Moral machines

Research in the International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly stepping beyond technical automation to train engineers in ethical decision-making. This, the work implies, could address a critical gap in the Industry 4.0 era.

According to new research, an AI-driven framework utilising natural language processing (NLP), knowledge graphs, and deep reinforcement learning can tailor ethics and professional competence training for individual engineers. By analysing engineering case studies against ethical guidelines and tracking user progress through dynamic learner profiles, the system might deliver personalised, adaptive teaching.

The researchers' tests on public datasets showed that their system worked better than traditional lecture-based methods and could predict professional competence and increase interactive training substantially.

Engineering education has in the past involved conventional lectures. That approach to teaching struggles to adapt to individual professional contexts or to incorporate ethical reasoning. Educational technology courses do exist online, but even they are typically optimised for simple performance metrics rather than measuring the true multifaceted value of what is taught and ultimately learned.

The work has implications for corporate compliance but also goes further. Automated and digitalised manufacturing systems are changing industries around the world. As such, the decisions engineers make have international societal and safety risks associated with them. By demonstrating that computers can model complex educational principles and foster a unity of knowledge and action, the team has shown that these computational tools are evolving from passive delivery platforms into what we might think of as active partners in professional development, especially when it comes to ethical and moral considerations.

Cai, S. and Lei, Y. (2026) ‘AI-powered precision training pathways for engineering ethics and professional competence in Industry 4.0’, Int. J. Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, Vol. 36, No. 12, pp.4–28.

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Making the most of minerals

Research in the International Journal of Business Innovation and Research suggests that African economies need to move beyond fragmented development strategies. This might be done by uniting digital technology, start-up networks, resource processing, and cross-sector partnerships into a single societal innovation ecosystem, the researchers explain.

The team proposes a conceptual framework designed to tackle persistent structural hurdles, including youth unemployment, energy poverty, and educational deficits. Such a framework might work by extending traditional innovation theories beyond corporate profits by putting more emphasis on broad social progress and inclusive growth.

Historically, innovation frameworks have been tailored to advanced Western economies. These prioritise company-level profits over poverty reduction. In contrast, the new framework discussed in IJBIR brings together various concepts and approaches, including digital technologies, entrepreneurial networks, and public-private collaboration, to help in the development of the domestic processing of raw critical minerals into higher-value products such as batteries prior to export. The approach circumvents the problems that arise when isolated initiatives, such as localized technology hubs or raw extraction projects, fail to generate widespread prosperity despite the potential for profits.

Demand for Africa's minerals is on the rise, partly thanks to the ongoing green energy transition. This new framework offers a strategic blueprint for resource-rich developing nations. Rather than remaining exporters of raw materials, such countries can build high-value domestic supply chains, boost employment, and leapfrog outdated industrial models.

Boikanyo, D.H. (2026) ‘Innovation for societal transformation in Africa: a strategic framework for inclusive growth’, Int. J. Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 41, No. 5, pp.1–26.

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What makes money go round?

A study of almost 1000 research papers in the field of digital finance has mapped out how technology, investor behaviour, and financial-market risk are connected. The work identified three distinct foundations rather than a single framework with implications for understanding how psychological factors influence financial decisions as well as how to develop viable algorithms that provide automated investment guidance.

The team used standard bibliometric analysis to find patterns and relationships across the literature published in this niche from 1991 to 2025. They carried out co-citation analysis to identify research that is frequently cited together, as well as keyword analysis to trace connections between research areas. Details are reported in the International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets.

Four main research streams were found: FinTech (financial technology) and investor behaviour, artificial-intelligence-driven investment decisions, market prediction, and automated trading and risk management. FinTech, market volatility and machine learning were identified as established “motor themes”, meaning areas that are both prominent and strongly connected to other research.

The researchers argue that their mapping of the literature has practical implications for developers, financial institutions, and regulators. Automated investment services may require clearer risk information and greater transparency about how recommendations are produced. Regulators could also pay closer attention to model risk and common signals used in automated trading.

Van Nguyen, N., Phan, H.T. and Tran, L.T. (2026) ‘The evolution of the digital finance literature on financial behaviour and market risk’, Int. J. Business and Emerging Markets, Vol. 18, No. 10, pp.1–32.

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Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems

The International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Aesthetic evaluation system of artificial intelligence generated graphic design based on convolutional neural network and expert scoring
• The informationisation and precise management mechanism of physical education teaching by introducing VGG19 network
• Automated audit report generation and risk insight based on large language models
• A computational framework for large-scale tail-risk assessment of CSI 300 constituents: algorithmic EVT-POT estimation, cross-sectional diagnostics and automated stress testing
• Athletes' physical fitness assessment and load regulation system based on TimesNet and short-term memory network

New Open Access article available: "Real-time logistics route planning and energy consumption simulation modelling from a green computing perspective"

The following International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling article, "Real-time logistics route planning and energy consumption simulation modelling from a green computing perspective", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Free Open Access special issue on "Intelligent Learning Ecosystems: AI, Metaverse and Emerging Technologies for Continuing Engineering Education – Part 2" published by International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning

The International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Intelligent English composition scoring method based on transfer paragraph segmentation and Pearson detection
• Construction of an English academic writing teaching algorithm integrating LLM and move segmentation
• ITGAM: a co-attention and multi scale attention tandem convolutional network for multimodal sentiment analysis in English speech
• English essay topic analysis using conceptual prior knowledge and Bi-GRU
• English machine translation based on parallel corpus mining and transfer learning

All quiet in the firing line

A study of the oil, gas and petroleum industry has found that “quiet firing” by employers is associated with higher levels of “quiet quitting” among employees, while strong workplace relationships can weaken that effect. The research appears in the International Journal of Business Information Systems.

