This thesis presents a qualitative study of the factors impacting on collaborative projects in a cross-cultural setting, in this case academic projects carried out under the aegis of a large co-operative programme linking Europe and India. A case study approach is used, focussing on four projects that developed between European and Indian academic researchers, aimed at transferring knowledge between the two continents. The factors contributing to the success or failure of the projects are assessed. The major factors identified are fourfold: The alignment of the project with the personal goals of the participants The social, cultural and institutional contexts in which the projects take place The role of the coordinators The interaction and communication activity of participants, including the role of computer mediated communication. On the basis of the results of the study, an existing Activity Theory model developed by Cole (1988; 1998) to account for cross-cultural research is extended to encompass collaboration. The potential of the model as a management tool for future cross-cultural collaborative projects is presented.

This study seeks to understand the effect of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) on Teaching-Focused Academics working in Life Sciences in UK higher education institutions. Twenty-one full-time Teaching-Focused Academics from England, Scotland and Wales were interviewed about their academic roles. Using Engeström’s Activity Theory as an overarching framework, a picture emerged of the significant influence of REF on the academic roles of Teaching-Focused Academics despite their exclusion from the process. The status of Teaching-Focused Academics is influenced by REF, as they are perceived within academia to be lesser academics as they are not included in REF. It is also perceived as a deficit that they are not included in REF for pedagogic research. As a result of this perception, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning was further studied to investigate the practicalities of pedagogic research being included in future REFs. Although the participants in this study were active in SoTL, the emerging picture of pedagogic research was that its purpose was for the sharing of practice, rather than high impact research. Furthermore, there was evidence to suggest that engagement with SoTL was hampered by the existence of threshold concepts associated with it. This has implications for the suitability of pedagogic research inclusion in REF. In addition, the workload and priorities of Teaching-Focused Academics may be impacted by the introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework from 2016.

The present study investigates the information gathering behaviour of the academic researchers at Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman. It endeavours to explore researchers' awareness and attitudes towards information sources and services. Research methods for this study were designed from the user-centred perspective with triangulation approach. Hence, data was collected by the use of semistructured interviews as the main instrument with journal study and observation as supplementary tools. The information was collected from the members of the research community in their capacity as users of information. The study investigates the information needs and information gathering habits of the research community and attempts to identify the problems experienced by researchers in accessing and using information. It also seeks to explore the national policy for planning and provision of information. Finally the study examines the performance of the various information services in the context of user needs and the status of the institution library information service provision. The research concludes that present information environment at Sultan Qaboos University is inadequate to meet the information needs of the research community. It was found that the major causes for the situation was the lack of clear information policies, inadequate funding, ineffective partnership between top management and academic researchers, lack of effective in house training and finally absence of a reliable information technology infrastructure.