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

Power from the people

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 However, a reliance on overloaded tools and outdated systems used in conventional energy production contributed to problems.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.

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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.

Research pick: Across the border - "An international human rights law of migration? Reflections on the place of a right to immigrate"

International human rights law protects migrants once they are within a state’s jurisdiction but stops short of recognising the right to enter another country, according to a new analysis in the International Journal of Migration and Border Studies that argues this makes the system incomplete.

The author distinguishes between protecting the rights of migrants during their journeys and recognising migration itself as a human-rights issue. Under current international law, states generally retain the power to control entry and residence of foreign nationals. They argue that this approach creates a gap in the legal framework so that international human rights law recognises freedom of movement within states but holds that cross-border movement is largely governed by discretion at the national level.

The paper discusses an alternative where people have a right to immigrate and so are entitled to cross a border and enter another state, subject to justified restrictions. Such a right does not currently exist in international law. Recognising such a right would not mean removing all the current limits on immigration. However, it would change the legal question asked at the border crossing so that restrictions on entry would have to be considered as limitations on a human right and justified accordingly, rather than resting on the prior assumption that states are free to exclude.

The paper therefore calls for immigration to be treated as part of human rights law, bringing cross-border movement closer to the legal framework already applied to freedom of movement within states.

Mégret, F. (2026) ‘An international human rights law of migration? Reflections on the place of a right to immigrate’, Int. J. Migration and Border Studies, Vol. 9, No. 6, pp.132–150.

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: "Innovation for societal transformation in Africa: a strategic framework for inclusive growth"

The following International Journal of Business Innovation and Research article, "Innovation for societal transformation in Africa: a strategic framework for inclusive growth", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Mind your own business! - "Informal entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems: a systematic literature review and future research agenda"

A systematic review of informal businesses, published in the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, argues that they should be treated as part of the large entrepreneurial ecosystem rather than as a peripheral feature of the economy.

The team examined 72 research papers published between 2009 and 2025 in order to identify how informal businesses interact with networks, institutions, and resources and how those shape business activity in particular places. Informal businesses are those operating legally but without legal registration.

The scale of the issue is substantial. According to World Bank figures cited by the researchers, the informal economy accounts for about one-fifth of gross domestic product (GDP) and 16% of employment in advanced economies. In emerging and developing economies, it averages about one-third of GDP and 70% of employment. The authors argue that research on entrepreneurial ecosystems, the local systems of networks, organisations, institutions and resources that support entrepreneurship, has tended to concentrate on formal businesses.

The findings have implications for policies intended to formalise businesses. Rather than requiring immediate registration, the researchers suggest staged approaches, including simpler registration, accessible regulatory information and support that recognises alternative evidence of business activity. Such measures could also affect how incubators, accelerators, lenders and mentoring organisations determine eligibility.

The authors say future research should examine how these ecosystem mechanisms shape whether and how informal businesses enter the formal economy.

Naaimy, G. and Messeghem, K. (2026) ‘Informal entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial ecosystems: a systematic literature review and future research agenda’, Int. J. Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Vol. 59, No. 5, pp.1–31.

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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.

• Fuzzy control-based piano pedagogical research and innovation across cultures
• Dance motion quality assessment model integrating temporal attention and adversarial learning
• Design of intelligent piano teaching system based on computer vision and audio analysis
• Application of multi-element pattern classification and generation model in art design teaching
• Application of gradient boosting tree algorithm in quantitative evaluation of English learning effect in higher vocational education

New Open Access article available: "Hierarchical reinforcement learning-based UAV path planning and energy management"

The following International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications article, "Hierarchical reinforcement learning-based UAV path planning and energy management", 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: "Negative stiffness-enhanced elastic metamaterials for extreme-environment low-frequency vibration damping"

The following International Journal of Hydromechatronics article, "Negative stiffness-enhanced elastic metamaterials for extreme-environment low-frequency vibration damping", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Borderline cases - "Reconciling the tensions of the European deportation regime: how the law shapes compulsory mobility across borders"

European deportation practices are governed by a complex web of European, national and human-rights law, says the author of a paper in the International Journal of Migration and Border Studies. The study shows, based on 100000 French court cases, that national courts play a central role in determining whether individuals can be removed.

The research considers whether deportation is a form of “compulsory mobility”. In other words, movement across borders is imposed on individuals through legal orders rather than undertaken voluntarily. It brings together forms of removal that are often treated separately, including returns, expulsions and Dublin transfers, under which an asylum seeker may be transferred to another European country responsible for examining their claim.

