Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research in Organizations.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

Qualitative Researcher Qualitative research using the traditional case study was the most popular method during the early empirical investigations of...what is now known as qualitative methods (Van Maanen, 1979). Some researchers have recently argued that restricting case studies to exploratory work... phenomenological approaches at the subjective end of the continuum. A few researchers have suggested ways in which quantitative and

Discovering the Future of the Case Study Method in Evaluation Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yin, Robert K.

1994-01-01

It is assumed that evaluators of the future will still be interested in case study methodology. Scenarios that ignore a case study method, that look back to a distinctive case study method, and that see the case study method as an integrating force in the qualitative-quantitative debate are explored. (SLD)

Analytical Tools for the Application of Operational Culture: A Case Study in the Trans-Sahel

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-28

Study Team Working Paper 3: Research Methods Discussion for the Study Team Methods229 Generating Empirical Materials In grounded theory ... research I have conducted using these methods . UNCLASSIFIED Analytical Tools for the Application of Operational Culture: A Case Study in the...Survey and a Case Study ,‖ Kjeller, Norway: FFI Glaser, B. G. & Strauss, A. L. (1967). ―The discovery of grounded theory

A Comparison of Rubrics for Identifying Empirically Supported Practices with Single-Case Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maggin, Daniel M.; Briesch, Amy M.; Chafouleas, Sandra M.; Ferguson, Tyler D.; Clark, Courtney

2014-01-01

The use of single-case research methods for validating academic and behavioral interventions has gained considerable attention in recent years. As such, there has been a proliferation of methods for evaluating whether, and to what extent, primary research reports provide evidence of intervention effectiveness. Despite the recent interest in…

Evaluation of a Multi-Case Participatory Action Research Project: The Case of SOLINSA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Home, Robert; Rump, Niels

2015-01-01

Purpose: Scholars agree that evaluation of participatory action research is inherently valuable; however there have been few attempts at evaluating across methods and across interventions because the perceived success of a method is affected by context, researcher skills and the aims of the participants. This paper describes the systematic…

Assisting Defense Conversion Technology Transfer Efforts. A Case Study of Ohio’s Miami Valley.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-09-01

Contracting Division, Wright-Patterson AFB OH. Official Letter Correspondence. 24 January 1994. Bryman , Alan. Research Methods and Organization Studies...Washington DC: 22 February 1993. Cooper, Donald R. and C. William Emory. Business Research Methods (Tifth Edition). Chicago: Richard D. Irwin, Inc...data was collected to address the research objective through a case study methodology. First, it describes and justifies the specific method used

The order and priority of research and design method application within an assistive technology new product development process: a summative content analysis of 20 case studies.

PubMed

Torrens, George Edward

2018-01-01

Summative content analysis was used to define methods and heuristics from each case study. The review process was in two parts: (1) A literature review to identify conventional research methods and (2) a summative content analysis of published case studies, based on the identified methods and heuristics to suggest an order and priority of where and when were used. Over 200 research and design methods and design heuristics were identified. From the review of the 20 case studies 42 were identified as being applied. The majority of methods and heuristics were applied in phase two, market choice. There appeared a disparity between the limited numbers of methods frequently used, under 10 within the 20 case studies, when hundreds were available. Implications for Rehabilitation The communication highlights a number of issues that have implication for those involved in assistive technology new product development: •The study defined over 200 well-established research and design methods and design heuristics that are available for use by those who specify and design assistive technology products, which provide a comprehensive reference list for practitioners in the field; •The review within the study suggests only a limited number of research and design methods are regularly used by industrial design focused assistive technology new product developers; and, •Debate is required within the practitioners working in this field to reflect on how a wider range of potentially more effective methods and heuristics may be incorporated into daily working practice.

Research misconduct oversight: defining case costs.

PubMed

Gammon, Elizabeth; Franzini, Luisa

2013-01-01

This study uses a sequential mixed method study design to define cost elements of research misconduct among faculty at academic medical centers. Using time driven activity based costing, the model estimates a per case cost for 17 cases of research misconduct reported by the Office of Research Integrity for the period of 2000-2005. Per case cost of research misconduct was found to range from $116,160 to $2,192,620. Research misconduct cost drivers are identified.

Recommendations for Using the Case Study Method in International Business Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vissak, Tiia

2010-01-01

The case study method has not been as frequently used in international business (IB) research as quantitative methods. Moreover, it has been sometimes misused and quite often criticized. Still, it can be very useful for understanding such complex phenomena as the internationalization process or the management of multinational enterprises. Based on…

Multidisciplinary Approaches to Educational Research: Case Studies from Europe and the Developing World. Routledge Research in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rizvi, Sadaf, Ed.

2011-01-01

This book provides an original perspective on a range of controversial issues in educational and social research through case studies of multi-disciplinary and mixed-method research involving children, teachers, schools and communities in Europe and the developing world. These case studies from researchers "across continents" and…

A Case Study of Teaching Marketing Research Using Client-Sponsored Projects: Method, Challenges, and Benefits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bove, Liliana L.; Davies, W. Martin

2009-01-01

This case study outlines the use of client-sponsored research projects in a quantitative postgraduate marketing research subject conducted in a 12-week semester in a research-intensive Australian university. The case study attempts to address the dearth of recent literature on client-sponsored research projects in the discipline of marketing.…

Developing Emotion-Based Case Formulations: A Research-Informed Method.

PubMed

Pascual-Leone, Antonio; Kramer, Ueli

2017-01-01

New research-informed methods for case conceptualization that cut across traditional therapy approaches are increasingly popular. This paper presents a trans-theoretical approach to case formulation based on the research observations of emotion. The sequential model of emotional processing (Pascual-Leone & Greenberg, 2007) is a process research model that provides concrete markers for therapists to observe the emerging emotional development of their clients. We illustrate how this model can be used by clinicians to track change and provides a 'clinical map,' by which therapist may orient themselves in-session and plan treatment interventions. Emotional processing offers as a trans-theoretical framework for therapists who wish to conduct emotion-based case formulations. First, we present criteria for why this research model translates well into practice. Second, two contrasting case studies are presented to demonstrate the method. The model bridges research with practice by using client emotion as an axis of integration. Key Practitioner Message Process research on emotion can offer a template for therapists to make case formulations while using a range of treatment approaches. The sequential model of emotional processing provides a 'process map' of concrete markers for therapists to (1) observe the emerging emotional development of their clients, and (2) help therapists develop a treatment plan. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Enhancing the quality of case studies in health services research.

PubMed Central

Yin, R K

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To provide guidance on improving the quality of case studies in health services research. DATA SOURCES: Secondary data, drawing from previous case study research. RESEARCH DESIGN: Guidance is provided to two audiences: potential case study investigators (eight items) and reviewers of case study proposals (four additional items). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The guidance demonstrates that many operational steps can be undertaken to improve the quality of case studies. These steps have been a hallmark of high-quality case studies in related fields but have not necessarily been practiced in health services research. CONCLUSIONS: Given higher-quality case studies, the case study method can become a valuable tool for health services research. Images Figure 3 PMID:10591280

A Unifying Framework for Causal Analysis in Set-Theoretic Multimethod Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohlfing, Ingo; Schneider, Carsten Q.

2018-01-01

The combination of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) with process tracing, which we call set-theoretic multimethod research (MMR), is steadily becoming more popular in empirical research. Despite the fact that both methods have an elected affinity based on set theory, it is not obvious how a within-case method operating in a single case and a…

Applying Process Improvement Methods to Clinical and Translational Research: Conceptual Framework and Case Examples

PubMed Central

Selker, Harry P.; Leslie, Laurel K.

2015-01-01

Abstract There is growing appreciation that process improvement holds promise for improving quality and efficiency across the translational research continuum but frameworks for such programs are not often described. The purpose of this paper is to present a framework and case examples of a Research Process Improvement Program implemented at Tufts CTSI. To promote research process improvement, we developed online training seminars, workshops, and in‐person consultation models to describe core process improvement principles and methods, demonstrate the use of improvement tools, and illustrate the application of these methods in case examples. We implemented these methods, as well as relational coordination theory, with junior researchers, pilot funding awardees, our CTRC, and CTSI resource and service providers. The program focuses on capacity building to address common process problems and quality gaps that threaten the efficient, timely and successful completion of clinical and translational studies. PMID:26332869

Teaching and the Case Method. Text, Cases, and Readings. Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Louis B.; And Others

This volume includes text, cases, and readings for a college faculty seminar to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for utilization of the case method approach to instruction. It builds on a long-term clinical research effort on the dynamics of the case method of teaching and application at Harvard Business School. In addition…

Can the caged bird sing? Reflections on the application of qualitative research methods to case study design in homeopathic medicine

PubMed Central

Thompson, Trevor DB

2004-01-01

Background Two main pathways exist for the development of knowledge in clinical homeopathy. These comprise clinical trials conducted primarily by university-based researchers and cases reports and homeopathic "provings" compiled by engaged homeopathic practitioners. In this paper the relative merits of these methods are examined and a middle way proposed. This consists of the "Formal Case Study" (FCS) in which qualitative methods are used to increase the rigour and sophistication with which homeopathic cases are studied. Before going into design issues this paper places the FCS in an historical and academic context and describes the relative merits of the method. Discussion Like any research, the FCS should have a clear focus. This focus can be both "internal", grounded in the discourse of homeopathy and also encompass issues of wider appeal. A selection of possible "internal" and "external" research questions is introduced. Data generation should be from multiple sources to ensure adequate triangulation. This could include the recording and transcription of actual consultations. Analysis is built around existing theory, involves cross-case comparison and the search for deviant cases. The trustworthiness of conclusions is ensured by the application of concepts from qualitative research including triangulation, groundedness, respondent validation and reflexivity. Though homeopathic case studies have been reported in mainstream literature, none has used formal qualitative methods – though some such studies are in progress. Summary This paper introduces the reader to a new strategy for homeopathic research. This strategy, termed the "formal case study", allows for a naturalistic enquiry into the players, processes and outcomes of homeopathic practice. Using ideas from qualitative research, it allows a rigorous approach to types of research question that cannot typically be addressed through clinical trials and numeric outcome studies. The FCS provides an opportunity for the practitioner-researcher to contribute to the evidence-base in homeopathy in a systematic fashion. The FCS can also be used to inform the design of clinical trials through holistic study of the "active ingredients" of the therapeutic process and its clinical outcomes. PMID:15018637

A Mixed Methods Sampling Methodology for a Multisite Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Julia L.; Mobley, Catherine; Hammond, Cathy; Withington, Cairen; Drew, Sam; Stringfield, Sam; Stipanovic, Natalie

2012-01-01

The flexibility of mixed methods research strategies makes such approaches especially suitable for multisite case studies. Yet the utilization of mixed methods to select sites for these studies is rarely reported. The authors describe their pragmatic mixed methods approach to select a sample for their multisite mixed methods case study of a…

Considerations for the Systematic Analysis and Use of Single-Case Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horner, Robert H.; Swaminathan, Hariharan; Sugai, George; Smolkowski, Keith

2012-01-01

Single-case research designs provide a rigorous research methodology for documenting experimental control. If single-case methods are to gain wider application, however, a need exists to define more clearly (a) the logic of single-case designs, (b) the process and decision rules for visual analysis, and (c) an accepted process for integrating…

Scenario-Based Case Study Method and the Functionality of the Section Called "From Production to Consumption" from the Perspective of Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taneri, Ahu

2018-01-01

In this research, the aim was showing the evaluation of students on scenario-based case study method and showing the functionality of the studied section called "from production to consumption". Qualitative research method and content analysis were used to reveal participants' experiences and reveal meaningful relations regarding…

The Process of Technology Transfer: A Case Study of the National Aero-Space Plane Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-09-01

often characterize qualitative research ( Bryman , 1989:173,178). A final advantage of the case study method is that it is used to develop hypotheses for...November 1992). Bryman , Alan. Research Methods and Organizational Studies. Winchester MA: Unwin Hyman Inc., 1989. Chapman, Richard L. "The Federal...and C. William Emory. Business Research Methods . Chicago: Richard D. Irwin Inc., 1995. Creighton, J.W., J.A. Jolly, and T.A. Buckles. "The Manager’s

A Careful Look at Modern Case Selection Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herron, Michael C.; Quinn, Kevin M.

2016-01-01

Case studies appear prominently in political science, sociology, and other social science fields. A scholar employing a case study research design in an effort to estimate causal effects must confront the question, how should cases be selected for analysis? This question is important because the results derived from a case study research program…

Single-Case Designs and Qualitative Methods: Applying a Mixed Methods Research Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hitchcock, John H.; Nastasi, Bonnie K.; Summerville, Meredith

2010-01-01

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to describe a design that mixes single-case (sometimes referred to as single-subject) and qualitative methods, hereafter referred to as a single-case mixed methods design (SCD-MM). Minimal attention has been given to the topic of applying qualitative methods to SCD work in the literature. These two…

Using Focus Group Research in Public Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grunig, Larissa A.

1990-01-01

Analyzes a recent instance of focus group research applied to a public relations case (rather than a marketing case). Reviews the advantages and disadvantages of this qualitative method, and describes the case of a county department of mental health relying on focus group research to help plan a program aimed at reducing the stigma of mental…

Applying Process Improvement Methods to Clinical and Translational Research: Conceptual Framework and Case Examples.

PubMed

Daudelin, Denise H; Selker, Harry P; Leslie, Laurel K

2015-12-01

There is growing appreciation that process improvement holds promise for improving quality and efficiency across the translational research continuum but frameworks for such programs are not often described. The purpose of this paper is to present a framework and case examples of a Research Process Improvement Program implemented at Tufts CTSI. To promote research process improvement, we developed online training seminars, workshops, and in-person consultation models to describe core process improvement principles and methods, demonstrate the use of improvement tools, and illustrate the application of these methods in case examples. We implemented these methods, as well as relational coordination theory, with junior researchers, pilot funding awardees, our CTRC, and CTSI resource and service providers. The program focuses on capacity building to address common process problems and quality gaps that threaten the efficient, timely and successful completion of clinical and translational studies. © 2015 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Case Selection via Matching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Richard A.

2016-01-01

This article shows how statistical matching methods can be used to select "most similar" cases for qualitative analysis. I first offer a methodological justification for research designs based on selecting most similar cases. I then discuss the applicability of existing matching methods to the task of selecting most similar cases and…

Case-based Long-term Professional Development of Science Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dori, Yehudit J.; Herscovitz, Orit

2005-10-01

Reform efforts are often unsuccessful because they failed to understand that teachers play a key role in making educational reforms successful. This paper describes a long-term teacher professional development (PD) program aimed at educating and training teachers to teach interdisciplinary topics using case-based method in science. The research objective was to identify, follow and document the processes that science teachers went through as they assimilated the interdisciplinary, case-based science teaching approach. The research accompanied the PD program throughout its 3-year period. About 50 teachers, who took part in the PD program, were exposed to an interdisciplinary case-based teaching method. The research instruments included teacher portfolios, which contained projects and reflection questionnaires, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student feedback questionnaires. The portfolios contained the projects that the teachers had carried out during the PD program, which included case studies and accompanying student activities. We found that the teachers gradually moved from exposure to new teaching methods and subject matter, through active learning and preparing case-based team projects, to interdisciplinary, active classroom teaching using the case studies they developed.

An Analysis of Research Methods and Statistical Techniques Used by Doctoral Dissertation at the Education Sciences in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karadag, Engin

2010-01-01

To assess research methods and analysis of statistical techniques employed by educational researchers, this study surveyed unpublished doctoral dissertation from 2003 to 2007. Frequently used research methods consisted of experimental research; a survey; a correlational study; and a case study. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, factor…

Contemplating a New Model for Air Force Aerospace Medical Technician Skills Sustainment Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

qualitative research designs. The major designs described by these researchers included: grounded theory , narrative research ... phenomenological research , ethnographies , content analysis, and case study . Because each of these designs can stand alone as an individual research ...exploratory, embedded, single case study . A mixed methods research approach will be applied in an effort to discover

Undertaking Individual Transdisciplinary PhD Research for Sustainable Development: Case Studies from South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Breda, John; Musango, Josephine; Brent, Alan

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to improve the understanding of individual transdisciplinary PhD research in a developing country context, focusing on three individual PhD case studies in South Africa. Design/Methodology/Approach: Multiple-case method was used, and three completed transdisciplinary PhD research efforts undertaken at the Stellenbosch…

Which design for which question? An exploration toward a translation table for comparative effectiveness research.

PubMed

Montori, Victor M; Kim, Simon P; Guyatt, Gordon H; Shah, Nilay D

2012-05-01

In this paper, we explore the relative value that different methods offer in answering some stereotypical comparative effectiveness research questions with the goal of informing development of a 'translation table'--a selection tool for choosing appropriate methods for specific comparative effectiveness research questions. This paper was written as a parallel effort to Greenfield and Kaplan (also in this volume) to support the endeavor described in the manuscript by Tunis et al. (also in this volume). Originally based on four cases, the current article has been shortened to two cases for the current discussion. These cases represent research priorities proposed to orient the work of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, comparative clinical effectiveness and comparative health services.

America’s last battles: Organizing brigades to win the peace lessons from East Timor, Afghanistan, and Iraq

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-17

Graduate Degree Programs Robert F. Baumann, Ph.D. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student author and do not...primary research method this study will follow is the case study method as outlined in Robert K. Yin’s, Case Study Research: Design and Methods. By using...The method is also policy relevant as it generates lessons relevant to different situations. In Robert K. Yin’s words, “An important step . . . is the

Applying Case-Based Method in Designing Self-Directed Online Instruction: A Formative Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luo, Heng; Koszalka, Tiffany A.; Arnone, Marilyn P.; Choi, Ikseon

2018-01-01

This study investigated the case-based method (CBM) instructional-design theory and its application in designing self-directed online instruction. The purpose of this study was to validate and refine the theory for a self-directed online instruction context. Guided by formative research methodology, this study first developed an online tutorial…

Charting the Learning Journey of a Group of Adults Returning to Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mooney, Des

2011-01-01

Using a qualitative case study method the researcher studied a group of adult returning students completing a childcare course. Methods used included focus groups, a questionnaire and observations. Using a holistic analysis approach (Yin 2003) of the case the researcher then focused on a number of key issues. From this analysis the themes of…

The Brief History of Environmental Education and Its Changes from 1972 to Present in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shobeiri, Seyed Mohammad; Meiboudi, Hossein; Kamali, Fatemeh Ahmadi

2014-01-01

The present study investigates environmental education (EE) before and after Iran's Islamic Revolution. The research method is case study, and among the case study methods, historical analysis has been used in this research. A wide array of sources were employed, from government performance reports to documents, records, books, and articles…

Policy and Persistence: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Case Study of "Last Mile" Students at Portland State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wubbold, Joseph Mark

2012-01-01

In an extension of educational attainment research, this exploratory mixed- methods case study examines the influence of institutional policies on the behavior of five cohorts (n = 925) of traditional first time, full time (FTFT) freshmen--called "Last Mile" students--at one urban research university located in the Pacific Northwest.…

US Interpretation of International Space Policies Regarding Commercial Resource Acquisitions

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-12

examining research . These include narrative research , phenomenology , grounded theory , ethnography , and case studies . The first four of these......within a case study strategy a methodology of research must be selected. Possible choices in methods used include quantitative, qualitative , or mixed

The Perioperative Experience of the Ambulatory Surgery Patient

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

qualitative research approaches used by nurses and human science researchers are phenomenology , grounded theory , ethnography , history, case studies , and... Qualitative Method 22 Rationale for Phenomenological Approach 22 Philosophical Underpinnings of Qualitative Research Methods 22 ix Method of Inquiry...integrated theory of the phenomenon under investigation. Theories in

Connecting the Space between Design and Research: Explorations in Participatory Research Supervision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldwell, Glenda Amayo; Osborne, Lindy; Mewburn, Inger; Nottingham, Anitra

2016-01-01

In this article we offer a single case study using an action research method for gathering and analysing data offering insights valuable to both design and research supervision practice. We do not attempt to generalise from this single case, but offer it as an instance that can improve our understanding of research supervision practice. We…

Invisible nursing research: thoughts about mixed methods research and nursing practice.

PubMed

Fawcett, Jacqueline

2015-04-01

In this this essay, the author addresses the close connection between mixed methods research and nursing practice. If the assertion that research and practice are parallel processes is accepted, then nursing practice may be considered "invisible mixed methods research," in that almost every encounter between a nurse and a patient involves collection and integration of qualitative (word) and quantitative (number) information that actually is single-case mixed methods research. © The Author(s) 2015.

Increasing Unit Effectiveness in a Dynamic Environment by Implementing a Leadership Mathematical Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-10

research . For example, Creswell presents five types of qualitative research : narrative , phenomenological , grounded theory , ethnographic research , and... case study (2007, 53). According to Denzin and Lincoln (2005) there are six research directions: case study , ethnography , grounded theory , life 32...commanders. A method could be a kind of theory . Hence, grounded

Online market research panel members as controls in case-control studies to investigate gastrointestinal disease outbreaks: early experiences and lessons learnt from the UK.

PubMed

Mook, P; McCormick, J; Kanagarajah, S; Adak, G K; Cleary, P; Elson, R; Gobin, M; Hawker, J; Inns, T; Sinclair, C; Trienekens, S C M; Vivancos, R; McCarthy, N D

2018-03-01

Established methods of recruiting population controls for case-control studies to investigate gastrointestinal disease outbreaks can be time consuming, resulting in delays in identifying the source or vehicle of infection. After an initial evaluation of using online market research panel members as controls in a case-control study to investigate a Salmonella outbreak in 2013, this method was applied in four further studies in the UK between 2014 and 2016. We used data from all five studies and interviews with members of each outbreak control team and market research panel provider to review operational issues, evaluate risk of bias in this approach and consider methods to reduce confounding and bias. The investigators of each outbreak reported likely time and cost savings from using market research controls. There were systematic differences between case and control groups in some studies but no evidence that conclusions on the likely source or vehicle of infection were incorrect. Potential selection biases introduced by using this sampling frame and the low response rate are unclear. Methods that might reduce confounding and some bias should be balanced with concerns for overmatching. Further evaluation of this approach using comparisons with traditional methods and population-based exposure survey data is recommended.

Is Flipping Worth the Fuss: A Mixed Methods Case Study of Screencasting in the Social Studies Classroom Authors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Catherine; Besozzi, David; Paska, Lawrence; Oppenlander, Jane

2016-01-01

This action research case study evaluates the effectiveness of using "flipped" instruction in a secondary social studies classroom. The researchers used mixed methods data to determine if flipping the instruction in a social studies class through the use of screencasting increased student learning as measured by pre- and post-unit…

Case-Based Instruction in Different Delivery Contexts: The Impact of Time in Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koury, Kevin; Hollingsead, Candice; Fitzgerald, Gail; Miller, Kevin; Mitchem, Katherine; Tsai, Hui-Hsien; Zha, Shenghua

2009-01-01

The focus of this article is a mixed methods naturalistic research project investigating the relationship between learners' time working within multimedia cases and learners' outcomes. Research was conducted across multiple delivery contexts in four universities. Participants were undergraduate and graduate teacher education students completing…

Invited commentary: Evaluating epidemiologic research methods--the importance of response rate calculation.

PubMed

Harris, M Anne

2010-09-15

Epidemiologic research that uses administrative records (rather than registries or clinical surveys) to identify cases for study has been increasingly restricted because of concerns about privacy, making unbiased population-based research less practicable. In their article, Nattinger et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2010;172(6):637-644) present a method for using administrative data to contact participants that has been well received. However, the methods employed for calculating and reporting response rates require further consideration, particularly the classification of untraceable cases as ineligible. Depending on whether response rates are used to evaluate the potential for bias to influence study results or to evaluate the acceptability of the method of contact, different fractions may be considered. To improve the future study of epidemiologic research methods, a consensus on the calculation and reporting of study response rates should be sought.