Quiet quitting, a term that has gained prominence in recent years, describes employees limiting their work to their formal responsibilities rather than taking on additional effort. Quiet firing refers to employers indirectly encouraging workers to leave by creating an undesirable working environment or withholding opportunities and support.

The research showed that there is a positive relationship between the two practices: as quiet firing increased, so did quiet quitting. But the relationship was weaker where workplaces had greater social capital, the networks, trust, shared norms and relationships that enable people to cooperate and communicate with each other more effectively.

The findings have implications for human resource management as attention might move from the disengagement of individuals and the impact on turnover to overarching organisational behaviour. Rather than treating quiet quitting solely as a problem of employee motivation, the research suggests that management practices can contribute to withdrawal and should be considered too.

Rajabpour, E., Mohammadi, H., Amoozegar, A., Falahat, M., Shakib, S. and Omar, M.M. (2026) ‘Silent strategies: navigating the complex web of quiet firing and quiet quitting with social capital mediation’, Int. J. Business Information Systems, Vol. 53, No. 5, pp.1–25.

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New Open Access article available: "Multimodal simulation for diagnosing microstrabismus integrating electrooculogram and electroencephalographic signals"

The following International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling article, "Multimodal simulation for diagnosing microstrabismus integrating electrooculogram and electroencephalographic signals", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

New Open Access article available: "Performance evaluation of cricket players in Indian Premier League using DEA"

The following International Journal of Services and Operations Management article, "Performance evaluation of cricket players in Indian Premier League using DEA", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Research pick: Can you steel the force? - "Negative stiffness-enhanced elastic metamaterials for extreme-environment low-frequency vibration damping"

A new form of steel could be used to reduce low-frequency vibration in machinery operating in harsh environments, where conventional damping materials can degrade, and quickly lead to failure.

The new steel is a type of metamaterial. Metamaterials are materials that get their properties not only from the substances from which they are made but from how the material is structured. A natural example might be honeycomb. Bees use beeswax to create a honeycomb in their hive. Honeycomb is thus a metamaterial that has strength and structure that are very different from unstructured beeswax.

Writing in the International Journal of Hydromechatronics, the team describes how they have taken a type of steel known as 316L and incorporated cellular structures within the steel that have “negative stiffness. A structure with negative stiffness can bend or deform, but the amount of force needed to cause the deformation falls the more the material bends. Rubber and viscoelastic materials can absorb and dissipate vibrational energy through such deformation, but they can perish in harsh environments. The metamaterial based on structured steel 316L can behave a little like rubber and so absorb and dissipate energy but can survive harsh conditions much longer.

316L stainless steel is a particularly corrosion-resistant alloy with good mechanical strength and high-temperature stability. This makes it a good choice for vibration damping in equipment where exposure to seawater, heat or oil contamination, including ships, aircraft and industrial machinery, is common.

Song, Z., Rui, S., Yang, S., Zhou, Z and Wu, J.H. (2026) ‘Negative stiffness-enhanced elastic metamaterials for extreme-environment low-frequency vibration damping’, Int. J. Hydromechatronics, Vol. 9, No. 6, pp.1–28.

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Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems

The International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• An intelligent training platform for traditional Chinese opera integrating spatio-temporal graph convolution and reinforcement learning
• Regional industrial skill demand forecasting and adult education specialty setting based on LSTM-XGBoost
• Quantitative study on the characteristics of visual narrative composition of traditional cultural picture books based on graph-volume network
• Anti-cavitation morphology optimisation of hydraulic pump impeller based on deep neural network
• Multidimensional evaluation of rural revitalisation performance using entropy-weighted fuzzy assessment and machine-learning-assisted diagnostics

New Open Access article available: "Data-driven retail service operations: big data analytics capability, market orientation, innovation and marketing capabilities in Thailand's retail sector"

The following International Journal of Services and Operations Management article, "Data-driven retail service operations: big data analytics capability, market orientation, innovation and marketing capabilities in Thailand's retail sector", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

New Open Access article available: "Multi-UAV path planning methodology for dual-task power inspection scenarios based on genetic algorithm"

The following International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications article, "Multi-UAV path planning methodology for dual-task power inspection scenarios based on genetic algorithm", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Free Open Access special issue on "Big Data Industrial Application and Computing Innovation – Part 3" published by International Journal of Data Mining and Bioinformatics

The International Journal of Data Mining and Bioinformatics has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• End-to-end learning algorithm for intelligent annotation and knowledge extraction of cross-modal scientific big data
• Standardised storage model for exercise physiological data from wearable devices and mobile terminals
• AI-driven optimisation of sustainable packaging design using deep learning models
• Application of wearable sensors based on deep learning algorithms in real-time monitoring and early warning of sports injury

Research pick: Power from the people - "Operator perspectives and attitudes to evolving tasks and tools in power grid operations"

The shift towards distributed electricity systems is changing the work of operators responsible for keeping high-voltage grids stable, according to a study in the International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics. The researchers looked at the concerns of employees at 15 Nordic grid operators.

