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Research Commons is the University of Waikato's open access research repository, housing research publications and theses produced by the University's staff and students.

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Recent Submissions

Trade publishing indigenous works in the United States: One author’s perspective
(2026-02-04) Sorell , Traci
Traci Sorell shares her experiences as a fiction, nonfiction and poetry author working with a variety of trade publishers from multinational corporations to family-owned companies in the United States. She will reveal successes, challenges, and recommendations for navigating these business relationships as a creative connected to one’s Indigenous community.
Sense and sensibilities: Translating picturebooks into te reo Māori
(2026-02-05) Joseph, Darryn; Teepa, Kawata
What goes through the mind of an expert translator as they take a European language and transform the text into a Polynesian one? Should it be a literal translation, a poetic translation or full of common slang and uncommon idiom? What is more important here - the translation, the story or the reader? This lecture and workshop walk you through the decision-making behind turning English language picturebooks into the Māori language appropriate for a Māori audience. We dive into Tūhoe translator Kawata Teepa's processes from his first book at HUIA Publishers Ngārimu: te Tohu Toa to the many books with Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan: Ngā Kī (2014), Te Kaihanga Māpere (2016), Te Pohū (2018) and Ringa Kōreko (2023). What did it take for Kawata to bring these stories to life in te reo rangatira? Are there translation concepts and methods that we can generalise and take away with us for our own creative projects?
Intersecting knowledge worlds: Describing the cultural interfaces within a socioscientific issue
(Springer, 2026) Wagner, Brent; France, Bev; McKinley, Elizabeth
Increasing numbers of science teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand are exploring ways to incorporate indigenous mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge and ways of knowing) into their science programmes. This article presents findings from a study that examined how senior biology students in two English-medium secondary schools incorporated mātauranga Māori alongside biological science knowledge in their discussions about the use of 1080 poison to control mammalian predators. From a social constructivist ontology and interpretivist mode of inquiry using qualitative methodology, a triadic epistemic agency conceptual framework was developed inductively and used to analyse students’ written scripts for their national school leaving qualification (NCEA), and transcriptions of individual interviews. The study took place prior to the introduction of equal status to mātauranga Māori within the New Zealand Curriculum. Deductive analysis using the Triadic identified a group of ten students who drew from both knowledge systems, with varying degrees of knowledge integration. In addition to detailed representations of the theoretical space of the locale of the learner, the findings also identified three distinctive cultural interfaces occupied by the students: conflicted, parallel, and, connected. The findings underscore the importance of enabling diverse knowledge systems in biology classes to converge. Specifically, the incorporation of mātauranga Māori alongside biological science knowledge encourages a critical stance towards knowledge claims, supports pluralist knowledge use among culturally and linguistically diverse learners and promotes critical engagement with socioscientific issues (SSI) in senior secondary school biology.
Barriers and facilitators to Oranga Tamariki access: Wāhine voices from Te Whakaruruhau
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Mcleay, Ana; Sutton, Anna; Hamley, Logan
This thesis examines how wāhine supported by Te Whakaruruhau Waikato Women’s Refuge experience Oranga Tamariki (OT) in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV), and what barriers and facilitators shape their access to services. Within a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, influenced by Kaupapa Māori and Mana Wahine principles, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured, kanohi ki te kanohi interviews with six wāhine and kaimahi. Reflexive thematic analysis identified seven themes, grouped into two overarching clusters: barriers and facilitators to OT access. Barriers were pervasive and cumulative, encompassing relational harm, negligence, fear and risk, and cultural tokenism. Facilitators - collaborative advocacy, strengths-based practice, and procedural justice - were comparatively rare and often dependent on external supports rather than systemic provision. Mapping these findings against Te Hā o Whānau, an access framework, revealed that barriers emerged where tikanga manaakitanga, tikanga whakawhanaungatanga, and tikanga rangatiratanga were absent, while facilitators aligned with their enactment. Te Hā o Whānau conceptualises access as a relational and culturally grounded process inseparable from wellbeing, making it both conceptually robust and uniquely suited to Aotearoa. The analysis demonstrates that OT, as currently structured, undermines whānau wellbeing through systemic practices that erode mana, restrict autonomy, and compromise safety. In the immediate term, strengthened collaborative advocacy offers some protection and support, but meaningful change requires systemic transformation. Future research should examine how Te Hā o Whānau might be further operationalised across different service contexts and explore experiences of wāhine and whānau with OT in a variety of contexts to build a fuller understanding of access and wellbeing in child welfare.
Ultimate moment capacity of bolted joint for cold-formed aluminium back-to-back channel sections
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Hasan, Zahid; Roy, Krishanu; Paul, Bikram
Cold-formed aluminium (CFA) channel sections are gaining popularity in structural applications as a lightweight and corrosion-resistant alternative to carbon steel, especially in coastal and aggressive environments. However, their effective use depends critically on the performance of their connections. This research investigates the structural behaviour of bolted moment connections in back-to-back CFA channel sections. Key factors such as web buckling, shear lag, and bending shear interaction were identified as influencing the ultimate moment capacity of these joints. An extensive numerical study of 1008 validated finite element (FE) models was conducted using ABAQUS. Moreover, validation was carried out based on experimental tests available in the literature. The Direct Strength Method (DSM) showed noticeable deviations from FE results in several cases, highlighting the limitations of DSM when applied to CFA sections. A parametric analysis was performed to examine the influence of cross-sectional size, thickness, web holes, and aluminium alloy grade and temper. Based on these findings, a new predictive equation is proposed for the reduced moment capacity of CFA back-to-back channel sections. The equation was rigorously assessed for reliability and accuracy, and it provides a practical tool for engineers designing CFA portal frame connections. .