Counterinsurgency in West Africa: Non Lethal Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

Michael S. Lewis Beck, Alan Bryman , Tim Futing Liao, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods , SAGE, 2004, California, USA.p.894. 11...Publishing, 1966. Michael S. Lewis Beck, Alan Bryman , Tim Futing Liao, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods , SAGE, 2004...conduct the research . Research Design The methodology that will be used in this thesis is a qualitative method using case studies. Qualitative research

Teachers' and Researchers' Beliefs of Learning and the use of Learning Progressions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clapp, Francis Neely

In the last decade, science education reform in the United States has emphasized the exploration of cognitive learning pathways, which are theories on how a person learns a particular science subject matter. These theories are based, in part, by Piagetian developmental theory. One such model, called Learning Progressions (LP), has become prominent within science education reform. Science education researchers design LPs which in turn are used by science educators to sequence their curricula. The new national science standards released in April 2013 (Next Generation Science Standards) are, in part, grounded in the LP model. Understanding how teachers apply and use LPs, therefore, is valuable because professional development programs are likely to use this model, given the federal attention LP have received in science education reform. I sought to identify the beliefs and discourse that both LP developers and intended LP implementers have around student learning, teaching, and learning progressions. However, studies measuring beliefs or perspectives of LP-focused projects are absent in published works. A qualitative research is therefore warranted to explore this rather uncharted research area. Research questions were examined through the use of an instrumental case study. A case study approach was selected over other methodologies, as the research problem is, in part, bound within a clearly identifiable case (a professional development experience centering on a single LP model). One of the broadest definitions of a case study is noted by Becker (1968), who stated that goals of case studies are "to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the groups under study" and to develop "general theoretical statements about regularities in social structure and process." (p.233). Based on Merriam (1985) the general consensus in the case study literature is that the assumptions underlying this method are common to naturalistic inquiry with research conducted primarily in the field with little control of variables. Beyond this similarity, different researchers have varying definitions to case studies. Merriam's (1985) provided a summary of the delineations and varying types of case studies. Merriam divided the various case study methods by their functions, with a marked divide between theory building and non-theory building methods. Non-theory building case studies are generally descriptive, and interpretive methods that apply theory to a case or context allow researchers to better understand the phenomena observed (Lijphart, 1971; Merriam, 1985). Conversely, theory building case studies focus on hypothesis generation, theory confirming, theory informing, or theory refuting (Lijphart, 1971; Merriam, 1985). Though there are many definitions and methods labeled as 'case studies,' for the purpose of this study, Yin's (1981) definition of a case study will be used. Yin (1981) defined a case study as a method to examine "(a) a contemporary phenomenon in its real-life context, especially when (b) the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident" (p. 59). My study seeks to apply theory and study phenomena in their context, as I will examine teachers' practice in context of their respective classrooms. This study focuses on the lived experiences of both teacher and research stakeholders within the study. Specifically, I interviewed teachers who participated in a year-long teacher-in-residence (TiR) program. In addition, researchers/content experts who conceptualized the LP were also interviewed. Because the TiR experience was a form of professional development, I propose to study the impact that it had on participants' perceptions of the LP and any teacher-reported changes in their respective classrooms. However, because beliefs influence the language that we use to describe phenomena (such as learning and teaching), it is informative to also describe patterns in how LP developers explain learning and teaching. Subsequently, the results of this study will inform literature on both science teacher professional development and LPs theory to practice.

A reflective lens: applying critical systems thinking and visual methods to ecohealth research.

PubMed

Cleland, Deborah; Wyborn, Carina

2010-12-01

Critical systems methodology has been advocated as an effective and ethical way to engage with the uncertainty and conflicting values common to ecohealth problems. We use two contrasting case studies, coral reef management in the Philippines and national park management in Australia, to illustrate the value of critical systems approaches in exploring how people respond to environmental threats to their physical and spiritual well-being. In both cases, we used visual methods--participatory modeling and rich picturing, respectively. The critical systems methodology, with its emphasis on reflection, guided an appraisal of the research process. A discussion of these two case studies suggests that visual methods can be usefully applied within a critical systems framework to offer new insights into ecohealth issues across a diverse range of socio-political contexts. With this article, we hope to open up a conversation with other practitioners to expand the use of visual methods in integrated research.

Clinical Case Studies in Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Treatment

PubMed Central

Willemsen, Jochem; Della Rosa, Elena; Kegerreis, Sue

2017-01-01

This manuscript provides a review of the clinical case study within the field of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic treatment. The method has been contested for methodological reasons and because it would contribute to theoretical pluralism in the field. We summarize how the case study method is being applied in different schools of psychoanalysis, and we clarify the unique strengths of this method and areas for improvement. Finally, based on the literature and on our own experience with case study research, we come to formulate nine guidelines for future case study authors: (1) basic information to include, (2) clarification of the motivation to select a particular patient, (3) information about informed consent and disguise, (4) patient background and context of referral or self-referral, (5) patient's narrative, therapist's observations and interpretations, (6) interpretative heuristics, (7) reflexivity and counter-transference, (8) leaving room for interpretation, and (9) answering the research question, and comparison with other cases. PMID:28210235

Case study and case-based research in emergency nursing and care: Theoretical foundations and practical application in paramedic pre-hospital clinical judgment and decision-making of patients with mental illness.

PubMed

Shaban, Ramon Z; Considine, Julie; Fry, Margaret; Curtis, Kate

2017-02-01

Generating knowledge through quality research is fundamental to the advancement of professional practice in emergency nursing and care. There are multiple paradigms, designs and methods available to researchers to respond to challenges in clinical practice. Systematic reviews, randomised control trials and other forms of experimental research are deemed the gold standard of evidence, but there are comparatively few such trials in emergency care. In some instances it is not possible or appropriate to undertake experimental research. When exploring new or emerging problems where there is limited evidence available, non-experimental methods are required and appropriate. This paper provides the theoretical foundations and an exemplar of the use of case study and case-based research to explore a new and emerging problem in the context of emergency care. It examines pre-hospital clinical judgement and decision-making of mental illness by paramedics. Using an exemplar the paper explores the theoretical foundations and conceptual frameworks of case study, it explains how cases are defined and the role researcher in this form of inquiry, it details important principles and the procedures for data gathering and analysis, and it demonstrates techniques to enhance trustworthiness and credibility of the research. Moreover, it provides theoretically and practical insights into using case study in emergency care. Copyright © 2017 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategies for Research Development in Hospital Social Work: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, Ted; Nicholas, David Bruce

2012-01-01

Objectives: This article identifies salient components in the advancement of social work research leadership within health care. Method: Using tenets of a modified retrospective case study approach, processes and outcomes of social work research progression at a pediatric hospital are reviewed. Results: Capacity-building processes were…

Visual Methods and Quality in Information Behaviour Research: The Cases of Photovoice and Mental Mapping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Andrew; Benson, Melanie

2017-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of the paper is to explore the ways in which visual methods can increase the quality of qualitative information behaviour research. Methods: The paper examines Tracy's framework of eight criteria for research quality: worthy topic, rich rigour, sincerity, credibility, resonance, significant contribution, ethical issues…

Tapping into Graduate Students' Collaborative Technology Experience in a Research Methods Class: Insights on Teaching Research Methods in a Malaysian and American Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vasquez-Colina, Maria D.; Maslin-Ostrowski, Pat; Baba, Suria

2017-01-01

This case study used qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate challenges of learning and teaching research methods by examining graduate students' use of collaborative technology (i.e., digital tools that enable collaboration and information seeking such as software and social media) and students' computer self-efficacy. We conducted…

Service-Learning in Communication Education: A Case Study Investigation in Support of a Prisoners' Human Rights Organization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novek, Eleanor

2009-01-01

This article offers a case study of a graduate class in communication research methods with a service-learning approach. Students were engaged in evaluating the public information campaign of a nonprofit organization exposing human rights abuses in US prisons. They gained hands-on experience in the use of a variety of basic research methods and…

Trust of Population within Social Relations System of the Population: A Case Study of Nasleg Administration in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikhaylova, Anna; Popova, Liudmila

2016-01-01

The research consists in studying the level of population's trust in nasleg administration (in the administrative-territorial unit) of MS "Khatyryksky nasleg" of Namsky ulus using the case study. The leading research methods for the problem are empirical methods that allow revealing the level of population's trust in administration. The…

Case Study on the Effect of Word Repetition Method Supported by Neurological Affecting Model on Fluent Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duran, Erol

2013-01-01

This research is a case study which is a qualitative study model and named as example event as well. The purpose of this research is determining the effect of word repetitive reading method supported with neurological affecting model on fluent reading. In this study, False Analysis Inventory was used in order to determine the student's oral…

Employing Design and Development Research (DDR): Approaches in the Design and Development of Online Arabic Vocabulary Learning Games Prototype

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahrir, Muhammad Sabri; Alias, Nor Aziah; Ismail, Zawawi; Osman, Nurulhuda

2012-01-01

The design and development research, first proposed by Brown and Collins in the 1990s, is currently among the well-known methods in educational research to test theory and validate its practicality. The method is also known as developmental research, design research, design-based research, formative research and design-cased and possesses…

Instruments for Gathering Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canals, Laia

2017-01-01

This chapter sets out various methods for gathering important data on the language uses of participants in a research project. These methods imply interaction between students, teachers and researchers. They are used in the design of research projects based on action research, ethnography or conversational analysis, this being the case with the…

Research in Distance Education: A System Modeling Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saba, Farhad; Twitchell, David

This demonstration of the use of a computer simulation research method based on the System Dynamics modeling technique for studying distance education reviews research methods in distance education, including the broad categories of conceptual and case studies, and presents a rationale for the application of systems research in this area. The…

Beyond Compliance Checking: A Situated Approach to Visual Research Ethics.

PubMed

Lenette, Caroline; Botfield, Jessica R; Boydell, Katherine; Haire, Bridget; Newman, Christy E; Zwi, Anthony B

2018-03-19

Visual research methods like photography and digital storytelling are increasingly used in health and social sciences research as participatory approaches that benefit participants, researchers, and audiences. Visual methods involve a number of additional ethical considerations such as using identifiable content and ownership of creative outputs. As such, ethics committees should use different assessment frameworks to consider research protocols with visual methods. Here, we outline the limitations of ethics committees in assessing projects with a visual focus and highlight the sparse knowledge on how researchers respond when they encounter ethical challenges in the practice of visual research. We propose a situated approach in relation to visual methodologies that encompasses a negotiated, flexible approach, given that ethical issues usually emerge in relation to the specific contexts of individual research projects. Drawing on available literature and two case studies, we identify and reflect on nuanced ethical implications in visual research, like tensions between aesthetics and research validity. The case studies highlight strategies developed in-situ to address the challenges two researchers encountered when using visual research methods, illustrating that some practice implications are not necessarily addressed using established ethical clearance procedures. A situated approach can ensure that visual research remains ethical, engaging, and rigorous.

Evaluating statistical and clinical significance of intervention effects in single-case experimental designs: an SPSS method to analyze univariate data.

PubMed

Maric, Marija; de Haan, Else; Hogendoorn, Sanne M; Wolters, Lidewij H; Huizenga, Hilde M

2015-03-01

Single-case experimental designs are useful methods in clinical research practice to investigate individual client progress. Their proliferation might have been hampered by methodological challenges such as the difficulty applying existing statistical procedures. In this article, we describe a data-analytic method to analyze univariate (i.e., one symptom) single-case data using the common package SPSS. This method can help the clinical researcher to investigate whether an intervention works as compared with a baseline period or another intervention type, and to determine whether symptom improvement is clinically significant. First, we describe the statistical method in a conceptual way and show how it can be implemented in SPSS. Simulation studies were performed to determine the number of observation points required per intervention phase. Second, to illustrate this method and its implications, we present a case study of an adolescent with anxiety disorders treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques in an outpatient psychotherapy clinic, whose symptoms were regularly assessed before each session. We provide a description of the data analyses and results of this case study. Finally, we discuss the advantages and shortcomings of the proposed method. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Use of Qualitative Case Studies as an Experiential Teaching Method in the Training of Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arseven, Ilhami

2018-01-01

This study presents the suitability of case studies, which is a qualitative research method and can be used as a teaching method in the training of pre-service teachers, for experiential learning theory. The basic view of experiential learning theory on learning and the qualitative case study paradigm are consistent with each other within the…

Mixed Methods in Emerging Academic Subdisciplines: The Case of Sport Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Roest, Jan-Willem; Spaaij, Ramón; van Bottenburg, Maarten

2015-01-01

This article examines the prevalence and characteristics of mixed methods research in the relatively new subdiscipline of sport management. A mixed methods study is undertaken to evaluate the epistemological/philosophical, methodological, and technical levels of mixed methods design in sport management research. The results indicate that mixed…

The Comparative Method of Language Acquisition Research: A Mayan Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pye, Clifton; Pfeiler, Barbara

2014-01-01

This article demonstrates how the Comparative Method can be applied to cross-linguistic research on language acquisition. The Comparative Method provides a systematic procedure for organizing and interpreting acquisition data from different languages. The Comparative Method controls for cross-linguistic differences at all levels of the grammar and…

Single-Case Experimental Designs: A Systematic Review of Published Research and Current Standards

PubMed Central

Smith, Justin D.

2013-01-01

This article systematically reviews the research design and methodological characteristics of single-case experimental design (SCED) research published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2010. SCEDs provide researchers with a flexible and viable alternative to group designs with large sample sizes. However, methodological challenges have precluded widespread implementation and acceptance of the SCED as a viable complementary methodology to the predominant group design. This article includes a description of the research design, measurement, and analysis domains distinctive to the SCED; a discussion of the results within the framework of contemporary standards and guidelines in the field; and a presentation of updated benchmarks for key characteristics (e.g., baseline sampling, method of analysis), and overall, it provides researchers and reviewers with a resource for conducting and evaluating SCED research. The results of the systematic review of 409 studies suggest that recently published SCED research is largely in accordance with contemporary criteria for experimental quality. Analytic method emerged as an area of discord. Comparison of the findings of this review with historical estimates of the use of statistical analysis indicates an upward trend, but visual analysis remains the most common analytic method and also garners the most support amongst those entities providing SCED standards. Although consensus exists along key dimensions of single-case research design and researchers appear to be practicing within these parameters, there remains a need for further evaluation of assessment and sampling techniques and data analytic methods. PMID:22845874

Narrative research methods in palliative care contexts: two case studies.

PubMed

Thomas, Carol; Reeve, Joanne; Bingley, Amanda; Brown, Janice; Payne, Sheila; Lynch, Tom

2009-05-01

Narrative methods have played a minor role in research with dying patients to date, and deserve to be more widely understood. This article illustrates the utility and value of these methods through the narrative analysis of semi-structured interview data gathered in a series of interviews with two terminally ill cancer patients and their spouses. The methods and findings associated with these two case studies are outlined and discussed. The authors' contention is that an analytical focus on the naturalistic storytelling of patients and informal carers can throw new light on individuals' perceived illness states and symptoms, care-related needs, behaviors, and desires. In addition, the juxtaposition of two cases that share a number of markers of risk and need at the end of life illustrates how the narrative analysis of patients' experiential accounts can assist in uncovering important distinctions between cases that are of relevance to care management.

Optical Sensor/Actuator Locations for Active Structural Acoustic Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padula, Sharon L.; Palumbo, Daniel L.; Kincaid, Rex K.

1998-01-01

Researchers at NASA Langley Research Center have extensive experience using active structural acoustic control (ASAC) for aircraft interior noise reduction. One aspect of ASAC involves the selection of optimum locations for microphone sensors and force actuators. This paper explains the importance of sensor/actuator selection, reviews optimization techniques, and summarizes experimental and numerical results. Three combinatorial optimization problems are described. Two involve the determination of the number and position of piezoelectric actuators, and the other involves the determination of the number and location of the sensors. For each case, a solution method is suggested, and typical results are examined. The first case, a simplified problem with simulated data, is used to illustrate the method. The second and third cases are more representative of the potential of the method and use measured data. The three case studies and laboratory test results establish the usefulness of the numerical methods.

Schematic representation of case study research designs.

PubMed

Rosenberg, John P; Yates, Patsy M

2007-11-01

The paper is a report of a study to demonstrate how the use of schematics can provide procedural clarity and promote rigour in the conduct of case study research. Case study research is a methodologically flexible approach to research design that focuses on a particular case - whether an individual, a collective or a phenomenon of interest. It is known as the 'study of the particular' for its thorough investigation of particular, real-life situations and is gaining increased attention in nursing and social research. However, the methodological flexibility it offers can leave the novice researcher uncertain of suitable procedural steps required to ensure methodological rigour. This article provides a real example of a case study research design that utilizes schematic representation drawn from a doctoral study of the integration of health promotion principles and practices into a palliative care organization. The issues discussed are: (1) the definition and application of case study research design; (2) the application of schematics in research; (3) the procedural steps and their contribution to the maintenance of rigour; and (4) the benefits and risks of schematics in case study research. The inclusion of visual representations of design with accompanying explanatory text is recommended in reporting case study research methods.

Doing Mixed Methods Research Pragmatically: Implications for the Rediscovery of Pragmatism as a Research Paradigm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feilzer, Martina Yvonne

2010-01-01

This article explores the practical relevance of pragmatism as a research paradigm through the example of a piece of pragmatic research that not only used both quantitative and qualitative research methods but also exploited the inherent duality of the data analyzed. Thus, the article aims to make the case that pragmatism as a research paradigm…

Using mixed methods research in medical education: basic guidelines for researchers.

PubMed

Schifferdecker, Karen E; Reed, Virginia A

2009-07-01

Mixed methods research involves the collection, analysis and integration of both qualitative and quantitative data in a single study. The benefits of a mixed methods approach are particularly evident when studying new questions or complex initiatives and interactions, which is often the case in medical education research. Basic guidelines for when to use mixed methods research and how to design a mixed methods study in medical education research are not readily available. The purpose of this paper is to remedy that situation by providing an overview of mixed methods research, research design models relevant for medical education research, examples of each research design model in medical education research, and basic guidelines for medical education researchers interested in mixed methods research. Mixed methods may prove superior in increasing the integrity and applicability of findings when studying new or complex initiatives and interactions in medical education research. They deserve an increased presence and recognition in medical education research.

Undergraduates' Perceptions of Conflict of Interest in Industry-Sponsored Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Heather Brodie

2018-01-01

The prevalence of industry-sponsored research has led to significant concerns about financial conflicts of interest and the impact on research findings. This case study sought to examine how students considered conflict of interest when establishing the cognitive authority of a journal article. The case study used a mixed methods pretest and…

Positive Deviance during Organization Change: Researchers' Social Construction of Expanded University Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Claire Euline

2013-01-01

Many universities have expanded from teaching only to include research goals, requiring shifts in organization behavior. An exploratory case study method was used to examine these dynamics among positive deviant researchers at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), the single case examined, from a social construction perspective. As a…

Numerical simulation on dimension decrease for annular casing of one centrifugal boiler circulation pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Y. Z.; Zuo, Z. G.; Liu, S. H.; Wu, Y. L.; Sha, Y. J.

2012-11-01

Primary formulation derivation indicates that the dimension of one existing centrifugal boiler circulation pump casing is too large. As great manufacture cost can be saved by dimension decrease, a numerical simulation research is developed in this paper on dimension decrease for annular casing of this pump with a specific speed equaling to 189, which aims at finding an appropriately smaller dimension of the casing while hydraulic performance and strength performance will hardly be changed according to the requirements of the cooperative company. The research object is one existing centrifugal pump with a diffuser and a semi-spherical annular casing, working as the boiler circulation pump for (ultra) supercritical units in power plants. Dimension decrease, the modification method, is achieved by decreasing the existing casing's internal radius (marked as "Ri0") while keeping the wall thickness. The research analysis is based on primary formulation derivation, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation and FEM (Finite Element Method) simulation. Primary formulation derivation estimates that a design casing's internal radius should be less than 0.75 Ri0. CFD analysis indicates that smaller casing with 0.75 Ri0 has a worse hydraulic performance when working at large flow rates and a better hydraulic performance when working at small flow rates. In consideration of hydraulic performance and dimension decrease, an appropriate casing's internal radius is determined, which equals to 0.875 Ri0. FEM analysis then confirms that modified pump casing has nearly the same strength performance as the existing pump casing. It is concluded that dimension decrease can be an economical method as well as a practical method for large pumps in engineering fields.

Case Reports, Case Series - From Clinical Practice to Evidence-Based Medicine in Graduate Medical Education.

PubMed

Sayre, Jerry W; Toklu, Hale Z; Ye, Fan; Mazza, Joseph; Yale, Steven

2017-08-07

Case reports and case series or case study research are descriptive studies that are prepared for illustrating novel, unusual, or atypical features identified in patients in medical practice, and they potentially generate new research questions. They are empirical inquiries or investigations of a patient or a group of patients in a natural, real-world clinical setting. Case study research is a method that focuses on the contextual analysis of a number of events or conditions and their relationships. There is disagreement among physicians on the value of case studies in the medical literature, particularly for educators focused on teaching evidence-based medicine (EBM) for student learners in graduate medical education. Despite their limitations, case study research is a beneficial tool and learning experience in graduate medical education and among novice researchers. The preparation and presentation of case studies can help students and graduate medical education programs evaluate and apply the six American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies in the areas of medical knowledge, patient care, practice-based learning, professionalism, systems-based practice, and communication. A goal in graduate medical education should be to assist residents to expand their critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. These attributes are required in the teaching and practice of EBM. In this aspect, case studies provide a platform for developing clinical skills and problem-based learning methods. Hence, graduate medical education programs should encourage, assist, and support residents in the publication of clinical case studies; and clinical teachers should encourage graduate students to publish case reports during their graduate medical education.

Case-Cohort Studies: Design and Applicability to Hand Surgery.

PubMed

Vojvodic, Miliana; Shafarenko, Mark; McCabe, Steven J

2018-04-24

Observational studies are common research strategies in hand surgery. The case-cohort design offers an efficient and resource-friendly method for risk assessment and outcomes analysis. Case-cohorts remain underrepresented in upper extremity research despite several practical and economic advantages over case-control studies. This report outlines the purpose, utility, and structure of the case-cohort design and offers a sample research question to demonstrate its value to risk estimation for adverse surgical outcomes. The application of well-designed case-cohort studies is advocated in an effort to improve the quality and quantity of observational research evidence in hand and upper extremity surgery. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Reliable Change Using 95% Credible Intervals for the Differences in Proportions: A Statistical Analysis for Case-Study Methodology.

PubMed

Unicomb, Rachael; Colyvas, Kim; Harrison, Elisabeth; Hewat, Sally

2015-06-01

Case-study methodology studying change is often used in the field of speech-language pathology, but it can be criticized for not being statistically robust. Yet with the heterogeneous nature of many communication disorders, case studies allow clinicians and researchers to closely observe and report on change. Such information is valuable and can further inform large-scale experimental designs. In this research note, a statistical analysis for case-study data is outlined that employs a modification to the Reliable Change Index (Jacobson & Truax, 1991). The relationship between reliable change and clinical significance is discussed. Example data are used to guide the reader through the use and application of this analysis. A method of analysis is detailed that is suitable for assessing change in measures with binary categorical outcomes. The analysis is illustrated using data from one individual, measured before and after treatment for stuttering. The application of this approach to assess change in categorical, binary data has potential application in speech-language pathology. It enables clinicians and researchers to analyze results from case studies for their statistical and clinical significance. This new method addresses a gap in the research design literature, that is, the lack of analysis methods for noncontinuous data (such as counts, rates, proportions of events) that may be used in case-study designs.

