mastery of this skillset. However, less is known about students' abilities related to finding and using chemical information to solve…

In the past five years, there has been considerable interest in the decision-making process of school board officials in the field of education. However, a paucity of research exists on how these leaders use online resources to inform decision-making. Through an online survey and face-to-face interviews, this study examined the use of online…

The Ministry of Advanced Education (British Columbia) continues to work on key deliverables outlined in the "Minister's 2015/16 Mandate Letter" (see Appendix B) and the "BC Jobs Plan" to contribute to a strong economy and secure tomorrow for British Columbians. The ability of citizens to take full advantage of their growing…

A key assumption in efforts to implement and improve cross-government public reporting systems is that legislators will make use of the performance information to enhance accountability and improve program and policy effectiveness. This five-year study is an assessment of expectations and actual uses of annual performance reports by elected…