As renewable generation becomes more common, operators report undertaking more active balancing work to allow for the intermittent nature of power production from wind, solar, and other sources. Automation is regarded as essential, but the team says that respondents raised concerns about reliability, stress, and changing skill requirements. The team also found that attitudes towards new technology were shaped partly by previous experience. However, a reliance on overloaded tools and outdated systems used in conventional energy production contributed to problems.

The researchers argue that the challenge is not simply to introduce more sophisticated software. Transmission system operators (TSOs), which operate high-voltage electricity networks, must also adapt training, work design, and organisational structures to cope better with the new demands.

The findings also point to a changing definition of expertise. Traditional manual skills may become less central as operators monitor automated processes, interpret outputs and troubleshoot system behaviour. Some respondents questioned whether emerging skills, including understanding algorithms and debugging, fit their conception of the operator role.

However, the researchers argue that technology, responsibilities and organisational support should develop together, with operators involved in designing future control-room systems.

Svensson, S., Borell, J. and Osvalder, A-L. (2026) ‘Operator perspectives and attitudes to evolving tasks and tools in power grid operations’, Int. J. Human Factors and Ergonomics, Vol. 13, No. 5, pp.1–27.

News media may use this press release as source material, in whole or in part, provided the content is not materially misrepresented. A link back to the original article is appreciated.

New Open Access article available: "Silent strategies: navigating the complex web of quiet firing and quiet quitting with social capital mediation"

The following International Journal of Business Information Systems article, "Silent strategies: navigating the complex web of quiet firing and quiet quitting with social capital mediation", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Information and Communication Technology

The International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Optimisation model of AI adaptive teaching strategy integrating reinforcement learning and cognitive diagnosis
• Fracture distribution characteristics modelling in geotechnical engineering via deep morphological transformations
• Federated self-distillation graph neural network-driven internet of things edge abnormal event perception
• Cross-attention diffusion model for high-fidelity vocal melody synthesis
• Effects of image tracking and spatial depth of field on paper-shadow interaction experience in augmented reality

New Open Access article available: "The evolution of the digital finance literature on financial behaviour and market risk"

The following International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets article, "The evolution of the digital finance literature on financial behaviour and market risk", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

New Open Access article available: "Trust as a mechanism linking AI recommendation accuracy and investment performance among young investors in Indonesia"

The following International Journal of Electronic Finance article, "Trust as a mechanism linking AI recommendation accuracy and investment performance among young investors in Indonesia", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Free Open Access special issue on "AI and Digital Technology-Driven Innovation in Continuing Engineering Education and Lifelong Learning – Part 1" published by International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning

The International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• AI-powered precision training pathways for engineering ethics and professional competence in Industry 4.0
• Generative content synthesis with controllable output for engineering continuing education incorporating copyright rules
• Personalised generation of physical literacy curricula for engineering talent cultivation
• Precision-targeted provision of ideological education in construction engineering vocational education courses in the big data era
• Generative neural network for AI engineering education courses based on knowledge evolution

Research pick: Closing a quantum security loophole - "Enhancing IoT security in the post-quantum era: a hybrid approach to protection from impersonation attacks"

An approach to closing a security vulnerability in an emerging hybrid cryptographic protocol for Internet of Things (IoT) devices is described in the International Journal of Internet Technology and Secured Transactions. The flaw in such protocols, which are in transition between conventional and quantum computing, can allow third parties with some level of trust to impersonate legitimate devices and gain higher-level access illicitly. The new approach precludes such access without adding much to performance costs.

The researchers looked at a framework combining elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), a widely used public-key system, with post-quantum cryptography (PQC). These algorithms are designed to withstand attacks from future quantum computers. They demonstrated that this framework is vulnerable to semi-trusted third parties who might reconstruct authentication material derived from a device's identifying hardware characteristics and subsequently spoof the device.

With this in mind, the researchers modified the protocol by adding a post-quantum digital-signature scheme and isolating device key derivation from the third party. In their tests, they found that the revised protocol offered mutual authentication, protected session keys, resisted replay attacks, and prevented malicious third parties from accessing the necessary authentication material that would allow them illicit access.

Hassan, A., Ishaq, I. and Munilla, J. (2026) ‘Enhancing IoT security in the post-quantum era: a hybrid approach to protection from impersonation attacks’, Int. J. Internet Technology and Secured Transactions, Vol. 13, No. 9, pp.1–42.

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New Open Access article available: "Scaffolding GenAI-assisted peer feedback provision through metacognitive activities in nursing clinical training"

The following International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation article, "Scaffolding GenAI-assisted peer feedback provision through metacognitive activities in nursing clinical training", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.