Dear Readers,
We are excited to announce FLAME University’s new academic journey through the launch of the FLAME Working Paper Series. Through this Series, we intend to document and present high-quality research that faculty and students at FLAME University are engaged in. We hope that this in-house research platform serves as a route to stimulate cross-disciplinary conversations, innovations in thinking, and sharing of interventions and practices. To make the Series inviting, substantive and generative, we are accepting a range of formats such as evidence-based commentaries, carefully written field notes, research reports, technical papers, policy briefs and academic zines in addition to full-length papers. Notably, following the University’s longstanding ideals of inclusivity, diversity and academic integrity, this Series is freely accessible to all interested readers.
While we launch this critical endeavor, we recognize that the success of this Series will depend on the intellectual support of its academic community. We hope that you choose this Series to showcase your pre-publication work and allow the FLAME community to appreciate the value of shared thinking, methods, and epistemes. We hope that this Series grows in its scope and intellectual stature in the coming years and that it is recognized as a platform for promising theoretical and applied work.
Finally, we record our gratitude to the Vice Chancellor, Dr Dishan Kamdar, and the Research & Development Cell at FLAME University for wholeheartedly supporting this initiative.
For more information on the scope and submission processes, we welcome you to explore the Series website at: https://www.flame.edu.in/research/flame-working-paper-series
Best wishes
- Dr. Tannistha Samanta, Dept. of Social Sciences
- Dr. Prasad Pathak, Associate Dean, R&D Cell
- Dr. Sunil Rajpal, Dept. of Economics
- Dr. Anuradha Batabyal, Dept. of Physical and Natural Sciences
About us
Aims and Scope
FLAME working paper series is an in-house research platform of FLAME University aimed at showcasing FLAME University research in the areas of of economics, management sciences, humanities (includes history, language, literary and cultural studies), physical and natural sciences, psychological sciences, computer and data sciences, and the social sciences, namely sociology, international relations/political science, public policy, and anthropology. The FWPS is dedicated towards an active dissemination of scholarly research and serves as a platform for an early distribution of preliminary research findings. Typically, the series aims to accept and showcase pre-publication versions of high-quality research papers, or reviews that can help in not only forging an interdisciplinary dialogue but also advancing and mapping the cross-cutting fields. The FWPS aim to explore contemporary issues, exchange ideas, sparks academic and policy conversations, and foster collaborations. Researchers at all career stages are invited to submit their work.
Objectives
- Showcasing the university research in various subject domains.
- Stimulating academic and policy discussions thereby contributing towards the advancement of knowledge on the subject matter.
- To encourage critical thinking, exchange of ideas and promote research and innovation.
Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief – Tannistha Samanta, Ph.D., Department of Sociology
Senior Editors
- William Joe, Ph.D., Population Research Centre, Institute of Economic Growth
- Anuradha Batabyal, Ph.D., Department of Physical and Natural Sciences, FLAME School of Liberal Education
- Prasad Pathak, Ph.D., Department of Physical and Natural Sciences, FLAME School of Liberal Education
- Sunil Rajpal, Ph.D., Department of Economics, FLAME School of Liberal Education
Associate Editors
- Lily Kelting, Ph.D., Department of Humanities and Languages, FLAME School of Liberal Education
- Yashobanta Parida, Ph.D., Department of Economics, FLAME School of Liberal Education
- Moulika Mandal, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, FLAME School of Liberal Education
- Devendra Kumar Jain, Ph.D., Department of Finance, FLAME School of Business
- Frederick Herbst, Ph.D., Department of Marketing, FLAME School of Business
- Ramna Walia, Ph.D., Department of Media and Journalism, FLAME School of Communication
- Amit Kundal, Ph.D., Department of Design, Art & Performance, FLAME School of Design, Art & Performance
Submission Guidelines
Submission and Formatting Instructions
FWPS welcomes unpublished original contributions that have not been submitted, or accepted for publication elsewhere at the time of submission. However, the published working papers are eligible for submission in the peer-reviewed journal with the due acknowledgement and declaration. Following are specific submission and formatting related instructions for authors:
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All Submissions via email to fwps@flame.edu.in.
- Main text for working papers should be between 3500 to 6000 words excluding tables, figures and references.
- Contributors are urged to follow formatting guidelines as mentioned below:
- Manuscripts to be submitted in PDF version only.
- Sequence of Manuscript
- Title page: Title of the Paper, Authors name (in sequence), Authors Affiliation, Corresponding Author Details and the following declaration “The views expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the FLAME University.”
- Abstract (200 to 300 words)
- Key words (6 to 8)
- Main text
- References
- Tables and Figures
- Acknowledgements
- All manuscripts must follow APA 6th referencing style for citations and references. (https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples)
- Manuscripts should be double-spaced, including references and tables, on 8-1/2" x 11" paper using 1" margins and with a single space between sentences.
- Acknowledgment to any internal or external funding should be mentioned at the end of the manuscript.
- Any declarations regarding IRB approvals and conflict of interest should be placed at the end of the manuscript.