The research looked at deportation judgements issued by French first-instance administrative courts between June 2022 and June 2025. France accounts for almost a third of return decisions issued to third-country nationals in the European Union, while deportation cases make up more than a quarter of judgements in the requisite administrative tribunals.

The study found that there are overlapping rules derived from EU asylum and migration law, EU citizenship law, readmission agreements and human-rights protections, including safeguards concerning family life and inhumane or degrading treatment. However, it then shows that these rules create competing pressures where legal frameworks generally facilitate removal and human-rights protections restrict it. Ultimately, because deportation orders can be challenged individually, national judges must reconcile these conflicting rules in everyday cases.

The work suggests that the way in which Europe’s deportation system functions cannot be understood solely through legislation at the European level. Its practical effects are also shaped by how national courts interpret and apply that framework in thousands of individual cases.

Lamé, A. (2026) ‘Reconciling the tensions of the European deportation regime: how the law shapes compulsory mobility across borders’, Int. J. Migration and Border Studies, Vol. 9, No. 6, pp.57–75.

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.

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.

• A performance-based green building assessment system: framework development and energy performance evaluation
• Multimodal perception-based assessment of value conduction deviation in short-form ideological and political videos
• Improving the accuracy of English pronunciation using graph neural networks and transfer learning
• A big data-driven framework for enhancing precision level in university ideological and political education: mechanisms and pathways
• Dynamic outlier detection for lexical richness in English writing

Research pick: Automating stereoscopic advertising optimisation - "Evaluation and optimisation method for graphic advertising design effectiveness based on binocular vision"

A computer-based method for evaluating and improving print advertisements by modelling how human binocular vision responds to images is discussed in the International Journal of Business Intelligence and Data Mining.

The researchers have combined three visual measures: a Gabor energy response, which captures patterns and edges detected by the visual system; a saliency map, which indicates areas likely to attract attention; and a disparity matrix, which measures differences between the views received by each eye and helps represent depth. Using these measures, the system can then generate an intermediate view between left- and right-eye images. It then extracts both global and local visual features and combines them with conventional single-eye features. The final assessment then drives automated improvements, including image segmentation, colour adjustment, and analysis of edge roughness to produce a better image. The process can be repeated as an evaluation-optimisation-re-evaluation loop.

Tests on 1200 samples found that visual-attractiveness assessment maintained accuracy above 90 per cent. After optimisation, subject saliency was raised and visual consistency improved by an average of 17.3 per cent and stereoscopic perception by 15.8 per cent. The system generally converged within three to five loops, or iterations.

The work addresses a broader problem in advertising: conventional design evaluation often depends on subjective judgements or isolated image metrics. By incorporating binocular cues, the visual difference between what each eye sees, the method can bring computer-based assessment closer to how people actually experience an advertisement.

Li, J., Wang, F. and Chen, H. (2026) ‘Evaluation and optimisation method for graphic advertising design effectiveness based on binocular vision’, Int. J. Business Intelligence and Data Mining, Vol. 28, No. 10, pp.103–119.

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Research pick: Spark flies to organise text - "English digital transformation algorithm for distributed big data based on Spark"

A distributed computing framework can group large volumes of English text more accurately and efficiently than older methods. The system has the potential to support faster analysis across education, government, and business, according to research published in the International Journal of Intelligent Information and Database Systems, allowing blocks of related text to be automatically sorted and grouped together, or clustered.

The work addresses a practical problem in digital transformation: much of the information generated by organisations is unstructured text, whose meaning can vary with context. Conventional clustering methods are often slow or produce inconsistent groupings when confronted with large, high-dimensional datasets.

The researchers used Apache Spark, a platform for processing data across multiple computers, with an improved K-means algorithm. K-means is a method of grouping data into clusters according to similarities. The researchers modified this tool by using density peaks and maximum-minimum criteria to select better starting points for the clusters, rather than relying on random initialisation.

In tests on multiple datasets they found that the new approach improved clustering accuracy by more than 10 per cent when compared with conventional K-means approaches. The system was also stable even when they ramped up the volume of data to be processed. Indeed, they could improve parallel performance by additional computing nodes.

The framework could help organisations organise and extract information from growing bodies of English-language documents more efficiently, while providing a more consistent basis for subsequent data analysis and decision-making.

Yao, X. (2026) ‘English digital transformation algorithm for distributed big data based on Spark’, Int. J. Intelligent Information and Database Systems, Vol. 18, No. 8, pp.1–28.

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