A Case Study of a Mixed Methods Study Engaged in Integrated Data Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiazza, Daniela Marie

2013-01-01

The nascent field of mixed methods research has yet to develop a cohesive framework of guidelines and procedures for mixed methods data analysis (Greene, 2008). To support the field's development of analytical frameworks, this case study reflects on the development and implementation of a mixed methods study engaged in integrated data analysis.…

Using Research-Based Video-Cases to Help Pre-Service Primary Teachers Conceptualize a Contemporary View of Mathematics Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Pi-Jen

2005-01-01

The study inquired into the effect of research-based video-cases on pre-service teachers conceptualizing their understanding of contemporary mathematics teaching. The 43 participants enrolled in a Mathematics Method Course viewed and discussed 5 video-cases of primary teachers teaching. Journal entries, lesson plans, and microteaching observations…

Status of Single-Case Research Designs for Evidence-Based Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matson, Johnny L.; Turygin, Nicole C.; Beighley, Jennifer; Matson, Michael L.

2012-01-01

The single-case research design has become a paradoxical methodology in the applied sciences. While various experimental designs have been in place for over 50 years, there has not been wide acceptance of single-case methodology outside clinical and school psychology, or the field of special education. These methods were developed in the U.S.A.,…

Using Response Ratios for Meta-Analyzing Single-Case Designs with Behavioral Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pustejovsky, James E.

2018-01-01

Methods for meta-analyzing single-case designs (SCDs) are needed to inform evidence-based practice in clinical and school settings and to draw broader and more defensible generalizations in areas where SCDs comprise a large part of the research base. The most widely used outcomes in single-case research are measures of behavior collected using…

Research of Litchi Diseases Diagnosis Expertsystem Based on Rbr and Cbr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Bing; Liu, Liqun

To conquer the bottleneck problems existing in the traditional rule-based reasoning diseases diagnosis system, such as low reasoning efficiency and lack of flexibility, etc.. It researched the integrated case-based reasoning (CBR) and rule-based reasoning (RBR) technology, and put forward a litchi diseases diagnosis expert system (LDDES) with integrated reasoning method. The method use data mining and knowledge obtaining technology to establish knowledge base and case library. It adopt rules to instruct the retrieval and matching for CBR, and use association rule and decision trees algorithm to calculate case similarity.The experiment shows that the method can increase the system's flexibility and reasoning ability, and improve the accuracy of litchi diseases diagnosis.

Research data collection methods: from paper to tablet computers.

PubMed

Wilcox, Adam B; Gallagher, Kathleen D; Boden-Albala, Bernadette; Bakken, Suzanne R

2012-07-01

Primary data collection is a critical activity in clinical research. Even with significant advances in technical capabilities, clear benefits of use, and even user preferences for using electronic systems for collecting primary data, paper-based data collection is still common in clinical research settings. However, with recent developments in both clinical research and tablet computer technology, the comparative advantages and disadvantages of data collection methods should be determined. To describe case studies using multiple methods of data collection, including next-generation tablets, and consider their various advantages and disadvantages. We reviewed 5 modern case studies using primary data collection, using methods ranging from paper to next-generation tablet computers. We performed semistructured telephone interviews with each project, which considered factors relevant to data collection. We address specific issues with workflow, implementation and security for these different methods, and identify differences in implementation that led to different technology considerations for each case study. There remain multiple methods for primary data collection, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Two recent methods are electronic health record templates and next-generation tablet computers. Electronic health record templates can link data directly to medical records, but are notably difficult to use. Current tablet computers are substantially different from previous technologies with regard to user familiarity and software cost. The use of cloud-based storage for tablet computers, however, creates a specific challenge for clinical research that must be considered but can be overcome.

A Hypermedia Approach to the Design of an Intelligent Tutoring System

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

23 3. Artist and Exploration Method ........................................... 24 4. Research method...LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH ............................................................... 76 v B. A CASE FOR HYPERMEDIA LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS...119 vi I. INTRODUCTION Most of the prior research in the field of intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) has focused on

Implementation of Performance-Based Acquisition in Non-Western Countries

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

narratives , phenomenologies , ethnographies , grounded theory studies , or case studies . The researcher collects...are biography, phenomenological study , grounded theory study , ethnography , and case study . The approach used for qualitative data collection method ... qualitative methods , such as the grounded theory approach to

Four Methods for Analyzing Partial Interval Recording Data, with Application to Single-Case Research.

PubMed

Pustejovsky, James E; Swan, Daniel M

2015-01-01

Partial interval recording (PIR) is a procedure for collecting measurements during direct observation of behavior. It is used in several areas of educational and psychological research, particularly in connection with single-case research. Measurements collected using partial interval recording suffer from construct invalidity because they are not readily interpretable in terms of the underlying characteristics of the behavior. Using an alternating renewal process model for the behavior under observation, we demonstrate that ignoring the construct invalidity of PIR data can produce misleading inferences, such as inferring that an intervention reduces the prevalence of an undesirable behavior when in fact it has the opposite effect. We then propose four different methods for analyzing PIR summary measurements, each of which can be used to draw inferences about interpretable behavioral parameters. We demonstrate the methods by applying them to data from two single-case studies of problem behavior.

Purists need not apply: the case for pragmatism in mixed methods research.

PubMed

Florczak, Kristine L

2014-10-01

The purpose of this column is to describe several different ways of conducting mixed method research. The paradigms that underpin both qualitative and quantitative research are also considered along with a cursory review of classical pragmatism as it relates conducting mixed methods studies. Finally, the idea of loosely coupled systems as a means to support mixed methods studies is proposed along with several caveats to researchers who desire to use this new way of obtaining knowledge. © The Author(s) 2014.

Integrating qualitative research into occupational health: a case study among hospital workers.

PubMed

Gordon, Deborah R; Ames, Genevieve M; Yen, Irene H; Gillen, Marion; Aust, Birgit; Rugulies, Reiner; Frank, John W; Blanc, Paul D

2005-04-01

We sought to better use qualitative approaches in occupational health research and integrate them with quantitative methods. We systematically reviewed, selected, and adapted qualitative research methods as part of a multisite study of the predictors and outcomes of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among hospital workers in two large urban tertiary hospitals. The methods selected included participant observation; informal, open-ended, and semistructured interviews with individuals or small groups; and archival study. The nature of the work and social life of the hospitals and the foci of the study all favored using more participant observation methods in the case study than initially anticipated. Exploiting the full methodological spectrum of qualitative methods in occupational health is increasingly relevant. Although labor-intensive, these approaches may increase the yield of established quantitative approaches otherwise used in isolation.

Sustaining Inquiry-Based Teaching Methods in the Middle School Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Amy Fowler

2012-01-01

This dissertation used a combination of case study and phenomenological research methods to investigate how individual teachers of middle school science in the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) program sustain their use of inquiry-based methods of teaching and learning. While the overall context for the cases was the AMSTI…

CASE STUDY CRITIQUE; UPPER CLINCH CASE STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Case study critique: Upper Clinch case study (from Research on Methods for Integrating Ecological Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment: A Trade-off Weighted Index Approach to Integrating Economics and Ecological Risk Assessment). This critique answers the questions: 1) does ...

Reconciling incongruous qualitative and quantitative findings in mixed methods research: exemplars from research with drug using populations.

PubMed

Wagner, Karla D; Davidson, Peter J; Pollini, Robin A; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Washburn, Rachel; Palinkas, Lawrence A

2012-01-01

Mixed methods research is increasingly being promoted in the health sciences as a way to gain more comprehensive understandings of how social processes and individual behaviours shape human health. Mixed methods research most commonly combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis strategies. Often, integrating findings from multiple methods is assumed to confirm or validate the findings from one method with the findings from another, seeking convergence or agreement between methods. Cases in which findings from different methods are congruous are generally thought of as ideal, whilst conflicting findings may, at first glance, appear problematic. However, the latter situation provides the opportunity for a process through which apparently discordant results are reconciled, potentially leading to new emergent understandings of complex social phenomena. This paper presents three case studies drawn from the authors' research on HIV risk amongst injection drug users in which mixed methods studies yielded apparently discrepant results. We use these case studies (involving injection drug users [IDUs] using a Needle/Syringe Exchange Program in Los Angeles, CA, USA; IDUs seeking to purchase needle/syringes at pharmacies in Tijuana, Mexico; and young street-based IDUs in San Francisco, CA, USA) to identify challenges associated with integrating findings from mixed methods projects, summarize lessons learned, and make recommendations for how to more successfully anticipate and manage the integration of findings. Despite the challenges inherent in reconciling apparently conflicting findings from qualitative and quantitative approaches, in keeping with others who have argued in favour of integrating mixed methods findings, we contend that such an undertaking has the potential to yield benefits that emerge only through the struggle to reconcile discrepant results and may provide a sum that is greater than the individual qualitative and quantitative parts. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reconciling incongruous qualitative and quantitative findings in mixed methods research: exemplars from research with drug using populations

PubMed Central

Wagner, Karla D.; Davidson, Peter J.; Pollini, Robin A.; Strathdee, Steffanie A.; Washburn, Rachel; Palinkas, Lawrence A.

2011-01-01

Mixed methods research is increasingly being promoted in the health sciences as a way to gain more comprehensive understandings of how social processes and individual behaviours shape human health. Mixed methods research most commonly combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis strategies. Often, integrating findings from multiple methods is assumed to confirm or validate the findings from one method with the findings from another, seeking convergence or agreement between methods. Cases in which findings from different methods are congruous are generally thought of as ideal, while conflicting findings may, at first glance, appear problematic. However, the latter situation provides the opportunity for a process through which apparently discordant results are reconciled, potentially leading to new emergent understandings of complex social phenomena. This paper presents three case studies drawn from the authors’ research on HIV risk among injection drug users in which mixed methods studies yielded apparently discrepant results. We use these case studies (involving injection drug users [IDUs] using a needle/syringe exchange program in Los Angeles, California, USA; IDUs seeking to purchase needle/syringes at pharmacies in Tijuana, Mexico; and young street-based IDUs in San Francisco, CA, USA) to identify challenges associated with integrating findings from mixed methods projects, summarize lessons learned, and make recommendations for how to more successfully anticipate and manage the integration of findings. Despite the challenges inherent in reconciling apparently conflicting findings from qualitative and quantitative approaches, in keeping with others who have argued in favour of integrating mixed methods findings, we contend that such an undertaking has the potential to yield benefits that emerge only through the struggle to reconcile discrepant results and may provide a sum that is greater than the individual qualitative and quantitative parts. PMID:21680168

Investigation of Geobase Implementation Issues: Case Study of Information Resource Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

case study , ethnography , phenomenological study , and grounded theory . “Of...all the research designs [described] … a grounded theory study is the one that is least likely to begin from a 40 Use this approach if...the treatments explained, the case study method best matches the objectives of this research (Leedy & Ormrod, 2001). Yin’s criteria for

Cultural Identity and Regional Security in the Western Balkans

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-13

possible. Case Study as Qualitative Approach Creswell and other experts of the social research methodology suggest at least five forms of...descriptive research approach, and the main method is case study of the Western Balkans. This thesis utilizes the analytical frameworks of securitization

Ethical and effective ethnographic research methods: a case study with afghan refugees in California.

PubMed

Smith, Valerie J

2009-09-01

SCHOLARLY STUDIES OF REFUGEES and other vulnerable populations carry special ethical concerns. In this invited case study of Afghan refugees in Fremont, California, I provide illustrations and recommendations of ethical research methods with refugees. I also compare and contrast some ethical issues in the U.S. with issues in Thailand. The qualitative, ethnographic methods I report here demonstrate how to conduct culturally sensitive investigations by ethically approaching gatekeepers and other community members to preserve autonomy, ensure confidentiality, build trust, and improve the accuracy of interpretations and results. Six groups at risk for being marginalized in multiple ways within refugee populations are described. Ten best practices are recommended for ethically acquiring an in-depth understanding of the refugees, their community, and appropriate research methods.

An Analysis of Class II Supplies Requisitions in the Korean Army’s Organizational Supply

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-26

five methods for qualitative research : Case study , Ethnography , 45 Phenomenological study , Grounded theory , and...Approaches .. 42 Table 9 Five Qualitative Research Methods ..................................................................... 45 Table 10 Six...Content analysis. Table 9 provides a brief overview of the five methods . Table 9 Five Qualitative

Research Capacity Building: A Historically Black College/University-Based Case Study of a Peer-to-Peer Mentor Research Team Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Corey L.; Manyibe, Edward O.; Aref, Fariborz; Washington, Andre L.

2017-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate a peer-to-peer mentor research team model (PPMRTM) in building investigators' research skills (i.e., research methods and grant writing) at a historically Black college/university (HBCU) in the United States. Method: Three different theories (i.e., planned change, critical mass, and self-efficacy), contemporary study findings,…

Considering New Paths for Success: An Examination of the Research and Methods on Urban School-University Partnerships Post-No Child Left Behind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flynn, Joseph E.; Hunt, Rebecca D.; Johnson, Laura Ruth; Wickman, Scott A.

2014-01-01

This article examines urban school-university partnership research after No Child Left Behind. Central to the review is an analysis in the trend of research methods utilized across studies. It was found that many studies are single-case studies or anecdotal. There are few quantitative, sustained qualitative, or mixed-methods studies represented in…

The Worth of a Sparrow: A Decision Case in University Research and Public Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crookston, R. Kent; And Others

1993-01-01

The University of Minnesota trapped and killed birds to reduce bird damage to research grain plots. When the Animal Rights Coalition demanded the practice be stopped, the situation became a public controversy. Presents an abridged form of this case as a focus for consideration of research methods, interest group agenda, and the universities' role…

Number Needed to Benefit From Information (NNBI): Proposal From a Mixed Methods Research Study With Practicing Family Physicians

PubMed Central

Pluye, Pierre; Grad, Roland M.; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique; Granikov, Vera; Shulha, Michael; Marlow, Bernard; Ricarte, Ivan Luiz Marques

2013-01-01

PURPOSE We wanted to describe family physicians’ use of information from an electronic knowledge resource for answering clinical questions, and their perception of subsequent patient health outcomes; and to estimate the number needed to benefit from information (NNBI), defined as the number of patients for whom clinical information was retrieved for 1 to benefit. METHODS We undertook a mixed methods research study, combining quantitative longitudinal and qualitative research studies. Participants were 41 family physicians from primary care clinics across Canada. Physicians were given access to 1 electronic knowledge resource on handheld computer in 2008–2009. For the outcome assessment, participants rated their searches using a validated method. Rated searches were examined during interviews guided by log reports that included ratings. Cases were defined as clearly described searches where clinical information was used for a specific patient. For each case, interviewees described information-related patient health outcomes. For the mixed methods data analysis, quantitative and qualitative data were merged into clinical vignettes (each vignette describing a case). We then estimated the NNBI. RESULTS In 715 of 1,193 searches for information conducted during an average of 86 days, the search objective was directly linked to a patient. Of those searches, 188 were considered to be cases. In 53 cases, participants associated the use of information with at least 1 patient health benefit. This finding suggested an NNBI of 14 (715/53). CONCLUSION The NNBI may be used in further experimental research to compare electronic knowledge resources. A low NNBI can encourage clinicians to search for information more frequently. If all searches had benefits, the NNBI would be 1. In addition to patient benefits, learning and knowledge reinforcement outcomes are frequently reported. PMID:24218380

Using Case Study Multi-Methods to Investigate Close(r) Collaboration: Course-Based Tutoring and the Directive/Nondirective Instructional Continuum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbett, Steven J.

2011-01-01

This essay presents case studies of "course-based tutoring" (CBT) and one-to-one tutorials in two sections of developmental first-year composition (FYC) at a large West Coast research university. The author's study uses a combination of rhetorical and discourse analyses and ethnographic and case study multi-methods to investigate both…

A generalized least squares regression approach for computing effect sizes in single-case research: application examples.

PubMed

Maggin, Daniel M; Swaminathan, Hariharan; Rogers, Helen J; O'Keeffe, Breda V; Sugai, George; Horner, Robert H

2011-06-01

A new method for deriving effect sizes from single-case designs is proposed. The strategy is applicable to small-sample time-series data with autoregressive errors. The method uses Generalized Least Squares (GLS) to model the autocorrelation of the data and estimate regression parameters to produce an effect size that represents the magnitude of treatment effect from baseline to treatment phases in standard deviation units. In this paper, the method is applied to two published examples using common single case designs (i.e., withdrawal and multiple-baseline). The results from these studies are described, and the method is compared to ten desirable criteria for single-case effect sizes. Based on the results of this application, we conclude with observations about the use of GLS as a support to visual analysis, provide recommendations for future research, and describe implications for practice. Copyright © 2011 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Whole lot of parts: stress in extreme environments.

PubMed

Steel, G Daniel

2005-06-01

Stress has been a central interest for researchers of human behavior in extreme and unusual environments and also for those who are responsible for planning and carrying out expeditions involving such environments. This paper compares the actuarial and case study methods for predicting reactions to stress. Actuarial studies are useful, but do not tap enough variables to allow us to predict how a specific individual will cope with the rigors of an individual mission. Case histories provide a wealth of detail, but few investigators understand the challenges of properly applying this method. This study reviews some of the strengths and weaknesses of the actuarial and case history methods, and presents a four celled taxonomy of stress based on method (actuarial and case history) and effects (distress and eustress). For both research and operational purposes, the person, the setting, and time should not be considered independently; rather, it is an amalgam of these variables that provides the proper basis of analysis.

Connection of Environmental Education with Application of Experiential Teaching Methods: A Case Study from Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koutsoukos, Marios; Fragoulis, Iosif; Valkanos, Euthimios

2015-01-01

The main objective of this case study is to examine secondary education teachers' opinions concerning the connection of environmental education with the use of experiential teaching methods. Exploring whether the application of experiential methods can upgrade the learning procedure, leading to a more holistic approach, the research focuses on…

Innovative Methods for Collecting and Analyzing Qualitative Data: Vignettes and Pre-Structured Cases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miles, Matthew B.

Two innovative methods for collecting and analyzing qualitative data are vignettes and pre-structured cases. Vignettes are descriptions of situations or problems written by a professional, with a suggested outline and comments provided by a researcher. Advantages of this method are strength of impact of the written descriptions and efficiency of…

Work Organisation and Qualifications in the Retail Sector. The Case of Micro-Enterprise. Synthesis Report. CEDEFOP Document.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruse, Wilfried; van den Tillaart, Harry; van den Berg, Sjaak; King, Richard

Using the case study method, research was synthesized on micro-enterprises in Europe and the effects of changes in work organizations on employee qualifications and vice versa. The research focused on retail operations employing 10 or fewer staff. Five case studies were conducted in each of four member states of the European Union--Greece,…

Flexible Delivery as a "Whole-Organisation": What Does This Mean in Practice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, John; Wakefield, Lyn

A research project called Support Services for Flexible Delivery was commissioned by the Australian organization TAFE (technical and further education) Frontiers. Since 1995, the project has been conducted by using a research approach called the Generalizations from Case Studies (GCS) research method. The GCS method was developed, tested, and…

A Case Study in Design Thinking Applied Through Aviation Mission Support Tactical Advancements for the Next Generation (TANG)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

This is an examination of the research, execution, and follow- on developments supporting the Design Thinking event explored through Case Study ...research, execution, and follow- on developments supporting the Design Thinking event explored through case study methods. Additionally, the lenses of...total there have been two Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) case study theses on U.S. Navy innovation events as well as other works examining the

Examination of Student Outcomes in Play Therapy: A Qualitative Case Study Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dillman Taylor, Dalena L.; Blount, Ashley J.; Bloom, Zachary

2017-01-01

Outcome research examining the effectiveness of teaching methods in counselor education is sparse. The researchers conducted a qualitative investigation utilizing an instrumental case study to examine the influence of a constructivist-developmental format on a play therapy counseling course in a large CACREP accredited university in the…

Research Trends in Evidence-Based Medicine: A Joinpoint Regression Analysis of More than 50 Years of Publication Data

PubMed Central

Hung, Bui The; Long, Nguyen Phuoc; Hung, Le Phi; Luan, Nguyen Thien; Anh, Nguyen Hoang; Nghi, Tran Diem; Van Hieu, Mai; Trang, Nguyen Thi Huyen; Rafidinarivo, Herizo Fabien; Anh, Nguyen Ky; Hawkes, David; Huy, Nguyen Tien; Hirayama, Kenji

2015-01-01

Background Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has developed as the dominant paradigm of assessment of evidence that is used in clinical practice. Since its development, EBM has been applied to integrate the best available research into diagnosis and treatment with the purpose of improving patient care. In the EBM era, a hierarchy of evidence has been proposed, including various types of research methods, such as meta-analysis (MA), systematic review (SRV), randomized controlled trial (RCT), case report (CR), practice guideline (PGL), and so on. Although there are numerous studies examining the impact and importance of specific cases of EBM in clinical practice, there is a lack of research quantitatively measuring publication trends in the growth and development of EBM. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis was constructed to determine the scientific productivity of EBM research over decades. Methods NCBI PubMed database was used to search, retrieve and classify publications according to research method and year of publication. Joinpoint regression analysis was undertaken to analyze trends in research productivity and the prevalence of individual research methods. Findings Analysis indicates that MA and SRV, which are classified as the highest ranking of evidence in the EBM, accounted for a relatively small but auspicious number of publications. For most research methods, the annual percent change (APC) indicates a consistent increase in publication frequency. MA, SRV and RCT show the highest rate of publication growth in the past twenty years. Only controlled clinical trials (CCT) shows a non-significant reduction in publications over the past ten years. Conclusions Higher quality research methods, such as MA, SRV and RCT, are showing continuous publication growth, which suggests an acknowledgement of the value of these methods. This study provides the first quantitative assessment of research method publication trends in EBM. PMID:25849641

Extracting information from the text of electronic medical records to improve case detection: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Carroll, John A; Smith, Helen E; Scott, Donia; Cassell, Jackie A

2016-01-01

Background Electronic medical records (EMRs) are revolutionizing health-related research. One key issue for study quality is the accurate identification of patients with the condition of interest. Information in EMRs can be entered as structured codes or unstructured free text. The majority of research studies have used only coded parts of EMRs for case-detection, which may bias findings, miss cases, and reduce study quality. This review examines whether incorporating information from text into case-detection algorithms can improve research quality. Methods A systematic search returned 9659 papers, 67 of which reported on the extraction of information from free text of EMRs with the stated purpose of detecting cases of a named clinical condition. Methods for extracting information from text and the technical accuracy of case-detection algorithms were reviewed. Results Studies mainly used US hospital-based EMRs, and extracted information from text for 41 conditions using keyword searches, rule-based algorithms, and machine learning methods. There was no clear difference in case-detection algorithm accuracy between rule-based and machine learning methods of extraction. Inclusion of information from text resulted in a significant improvement in algorithm sensitivity and area under the receiver operating characteristic in comparison to codes alone (median sensitivity 78% (codes + text) vs 62% (codes), P = .03; median area under the receiver operating characteristic 95% (codes + text) vs 88% (codes), P = .025). Conclusions Text in EMRs is accessible, especially with open source information extraction algorithms, and significantly improves case detection when combined with codes. More harmonization of reporting within EMR studies is needed, particularly standardized reporting of algorithm accuracy metrics like positive predictive value (precision) and sensitivity (recall). PMID:26911811

Bridging the clinician/researcher gap with systemic research: the case for process research, dyadic, and sequential analysis.

PubMed

Oka, Megan; Whiting, Jason

2013-01-01

In Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), as in many clinical disciplines, concern surfaces about the clinician/researcher gap. This gap includes a lack of accessible, practical research for clinicians. MFT clinical research often borrows from the medical tradition of randomized control trials, which typically use linear methods, or follow procedures distanced from "real-world" therapy. We review traditional research methods and their use in MFT and propose increased use of methods that are more systemic in nature and more applicable to MFTs: process research, dyadic data analysis, and sequential analysis. We will review current research employing these methods, as well as suggestions and directions for further research. © 2013 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

The scientific status of childhood dissociative identity disorder: a review of published research.