Note: Authors using AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process should disclose it in a statement at the end of the article. Ultimately, the authors will be accountable for the accuracy, originality and integrity of the work submitted. FWPS will not be liable for any discrepancies arising later
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions about Working Paper Series:
It has been recognized globally that WP platforms offer a secure and ethical way to disseminate pre-publication stage work with faculty and students at large. Most top Universities have a long tradition of hosting working papers of their faculty and students. For example, the London School of Economics started its WP Series way back in the 1990s. Their digital archive has been active since 2000. https://www.lse.ac.uk/Economic-History/Working-Papers
There are several other advantages of using working papers, including
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To get early feedback on your work from academic peers
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To communicate our findings to policymakers, practitioners, any relevant audience in time
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To make results of publicly funded research publicly available and not behind paywalls or need to article processing charges
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To lay claim to study results, avoiding the possibility of being pipped to the post by another researcher
Other Universities and international organizations that routinely publish WP for sharing emerging work include Purdue University, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Nuffield College (Oxford), University of Melbourne, The World Bank, the United Nations, etc.
FLAME University supports several ongoing projects that its faculty have undertaken. The WP is an effective platform to share findings from ongoing and completed research projects that are funded/partially supported by the University. To this end, the WP Series will accept a range of formats including evidence-based commentary pieces, Research Notes, scientific and technical reports and ethically made photo-stories. Finally, from the perspective of branding, the WP offers a glimpse of the University's commitment to research endeavours and the multidisciplinary nature of liberal education.
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If you are working on a research topic which is time sensitive, and you would want to share your novel idea and findings, FWPS can provide you platform to showcase your results.
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Early feedback before the journal peer-review process can reduce the chances of desk rejects and improve the overall quality of your paper.
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Working paper is used to communicate your findings to policymakers, practitioners, and any relevant audience in time.
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Yes, working paper series can be cited. This will enhance visibility of your research. Please see below and example of such a citation
In-text citation:
(Malter, 2014).
Reference list:
Malter, D. (2014). Eclipsed and confounded identities: when high-status affiliations impede organizational growth. Harvard Business School Strategy Unit Working Paper No. 15-019. Available at
https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=48092
FWPS platform can benefit the researchers and the university simultaneously as this can be useful for faculty appraisal and can count towards NAAC once we obtain ISBN number for the series. FLAME University can showcase the research strength and cutting-edge research being carried out FLAME.
- It is common for Economics, Public Policy, Political Science/Studies, Business Management, and allied domains to publish their research in the working paper format.
- Student projects involving primary data collection.
- Technical Reports and novel methodologies.
- Student-led scholarship work that involves secondary data research.
- Any unpublished work that is internally funded.
Does Urban Heat Island Effect Impact Groundwater Levels? A Case Study of Pune District
Author: Mehr Kalra, Prasad Pathak, Siddhartha Benninger
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Abstract: In the last sixty years we have seen a massive spike in the process of urbanisation This spike has been brought about by a -fold increase in global population from million in to billion in The process of urbanisation has ss of urbanisation has spiked significantly over the last sixty years, experiencing almost a 5-fold increase in the global urban population from 750 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. While urbanisation has brought about beneficial impacts in terms of infrastructure development, it has also been accompanied with negative consequences for urban residents in particular. As a consequence of the high presence of built infrastructure and sealed surfaces within cities, urban areas often experience elevated temperatures. This phenomenon is particularly evident during the night time and is termed as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The UHI effect is significantly influenced by location-specific factors, among which land-use change and presence of vegetation have been studied by numerous scholars. However, the impact of the UHI effect of hydrological factors such as groundwater levels is substantially under-researched a topic. In order to bridge this existing gap in literature, the current study aims to investigate the relationship of Land Surface Temperature (LST) with groundwater levels (pre- and post-monsoon) for Pune district. The findings from the study suggest a positive correlation between SUHII and groundwater levels, thereby implying that an increase in land surface temperature is accompanied by groundwater falling further below the surface level.
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Towards a Regulatory Framework for Higher Education Institutions
Author: Yugank Goyal, Karishma K. Shah
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Abstract: Today research on higher education regulation is dominated by higher education scholars and not those working on the regulations itself This leads to a limited regulatory understanding of higher education sector As private universities mushroom across developing countries an adequate uate understanding of how regulatory frameworks should be developed is important. By drawing ideas from pertinent taxonomy in regulatory studies (Gilad 2010) we evolve an approach through which higher education regulation can be benchmarked, examined and evaluated. To illustrate the design principles of the proposed framework, we use India’s higher education sector as the case study.
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Population Ageing in India: Assessing Inter-State Variations
Author: Sunil Rajpal, Shreya Ronanki
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Abstract: With the rapid decline in fertility and improving life expectancy at all ages in India ageing populations are projected to increase substantially in the future Given India s rapidly growing population this translates into a large number of elderly individuals duals in terms of absolute numbers. Further, due to substantial variations in economic growth, income and wealth distribution, health infrastructure as well as the pace of the demographic transition across Indian states, understanding the differentials in population ageing across states becomes imperative for targeted resource allocation from a policy perspective. This study used data obtained from secondary sources such as the Census of India, Sample Registration System, and the United Nations World Population Prospects (2015 Revision) to provide a comprehensive overview of the trends and variations in population ageing across Indian states over the years using a range of indicators. The findings revealed a relatively higher proportion of elderly populations in southern states with Kerala reporting the highest proportion of elderly population, old age dependency, median age as well as life expectancy (at birth and old age). his is followed by other southern states and Punjab, Maharashtra and Odisha. In contrast, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh reported the biggest lags in experiencing bulging elderly populations. Findings also indicated an increase in the range (highest minus lowest) of elderly share in the total population implying significant differences in the timings at which states will experience a bulge in their old age populations.
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