Law and order in the age of Theoderic the Great (c.493–526)

Theoderic the Great has long been considered a supremely able ruler whose reign ushered in a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity to the Italian peninsula. A common explanation for this was his ability to provide justice swiftly and equitably by means of a highly Romanized judiciary. But as in the later empire, corruption and venality posed serious challenges, as did problems associated with the limitations of a pre‐modern government. While Theoderic attempted to remedy these structural weaknesses through the creation of new offices, the available evidence challenges long‐held assumptions as to just how successful he was in this regard.     

Capacity,scale and place: pragmatic lessons for doing community-based research in the rural setting

Community-based research (CBR) represents a particularly timely approach to rural research. Rural areas in industrialized nations are undergoing dramatic and rapid processes of economic, social and political restructuring. These forces, combined with a trend towards place-based development and territorial policy make CBR an appropriate rural method given its flexibility and sensitivity to local context. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the use and methods of CBR in the rural setting, drawn from our collective research experience in northern British Columbia. There has been increased attention paid to CBR, signalling a form of acceptance within the academy towards community-based and participatory methods. However, gaps exist in addressing the various approaches to conducting CBR and in considering the relevance of CBR in different contexts. Researchers also note the need for better training in the use of community-based methods. We reflect upon our rural CBR experience to offer insights and pragmatic lessons on effective methodological practices using a simplified framework of the key research process stages: preparing for community engagement, doing community-based research and after the fieldwork.     

Interpreting urban space through cognitive map sketching and sequence analysis

Traditionally, analysis of sketch maps of urban areas has focused on the interpretation of hand‐drawn renditions of features that are most familiar to individuals. Few researchers have investigated the sequence that sketchers use to identify features on the urban landscape and how these features are linked together to form a coherent ‘picture’ of an area. This article builds upon previous research by exploring the sequential pattern of sketch map creation. Two research questions are proposed, namely, can a repetitive sequential order in element inclusion be identified for different individuals sketching the same urban environment? If so what features are mapped in which order to create the sketchers' image of the city? Findings suggest that three distinct groups of cognitive maps exist, namely, sequential, spatial and hybrid, and that the map elements of each group are organised in a distinctive manner with paths and landmarks as principal elements. It is suggested that insights into this process provide more substance to understanding how individuals interpret and structure urban space and use this information to navigate both known and new environments.     

Hydrology and water resources in Canadian geography

Academic research on water by Canadian geographers encompasses both the physical and the social sciences. While this may provide for an integrated approach to water, there is limited engagement between the hydrologists who study the details of the hydrological cycle and those who study water resources and governance. This paper reviews the current state of water research in Canadian geography departments and possible emergent areas of research in the coming decade. As an overview, interjected with points of contention, future discourses on the subject may be encouraged.     

CROSS-CHANNEL SEAMANSHIP AND NAVIGATION IN THE LATE FIRST MILLENNIUM BC

Summary. This paper discusses the knowledge and skills required by seamen involved in cross-Channel trade in the late first millennium B.C. Aspects of seamanship and the techniques of pilotage and non-instrumental navigation are considered. The environmental conditions encountered on nine sea routes and at their associated landing-places are evaluated and compared.     

Exploring the Personal Histories of the Top Executives of US Firms Using a Quantitative Approach: Is There a Geographical Relationship with Corporate Headquarters,and Does It Influence Firm Performance?

This paper analyses where top executives were born and where they attended university to uncover regional groupings of the most influential executives that shape corporate culture and strategy in the United States. Within the context of this paper, it is argued that the personal histories of top executives influence their decision‐making abilities, and thus corporate culture. It was found that intra‐regional, intra‐state, and intra‐city links were noteworthy factors in executive selection. Distances were higher, and percentages of intra‐regional links were lower for more profitable and higher growth firms. This indicates that more competitive firms acquire executives that have experienced different institutions during their lives and university educations. On the other hand, less profitable and lower growth firms are more likely to obtain executives embedded in similar institutions that already exist within the firm. The results suggest that key choices made by corporate America are influenced in part by geography far more complex than its own operations.