PubMed

Boysen, Guy A

2011-01-01

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) remains a controversial diagnosis due to conflicting views on its etiology. Some attribute DID to childhood trauma and others attribute it to iatrogenesis. The purpose of this article is to review the published cases of childhood DID in order to evaluate its scientific status, and to answer research questions related to the etiological models. I searched MEDLINE and PsycINFO records for studies published since 1980 on DID/multiple personality disorder in children. For each study I coded information regarding the origin of samples and diagnostic methods. The review produced a total of 255 cases of childhood DID reported as individual case studies (44) or aggregated into empirical studies (211). Nearly all cases (93%) emerged from samples of children in treatment, and multiple personalities was the presenting problem in 23% of the case studies. Four US research groups accounted for 65% of all 255 cases. Diagnostic methods typically included clinical evaluation based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder criteria, but hypnosis, structured interviews, and multiple raters were rarely used in diagnoses. Despite continuing research on the related concepts of trauma and dissociation, childhood DID itself appears to be an extremely rare phenomenon that few researchers have studied in depth. Nearly all of the research that does exist on childhood DID is from the 1980s and 1990s and does not resolve the ongoing controversies surrounding the disorder. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Readiness of Lecturers in Embedding Soft Skills in the Bachelor's Degree Program in Malaysian Institutes of Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassan, Aminuddin; Maharoff, Marina; Abiddin, Norhasni Zainal

2014-01-01

This is a preliminary research to obtain information to formulate a problem statement for an overall study of the embedding of soft skills in the program courses in higher learning institutions. This research was conducted in the form of single case and multi-case studies. The research data was attained through mixed methods; the quantitative…

[Legionnaire's disease in Italy: case list contribution].

PubMed

Scarlini, G; Carlino, G; Coletti, C; Parente, M; Orani, A M

1986-01-01

The authors describe two cases of Legionnaires disease brought to their attention and diagnosed through serological research utilizing two different methods: the indirect immunofluorescence and the microagglutination, in cooperation with the Higher Institute of Health. They conclude with some considerations upon the real necessity of circumscribed eziological research in all the cases of "hospitalized acute respiratory illness" and confirm the effectiveness of the treatment with macrolides in the Legionella Pneumophila infections.

Teaching Forward

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Derriso, Anthony

2011-01-01

Educators and educational researchers alike are discovering that inductive methods--in which learners start with specific observations, problems, or cases and infer general laws from these instances--are more effective when higher-order thinking is the primary goal (Yadav et al. 2007). For decades, the case-study method has been widely used in law…

Feminist Approaches to Triangulation: Uncovering Subjugated Knowledge and Fostering Social Change in Mixed Methods Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hesse-Biber, Sharlene

2012-01-01

This article explores the deployment of triangulation in the service of uncovering subjugated knowledge and promoting social change for women and other oppressed groups. Feminist approaches to mixed methods praxis create a tight link between the research problem and the research design. An analysis of selected case studies of feminist praxis…

Effects of Singapore's Model Method on Elementary Student Problem Solving Performance: Single Subject Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahoney, Kevin

2012-01-01

This research investigation examined the effects of Singapore's Model Method, also known as "model drawing" or "bar modeling" on the word problem-solving performance of American third and fourth grade students. Employing a single-case design, a researcher-designed teaching intervention was delivered to a child in third…

Using Mixed Methods from a Communicative Orientation: Researching with Grassroots Roma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flecha, Ramon

2014-01-01

Over a decade ago, researchers in Roma studies shifted their approach, from an exclusionary stance to a more communicative one. Despite major positive changes since then, researchers still do not adequately reflect the voices of the majority of the world's Roma. In this article, we draw on a communicative mixed methods case study, conducted within…

Collecting and analyzing qualitative data: Hermeneutic principles, methods and case examples

Treesearch

Michael E. Patterson; Daniel R. Williams

2002-01-01

Over the past three decades, the use of qualitative research methods has become commonplace in social science as a whole and increasingly represented in tourism and recrearion research. In tourism, for example, Markwell and Basche (1998) recently noted the emergence of a pluralistic perspective on science and the growth of research employing qualitative frameworks....

Multiple Enactments of Method, Divergent Hinterlands and Production of Multiple Realities in Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rimpiläinen, Sanna

2015-01-01

What do different research methods and approaches "do" in practice? The article seeks to discuss this point by drawing upon socio-material research approaches and empirical examples taken from the early stages of an extensive case study on an interdisciplinary project between two multidisciplinary fields of study, education and computer…

Adapting Western research methods to indigenous ways of knowing.

PubMed

Simonds, Vanessa W; Christopher, Suzanne

2013-12-01

Indigenous communities have long experienced exploitation by researchers and increasingly require participatory and decolonizing research processes. We present a case study of an intervention research project to exemplify a clash between Western research methodologies and Indigenous methodologies and how we attempted reconciliation. We then provide implications for future research based on lessons learned from Native American community partners who voiced concern over methods of Western deductive qualitative analysis. Decolonizing research requires constant reflective attention and action, and there is an absence of published guidance for this process. Continued exploration is needed for implementing Indigenous methods alone or in conjunction with appropriate Western methods when conducting research in Indigenous communities. Currently, examples of Indigenous methods and theories are not widely available in academic texts or published articles, and are often not perceived as valid.

Selecting Cases for Intensive Analysis: A Diversity of Goals and Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerring, John; Cojocaru, Lee

2016-01-01

This study revisits the task of case selection in case study research, proposing a new typology of strategies that is explicit, disaggregated, and relatively comprehensive. A secondary goal is to explore the prospects for case selection by "algorithm," aka "ex ante," "automatic," "quantitative,"…

Teaching Science and Engineering-Related Topics Using Experiential Methods: An Action-Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aleong, Chandra; Aleong, John

2007-01-01

This article describes a portion of a long-term action-research project investigating the teaching of the science of transportation to high school students using the case study or experiential method. Other aspects integrated with the project-oriented study are the use of Constructivist theory, the Socratic Method, and the incorporation of…

Internet-Mediated Technologies and Mixed Methods Research: Problems and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hesse-Biber, Sharlene; Griffin, Amy J.

2013-01-01

This article provides an examination of a range of mixed methods research projects that employ Internet-mediated technologies (IMT) for data collection. Using a case study approach, this article allows for the uncovering of a process by which IMT are used as a data collection medium in mixed methods praxis. Under the theoretical position of medium…

Synthesis in land change science: methodological patterns, challenges, and guidelines.

PubMed

Magliocca, Nicholas R; Rudel, Thomas K; Verburg, Peter H; McConnell, William J; Mertz, Ole; Gerstner, Katharina; Heinimann, Andreas; Ellis, Erle C

Global and regional economic and environmental changes are increasingly influencing local land-use, livelihoods, and ecosystems. At the same time, cumulative local land changes are driving global and regional changes in biodiversity and the environment. To understand the causes and consequences of these changes, land change science (LCS) draws on a wide array synthetic and meta-study techniques to generate global and regional knowledge from local case studies of land change. Here, we review the characteristics and applications of synthesis methods in LCS and assess the current state of synthetic research based on a meta-analysis of synthesis studies from 1995 to 2012. Publication of synthesis research is accelerating, with a clear trend toward increasingly sophisticated and quantitative methods, including meta-analysis. Detailed trends in synthesis objectives, methods, and land change phenomena and world regions most commonly studied are presented. Significant challenges to successful synthesis research in LCS are also identified, including issues of interpretability and comparability across case-studies and the limits of and biases in the geographic coverage of case studies. Nevertheless, synthesis methods based on local case studies will remain essential for generating systematic global and regional understanding of local land change for the foreseeable future, and multiple opportunities exist to accelerate and enhance the reliability of synthetic LCS research in the future. Demand for global and regional knowledge generation will continue to grow to support adaptation and mitigation policies consistent with both the local realities and regional and global environmental and economic contexts of land change.

Blending quantitative and qualitative methods in language research and intervention.

PubMed

Brinton, Bonnie; Fujiki, Martin

2003-05-01

Best practice in speech-language pathology should be informed by current research findings. Traditional research methods are not always geared to address some of the complex, individual questions that arise in clinical intervention, however. Qualitative research methods may provide useful tools for bridging the gap from research to practice. Combinations of qualitative and quantitative procedures may be particularly helpful in sorting out some of the important issues surrounding language intervention in both clinical and research contexts. Examples of research blending qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as the case study of Sid, an 11-year-old boy with specific language impairment, are presented to illustrate how a combination of procedures can be used to enhance language research and intervention.

Integrating informative priors from experimental research with Bayesian methods: an example from radiation epidemiology.

PubMed

Hamra, Ghassan; Richardson, David; Maclehose, Richard; Wing, Steve

2013-01-01

Informative priors can be a useful tool for epidemiologists to handle problems of sparse data in regression modeling. It is sometimes the case that an investigator is studying a population exposed to two agents, X and Y, where Y is the agent of primary interest. Previous research may suggest that the exposures have different effects on the health outcome of interest, one being more harmful than the other. Such information may be derived from epidemiologic analyses; however, in the case where such evidence is unavailable, knowledge can be drawn from toxicologic studies or other experimental research. Unfortunately, using toxicologic findings to develop informative priors in epidemiologic analyses requires strong assumptions, with no established method for its utilization. We present a method to help bridge the gap between animal and cellular studies and epidemiologic research by specification of an order-constrained prior. We illustrate this approach using an example from radiation epidemiology.

Integrating Informative Priors from Experimental Research with Bayesian Methods

PubMed Central

Hamra, Ghassan; Richardson, David; MacLehose, Richard; Wing, Steve

2013-01-01

Informative priors can be a useful tool for epidemiologists to handle problems of sparse data in regression modeling. It is sometimes the case that an investigator is studying a population exposed to two agents, X and Y, where Y is the agent of primary interest. Previous research may suggest that the exposures have different effects on the health outcome of interest, one being more harmful than the other. Such information may be derived from epidemiologic analyses; however, in the case where such evidence is unavailable, knowledge can be drawn from toxicologic studies or other experimental research. Unfortunately, using toxicologic findings to develop informative priors in epidemiologic analyses requires strong assumptions, with no established method for its utilization. We present a method to help bridge the gap between animal and cellular studies and epidemiologic research by specification of an order-constrained prior. We illustrate this approach using an example from radiation epidemiology. PMID:23222512

Abstracting of suspected illegal land use in urban areas using case-based classification of remote sensing images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Fulong; Wang, Chao; Yang, Chengyun; Zhang, Hong; Wu, Fan; Lin, Wenjuan; Zhang, Bo

2008-11-01

This paper proposed a method that uses a case-based classification of remote sensing images and applied this method to abstract the information of suspected illegal land use in urban areas. Because of the discrete cases for imagery classification, the proposed method dealt with the oscillation of spectrum or backscatter within the same land use category, and it not only overcame the deficiency of maximum likelihood classification (the prior probability of land use could not be obtained) but also inherited the advantages of the knowledge-based classification system, such as artificial intelligence and automatic characteristics. Consequently, the proposed method could do the classifying better. Then the researchers used the object-oriented technique for shadow removal in highly dense city zones. With multi-temporal SPOT 5 images whose resolution was 2.5×2.5 meters, the researchers found that the method can abstract suspected illegal land use information in urban areas using post-classification comparison technique.

Single-Case Design Research: Building the Evidence-Base in the Field of Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cannon, Joanna E.; Guardino, Caroline; Antia, Shirin D.; Luckner, John L.

2015-01-01

The field of education of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students has a paucity of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to guide instruction. The authors discussed how the research methodology of single-case design (SCD) can be used to build EBPs through direct and systematic replication of studies. An overview of SCD research methods is presented,…

Use of qualitative methods in published health services and management research: a 10-year review.

PubMed

Weiner, Bryan J; Amick, Halle R; Lund, Jennifer L; Lee, Shoou-Yih Daniel; Hoff, Timothy J

2011-02-01

Over the past 10 years, the field of health services and management research has seen renewed interest in the use of qualitative research methods. This article examines the volume and characteristics of qualitative research articles published in nine major health services and management journals between 1998 and 2008. Qualitative research articles comprise 9% of research articles published in these journals. Although the publication rate of qualitative research articles has not kept pace with that of quantitative research articles, citation analysis suggests that qualitative research articles contribute comparably to the field's knowledge base. A wide range of policy and management topics has been examined using qualitative methods. Case study designs, interviews, and documentary sources were the most frequently used methods. Half of qualitative research articles provided little or no detail about key aspects the study's methods. Implications are discussed and recommendations are offered for promoting the publication of qualitative research.

Comparative study: TQ and Lean Production ownership models in health services

PubMed Central

Eiro, Natalia Yuri; Torres-Junior, Alvair Silveira

2015-01-01

Objective: compare the application of Total Quality (TQ) models used in processes of a health service, cases of lean healthcare and literature from another institution that has also applied this model. Method: this is a qualitative research that was conducted through a descriptive case study. Results: through critical analysis of the institutions studied it was possible to make a comparison between the traditional quality approach checked in one case and the theoretical and practice lean production approach used in another case and the specifications are described below. Conclusion: the research identified that the lean model was better suited for people that work systemically and generate the flow. It also pointed towards some potential challenges in the introduction and implementation of lean methods in health. PMID:26487134

Improvement of Coordination in the Multi-National Military Coordination Center of the Nepal Army in Respond to Disasters

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

primary question. This thesis has used the case study research methodology with Capability-Based Assessment (CBA) approach. My engagement in this...protected by more restrictions in their home countries, in which case further publication or sale of copyrighted images is not permissible...effective coordinating mechanism. The research follows the case study method utilizing the Capability Based Analysis (CBA) approach to scrutinize the

Qualitative Case Study Guidelines

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

Introduction to Sociological Methods. 2nd ed. New York, McGraw-Hill 14. Denzin , N. K. and Lincoln , Y. S. (2011) The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative...The Art of Science. In: Denzin , N. K. and Lincoln , Y. S. (eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, Sage 19. GAO (1990) Case Study...Rinehart & Winston 39. Stake, R. E. (1994) Case Studies. In: Denzin , N. K. and Lincoln , Y. S. (eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, Sage

Toward a Biology of Menopause.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Madeleine

1980-01-01

Discusses research dealing with the study of menopause. Underscores the problems with the case study method. Discusses two population-based studies and the problems of age adjustment and measurement in menopause research. Highlights alternate research strategies. (MK)

Effective Practices in the Delivery of Research Ethics Education: A Qualitative Review of Instructional Methods.

PubMed

Todd, E Michelle; Torrence, Brett S; Watts, Logan L; Mulhearn, Tyler J; Connelly, Shane; Mumford, Michael D

2017-01-01

In order to delineate best practices for courses on research ethics, the goal of the present effort was to identify themes related to instructional methods reflected in effective research ethics and responsible conduct of research (RCR) courses. By utilizing a qualitative review, four themes relevant to instructional methods were identified in effective research ethics courses: active participation, case-based activities, a combination of individual and group approaches, and a small number of instructional methods. Three instructional method themes associated with less effective courses were also identified: passive learning, a group-based approach, and a large number of instructional methods. Key characteristics of each theme, along with example courses relative to each theme, are described. Additionally, implications regarding these instructional method themes and recommendations for best practices in research ethics courses are discussed.

Number needed to benefit from information (NNBI): proposal from a mixed methods research study with practicing family physicians.

PubMed

Pluye, Pierre; Grad, Roland M; Johnson-Lafleur, Janique; Granikov, Vera; Shulha, Michael; Marlow, Bernard; Ricarte, Ivan Luiz Marques

2013-01-01

We wanted to describe family physicians' use of information from an electronic knowledge resource for answering clinical questions, and their perception of subsequent patient health outcomes; and to estimate the number needed to benefit from information (NNBI), defined as the number of patients for whom clinical information was retrieved for 1 to benefit. We undertook a mixed methods research study, combining quantitative longitudinal and qualitative research studies. Participants were 41 family physicians from primary care clinics across Canada. Physicians were given access to 1 electronic knowledge resource on handheld computer in 2008-2009. For the outcome assessment, participants rated their searches using a validated method. Rated searches were examined during interviews guided by log reports that included ratings. Cases were defined as clearly described searches where clinical information was used for a specific patient. For each case, interviewees described information-related patient health outcomes. For the mixed methods data analysis, quantitative and qualitative data were merged into clinical vignettes (each vignette describing a case). We then estimated the NNBI. In 715 of 1,193 searches for information conducted during an average of 86 days, the search objective was directly linked to a patient. Of those searches, 188 were considered to be cases. In 53 cases, participants associated the use of information with at least 1 patient health benefit. This finding suggested an NNBI of 14 (715/53). The NNBI may be used in further experimental research to compare electronic knowledge resources. A low NNBI can encourage clinicians to search for information more frequently. If all searches had benefits, the NNBI would be 1. In addition to patient benefits, learning and knowledge reinforcement outcomes are frequently reported.

Mixed methods in psychotherapy research: A review of method(ology) integration in psychotherapy science.

PubMed

Bartholomew, Theodore T; Lockard, Allison J

2018-06-13

Mixed methods can foster depth and breadth in psychological research. However, its use remains in development in psychotherapy research. Our purpose was to review the use of mixed methods in psychotherapy research. Thirty-one studies were identified via the PRISMA systematic review method. Using Creswell & Plano Clark's typologies to identify design characteristics, we assessed each study for rigor and how each used mixed methods. Key features of mixed methods designs and these common patterns were identified: (a) integration of clients' perceptions via mixing; (b) understanding group psychotherapy; (c) integrating methods with cases and small samples; (d) analyzing clinical data as qualitative data; and (e) exploring cultural identities in psychotherapy through mixed methods. The review is discussed with respect to the value of integrating multiple data in single studies to enhance psychotherapy research. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Technology-Aided Instruction and Intervention for Students with ASD: A Meta-Analysis Using Novel Methods of Estimating Effect Sizes for Single-Case Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barton, Erin E.; Pustejovsky, James E.; Maggin, Daniel M.; Reichow, Brian

2017-01-01

The adoption of methods and strategies validated through rigorous, experimentally oriented research is a core professional value of special education. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the experimental literature on Technology-Aided Instruction and Intervention (TAII) using research identified as part of the National…

Democratic Environments Offered to Children at School, in the Family, and in Society: The Case of Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kus, Zafer

2014-01-01

This research aims to investigate democratic environments offered to children in Turkey at school, in the home, and in society. A mixed method is a general type of research where qualitative and quantitative methods are used together. The researcher first collects quantitative and then the qualitative data. The study group in the research…

A Feasibility Study of Using ICT in Iranian Secondary Schools: The Case of Tehran Province

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fathi Vajargah, Kourosh; Saadattlab, Ayat

2014-01-01

This research presents the results of a feasibility assessment on implementing ICT in Tehran high schools. Mixed method research (both qualitative and quantitative) was employed and due to the nature of research, data collection included two stages: library and field study. Using the cluster method with 362 subjects, data was collected using a…

Health-promotion research over three decades: The social-ecological model and challenges in implementation of interventions.

PubMed

Wold, Bente; Mittelmark, Maurice B

2018-02-01

This debate paper traces the development of innovative methods for undertaking health promotion research with a socialecological orientation, with a few examples drawn from 30 years of research on adolescent health promotion research at the University of Bergen. We aim to show how the social-ecological model is becoming more evident as a guide to research, using three cases that illustrate progress and potential. The first case is the Norwegian part of the European Network of Health Promoting Schools. The second case is a project just underway, The COMPLETE study, which is a community-led effort to promote students' mental health and create a good psychosocial learning environment. The third case is a developing idea for the next generation of social-ecological research on adolescent well-being, using an asset approach to foster social inclusion and sense of community in multiple settings.

Application of a Novel Collaboration Engineering Method for Learning Design: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Xusen; Li, Yuanyuan; Sun, Jianshan; Huang, Jianqing

2016-01-01

Collaborative case studies and computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) play an important role in the modern education environment. A number of researchers have given significant attention to learning design in order to improve the satisfaction of collaborative learning. Although collaboration engineering (CE) is a mature method widely…

Utilizing the Peer Group Method with Case Studies to Teach Pharmacokinetics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Pamela J.

1994-01-01

A pharmacy school large-group (110 students) course in pharmacokinetics was designed to incorporate small-group team-based problem solving. The method allows students to learn material through traditional lecture, research the topic further, discuss the information gained, and apply the learning to specific cases in a manner that promotes…

Why use case studies rather than simulation-gaming techniques or library research?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcdonald, S. W.

1981-01-01

Method which present a student with a more challenging and true to life situation of needing to conduct research in a problem solving context--and not thinking about organization of format until research and thinking are complete are investigated. Simulation-gaming techniques which attempt to teach initiative and creativity that library research are used for this purpose. However, it is shown case studies provide the greatest opportunities to engage the students in problem solving situations in which they develop skills as researchers and writers.

A spatial scan statistic for compound Poisson data.

PubMed

Rosychuk, Rhonda J; Chang, Hsing-Ming

2013-12-20

The topic of spatial cluster detection gained attention in statistics during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Effort has been devoted to the development of methods for detecting spatial clustering of cases and events in the biological sciences, astronomy and epidemiology. More recently, research has examined detecting clusters of correlated count data associated with health conditions of individuals. Such a method allows researchers to examine spatial relationships of disease-related events rather than just incident or prevalent cases. We introduce a spatial scan test that identifies clusters of events in a study region. Because an individual case may have multiple (repeated) events, we base the test on a compound Poisson model. We illustrate our method for cluster detection on emergency department visits, where individuals may make multiple disease-related visits. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Adapting Western Research Methods to Indigenous Ways of Knowing

PubMed Central

Christopher, Suzanne

2013-01-01

Indigenous communities have long experienced exploitation by researchers and increasingly require participatory and decolonizing research processes. We present a case study of an intervention research project to exemplify a clash between Western research methodologies and Indigenous methodologies and how we attempted reconciliation. We then provide implications for future research based on lessons learned from Native American community partners who voiced concern over methods of Western deductive qualitative analysis. Decolonizing research requires constant reflective attention and action, and there is an absence of published guidance for this process. Continued exploration is needed for implementing Indigenous methods alone or in conjunction with appropriate Western methods when conducting research in Indigenous communities. Currently, examples of Indigenous methods and theories are not widely available in academic texts or published articles, and are often not perceived as valid. PMID:23678897

Qualitative methods in environmental health research.

PubMed Central

Brown, Phil

2003-01-01

Public health researchers increasingly turn to qualitative methods either on their own or in combination with quantitative methods. Qualitative methods are especially important to community environmental health research, as they provide a way to produce community narratives that give voice to individuals and characterize the community in a full and complex fashion. This article first traces the legacy of qualitative research in environmental health, then uses a case study of the author's experiences studying the Woburn, Massachusetts, childhood leukemia cluster to provide personal and scholarly insights on qualitative approaches. That material then informs a discussion of important components of qualitative methods in environmental health research, including flexible study design, access, trust, empathy, and personal shifts in the researcher's worldview, bias, and the nature of the researcher's roles. A concluding discussion addresses issues in funding policy and research practices. PMID:14594634

Establishing Interventions via a Theory-Driven Single Case Design Research Cycle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilgus, Stephen P.; Riley-Tillman, T. Chris; Kratochwill, Thomas R.

2016-01-01

Recent studies have suggested single case design (SCD) intervention research is subject to publication bias, wherein studies are more likely to be published if they possess large or statistically significant effects and use rigorous experimental methods. The nature of SCD and the purposes for which it might be used could suggest that large effects…

Anticipated educational outcomes: a case study of the outdoor recreation consortium experience

Treesearch

Yasong Wang; Alan Graefe

2008-01-01

This paper reports on a case study of an outdoor experiential learning program and examines its meaning for program participants. The research was conducted with 56 university students who participated in the Outdoor Recreation Consortium held at the Great Smoky Mountain Institute in Tremont, TN. A mixed-method comparative research approach, using both quantitative and...

