The latest edition of the ECER VETNET Proceedings has been published, including the papers submitted at the European Conference on Educational Research in Gothenburg (Sept. 2008).

ECER VETNET Proceedings: http://www.ecer-vetnet.wifo-gate.org/
Proceedings 2008: http://www.b.shuttle.de/wifo/abstract/!ecer08.htm

The Proceedings 2008 have been produced in collaboration between the European Research Network in Vocational Education and Training (VETNET), with Ludger Deitmer and Pekka Kämäräinen as co-editors, and the Research Forum WIFO. As in previous years, the paper proceedings are linked to the conference programme and resources available on the VETNET site:

VETNET site: http://www.vet-research.net/

In addition to the annual lists of papers, the ECER VETNET Proceedings on the WIFO site offer an Index of papers covering the whole period of 1998 to 2008. This index arranges the papers by author, country and keyword. At the same time, the index serves as an overview of outcomes. In particular, it presents the thematic profile of papers, defined by the most important 'keyword' in its immediate context, the 'core topic'.

Index of keywords: http://www.b.shuttle.de/wifo/p-index3.htm

This year's input of papers includes several new keywords (presented in italics as part of the core topic concerned):

    * enterprise providing qualifications (EU)
    * European core profile / occupational core profile (EU)
    * monitoring  VET systems (EU)
    * permeability from VET to HE (AT)
    * personal professional theories (NL)
    * planning in vocational education and training (DK)
    * recognition of prior learning (IE; SE)
    * validation of experiential learning (FR)
    * vocational and higher education modules (DE)

New in this year's edition is a map showing the most frequent keywords, arranged by paper and year, from 1998 to 2008.

Map of top keywords 1998 to 2008:  http://www.b.shuttle.de/wifo/p-map3.htm
(Map for downloading/ printing:) http://www.b.shuttle.de/wifo/p-MAP3.pdf

This map highlights thematic trends of papers over the 11-year period. Most striking is the top position of learning as the dominating theme. This and other frequent keywords, such as VET and training, mark thematic continuity of research during the whole period. More specific time spans indicate thematic changes. While there are several newly arising themes, such as learning & work, competence and evaluation, other themes disappear after an initial period, for instance HRD (probably with the emergence of the parallel European HRD conferences!). A few keywords turn up for brief time spans only, for instance identity, producing a thematic highlight related to a specific European project.

Finally, a complete list of papers (1998 to 2008, present total 320) is made available on the WIFO proceedings page, sorted by author, title and year:

Proceedings papers 1998 to 2008:  http://www.b.shuttle.de/wifo/vet/ECER98-08.pdf

You are welcome to view the ECER VETNET proceedings and to send your comments and suggestions about how to further develop this collaborative research resource.

Kind regards
Sabine Manning