A Case Study of Tack Tiles[R] Literacy Instruction for a Student with Multiple Disabilities Including Congenital Blindness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klenk, Jessicia A.; Pufpaff, Lisa A.

2011-01-01

Research on literacy instruction for students with multiple disabilities is limited. Empirical research on braille instruction for students with multiple disabilities that include congenital blindness is virtually nonexistent. This case study offers initial insight into possible methods of early braille literacy instruction for a student with…

A method for analyzing the business case for provider participation in the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program and similar federally funded, provider-based research networks.

PubMed

Reiter, Kristin L; Song, Paula H; Minasian, Lori; Good, Marjorie; Weiner, Bryan J; McAlearney, Ann Scheck

2012-09-01

The Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) plays an essential role in the efforts of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to increase enrollment in clinical trials. Currently, there is little practical guidance in the literature to assist provider organizations in analyzing the return on investment (ROI), or business case, for establishing and operating a provider-based research network (PBRN) such as the CCOP. In this article, the authors present a conceptual model of the business case for PBRN participation, a spreadsheet-based tool and advice for evaluating the business case for provider participation in a CCOP organization. A comparative, case-study approach was used to identify key components of the business case for hospitals attempting to support a CCOP research infrastructure. Semistructured interviews were conducted with providers and administrators. Key themes were identified and used to develop the financial analysis tool. Key components of the business case included CCOP start-up costs, direct revenue from the NCI CCOP grant, direct expenses required to maintain the CCOP research infrastructure, and incidental benefits, most notably downstream revenues from CCOP patients. The authors recognized the value of incidental benefits as an important contributor to the business case for CCOP participation; however, currently, this component is not calculated. The current results indicated that providing a method for documenting the business case for CCOP or other PBRN involvement will contribute to the long-term sustainability and expansion of these programs by improving providers' understanding of the financial implications of participation. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

"It Was My Understanding That There Would Be No Math": Using Thematic Cases to Teach Undergraduate Research Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oldmixon, Elizabeth A.

2018-01-01

Undergraduates frequently approach research methods classes with trepidation and skepticism, owing in part to math-phobia and confusion over how methodology is relevant to their interests. These self-defeating barriers to learning undermine the efficacy of methods classes. This essay discusses a strategy for overcoming these barriers--use of a…

Using the Delphi Method for Selecting Effective Rehabilitation Practices for Case Study Research: Methods, Challenges, and Solutions and Implications for Future Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming, Allison R.; Boeltzig-Brown, Heike; Foley, Susan M.

2015-01-01

Purpose: We describe a modified Delphi method used to select effective state vocational rehabilitation agency practices to prioritize rehabilitation services for individuals with most significant disabilities within the context of Order of Selection, an area where there is little known and published. Specifically, we describe how we applied the…

A cross-species analysis method to analyze animal models' similarity to human's disease state

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Animal models are indispensable tools in studying the cause of human diseases and searching for the treatments. The scientific value of an animal model depends on the accurate mimicry of human diseases. The primary goal of the current study was to develop a cross-species method by using the animal models' expression data to evaluate the similarity to human diseases' and assess drug molecules' efficiency in drug research. Therefore, we hoped to reveal that it is feasible and useful to compare gene expression profiles across species in the studies of pathology, toxicology, drug repositioning, and drug action mechanism. Results We developed a cross-species analysis method to analyze animal models' similarity to human diseases and effectiveness in drug research by utilizing the existing animal gene expression data in the public database, and mined some meaningful information to help drug research, such as potential drug candidates, possible drug repositioning, side effects and analysis in pharmacology. New animal models could be evaluated by our method before they are used in drug discovery. We applied the method to several cases of known animal model expression profiles and obtained some useful information to help drug research. We found that trichostatin A and some other HDACs could have very similar response across cell lines and species at gene expression level. Mouse hypoxia model could accurately mimic the human hypoxia, while mouse diabetes drug model might have some limitation. The transgenic mouse of Alzheimer was a useful model and we deeply analyzed the biological mechanisms of some drugs in this case. In addition, all the cases could provide some ideas for drug discovery and drug repositioning. Conclusions We developed a new cross-species gene expression module comparison method to use animal models' expression data to analyse the effectiveness of animal models in drug research. Moreover, through data integration, our method could be applied for drug research, such as potential drug candidates, possible drug repositioning, side effects and information about pharmacology. PMID:23282076

A cross-species analysis method to analyze animal models' similarity to human's disease state.

PubMed

Yu, Shuhao; Zheng, Lulu; Li, Yun; Li, Chunyan; Ma, Chenchen; Li, Yixue; Li, Xuan; Hao, Pei

2012-01-01

Animal models are indispensable tools in studying the cause of human diseases and searching for the treatments. The scientific value of an animal model depends on the accurate mimicry of human diseases. The primary goal of the current study was to develop a cross-species method by using the animal models' expression data to evaluate the similarity to human diseases' and assess drug molecules' efficiency in drug research. Therefore, we hoped to reveal that it is feasible and useful to compare gene expression profiles across species in the studies of pathology, toxicology, drug repositioning, and drug action mechanism. We developed a cross-species analysis method to analyze animal models' similarity to human diseases and effectiveness in drug research by utilizing the existing animal gene expression data in the public database, and mined some meaningful information to help drug research, such as potential drug candidates, possible drug repositioning, side effects and analysis in pharmacology. New animal models could be evaluated by our method before they are used in drug discovery. We applied the method to several cases of known animal model expression profiles and obtained some useful information to help drug research. We found that trichostatin A and some other HDACs could have very similar response across cell lines and species at gene expression level. Mouse hypoxia model could accurately mimic the human hypoxia, while mouse diabetes drug model might have some limitation. The transgenic mouse of Alzheimer was a useful model and we deeply analyzed the biological mechanisms of some drugs in this case. In addition, all the cases could provide some ideas for drug discovery and drug repositioning. We developed a new cross-species gene expression module comparison method to use animal models' expression data to analyse the effectiveness of animal models in drug research. Moreover, through data integration, our method could be applied for drug research, such as potential drug candidates, possible drug repositioning, side effects and information about pharmacology.

A psychological autopsy study of suicide among Inuit in Nunavut: methodological and ethical considerations, feasibility and acceptability

PubMed Central

Chachamovich, Eduardo; Haggarty, Jack; Cargo, Margaret; Hicks, Jack; Kirmayer, Laurence J.; Turecki, Gustavo

2013-01-01

Introduction The increasing global prevalence of suicide has made it a major public health concern. Research designed to retrospectively study suicide cases is now being conducted in populations around the world. This field of research is especially crucial in Aboriginal populations, as they often have higher suicide rates than the rest of the country. Objective This article presents the methodological aspects of the first psychological autopsy study on suicide among Inuit in Nunavut. Qaujivallianiq Inuusirijauvalauqtunik (Learning from lives that have been lived) is a large case-control study, including all 120 cases of suicide by Inuit that occurred in Nunavut between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2006. The article describes the research design, ethical considerations and strategies used to adapt the psychological autopsy method to Nunavut Inuit. Specifically, we present local social and cultural issues; data collection procedures; and the acceptability, reliability and validity of the method. Method A retrospective case-control study using the psychological autopsy approach was carried out in 22 communities in Nunavut. A total of 498 individuals were directly interviewed, and medical and correctional charts were also reviewed. Results The psychological autopsy method was well received by participants as they appreciated the opportunity to discuss the loss of a family member or friend by suicide. During interviews, informants readily identified symptoms of psychiatric disorders, although culture-specific rather than clinical explanations were sometimes provided. Results suggest that the psychological autopsy method can be effectively used in Inuit populations. PMID:23539438

Case Study: The Chemistry of Cocaine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dewprashad, Brahmadeo

2011-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's case study focuses on the chemistry of cocaine to teach a number of core concepts in organic chemistry. It also requires that students read and analyze an original research paper on…

A Case History Introducing the Oregon Ag Seminar Series-Keys to Program and Research-to-Practice Success.

PubMed

Harrington, Marcy J; Lloyd, Kirk

2017-01-01

This case history of Oregon state's Ag Seminar Series is consistent with the Socio-Ecological Model, demonstrating how policy at a state level can influence an organizational approach with impacts that ultimately influence safety practices on the farm. From modest beginnings, the Ag Seminar Series, offered through a workers compensation insurance company, now serves over 2,300 Oregon farmers annually in English and Spanish. This case offers unique but also replicable methods for educators, insurers, and researchers in safety education, safety motivators, and research-to-practice (r2p).

Missing data and multiple imputation in clinical epidemiological research.

PubMed

Pedersen, Alma B; Mikkelsen, Ellen M; Cronin-Fenton, Deirdre; Kristensen, Nickolaj R; Pham, Tra My; Pedersen, Lars; Petersen, Irene

2017-01-01

Missing data are ubiquitous in clinical epidemiological research. Individuals with missing data may differ from those with no missing data in terms of the outcome of interest and prognosis in general. Missing data are often categorized into the following three types: missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR), and missing not at random (MNAR). In clinical epidemiological research, missing data are seldom MCAR. Missing data can constitute considerable challenges in the analyses and interpretation of results and can potentially weaken the validity of results and conclusions. A number of methods have been developed for dealing with missing data. These include complete-case analyses, missing indicator method, single value imputation, and sensitivity analyses incorporating worst-case and best-case scenarios. If applied under the MCAR assumption, some of these methods can provide unbiased but often less precise estimates. Multiple imputation is an alternative method to deal with missing data, which accounts for the uncertainty associated with missing data. Multiple imputation is implemented in most statistical software under the MAR assumption and provides unbiased and valid estimates of associations based on information from the available data. The method affects not only the coefficient estimates for variables with missing data but also the estimates for other variables with no missing data.

Missing data and multiple imputation in clinical epidemiological research

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Alma B; Mikkelsen, Ellen M; Cronin-Fenton, Deirdre; Kristensen, Nickolaj R; Pham, Tra My; Pedersen, Lars; Petersen, Irene

2017-01-01

Missing data are ubiquitous in clinical epidemiological research. Individuals with missing data may differ from those with no missing data in terms of the outcome of interest and prognosis in general. Missing data are often categorized into the following three types: missing completely at random (MCAR), missing at random (MAR), and missing not at random (MNAR). In clinical epidemiological research, missing data are seldom MCAR. Missing data can constitute considerable challenges in the analyses and interpretation of results and can potentially weaken the validity of results and conclusions. A number of methods have been developed for dealing with missing data. These include complete-case analyses, missing indicator method, single value imputation, and sensitivity analyses incorporating worst-case and best-case scenarios. If applied under the MCAR assumption, some of these methods can provide unbiased but often less precise estimates. Multiple imputation is an alternative method to deal with missing data, which accounts for the uncertainty associated with missing data. Multiple imputation is implemented in most statistical software under the MAR assumption and provides unbiased and valid estimates of associations based on information from the available data. The method affects not only the coefficient estimates for variables with missing data but also the estimates for other variables with no missing data. PMID:28352203

A Case-Based Exploration of Task/Technology Fit in a Knowledge Management Context

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

have a difficult time articulating to others. Researchers who subscribe to the constructionist perspective view knowledge as an inherently social ...Acceptance Model With Task-Technology Fit Constructs. Information & Management, 36, 9-21. Dooley, D. (2001). Social Research Methods (4th ed.). Upper...L. (2006). Social Research Methods : Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches (6 ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Nonaka, I. (1994). A Dynamic

Project Management Consultancy (PMC) procurement approach: Supplier's evaluation and selection dilemma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nawi, Mohd Nasrun Mohd; Azimi, Mohd Azrulfitri; Pozin, Mohd Affendi Ahmad; Osman, Wan Nadri; Anuar, Herman Shah

2016-08-01

Project Management Consultancy (PMC) is part of the management oriented procurement method in which a sole consultant is hired by the client to deal with the contactors in place of the client. Appointing contractors in this method or approach looks to be interesting as client could play a pivotal role in evaluating and selecting the supplier/contractor for the work package. In some cases, client gives the authority for the PMC to hire the supplier/contractor of their choice while in some cases the client is the one who made the decision. This research paper seeks to investigate the dilemma arises from this situation and for the purpose of this research, a real case study was studied to assess the impacts of such dilemma to the performance of the project. Recommendations on how to tackle the dilemma will also be addressed in the later part of this research paper.

DoIT Right: Measuring Effectiveness of Different eConsultation Designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grönlund, Åke; Åström, Joachim

eConsultations have been used in many countries over many years, yet most research in the field is case descriptions and there is so far little systematic evidence as to the effectiveness of consultations as a tool for enhancing democracy. Using a case survey method we investigate what factors make a consultation succeed or fail based on data from 57 cases reported in the literature. Success is measured as high participation, deliberative mode of discussion, and impact on policy. We test three hypotheses from the literature claiming, respectively, that institutional design, democratic intent, and quality of research are the most important factors behind the reported success. We find support for all hypotheses. Using consultation at the analysis/decision making stage, mixing online and offline methods and active strategic recruiting are institutional factors positively contributing. Democratic intent and content analysis research both have positive influence.

Difficulties Encountered by Academicians in Academic Research Processes in Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalçin, Sinan; Altun Yalçin, Sema

2017-01-01

This present research, aimed to determine the occasions, which the academicians encountered during the academic research process and how these affect the research process, was prepared as a case study pattern among the qualitative research methods. 34 academicians, who were working in a university in Turkey, participated in the research. The data…

Neurobehavioural methods, effects and prevention: workers' human rights are why the field matters for developing countries.

PubMed

London, L

2009-11-01

Little research into neurobehavioural methods and effects occurs in developing countries, where established neurotoxic chemicals continue to pose significant occupational and environmental burdens, and where agents newly identified as neurotoxic are also widespread. Much of the morbidity and mortality associated with neurotoxic agents remains hidden in developing countries as a result of poor case detection, lack of skilled personnel, facilities and equipment for diagnosis, inadequate information systems, limited resources for research and significant competing causes of ill-health, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. Placing the problem in a human rights context enables researchers and scientists in developing countries to make a strong case for why the field of neurobehavioural methods and effects matters because there are numerous international human rights commitments that make occupational and environmental health and safety a human rights obligation.

Two Case Studies in the Scientific Method: Antisense Experiments and HIV Vaccination Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guilfoile, Patrick

1999-01-01

Presents two recent cases that can be used in the classroom to illustrate the application of scientific methods in biological research: (1) the use of a complementary RNA or DNA molecule to block the production or translation of an mRNA molecule; and (2) the development of HIV trial vaccines. Contains 20 references. (WRM)

Socratic Case-Method Teaching in Sports Coach Education: Reflections of Students and Course Tutors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Simon J.; Ryrie, Angus

2014-01-01

Despite reported increases in higher education (HE) sports coach education provision there are very few studies which have investigated student self-learning curricula as a mechanism to prepare sports coaches with the complexities of learning how to coach. Using an action research methodology, this article examines how case-method teaching (CMT)…

The Effect of English Language Learning on Creative Thinking Skills: A Mixed Methods Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sehic, Sandro

2017-01-01

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods case study was to investigate the effects of English language learning on creative thinking skills in the domains of fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration as measured with the Alternate Uses Test. Unlike the previous research studies that investigated the links between English…

Stories and Maps, Images and Archives: Multimethod Approach to the Political Ecology of Native Property Rights and Natural Resource Management in Sabah, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doolittle, Amity A.

2010-01-01

The study of human-environmental relations is complex and by nature draws on theories and practices from multiple disciplines. There is no single research strategy or universal set of methods to which researchers must adhere. Particularly for scholars interested in a political ecology approach to understanding human-environmental relationships, very little has been written examining the details of “how to” design a project, develop appropriate methods, produce data, and, finally, integrate multiple forms of data into an analysis. A great deal of attention has been paid, appropriately, to the theoretical foundations of political ecology, and numerous scholarly articles and books have been published recently. But beyond Andrew Vayda’s “progressive contextualization” and Piers Blaikie and Harold Brookfield’s “chains of explanation,” remarkably little is written that provides a research model to follow, modify, and expand. Perhaps one of the reasons for this gap in scholarship is that, as expected in interdisciplinary research, researchers use a variety of methods that are suitable (and perhaps unique) to the questions they are asking. To start a conversation on the methods available for researchers interested in adopting a political ecology perspective to human-environmental interactions, I use my own research project as a case study. This research is by no means flawless or inclusive of all possible methods, but by using the details of this particular research process as a case study I hope to provide insights into field research that will be valuable for future scholarship.

Stories and maps, images and archives: multimethod approach to the political ecology of native property rights and natural resource management in Sabah, Malaysia.

PubMed

Doolittle, Amity A

2010-01-01

The study of human-environmental relations is complex and by nature draws on theories and practices from multiple disciplines. There is no single research strategy or universal set of methods to which researchers must adhere. Particularly for scholars interested in a political ecology approach to understanding human-environmental relationships, very little has been written examining the details of "how to" design a project, develop appropriate methods, produce data, and, finally, integrate multiple forms of data into an analysis. A great deal of attention has been paid, appropriately, to the theoretical foundations of political ecology, and numerous scholarly articles and books have been published recently. But beyond Andrew Vayda's "progressive contextualization" and Piers Blaikie and Harold Brookfield's "chains of explanation," remarkably little is written that provides a research model to follow, modify, and expand. Perhaps one of the reasons for this gap in scholarship is that, as expected in interdisciplinary research, researchers use a variety of methods that are suitable (and perhaps unique) to the questions they are asking. To start a conversation on the methods available for researchers interested in adopting a political ecology perspective to human-environmental interactions, I use my own research project as a case study. This research is by no means flawless or inclusive of all possible methods, but by using the details of this particular research process as a case study I hope to provide insights into field research that will be valuable for future scholarship.

The Utility of Case-Control Methods for Health Policy and Planning Analysis: An Illustration from Kinshasa, Zaire.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mock, Nancy B.; And Others

1993-01-01

The use of case-control methodology as an applied policy/planning research tool in assessing the potential effectiveness of behavioral interventions is studied in connection with diarrhea control in Zaire. Results with 107 matched pairs of children demonstrate the importance of hygiene-related knowledge and the utility of the research approach.…

Fostering Interdisciplinary Research in Universities: A Case Study of Leadership, Alignment and Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, Tony; Pisapia, John; Razzaq, Jamila

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to describe actions designed to foster interdisciplinary research efforts at a major university in the UK. The study employed a descriptive mixed method case study approach to collecting and analysing the data used to draw its conclusions. One hundred and twenty-seven academic staff responded to the survey. The results of…

Developing a Reflective Thinking Tendency Scale for Teachers and Student Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semerci, Cetin

2007-01-01

This paper aims to develop the Reflective Thinking Tendency Scale (RTTS) for teachers and student teachers. Survey was the research method used in the study. In this research, there were 599 cases and 456 of these cases were the students of the departments of the Turkish language teaching and primary school teaching within grades of 2nd, 3rd and…

Research subject privacy protection in otolaryngology.

PubMed

Noone, Michael C; Walters, K Christian; Gillespie, M Boyd

2004-03-01

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations, which took effect on April 14, 2003, placed new constraints on the use of protected health information for research purposes. To review practices of research subject privacy protection in otolaryngology in order to determine steps necessary to achieve compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations. Literature review. Articles appearing in 2001 in 3 widely circulated otolaryngology journals were classified according to study design. The "Methods" section of each article was reviewed to determine whether the informed consent and institutional review board processes were clearly documented. Descriptive studies involving case reports and case series were more common than observational studies that include a control group (66% vs 11%). Few case series documented the consent process (18%) and institutional review board process (19%). Observational designs demonstrated better documentation of the consent process (P<.001) and the institutional review board exemption and approval process (P<.001). Methods used to protect subject privacy are not commonly documented in case series in otolaryngology. More attention needs to be given to research subject privacy concerns in the otolaryngology literature in order to comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations.

Case Series Investigations in Cognitive Neuropsychology

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Myrna F.; Dell, Gary S.

2011-01-01

Case series methodology involves the systematic assessment of a sample of related patients, with the goal of understanding how and why they differ from one another. This method has become increasingly important in cognitive neuropsychology, which has long been identified with single-subject research. We review case series studies dealing with impaired semantic memory, reading, and language production, and draw attention to the affinity of this methodology for testing theories that are expressed as computational models and for addressing questions about neuroanatomy. It is concluded that case series methods usefully complement single-subject techniques. PMID:21714756

Implementation of Data Mining to Analyze Drug Cases Using C4.5 Decision Tree

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahyuni, Sri

2018-03-01

Data mining was the process of finding useful information from a large set of databases. One of the existing techniques in data mining was classification. The method used was decision tree method and algorithm used was C4.5 algorithm. The decision tree method was a method that transformed a very large fact into a decision tree which was presenting the rules. Decision tree method was useful for exploring data, as well as finding a hidden relationship between a number of potential input variables with a target variable. The decision tree of the C4.5 algorithm was constructed with several stages including the selection of attributes as roots, created a branch for each value and divided the case into the branch. These stages would be repeated for each branch until all the cases on the branch had the same class. From the solution of the decision tree there would be some rules of a case. In this case the researcher classified the data of prisoners at Labuhan Deli prison to know the factors of detainees committing criminal acts of drugs. By applying this C4.5 algorithm, then the knowledge was obtained as information to minimize the criminal acts of drugs. From the findings of the research, it was found that the most influential factor of the detainee committed the criminal act of drugs was from the address variable.

Systematically Retrieving Research: A Case Study Evaluating Seven Databases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Brian; Wylie, Emma; Dempster, Martin; Donnelly, Michael

2007-01-01

Objective: Developing the scientific underpinnings of social welfare requires effective and efficient methods of retrieving relevant items from the increasing volume of research. Method: We compared seven databases by running the nearest equivalent search on each. The search topic was chosen for relevance to social work practice with older people.…

Research Knowledge Transfer through Business-Driven Student Assignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sas, Corina

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a knowledge transfer method that capitalizes on both research and teaching dimensions of academic work. It also aims to propose a framework for evaluating the impact of such a method on the involved stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach: The case study outlines and evaluates the six-stage…

Automated Test Case Generator for Phishing Prevention Using Generative Grammars and Discriminative Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palka, Sean

2015-01-01

This research details a methodology designed for creating content in support of various phishing prevention tasks including live exercises and detection algorithm research. Our system uses probabilistic context-free grammars (PCFG) and variable interpolation as part of a multi-pass method to create diverse and consistent phishing email content on…

CASE STUDY RESEARCH: THE VIEW FROM COMPLEXITY SCIENCE

PubMed Central

Anderson, Ruth; Crabtree, Benjamin F.; Steele, David J.; McDaniel, Reuben R.

2005-01-01

Many wonder why there has been so little change in care quality, despite substantial quality improvement efforts. Questioning why current approaches are not making true changes draws attention to the organization as a source of answers. We bring together the case study method and complexity science to suggest new ways to study health care organizations. The case study provides a method for studying systems. Complexity theory suggests that keys to understanding the system are contained in patterns of relationships and interactions among the system’s agents. We propose some of the “objects” of study that are implicated by complexity theory and discuss how studying these using case methods may provide useful maps of the system. We offer complexity theory, partnered with case study method, as a place to begin the daunting task of studying a system as an integrated whole. PMID:15802542

Integrating community-based participatory research and informatics approaches to improve the engagement and health of underserved populations

PubMed Central

Schaefbauer, Chris L; Campbell, Terrance R; Senteio, Charles; Siek, Katie A; Bakken, Suzanne; Veinot, Tiffany C

2016-01-01

Objective We compare 5 health informatics research projects that applied community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches with the goal of extending existing CBPR principles to address issues specific to health informatics research. Materials and methods We conducted a cross-case analysis of 5 diverse case studies with 1 common element: integration of CBPR approaches into health informatics research. After reviewing publications and other case-related materials, all coauthors engaged in collaborative discussions focused on CBPR. Researchers mapped each case to an existing CBPR framework, examined each case individually for success factors and barriers, and identified common patterns across cases. Results Benefits of applying CBPR approaches to health informatics research across the cases included the following: developing more relevant research with wider impact, greater engagement with diverse populations, improved internal validity, more rapid translation of research into action, and the development of people. Challenges of applying CBPR to health informatics research included requirements to develop strong, sustainable academic-community partnerships and mismatches related to cultural and temporal factors. Several technology-related challenges, including needs to define ownership of technology outputs and to build technical capacity with community partners, also emerged from our analysis. Finally, we created several principles that extended an existing CBPR framework to specifically address health informatics research requirements. Conclusions Our cross-case analysis yielded valuable insights regarding CBPR implementation in health informatics research and identified valuable lessons useful for future CBPR-based research. The benefits of applying CBPR approaches can be significant, particularly in engaging populations that are typically underserved by health care and in designing patient-facing technology. PMID:26228766

Use of Qualitative Methods in Published Health Services and Management Research: A 10-Year Review

PubMed Central

Weiner, Bryan J.; Amick, Halle R.; Lund, Jennifer L.; Lee, Shoou-Yih Daniel; Hoff, Timothy J.

2011-01-01

Over the past 10 years, the field of health services and management research has seen renewed interest in the use of qualitative research methods. This article examines the volume and characteristics of qualitative research articles published in nine major health services and management journals between 1998 and 2008. Qualitative research articles comprise 9% of research articles published in these journals. Although the publication rate of qualitative research articles has not kept pace with that of quantitative research articles, citation analysis suggests that qualitative research articles contribute comparably to the field’s knowledge base. A wide range of policy and management topics has been examined using qualitative methods. Case study designs, interviews, and documentary sources were the most frequently used methods. Half of qualitative research articles provided little or no detail about key aspects the study’s methods. Implications are discussed and recommendations are offered for promoting the publication of qualitative research. PMID:20675353

Examining the Influence of Seductive Details in Case-Based Instruction on Pre-Service Teachers' Learning and Learning Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abercrombie, Sara

2011-01-01

The case-based instructional method uses fictionalized or actual narratives as instructional tools to support learning, decision-making, and improved transfer to practical settings. Educational theorists and researchers specializing in case-based instruction have suggested that cases can be made more realistic, engaging, and challenging, thus…

Improving patient care trajectories: an innovative quasi-experimental research method for health services.

PubMed

Campos, Eneida Rached; Moreira-Filho, Djalma de Carvalho; Silva, Marcos Tadeu Nolasco da

2018-05-01

Scores to predict treatment outcomes have earned a well-deserved place in healthcare practice. However, when used to help achieve excellence in the care of a given disease, scores should also take into account organizational and social aspects. This article aims to create scores to obtain key variables and its application in the management of care of a given disease. We present a method called Epidemiological Planning for Patient Care Trajectory (PELC) and its application in a research of HIV pediatric patients. This case study is presented by means of two studies. The first study deals with the development of the method PELC. The second is HIV Pediatric case-control study based on PELC method. HIV pediatric research - the first practical PELC application - found these four key variables to the individual quality level care trajectories: adherence to ART, attending at least one appointment with the otolaryngologist, attending at least one appointment with social services, and having missed one or more routine appointments. We believe PELC method can be used in researches about any kind of care trajectories, contributing to quality level advancements in health services, with emphasis on patient safety and equity in healthcare.

Combining research, advocacy, and education: the methods of the Grandparent Caregiver Study.

PubMed

Roe, K M; Minkler, M; Saunders, F F

1995-11-01

This article presents a case study of the effective synergy of health education inquiry, community collaboration, and policy advocacy. Using the Grandparent Caregiver Study as the example, the authors focus on key methodological decisions that enabled them to incorporate research, education, and advocacy activities into an ever-growing project on a modest budget. The study itself centered on two in-depth interviews with each of 71 African American grandmothers raising young grandchildren due to the crack cocaine epidemic in Oakland, California. The case study demonstrates ways in which health education research can increase the efficacy of individuals and disenfranchised groups to define problems, voice their concerns, and advocate for more just and healthy public policies. Through discussion of the authors' methods and activities, they suggest strategies through which research participants, service providers, and policymakers can work together to bring a new issue to the policy arena through a collaborative and empowering research process.

Advancing public participation in scientific research: A framework for leveraging public participation in environmental health and emergency response research

EPA Science Inventory

This research paper uses case analysis methods to understand why participants engage in this innovative approach public participation in scientific research, and what they hope that will mean for their community. The research questions that guide this analysis are: 1) what factor...

An Exploration of Mathematics Graduate Teaching Assistants' Teaching Philosophies: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nepal, Kedar Mani

2014-01-01

This multi-case study is an exploration of mathematics graduate teaching assistants' teaching philosophies. It focused on the cases of four purposefully selected beginning mathematics graduate teaching assistants (MGTAs) including two domestic and two international MGTAs. Using qualitative research methods, this dissertation study focused on the…

Iowa Case Management for Rural Drug Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, James A.; Vaughan Sarrazin, Mary S.; Huber, Diane L.; Vaughn, Thomas; Block, Robert I.; Reedy, Amanda R.; Jang, MiJin

2009-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive, strengths-based model of case management for clients in drug abuse treatment. Method: 503 volunteers from residential or intensive outpatient treatment were randomly assigned to one of three conditions of Iowa Case Management (ICM) plus treatment as usual…

A methodological review of qualitative case study methodology in midwifery research.

PubMed

Atchan, Marjorie; Davis, Deborah; Foureur, Maralyn

2016-10-01

To explore the use and application of case study research in midwifery. Case study research provides rich data for the analysis of complex issues and interventions in the healthcare disciplines; however, a gap in the midwifery research literature was identified. A methodological review of midwifery case study research using recognized templates, frameworks and reporting guidelines facilitated comprehensive analysis. An electronic database search using the date range January 2005-December 2014: Maternal and Infant Care, CINAHL Plus, Academic Search Complete, Web of Knowledge, SCOPUS, Medline, Health Collection (Informit), Cochrane Library Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Wiley online and ProQuest Central. Narrative evaluation was undertaken. Clearly worded questions reflected the problem and purpose. The application, strengths and limitations of case study methods were identified through a quality appraisal process. The review identified both case study research's applicability to midwifery and its low uptake, especially in clinical studies. Many papers included the necessary criteria to achieve rigour. The included measures of authenticity and methodology were varied. A high standard of authenticity was observed, suggesting authors considered these elements to be routine inclusions. Technical aspects were lacking in many papers, namely a lack of reflexivity and incomplete transparency of processes. This review raises the profile of case study research in midwifery. Midwives will be encouraged to explore if case study research is suitable for their investigation. The raised profile will demonstrate further applicability; encourage support and wider adoption in the midwifery setting. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Masked Visual Analysis: Minimizing Type I Error in Visually Guided Single-Case Design for Communication Disorders

PubMed Central

Hitchcock, Elaine R.; Ferron, John

2017-01-01

Purpose Single-case experimental designs are widely used to study interventions for communication disorders. Traditionally, single-case experiments follow a response-guided approach, where design decisions during the study are based on participants' observed patterns of behavior. However, this approach has been criticized for its high rate of Type I error. In masked visual analysis (MVA), response-guided decisions are made by a researcher who is blinded to participants' identities and treatment assignments. MVA also makes it possible to conduct a hypothesis test assessing the significance of treatment effects. Method This tutorial describes the principles of MVA, including both how experiments can be set up and how results can be used for hypothesis testing. We then report a case study showing how MVA was deployed in a multiple-baseline across-subjects study investigating treatment for residual errors affecting rhotics. Strengths and weaknesses of MVA are discussed. Conclusions Given their important role in the evidence base that informs clinical decision making, it is critical for single-case experimental studies to be conducted in a way that allows researchers to draw valid inferences. As a method that can increase the rigor of single-case studies while preserving the benefits of a response-guided approach, MVA warrants expanded attention from researchers in communication disorders. PMID:28595354

A Generalized Least Squares Regression Approach for Computing Effect Sizes in Single-Case Research: Application Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maggin, Daniel M.; Swaminathan, Hariharan; Rogers, Helen J.; O'Keeffe, Breda V.; Sugai, George; Horner, Robert H.

2011-01-01

A new method for deriving effect sizes from single-case designs is proposed. The strategy is applicable to small-sample time-series data with autoregressive errors. The method uses Generalized Least Squares (GLS) to model the autocorrelation of the data and estimate regression parameters to produce an effect size that represents the magnitude of…

A Case Study on Reducing Children's Screen Time: The Project of Screen Free Week

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kara, Hatice Gözde Ertürk

2018-01-01

The current study aims to direct children to alternative activities within a week period by applying the project of screen free week to voluntary families. The ultimate aim of the study is to reduce children's screen time. The instrumental case study method; one of the qualitative research methods, was employed. Five children attending the…

Integrating Cross-Case Analyses and Process Tracing in Set-Theoretic Research: Strategies and Parameters of Debate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beach, Derek; Rohlfing, Ingo

2018-01-01

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the combination of two methods on the basis of set theory. In our introduction and this special issue, we focus on two variants of cross-case set-theoretic methods--"qualitative comparative analysis" (QCA) and typological theory (TT)--and their combination with process tracing (PT).…

Testing Methods for Challenging the National Wetland Plant List: Using Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. (Eastern Hemlock) as a Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-01

ESRI (Nature Conservancy and Environmental Systems Research Institute). 1994. Field Methods . In Field Methods for Vegetation Mapping: United States...ER D C/ CR RE L TR -1 7- 9 Wetlands Regulatory Assistance Program (WRAP) Testing Methods for Challenging the National Wetland Plant List...Robert W. Lichvar and Jennifer J. Goulet July 2017 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The U.S. Army Engineer Research

Single-case research design in pediatric psychology: considerations regarding data analysis.

PubMed

Cohen, Lindsey L; Feinstein, Amanda; Masuda, Akihiko; Vowles, Kevin E

2014-03-01

Single-case research allows for an examination of behavior and can demonstrate the functional relation between intervention and outcome in pediatric psychology. This review highlights key assumptions, methodological and design considerations, and options for data analysis. Single-case methodology and guidelines are reviewed with an in-depth focus on visual and statistical analyses. Guidelines allow for the careful evaluation of design quality and visual analysis. A number of statistical techniques have been introduced to supplement visual analysis, but to date, there is no consensus on their recommended use in single-case research design. Single-case methodology is invaluable for advancing pediatric psychology science and practice, and guidelines have been introduced to enhance the consistency, validity, and reliability of these studies. Experts generally agree that visual inspection is the optimal method of analysis in single-case design; however, statistical approaches are becoming increasingly evaluated and used to augment data interpretation.

Convolutional Neural Network-Based Finger-Vein Recognition Using NIR Image Sensors

PubMed Central

Hong, Hyung Gil; Lee, Min Beom; Park, Kang Ryoung

2017-01-01

Conventional finger-vein recognition systems perform recognition based on the finger-vein lines extracted from the input images or image enhancement, and texture feature extraction from the finger-vein images. In these cases, however, the inaccurate detection of finger-vein lines lowers the recognition accuracy. In the case of texture feature extraction, the developer must experimentally decide on a form of the optimal filter for extraction considering the characteristics of the image database. To address this problem, this research proposes a finger-vein recognition method that is robust to various database types and environmental changes based on the convolutional neural network (CNN). In the experiments using the two finger-vein databases constructed in this research and the SDUMLA-HMT finger-vein database, which is an open database, the method proposed in this research showed a better performance compared to the conventional methods. PMID:28587269

Convolutional Neural Network-Based Finger-Vein Recognition Using NIR Image Sensors.

PubMed

Hong, Hyung Gil; Lee, Min Beom; Park, Kang Ryoung

2017-06-06

Conventional finger-vein recognition systems perform recognition based on the finger-vein lines extracted from the input images or image enhancement, and texture feature extraction from the finger-vein images. In these cases, however, the inaccurate detection of finger-vein lines lowers the recognition accuracy. In the case of texture feature extraction, the developer must experimentally decide on a form of the optimal filter for extraction considering the characteristics of the image database. To address this problem, this research proposes a finger-vein recognition method that is robust to various database types and environmental changes based on the convolutional neural network (CNN). In the experiments using the two finger-vein databases constructed in this research and the SDUMLA-HMT finger-vein database, which is an open database, the method proposed in this research showed a better performance compared to the conventional methods.

Research on simulation based material delivery system for an automobile company with multi logistics center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, D.; Guan, Z.; Wang, C.; Yue, L.; Peng, L.

2017-06-01

Distribution of different parts to the assembly lines is significant for companies to improve production. Current research investigates the problem of distribution method optimization of a logistics system in a third party logistic company that provide professional services to an automobile manufacturing case company in China. Current research investigates the logistics leveling the material distribution and unloading platform of the automobile logistics enterprise and proposed logistics distribution strategy, material classification method, as well as logistics scheduling. Moreover, the simulation technology Simio is employed on assembly line logistics system which helps to find and validate an optimization distribution scheme through simulation experiments. Experimental results indicate that the proposed scheme can solve the logistic balance and levels the material problem and congestion of the unloading pattern in an efficient way as compared to the original method employed by the case company.

Identification and selection of cases and controls in the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health project.

PubMed

Deloria-Knoll, Maria; Feikin, Daniel R; Scott, J Anthony G; O'Brien, Katherine L; DeLuca, Andrea N; Driscoll, Amanda J; Levine, Orin S

2012-04-01

Methods for the identification and selection of patients (cases) with severe or very severe pneumonia and controls for the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) project were needed. Issues considered include eligibility criteria and sampling strategies, whether to enroll hospital or community controls, whether to exclude controls with upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) or nonsevere pneumonia, and matching criteria, among others. PERCH ultimately decided to enroll community controls and an additional human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected control group at high HIV-prevalence sites matched on age and enrollment date of cases; controls with symptoms of URTI or nonsevere pneumonia will not be excluded. Systematic sampling of cases (when necessary) and random sampling of controls will be implemented. For each issue, we present the options that were considered, the advantages and disadvantages of each, the rationale for the methods selected for PERCH, and remaining implications and limitations.

The Aims and Learning Attainments of Secondary and High School Students Attending Science Festivals: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kececi, Gonca

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the aims and learning attainments of secondary school and high school students participating in science festivals. A case study approach which is one of the qualitative research methods was used in the research. This study was carried out in the science festival held in Elazig, Turkey. The sampling consists of…

Characterisation of Best Practices in the Development of Cross-Curricular Competences in Vocational Education and Training: Case Study in the Basque Country

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eizagirre Sagardia, Ana; Imaz Bengoetxea, Jose Inazio; Rekalde Rodríguez, Itziar

2018-01-01

This paper presents the most important results of a research project aimed at gathering empirical evidence on current efforts to foster and develop cross-curricular competences (CCC) in Vocational Education and Training (VET) Centres located in the Basque Country (Spain). The case study research method was used, with data being gathered by means…

Combining research-enhanced and technology-enhanced teaching approaches in module design: A case study of an undergraduate course in Solar Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, V.

2011-12-01

There is a growing emphasis on the research-teaching nexus, and there are many innovative ways to incorporate research materials and methods in undergraduate teaching. Solar Physics is a cross-disciplinary subject and offers the ideal opportunity for research-enhanced teaching (1). In this presentation, I outline i) how student-led teaching of research content and methods is introduced in an undergraduate module in Solar Physics, and ii) how electronic learning and teaching can be used to improve students' learning of mathematical concepts in Solar Physics. More specifically, I discuss how research literature reviewing and reporting methods can be embedded and developed systematically throughout the module with aligned assessments. Electronic feedback and feedforward (2) are given to the students in order to enhance their understanding of the subject and improve their research skills. Other technology-enhanced teaching approaches (3) are used to support students' learning of the more quantitative components of the module. This case study is particularly relevant to a wide range of pedagogical contexts (4) as the Solar Physics module is taught to students following undergraduate programs in Geology, Earth Sciences, Environmental Geology as well as Planetary Science with Astronomy in the host Department. Related references: (1) Tong, C. H., Let interdisciplinary research begin in undergraduate years, Nature (2010) v. 463, p. 157. (2) Tong, V. C. H., Linking summative assessments? Electronic feedback and feedforward in module design, British Journal of Educational Technology (2011), accepted for publication. (3) Tong, V. C. H., Using asynchronous electronic surveys to help in-class revision: A case study, British Journal of Educational Technology (2011), doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2011.01207.x (4) Tong, V. C. H. (ed.), Geoscience Research and Education, Springer, Dordrecht (2012)

Validation of Skills, Knowledge and Experience in Lifelong Learning in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogunleye, James

2012-01-01

The paper examines systems of validation of skills and experience as well as the main methods/tools currently used for validating skills and knowledge in lifelong learning. The paper uses mixed methods--a case study research and content analysis of European Union policy documents and frameworks--as a basis for this research. The selection of the…

Community-Involved Learning to Expand Possibilities for Vulnerable Children: A Critical Communicative, Sen's Capability, and Action Research Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Kyung Hi

2014-01-01

This research, based on a case study of vulnerable children in Korea, used a mixed methods transformative approach to explore strategies to support and help disadvantaged children. The methodological approach includes three phases: a mixed methods contextual analysis, a qualitative dominant analysis based on Sen's capability approach and critical…

Using an Evaluability Assessment To Select Methods for Evaluating State Technology Development Programs: The Case of the Georgia Research Alliance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Youtie, Jan; Bozeman, Barry; Shapira, Philip

1999-01-01

Describes an evaluability assessment of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), a technology development program. Presents the steps involved in conducting an evaluability assessment, including development of an understanding of the program and its stakeholders. Analyzes and compares different methods by which the GRA could be evaluated. (SLD)

An Approach for Selecting a Theoretical Framework for the Evaluation of Training Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tasca, Jorge Eduardo; Ensslin, Leonardo; Ensslin, Sandra Rolim; Alves, Maria Bernardete Martins

2010-01-01

Purpose: This research paper proposes a method for selecting references related to a research topic, and seeks to exemplify it for the case of a study evaluating training programs. The method is designed to identify references with high academic relevance in databases accessed via the internet, using a bibliometric analysis to sift the selected…

A Consideration of the Case for Using Life Story Interviews in the Evaluation of Widening Access Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raven, Neil

2016-01-01

Whilst published data sources exist for evaluating interventions aimed at widening higher education access, there is value for practitioners in conducting their own research. However, recognition of the contribution afforded by generating new data raises questions over which research methods to utilise. One method relatively new to widening…

Examining Graduate Dissertations in the Field of Critical Thinking: A Case from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirel, Melek; Derman, Ipek; Can Aran, Ozge

2017-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study is to conduct content analyses of graduate dissertations about critical thinking skills in the field of educational sciences in Turkey and to document general trends in dissertations. Research Methods: This study is constructed using qualitative research methods and techniques. A document review was used to gather…

Teachers' Professional Development: The Case of WhatsApp

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cansoy, Ramazan

2017-01-01

In this study, the kinds of shares made by science teachers in a WhatsApp group as an online community of practice to support professional development were examined. The netnographic research method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The messages shared by 12 science teachers, who worked at a private school between…

Stress and Stress Management in Families with Adopted Children Who Have Severe Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todis, Bonnie; Singer, George

Qualitative research methods were used to investigate the sources and methods of dealing with stress in eight families with adopted children who have severe developmental or multiple disabilities. The families, who had each adopted from two to 30 children, included "birth children" and, in some cases, foster children as well. The research methods…

Learning and Study Strategies of Students with Traumatic Brain Injury: A Mixed Method Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, Erin; Hux, Karen; Zickefoose, Samantha; Simanek, Gina; Holmberg, Michelle; Henderson, Ambyr

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions of four college students with severe traumatic brain injury and people associated with them regarding the use of learning skills and study strategies. The researchers employed a concurrent mixed method design using descriptive quantitative data as well as qualitative multiple case study…

Research study for effects of case flexibility on bearing loads and rotor stability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fenwick, J. R.; Tarn, R. B.

1984-01-01

Methods to evaluate the effect of casing flexibility on rotor stability and component loads were developed. Recent Rocketdyne turbomachinery was surveyed to determine typical properties and frequencies versus running speed. A small generic rotor was run with a flexible case with parametric variations in casing properties for comparison with a rotor attached to rigid supports. A program for the IBM personal computer for interactive evaluation of rotors and casings is developed. The Root locus method is extended for use in rotor dynamics for symmetrical systems by transforming all motion and coupling into a single plane and using a 90 degree criterion when plotting loci.

Using Virtual Social Networks for Case Finding in Clinical Studies: An Experiment from Adolescence, Brain, Cognition, and Diabetes Study.

PubMed

Pourabbasi, Ata; Farzami, Jalal; Shirvani, Mahbubeh-Sadat Ebrahimnegad; Shams, Amir Hossein; Larijani, Bagher

2017-01-01

One of the main usages of social networks in clinical studies is facilitating the process of sampling and case finding for scientists. The main focus of this study is on comparing two different methods of sampling through phone calls and using social network, for study purposes. One of the researchers started calling 214 families of children with diabetes during 90 days. After this period, phone calls stopped, and the team started communicating with families through telegram, a virtual social network for 30 days. The number of children who participated in the study was evaluated. Although the telegram method was 60 days shorter than the phone call method, researchers found that the number of participants from telegram (17.6%) did not have any significant differences compared with the ones being phone called (12.9%). Using social networks can be suggested as a beneficial method for local researchers who look for easier sampling methods, winning their samples' trust, following up with the procedure, and an easy-access database.

First to the Finish Line: A Case Study of First Generation Baccalaureate Degree Completers in the University of Maryland Student Support Services Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahan, Christine Pour

2010-01-01

This study explores factors first generation college graduates identify as impacting their successful baccalaureate degree attainment. This research was conducted using qualitative case study method, and a cross case analysis of individual case summaries was completed. Through a review of degree attainment, persistence, and first generation…

Harnessing Implementation Science to Increase the Impact of Health Equity Research.

PubMed

Chinman, Matthew; Woodward, Eva N; Curran, Geoffrey M; Hausmann, Leslie R M

2017-09-01

Health disparities are differences in health or health care between groups based on social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Disparity research often follows 3 steps: detecting (phase 1), understanding (phase 2), and reducing (phase 3), disparities. Although disparities have narrowed over time, many remain. We argue that implementation science could enhance disparities research by broadening the scope of phase 2 studies and offering rigorous methods to test disparity-reducing implementation strategies in phase 3 studies. We briefly review the focus of phase 2 and phase 3 disparities research. We then provide a decision tree and case examples to illustrate how implementation science frameworks and research designs could further enhance disparity research. Most health disparities research emphasizes patient and provider factors as predominant mechanisms underlying disparities. Applying implementation science frameworks like the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research could help disparities research widen its scope in phase 2 studies and, in turn, develop broader disparities-reducing implementation strategies in phase 3 studies. Many phase 3 studies of disparity-reducing implementation strategies are similar to case studies, whose designs are not able to fully test causality. Implementation science research designs offer rigorous methods that could accelerate the pace at which equity is achieved in real-world practice. Disparities can be considered a "special case" of implementation challenges-when evidence-based clinical interventions are delivered to, and received by, vulnerable populations at lower rates. Bringing together health disparities research and implementation science could advance equity more than either could achieve on their own.

User and researcher collaborations in mental health in low and middle income countries: a case study of the EMPOWER project

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Increasing recognition has been given to the interaction of users and researchers in shaping the perspective and practice of mental health care. However, there remains very little evidence exploring how this interaction works, particularly in low and middle income countries. The aim of this study was to explore experiences of how users and researchers worked together to communicate research, using a case study of the EMPOWER project. Methods The study followed a case-study approach. EMPOWER was a project that sought to strengthen the capacity of user organizations in India, Kenya, Nepal and Zambia by encouraging user-researcher collaborations to communicate research findings in the four countries. A qualitative research method was applied for this study, with semi-structured interviews conducted with seven people: two researchers, one communications developer, and four user group members (one from each of the four countries). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results The findings indicated positive perceptions of the collaboration between researchers and users. Key themes were partnership and support, the value of the personal experience of users and their knowledge of the target audiences, and empowerment. Key challenges related to differences in levels of education and technical knowledge and the lack of payments to users. Conclusions This exploratory study provides insight to help understand collaborative processes for communicating mental health research. It highlights many positive outcomes from the EMPOWER collaboration but also highlights the need for more in-depth research on this issue. PMID:24423150

A standardized mean difference effect size for multiple baseline designs across individuals.

PubMed

Hedges, Larry V; Pustejovsky, James E; Shadish, William R

2013-12-01

Single-case designs are a class of research methods for evaluating treatment effects by measuring outcomes repeatedly over time while systematically introducing different condition (e.g., treatment and control) to the same individual. The designs are used across fields such as behavior analysis, clinical psychology, special education, and medicine. Emerging standards for single-case designs have focused attention on methods for summarizing and meta-analyzing findings and on the need for effect sizes indices that are comparable to those used in between-subjects designs. In the previous work, we discussed how to define and estimate an effect size that is directly comparable to the standardized mean difference often used in between-subjects research based on the data from a particular type of single-case design, the treatment reversal or (AB)(k) design. This paper extends the effect size measure to another type of single-case study, the multiple baseline design. We propose estimation methods for the effect size and its variance, study the estimators using simulation, and demonstrate the approach in two applications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A psychological autopsy study of suicide among Inuit in Nunavut: methodological and ethical considerations, feasibility and acceptability.

PubMed

Chachamovich, Eduardo; Haggarty, Jack; Cargo, Margaret; Hicks, Jack; Kirmayer, Laurence J; Turecki, Gustavo

2013-01-01

The increasing global prevalence of suicide has made it a major public health concern. Research designed to retrospectively study suicide cases is now being conducted in populations around the world. This field of research is especially crucial in Aboriginal populations, as they often have higher suicide rates than the rest of the country. This article presents the methodological aspects of the first psychological autopsy study on suicide among Inuit in Nunavut. Qaujivallianiq Inuusirijauvalauqtunik (Learning from lives that have been lived) is a large case-control study, including all 120 cases of suicide by Inuit that occurred in Nunavut between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2006. The article describes the research design, ethical considerations and strategies used to adapt the psychological autopsy method to Nunavut Inuit. Specifically, we present local social and cultural issues; data collection procedures; and the acceptability, reliability and validity of the method. A retrospective case-control study using the psychological autopsy approach was carried out in 22 communities in Nunavut. A total of 498 individuals were directly interviewed, and medical and correctional charts were also reviewed. The psychological autopsy method was well received by participants as they appreciated the opportunity to discuss the loss of a family member or friend by suicide. During interviews, informants readily identified symptoms of psychiatric disorders, although culture-specific rather than clinical explanations were sometimes provided. Results suggest that the psychological autopsy method can be effectively used in Inuit populations.

Intrinsic ethics regarding integrated assessment models for climate management.

PubMed

Schienke, Erich W; Baum, Seth D; Tuana, Nancy; Davis, Kenneth J; Keller, Klaus

2011-09-01

In this essay we develop and argue for the adoption of a more comprehensive model of research ethics than is included within current conceptions of responsible conduct of research (RCR). We argue that our model, which we label the ethical dimensions of scientific research (EDSR), is a more comprehensive approach to encouraging ethically responsible scientific research compared to the currently typically adopted approach in RCR training. This essay focuses on developing a pedagogical approach that enables scientists to better understand and appreciate one important component of this model, what we call intrinsic ethics. Intrinsic ethical issues arise when values and ethical assumptions are embedded within scientific findings and analytical methods. Through a close examination of a case study and its application in teaching, namely, evaluation of climate change integrated assessment models, this paper develops a method and case for including intrinsic ethics within research ethics training to provide scientists with a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the critical role of values and ethical choices in the production of research outcomes.

A power comparison of generalized additive models and the spatial scan statistic in a case-control setting.

PubMed

Young, Robin L; Weinberg, Janice; Vieira, Verónica; Ozonoff, Al; Webster, Thomas F

2010-07-19

A common, important problem in spatial epidemiology is measuring and identifying variation in disease risk across a study region. In application of statistical methods, the problem has two parts. First, spatial variation in risk must be detected across the study region and, second, areas of increased or decreased risk must be correctly identified. The location of such areas may give clues to environmental sources of exposure and disease etiology. One statistical method applicable in spatial epidemiologic settings is a generalized additive model (GAM) which can be applied with a bivariate LOESS smoother to account for geographic location as a possible predictor of disease status. A natural hypothesis when applying this method is whether residential location of subjects is associated with the outcome, i.e. is the smoothing term necessary? Permutation tests are a reasonable hypothesis testing method and provide adequate power under a simple alternative hypothesis. These tests have yet to be compared to other spatial statistics. This research uses simulated point data generated under three alternative hypotheses to evaluate the properties of the permutation methods and compare them to the popular spatial scan statistic in a case-control setting. Case 1 was a single circular cluster centered in a circular study region. The spatial scan statistic had the highest power though the GAM method estimates did not fall far behind. Case 2 was a single point source located at the center of a circular cluster and Case 3 was a line source at the center of the horizontal axis of a square study region. Each had linearly decreasing logodds with distance from the point. The GAM methods outperformed the scan statistic in Cases 2 and 3. Comparing sensitivity, measured as the proportion of the exposure source correctly identified as high or low risk, the GAM methods outperformed the scan statistic in all three Cases. The GAM permutation testing methods provide a regression-based alternative to the spatial scan statistic. Across all hypotheses examined in this research, the GAM methods had competing or greater power estimates and sensitivities exceeding that of the spatial scan statistic.

A power comparison of generalized additive models and the spatial scan statistic in a case-control setting

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background A common, important problem in spatial epidemiology is measuring and identifying variation in disease risk across a study region. In application of statistical methods, the problem has two parts. First, spatial variation in risk must be detected across the study region and, second, areas of increased or decreased risk must be correctly identified. The location of such areas may give clues to environmental sources of exposure and disease etiology. One statistical method applicable in spatial epidemiologic settings is a generalized additive model (GAM) which can be applied with a bivariate LOESS smoother to account for geographic location as a possible predictor of disease status. A natural hypothesis when applying this method is whether residential location of subjects is associated with the outcome, i.e. is the smoothing term necessary? Permutation tests are a reasonable hypothesis testing method and provide adequate power under a simple alternative hypothesis. These tests have yet to be compared to other spatial statistics. Results This research uses simulated point data generated under three alternative hypotheses to evaluate the properties of the permutation methods and compare them to the popular spatial scan statistic in a case-control setting. Case 1 was a single circular cluster centered in a circular study region. The spatial scan statistic had the highest power though the GAM method estimates did not fall far behind. Case 2 was a single point source located at the center of a circular cluster and Case 3 was a line source at the center of the horizontal axis of a square study region. Each had linearly decreasing logodds with distance from the point. The GAM methods outperformed the scan statistic in Cases 2 and 3. Comparing sensitivity, measured as the proportion of the exposure source correctly identified as high or low risk, the GAM methods outperformed the scan statistic in all three Cases. Conclusions The GAM permutation testing methods provide a regression-based alternative to the spatial scan statistic. Across all hypotheses examined in this research, the GAM methods had competing or greater power estimates and sensitivities exceeding that of the spatial scan statistic. PMID:20642827

Applied vs Basic Research: On Maintaining Your Balance with a Foot in Each Camp.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, David W.

The paper discusses a number of issues concerning the practical usefulness of cognitive psychology research, and presents a case study of pilot training methods to illustrate a model of research processes that produces outcomes which contribute to both basic and applied research goals. Research studies are described as varying in the degree to…

Understanding What It Means for Assurance Cases to "Work"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, David J.; Knight, John C.; Rowanhill, Jonathan

2017-01-01

This report is the result of our year-long investigation into assurance case practices and effectiveness. Assurance cases are a method for working toward acceptable critical system performance. They represent a significant thread of applied assurance methods extending back many decades and being employed in a range of industries and applications. Our research presented in this report includes a literature survey of over 50 sources and interviews with nearly a dozen practitioners in the field. We have organized our results into seven major claimed assurance case benefits and their supporting mechanisms, evidence, counter-evidence, and caveats.

The Single-Case Reporting Guideline in BEhavioural Interventions (SCRIBE) 2016 Statement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tate, Robyn L.; Perdices, Michael; Rosenkoetter, Ulrike; Shadish, William; Vohra, Sunita; Barlow, David H.; Horner, Robert; Kazdin, Alan; Kratochwill, Thomas; McDonald, Skye; Sampson, Margaret; Shamseer, Larissa; Togher, Leanne; Albin, Richard; Backman, Catherine; Douglas, Jacinta; Evans, Jonathan J.; Gast, David; Manolov, Rumen; Mitchell, Geoffrey; Nickels, Lyndsey; Nikles, Jane; Ownsworth, Tamara; Rose, Miranda; Schmid, Christopher H.; Wilson, Barbara

2016-01-01

We developed a reporting guideline to provide authors with guidance about what should be reported when writing a paper for publication in a scientific journal using a particular type of research design: the single-case experimental design. This report describes the methods used to develop the Single-Case Reporting guideline In BEhavioural…

A Standardized Mean Difference Effect Size for Single Case Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hedges, Larry V.; Pustejovsky, James E.; Shadish, William R.

2012-01-01

Single case designs are a set of research methods for evaluating treatment effects by assigning different treatments to the same individual and measuring outcomes over time and are used across fields such as behavior analysis, clinical psychology, special education, and medicine. Emerging standards for single case designs have focused attention on…

Complexity, Representation and Practice: Case Study as Method and Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miles, Rebecca

2015-01-01

While case study is considered a common approach to examining specific and particular examples in research disciplines such as law, medicine and psychology, in the social sciences case study is often treated as a lesser, flawed or undemanding methodology which is less valid, reliable or theoretically rigorous than other methodologies. Building on…

Using Web 2.0 Tools to Facilitate Case-Based Instruction: Considering the Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koehler, Adrie A.; Ertmer, Peggy A.

2016-01-01

Case-based instruction (CBI) offers a promising method for promoting problem-solving skills in learners. However, during CBI, the instructor shoulders major responsibility for shaping the learning that takes place. Research indicates that the facilitation techniques used during case discussions influence what gets covered, and to what extent,…

Considerations when conducting e-Delphi research: a case study.

PubMed

Toronto, Coleen

2017-06-22

Background E-Delphi is a way to access a geographically dispersed group of experts. It is similar to other Delphi methods but conducted online. E-research methodologies, such as the e-Delphi method, have yet to undergo significant critical discussion. Aim To highlight some of the challenges nurse researchers may wish to consider when using e-Delphi in their research. Discussion This paper provides details about the author's approach to conducting an e-Delphi study in which a group of health literacy nurse experts (n=41) used an online survey platform to identify and prioritise essential health literacy competencies for registered nurses. Conclusion This paper advances methodological discourse about e-Delphi by critically assessing an e-Delphi case study. The online survey platform used in this study was advantageous for the researcher and the experts: the experts could participate at any time and place where the internet was available; the researcher could efficiently access a national group of experts, track responses and analyse data in each round. Implications for practice E-Delphi studies create opportunities for nurse researchers to conduct research nationally and internationally. Before conducting an e-Delphi study, researchers should carefully consider the design and methods for collecting data, to avoid challenges that could potentially compromise the quality of the findings. Researchers are encouraged to publish details about their approaches to e-Delphi studies, to advance the state of the science.

Cumulating the Intellectual Gold of Case Study Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodgers, Robert; Jensen, Jason L.

2001-01-01

Looks at criticisms of public administration research: (1) knowledge in the field is not being accumulated, and (2) the research has low quality. Proposes meta-analysis as a solution to the first problem. Suggests that quality judgments should be based on knowledge cumulation, which acknowledges the value of all research methods. (Contains 48…

Collaborative Research and Social Change: Applied Anthropology in Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stull, Donald D., Ed.; Schensul, Jean J., Ed.

Promoting social change is the goal of the seven community case studies reported in this book. Each study is a "natural experiment" that involved long-term research, close collaboration between researchers and the host community, and the application of research methods and findings to social change goals within the community. The following reports…

Togetherness, Teamwork and Challenges: "Reflections on Building an Inclusive Research Network"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riches, Tanya N.; O'Brien, Patricia M.

2017-01-01

Background: This article presents a case study of the Centre for Disability Studies' Inclusive Research Network. The network is a dynamic group of around fifteen people who have intellectual and other disabilities, support workers and university researchers. Methods: The study was based upon an evaluation of the group's research practice, as…

Integration of Social Sciences in Terrorism Modelling: Issues, Problems and Recommendations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-01

qualitative social research : empirical data, patterns, regularities and case studies Terrorism emergence: causes...quantitative and qualitative methods in studies of terrorism, mass violence and conflicts, suggested models of human behaviour response to the threat of...epistemology of social research , demographics, quantitative sociological research , qualitative social research , cultural studies , etc.) can contribute

An Acuity Tool for Heart Failure Case Management: Quantifying Workload, Service Utilization, and Disease Severity.

PubMed

Kilgore, Matthew D

The cardiology service line director at a health maintenance organization (HMO) in Washington State required a valid, reliable, and practical means for measuring workloads and other productivity factors for six heart failure (HF) registered nurse case managers located across three geographical regions. The Kilgore Heart Failure Case Management (KHFCM) Acuity Tool was systematically designed, developed, and validated to measure workload as a dependent function of the number of heart failure case management (HFCM) services rendered and the duration of times spent on various care duties. Research and development occurred at various HMO-affiliated internal medicine and cardiology offices throughout Western Washington. The concepts, methods, and principles used to develop the KHFCM Acuity Tool are applicable for any type of health care professional aiming to quantify workload using a high-quality objective tool. The content matter, scaling, and language on the KHFCM Acuity Tool are specific to HFCM settings. The content matter and numeric scales for the KHFCM Acuity Tool were developed and validated using a mixed-method participant action research method applied to a group of six outpatient HF case managers and their respective caseloads. The participant action research method was selected, because the application of this method requires research participants to become directly involved in the diagnosis of research problems, the planning and execution of actions taken to address those problems, and the implementation of progressive strategies throughout the course of the study, as necessary, to produce the most credible and practical practice improvements (; ; ; ). Heart failure case managers served clients with New York Heart Association Functional Class III-IV HF (), and encounters were conducted primarily by telephone or in-office consultation. A mix of qualitative and quantitative results demonstrated a variety of quality improvement outcomes achieved by the design and practice application of the KHFCM Acuity Tool. Quality improvement outcomes included a more valid reflection of encounter times and demonstration of the KHFCM Acuity Tool as a reliable, practical, credible, and satisfying tool for reflecting HF case manager workloads and HF disease severity. The KHFCM Acuity Tool defines workload simply as a function of the number of HFCM services performed and the duration of time spent on a client encounter. The design of the tool facilitates the measure of workload, service utilization, and HF disease characteristics, independently from the overall measure of acuity, so that differences in individual case manager practice, as well as client characteristics within sites, across sites, and potentially throughout annual seasons, can be demonstrated. Data produced from long-term applications of the KHFCM Acuity Tool, across all regions, could serve as a driver for establishing systemwide HFCM productivity benchmarks or standards of practice for HF case managers. Data produced from localized applications could serve as a reference for coordinating staffing resources or developing HFCM productivity benchmarks within individual regions or sites.

Educational research methods for researching innovations in teaching, learning and assessment: The nursing lecturer as researcher.

PubMed

Marks-Maran, Diane

2015-11-01

The author, who has had previous experience as a nurse researcher, has been engaged in helping nurse lecturers to undertake evaluation research studies into innovations in their teaching, learning and assessment methods. In order to undertake this work successfully, it was important to move from thinking like a nurse researcher to thinking like an educational researcher and developing the role of the nursing lecturer as researcher of their teaching. This article explores the difference between evaluation and evaluation research and argues for the need to use educational research methods when undertaking evaluation research into innovations in teaching, learning and assessment. A new model for educational evaluation research is presented together with two case examples of the model in use. The model has been tested on over 30 research studies into innovations in teaching, learning and assessment over the past 8 years. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the Pragmatic Functions of English Rhetoric in Public Speech: A Case Study of Emma Watson's "HeForShe"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Bin

2018-01-01

The current research is mainly conducted to explore the pragmatic functions of English rhetoric in public speech. To do this, methods of close reading and case studies are adopted. The research first reveals that the boom of public speech programs helps reexamine the art of utterance, during the delivery of which English rhetoric plays an…

Case file coding of child maltreatment: Methods, challenges, and innovations in a longitudinal project of youth in foster care.

PubMed

Huffhines, Lindsay; Tunno, Angela M; Cho, Bridget; Hambrick, Erin P; Campos, Ilse; Lichty, Brittany; Jackson, Yo

2016-08-01

State social service agency case files are a common mechanism for obtaining information about a child's maltreatment history, yet these documents are often challenging for researchers to access, and then to process in a manner consistent with the requirements of social science research designs. Specifically, accessing and navigating case files is an extensive undertaking, and a task that many researchers have had to maneuver with little guidance. Even after the files are in hand and the research questions and relevant variables have been clarified, case file information about a child's maltreatment exposure can be idiosyncratic, vague, inconsistent, and incomplete, making coding such information into useful variables for statistical analyses difficult. The Modified Maltreatment Classification System (MMCS) is a popular tool used to guide the process, and though comprehensive, this coding system cannot cover all idiosyncrasies found in case files. It is not clear from the literature how researchers implement this system while accounting for issues outside of the purview of the MMCS or that arise during MMCS use. Finally, a large yet reliable file coding team is essential to the process, however, the literature lacks training guidelines and methods for establishing reliability between coders. In an effort to move the field toward a common approach, the purpose of the present discussion is to detail the process used by one large-scale study of child maltreatment, the Studying Pathways to Adjustment and Resilience in Kids (SPARK) project, a longitudinal study of resilience in youth in foster care. The article addresses each phase of case file coding, from accessing case files, to identifying how to measure constructs of interest, to dealing with exceptions to the coding system, to coding variables reliably, to training large teams of coders and monitoring for fidelity. Implications for a comprehensive and efficient approach to case file coding are discussed.

Case file coding of child maltreatment: Methods, challenges, and innovations in a longitudinal project of youth in foster care☆

PubMed Central

Huffhines, Lindsay; Tunno, Angela M.; Cho, Bridget; Hambrick, Erin P.; Campos, Ilse; Lichty, Brittany; Jackson, Yo

2016-01-01

State social service agency case files are a common mechanism for obtaining information about a child’s maltreatment history, yet these documents are often challenging for researchers to access, and then to process in a manner consistent with the requirements of social science research designs. Specifically, accessing and navigating case files is an extensive undertaking, and a task that many researchers have had to maneuver with little guidance. Even after the files are in hand and the research questions and relevant variables have been clarified, case file information about a child’s maltreatment exposure can be idiosyncratic, vague, inconsistent, and incomplete, making coding such information into useful variables for statistical analyses difficult. The Modified Maltreatment Classification System (MMCS) is a popular tool used to guide the process, and though comprehensive, this coding system cannot cover all idiosyncrasies found in case files. It is not clear from the literature how researchers implement this system while accounting for issues outside of the purview of the MMCS or that arise during MMCS use. Finally, a large yet reliable file coding team is essential to the process, however, the literature lacks training guidelines and methods for establishing reliability between coders. In an effort to move the field toward a common approach, the purpose of the present discussion is to detail the process used by one large-scale study of child maltreatment, the Studying Pathways to Adjustment and Resilience in Kids (SPARK) project, a longitudinal study of resilience in youth in foster care. The article addresses each phase of case file coding, from accessing case files, to identifying how to measure constructs of interest, to dealing with exceptions to the coding system, to coding variables reliably, to training large teams of coders and monitoring for fidelity. Implications for a comprehensive and efficient approach to case file coding are discussed. PMID:28138207

Using a mixed-methods design to examine nurse practitioner integration in British Columbia.

PubMed

Sangster-Gormley, Esther; Griffith, Janessa; Schreiber, Rita; Borycki, Elizabeth

2015-07-01

To discuss and provide examples of how mixed-methods research was used to evaluate the integration of nurse practitioners (NPs) into a Canadian province. Legislation enabling NPs to practise in British Columbia (BC) was enacted in 2005. This research evaluated the integration of NPs and their effect on the BC healthcare system. Data were collected using surveys, focus groups, participant interviews and case studies over three years. Data sources and methods were triangulated to determine how the findings addressed the research questions. The challenges and benefits of using the multiphase design are highlighted in the paper. The multiphase mixed-methods research design was selected because of its applicability to evaluation research. The design proved to be robust and flexible in answering research questions. As sub-studies within the multiphase design are often published separately, it can be difficult for researchers to find examples. This paper highlights ways that a multiphase mixed-methods design can be conducted for researchers unfamiliar with the process.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seth, Arpan; Klise, Katherine A.; Siirola, John D.

In the event of contamination in a water distribution network (WDN), source identification (SI) methods that analyze sensor data can be used to identify the source location(s). Knowledge of the source location and characteristics are important to inform contamination control and cleanup operations. Various SI strategies that have been developed by researchers differ in their underlying assumptions and solution techniques. The following manuscript presents a systematic procedure for testing and evaluating SI methods. The performance of these SI methods is affected by various factors including the size of WDN model, measurement error, modeling error, time and number of contaminant injections,more » and time and number of measurements. This paper includes test cases that vary these factors and evaluates three SI methods on the basis of accuracy and specificity. The tests are used to review and compare these different SI methods, highlighting their strengths in handling various identification scenarios. These SI methods and a testing framework that includes the test cases and analysis tools presented in this paper have been integrated into EPA’s Water Security Toolkit (WST), a suite of software tools to help researchers and others in the water industry evaluate and plan various response strategies in case of a contamination incident. Lastly, a set of recommendations are made for users to consider when working with different categories of SI methods.« less

Evaluating the Impact of the U.S. National Toxicology Program: A Case Study on Hexavalent Chromium

PubMed Central

Xie, Yun; Holmgren, Stephanie; Andrews, Danica M. K.; Wolfe, Mary S.

2016-01-01

Background: Evaluating the impact of federally funded research with a broad, methodical, and objective approach is important to ensure that public funds advance the mission of federal agencies. Objectives: We aimed to develop a methodical approach that would yield a broad assessment of National Toxicology Program’s (NTP’s) effectiveness across multiple sectors and demonstrate the utility of the approach through a case study. Methods: A conceptual model was developed with defined activities, outputs (products), and outcomes (proximal, intermediate, distal) and applied retrospectively to NTP’s research on hexavalent chromium (CrVI). Proximal outcomes were measured by counting views of and requests for NTP’s products by external stakeholders. Intermediate outcomes were measured by bibliometric analysis. Distal outcomes were assessed through Web and LexisNexis searches for documents related to legislation or regulation changes. Results: The approach identified awareness of NTP’s work on CrVI by external stakeholders (proximal outcome) and citations of NTP’s research in scientific publications, reports, congressional testimonies, and legal and policy documents (intermediate outcome). NTP’s research was key to the nation’s first-ever drinking water standard for CrVI adopted by California in 2014 (distal outcome). By applying this approach to a case study, the utility and limitations of the approach were identified, including challenges to evaluating the outcomes of a research program. Conclusions: This study identified a broad and objective approach for assessing NTP’s effectiveness, including methodological needs for more thorough and efficient impact assessments in the future. Citation: Xie Y, Holmgren S, Andrews DMK, Wolfe MS. 2017. Evaluating the impact of the U.S. National Toxicology Program: a case study on hexavalent chromium. Environ Health Perspect 125:181–188; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP21 PMID:27483499

LYNX community advocacy & service engagement (CASE) project final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-05-14

This report is a final assessment of the Community Advocacy & Service Engagement (CASE) project, a LYNX-FTA research project designed : to study transit education and public engagement methods in Central Florida. In the Orlando area, as in other part...

Urban forest ecosystem services: A case study in Corvallis,Oregon

EPA Science Inventory

Background/Questions/Methods One EPA research focus is quantifying ecosystem services, benefits that ecosystems provide to humans, in order to promote informed natural resource management decisions and to assess the effectiveness of existing environmental policies. A case study...

Learning and Teaching Research Methods in Management Education: Development of a Curriculum to Combine Theory and Practice--A Swiss Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoidn, Sabine; Olbert-Bock, Sibylle

2016-01-01

Purpose: In the context of the creation of a two-year Master of Science in Business Administration programme to offer a scientifically sound and practice-related management education in Switzerland, a curriculum for learning and teaching research methods had to be designed. Major pedagogic challenges were identified and addressed by curricular…

Literacy Coaching: A Case Study of How a Literacy Coach Provides Support for a Kindergarten Teacher and a Second Grade Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Carrie

2012-01-01

Coaching is a professional development approach that is utilized to support classroom teachers' implementation of research-based teaching strategies and methods. Studies have shown that coaching supports classroom teachers' implementation of teaching strategies and methods; however, there is little research on what coaches do to support…

The Evaluation of the Studies Related to the New Curriculum of Physics Course: The Case of Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ergin, Ismet

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to state the points when choosing a method in studies concerning physics course new curriculum by evaluating researches whose topics are secondary physics course curriculum (in Turkey) in terms of subject, objective, method and consequences. 24 researches conducted within the lines of secondary physics course curriculum…

Administrators' Power Usage Styles and Their Impact on the Organizational Culture in Colleges of Education: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozcan, Kenan; Karatas, Ibrahim Hakan; Caglar, Çaglar; Polat, Murat

2014-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to determine how power usage styles of administrators of faculties of education influence the organizational culture in their respective faculties in Turkey. Using the phenomenological method, a qualitative research method, researchers studied a group comprised of 20 academics from 7 different colleges of…

Quantitative naturalistic methods for detecting change points in psychotherapy research: an illustration with alliance ruptures.

PubMed

Eubanks-Carter, Catherine; Gorman, Bernard S; Muran, J Christopher

2012-01-01

Analysis of change points in psychotherapy process could increase our understanding of mechanisms of change. In particular, naturalistic change point detection methods that identify turning points or breakpoints in time series data could enhance our ability to identify and study alliance ruptures and resolutions. This paper presents four categories of statistical methods for detecting change points in psychotherapy process: criterion-based methods, control chart methods, partitioning methods, and regression methods. Each method's utility for identifying shifts in the alliance is illustrated using a case example from the Beth Israel Psychotherapy Research program. Advantages and disadvantages of the various methods are discussed.

International public health research involving interpreters: a case study from Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Pitchforth, Emma; van Teijlingen, Edwin

2005-01-01

Background Cross-cultural and international research are important components of public health research, but the challenges of language barriers and working with interpreters are often overlooked, particularly in the case of qualitative research. Methods A case-study approach was used to explore experiences of working with an interpreter in Bangladesh as part of a research project investigating women's experiences of emergency obstetric care. The case study Data from the researcher's field notes provided evidence of experiences in working with an interpreter and show how the model of interviewing was adapted over time to give a more active role to the interpreter. The advantages of a more active role were increased rapport and "flow" in interviews. The disadvantages included reduced control from the researcher's perspective. Some tensions between the researcher and interpreter remained hard to overcome, irrespective of the model used. Independent transcription and translation of the interviews also raised questions around accuracy in translation. Conclusion The issues examined in this case study have broader implications for public health research. Further work is needed in three areas: 1) developing effective relationships with interpreters; 2) the impact of the interpreter on the research process; and 3) the accuracy of the translation and level of analysis needed in any specific public health research. Finally, this paper highlights the importance to authors of reflecting on the potential impact of translation and interpretation on the research process when disseminating their research. PMID:15985161

A Practical Application of Value of Information and Prospective Payback of Research to Prioritize Evaluative Research.

PubMed

Andronis, Lazaros; Billingham, Lucinda J; Bryan, Stirling; James, Nicholas D; Barton, Pelham M

2016-04-01

Efforts to ensure that funded research represents "value for money" have led to increasing calls for the use of analytic methods in research prioritization. A number of analytic approaches have been proposed to assist research funding decisions, the most prominent of which are value of information (VOI) and prospective payback of research (PPoR). Despite the increasing interest in the topic, there are insufficient VOI and PPoR applications on the same case study to contrast their methods and compare their outcomes. We undertook VOI and PPoR analyses to determine the value of conducting 2 proposed research programs. The application served as a vehicle for identifying differences and similarities between the methods, provided insight into the assumptions and practical requirements of undertaking prospective analyses for research prioritization, and highlighted areas for future research. VOI and PPoR were applied to case studies representing proposals for clinical trials in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and prostate cancer. Decision models were built to synthesize the evidence available prior to the funding decision. VOI (expected value of perfect and sample information) and PPoR (PATHS model) analyses were undertaken using the developed models. VOI and PPoR results agreed in direction, suggesting that the proposed trials would be cost-effective investments. However, results differed in magnitude, largely due to the way each method conceptualizes the possible outcomes of further research and the implementation of research results in practice. Compared with VOI, PPoR is less complex but requires more assumptions. Although the approaches are not free from limitations, they can provide useful input for research funding decisions. © The Author(s) 2015.

Adequacy of Reporting Results of School Surveys and Nonresponse Effects: A Review of the Literature and a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kano, Megumi; Franke, Todd; Afifi, Abdelmonem A.; Bourque, Linda B.

2008-01-01

To ensure accurate interpretation of research findings, researchers should report details about their research design, data collection method, and response rates when presenting findings from survey research. A review of 100 peer-reviewed articles reporting the results of survey research on K-12 schools with principals as the designated…

Education Research as Analytic Claims: The Case of Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyslop-Margison, Emery; Rogers, Matthew; Oladi, Soudeh

2017-01-01

Despite widespread calls for evidence-based research in education, this strategy has heretofore generated a surprisingly small return on the related financial investment. Some scholars have suggested that the situation follows from a mismatch between education as an assumed field of study and applied empirical research methods. This article's…

Mobilizing Knowledge via Documentary Filmmaking--Is the Academy Ready?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrarca, Diana M.; Hughes, Janette M.

2014-01-01

The predominant form of research dissemination resides in the scholar's domain, namely academic conferences and peer-reviewed journals. This paper describes how two colleagues and researchers integrated documentary filmmaking with research methods in their respective scholarly work, supporting the case for documentary film as an alternative form…

SCALS: a fourth-generation study of assisted living technologies in their organisational, social, political and policy context

PubMed Central

Greenhalgh, Trisha; Shaw, Sara; Wherton, Joe; Hughes, Gemma; Lynch, Jenni; A'Court, Christine; Hinder, Sue; Fahy, Nick; Byrne, Emma; Finlayson, Alexander; Sorell, Tom; Procter, Rob; Stones, Rob

2016-01-01

Introduction Research to date into assisted living technologies broadly consists of 3 generations: technical design, experimental trials and qualitative studies of the patient experience. We describe a fourth-generation paradigm: studies of assisted living technologies in their organisational, social, political and policy context. Fourth-generation studies are necessarily organic and emergent; they view technology as part of a dynamic, networked and potentially unstable system. They use co-design methods to generate and stabilise local solutions, taking account of context. Methods and analysis SCALS (Studies in Co-creating Assisted Living Solutions) consists (currently) of 5 organisational case studies, each an English health or social care organisation striving to introduce technology-supported services to support independent living in people with health and/or social care needs. Treating these cases as complex systems, we seek to explore interdependencies, emergence and conflict. We employ a co-design approach informed by the principles of action research to help participating organisations establish, refine and evaluate their service. To that end, we are conducting in-depth ethnographic studies of people's experience of assisted living technologies (micro level), embedded in evolving organisational case studies that use interviews, ethnography and document analysis (meso level), and exploring the wider national and international context for assisted living technologies and policy (macro level). Data will be analysed using a sociotechnical framework developed from structuration theory. Ethics and dissemination Research ethics approval for the first 4 case studies has been granted. An important outcome will be lessons learned from individual co-design case studies. We will document the studies’ credibility and rigour, and assess the transferability of findings to other settings while also recognising unique aspects of the contexts in which they were generated. Academic outputs will include a cross-case analysis and progress in theory and method of fourth-generation assisted living technology research. We will produce practical guidance for organisations, policymakers, designers and service users. PMID:26880671

Mothers Who Kill Their Offspring: Testing Evolutionary Hypothesis in a 110-Case Italian Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camperio Ciani, Andrea S.; Fontanesi, Lilybeth

2012-01-01

Objectives: This research aimed to identify incidents of mothers in Italy killing their own children and to test an adaptive evolutionary hypothesis to explain their occurrence. Methods: 110 cases of mothers killing 123 of their own offspring from 1976 to 2010 were analyzed. Each case was classified using 13 dichotomic variables. Descriptive…

Green University Initiatives in China: A Case of Tsinghua University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Wanxia; Zou, Yonghua

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine green university initiatives in the context of China, using Tsinghua University, which is China's green university pioneer, as a case study. Design/methodology/approach: The research method used for this paper is a case study based on participant observation and document analysis. The approach to…

The Case Study Method: Guidelines, Practices, and Applications for Vocational Education. Research and Development Series No. 189.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spirer, Janet E.

In comparison with traditional experimental design, which is concerned with what happened, a case study approach is more appropriate for answering the question of why or how something happened. As an alternative complementary-vocational-education-evaluation approach, the case study attempts to describe and analyze some program in comprehensive…

Contemporary Instructor-Librarian Collaboration: A Case Study of an Online Embedded Librarian Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Mary E.; Black, Erik W.

2012-01-01

This paper reports the results of a case study evaluation of an embedded librarian project at a large, land-grant, research institution. The case is comprised of learners who are full-time academic health care professionals enrolled in an online graduate educational technology program. The mixed methods methodology focused on assessing the…

Traditional and Alternative Approaches to the Method of Situational Analysis in Russia: Evidence from the Case Study "Istanbul in the Life and Works of Martiros Saryan"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fedotova, Olga; Ermakov, Pavel; Latun, Vladimir; Hovhannisyan, Haykaz; Avanesyan, Grant

2017-01-01

The article analyzes the transformation of the methodological toolkit for teaching humanities and sciences in the Russian Federation. The method of case study, being widely spread in modern higher education research, is used as an example to illustrate the attempts to implement the best practices of foreign educational technology into tertiary…

A Case Study Exploring Research Communication and Engagement in a Rural Community Experiencing an Environmental Disaster

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winters, Charlene A.; Kuntz, Sandra W.; Weinert, Clarann; Black, Brad

2014-01-01

As a means to involve the public in research, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Partners in Research Program and solicited research grant applications from academic/scientific institutions and community organizations that proposed to forge partnerships: (a) to study methods and strategies to engage and inform the public…

Institutional Barriers to Research on Sensitive Topics: Case of Sex Communication Research among University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noland, Carey M.

2012-01-01

When conducting research on sensitive topics, it is challenging to use new methods of data collection given the apprehensions of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). This is especially worrying because sensitive topics of research often require novel approaches. In this article a brief personal history of navigating the IRB process for conducting…

Passing the baton: Mentoring for adoption of active-learning pedagogies by research-active junior faculty.

PubMed

Grimes, Catherine Leimkuhler; White, Harold B

2015-01-01

There are barriers to adoption of research-based teaching methods. Professional development workshops may inform faculty of these methods, but effective adoption often does not follow. In addition, newly-minted research-active faculty are often overwhelmed by the many new responsibilities (grant writing, group management, laboratory setup, teaching) that accompany the position and normally do not have the time to consider novel teaching approaches. This case study documents how over a three-year period, the responsibility for teaching a nontraditional "Introduction to Biochemistry" course in a problem-based learning format was successfully transferred from a senior faculty member nearing retirement (HBW) to a newly-hired research-active assistant professor (CLG). We describe our apprenticeship project involving modeling, scaffolding, fading, and coaching. We suggest that involving faculty in active-learning pedagogy early in their career with mentoring by senior faculty overcomes barriers to adopting these methods. This case describes a specific example from which potentially useful elements can be adopted and adapted wherever biochemistry is taught. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Analysis of closed medical litigation in urology

PubMed Central

Shin, Su Hwan; Kim, So Yoon; Jang, Seung Gyeong

2017-01-01

Purpose The objective of this study was to provide a descriptive understanding of the characteristics of malpractice litigation related to urology by examining court cases. Materials and Methods A total of 6,074 court cases related to medical malpractice litigation filed between 2005 and 2010 were received from the Lower Courts, the Appellate Courts, and the Supreme Court of Korea. Of the received cases, 34 urology-related civil proceedings were analyzed. The following information was compiled and investigated from the cases: background, age and sex of patient, categorization of the defendant, opinion of the court, amount claimed and awarded in damages, type of medical treatment involved, and negative effects resulting from the medical accident. Results The average amount in damages paid out to plaintiffs in this research was 27,186,504±32,371,008 Korean won (KRW) (range, 1,000,000–100,000,000 KRW). A total of 9 of the 34 analyzed cases (26.5%) ruled in favor of the plaintiff, with all 9 cases involving a surgery. An analysis of the surgery sites further revealed that the penis was the most frequently litigated over site of surgery, making up 14 of the 35 sites (40.0%). Conclusions Information regarding urology malpractice lawsuits should be made available to help prevent further disputes and litigation. Continuous efforts must be expended in the prevention of accidents and disputes, alongside research into urology-related cases beyond 2010. Extensive cause analysis and recurrence prevention methods must also be researched to enhance overall patient safety. PMID:28868502

Prospective Mathematics Teachers' Opinions about Mathematical Modeling Method and Applicability of This Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akgün, Levent

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to identify prospective secondary mathematics teachers' opinions about the mathematical modeling method and the applicability of this method in high schools. The case study design, which is among the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The study was conducted with six prospective secondary mathematics…

Managing for resilience: an information theory-based ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecosystems are complex and multivariate; hence, methods to assess the dynamics of ecosystems should have the capacity to evaluate multiple indicators simultaneously. Most research on identifying leading indicators of regime shifts has focused on univariate methods and simple models which have limited utility when evaluating real ecosystems, particularly because drivers are often unknown. We discuss some common univariate and multivariate approaches for detecting critical transitions in ecosystems and demonstrate their capabilities via case studies. Synthesis and applications. We illustrate the utility of an information theory-based index for assessing ecosystem dynamics. Trends in this index also provide a sentinel of both abrupt and gradual transitions in ecosystems. In response to the need to identify leading indicators of regime shifts in ecosystems, our research compares traditional indicators and Fisher information, an information theory based method, by examining four case study systems. Results demonstrate the utility of methods and offers great promise for quantifying and managing for resilience.

Testing contamination source identification methods for water distribution networks

DOE PAGES

Seth, Arpan; Klise, Katherine A.; Siirola, John D.; ...

2016-04-01

In the event of contamination in a water distribution network (WDN), source identification (SI) methods that analyze sensor data can be used to identify the source location(s). Knowledge of the source location and characteristics are important to inform contamination control and cleanup operations. Various SI strategies that have been developed by researchers differ in their underlying assumptions and solution techniques. The following manuscript presents a systematic procedure for testing and evaluating SI methods. The performance of these SI methods is affected by various factors including the size of WDN model, measurement error, modeling error, time and number of contaminant injections,more » and time and number of measurements. This paper includes test cases that vary these factors and evaluates three SI methods on the basis of accuracy and specificity. The tests are used to review and compare these different SI methods, highlighting their strengths in handling various identification scenarios. These SI methods and a testing framework that includes the test cases and analysis tools presented in this paper have been integrated into EPA’s Water Security Toolkit (WST), a suite of software tools to help researchers and others in the water industry evaluate and plan various response strategies in case of a contamination incident. Lastly, a set of recommendations are made for users to consider when working with different categories of SI methods.« less

'Including health in systems responsible for urban planning': a realist policy analysis research programme.

PubMed

Harris, Patrick; Friel, Sharon; Wilson, Andrew

2015-07-23

Realist methods are increasingly being used to investigate complex public health problems. Despite the extensive evidence base clarifying the built environment as a determinant of health, there is limited knowledge about how and why land-use planning systems take on health concerns. Further, the body of research related to the wider determinants of health suffers from not using political science knowledge to understand how to influence health policy development and systems. This 4-year funded programme of research investigates how the land-use planning system in New South Wales, Australia, incorporates health and health equity at multiple levels. The programme uses multiple qualitative methods to develop up to 15 case studies of different activities of the New South Wales land-use planning system. Comparison cases from other jurisdictions will be included where possible and useful. Data collection includes publicly available documentation and purposively sampled stakeholder interviews and focus groups of up to 100 participants across the cases. The units of analysis in each case are institutional structures (rules and mandates constraining and enabling actors), actors (the stakeholders, organisations and networks involved, including health-focused agencies), and ideas (policy content, information, and framing). Data analysis will focus on and develop propositions concerning the mechanisms and conditions within and across each case leading to inclusion or non-inclusion of health. Data will be refined using additional political science and sociological theory. Qualitative comparative analysis will compare cases to develop policy-relevant propositions about the necessary and sufficient conditions needed to include health issues. Ethics has been approved by Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee (2014/802 and 2015/178). Given the nature of this research we will incorporate stakeholders, often as collaborators, throughout. We outline our research translation strategies following best practice approaches. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Purposeful Sampling for Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis in Mixed Method Implementation Research.

PubMed

Palinkas, Lawrence A; Horwitz, Sarah M; Green, Carla A; Wisdom, Jennifer P; Duan, Naihua; Hoagwood, Kimberly

2015-09-01

Purposeful sampling is widely used in qualitative research for the identification and selection of information-rich cases related to the phenomenon of interest. Although there are several different purposeful sampling strategies, criterion sampling appears to be used most commonly in implementation research. However, combining sampling strategies may be more appropriate to the aims of implementation research and more consistent with recent developments in quantitative methods. This paper reviews the principles and practice of purposeful sampling in implementation research, summarizes types and categories of purposeful sampling strategies and provides a set of recommendations for use of single strategy or multistage strategy designs, particularly for state implementation research.

Mission Drift in Qualitative Research, or Moving Toward a Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies, Moving Back to a More Systematic Narrative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Kip

2004-01-01

The paper argues that the systematic review of qualitative research is best served by reliance upon qualitative methods themselves. A case is made for strengthening the narrative literature review and using narrative itself as a method of review. A technique is proposed that builds upon recent developments in qualitative systematic review by the…

Demonstrating Understanding, a Whole Body Experience? Can Year One Children Show Their Science Understanding through the Use of Gestures?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Anthony

2016-01-01

This research project uses the methods of Crowder and Callinan and Sharp to assess year one children's (age 5-6) personal understanding of scientific concepts. This research project uses video recording as a primary resource of data collection within a case study approach using a participant observer method. Analysis supports the work of Crowder…

Reexamining Ground SOF Command and Control: Does One Size Fit All

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

Case studies covering varying methods of employment of special operations forces in limited contingencies will be utilized. The case studies focus on ...operating environment, much like an open organization. This research examines three case studies including operation JUST CAUSE in Panama, RESTORE HOPE in... case studies , the HQ elements formed around existing homogenous commands and not a Theater Special Operations Command (TSOC) staff with limited

Russian Snap Military Exercise in March of 2015; What Implications did this Exercise Have

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

Russia can mobilize rapidly the nation for war, shift substantial forces in its interior to meet any threat, and that Russia is willing to use military...Further, it demonstrates to any observer that Russia can mobilize rapidly the nation for war, shift substantial forces in its interior to meet any...the steps of qualitative research method in a class on Advanced Research Methods, September 12, 2016. 65 Robert K. Yin, Case Study Research: Design

How to Construct a Mixed Methods Research Design.

PubMed

Schoonenboom, Judith; Johnson, R Burke

2017-01-01

This article provides researchers with knowledge of how to design a high quality mixed methods research study. To design a mixed study, researchers must understand and carefully consider each of the dimensions of mixed methods design, and always keep an eye on the issue of validity. We explain the seven major design dimensions: purpose, theoretical drive, timing (simultaneity and dependency), point of integration, typological versus interactive design approaches, planned versus emergent design, and design complexity. There also are multiple secondary dimensions that need to be considered during the design process. We explain ten secondary dimensions of design to be considered for each research study. We also provide two case studies showing how the mixed designs were constructed.

Challenges in Exploratory Methods for Tuberculosis Research in South Africa.

PubMed

Macdonald, Helen; Abney, Kate; Abrams, Amber; Truyts, Carina

2016-07-01

Haunted by a legacy of apartheid governance that left millions in material poverty, South Africa has among the highest tuberculosis (TB) morbidity and mortality rates in the world. Our Social Markers of TB research project shared a vision of working with ethnographic research methods to understand TB-infected persons, their families, care providers, and social networks. We argue that felt and enacted TB stigma and the related HIV-TB stigma impaired our ability to collect the necessary data for a full portrait of TB-infected persons and their lived conditions. To circumvent this limitation, each researcher improvised and augmented conventional anthropological methods with more creative, directed, and at times destabilizing methods. We present three case studies as useful illustrations of the complexities and challenges we encountered in our attempts to conduct ethically sound TB research. We discuss the implications of our call for "improvisation" for the politics of research and ethical oversight. © The Author(s) 2015.

Understanding factors associated with the translation of cardiovascular research: a multinational case study approach

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Funders of health research increasingly seek to understand how best to allocate resources in order to achieve maximum value from their funding. We built an international consortium and developed a multinational case study approach to assess benefits arising from health research. We used that to facilitate analysis of factors in the production of research that might be associated with translating research findings into wider impacts, and the complexities involved. Methods We built on the Payback Framework and expanded its application through conducting co-ordinated case studies on the payback from cardiovascular and stroke research in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. We selected a stratified random sample of projects from leading medical research funders. We devised a series of innovative steps to: minimize the effect of researcher bias; rate the level of impacts identified in the case studies; and interrogate case study narratives to identify factors that correlated with achieving high or low levels of impact. Results Twenty-nine detailed case studies produced many and diverse impacts. Over the 15 to 20 years examined, basic biomedical research has a greater impact than clinical research in terms of academic impacts such as knowledge production and research capacity building. Clinical research has greater levels of wider impact on health policies, practice, and generating health gains. There was no correlation between knowledge production and wider impacts. We identified various factors associated with high impact. Interaction between researchers and practitioners and the public is associated with achieving high academic impact and translation into wider impacts, as is basic research conducted with a clinical focus. Strategic thinking by clinical researchers, in terms of thinking through pathways by which research could potentially be translated into practice, is associated with high wider impact. Finally, we identified the complexity of factors behind research translation that can arise in a single case. Conclusions We can systematically assess research impacts and use the findings to promote translation. Research funders can justify funding research of diverse types, but they should not assume academic impacts are proxies for wider impacts. They should encourage researchers to consider pathways towards impact and engage potential research users in research processes. PMID:24755187

Critically appraising qualitative research: a guide for clinicians more familiar with quantitative techniques.

PubMed

Kisely, Stephen; Kendall, Elizabeth

2011-08-01

Papers using qualitative methods are increasingly common in psychiatric journals. This overview is an introduction to critically appraising a qualitative paper for clinicians who are more familiar with quantitative methods. Qualitative research uses data from interviews (semi-structured or unstructured), focus groups, observations or written materials. Data analysis is inductive, allowing meaning to emerge from the data, rather than the more deductive, hypothesis centred approach of quantitative research. This overview compares and contrasts quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative concepts such as reliability, validity, statistical power, bias and generalisability have qualitative equivalents. These include triangulation, trustworthiness, saturation, reflexivity and applicability. Reflexivity also shares features of transference. Qualitative approaches include: ethnography, action-assessment, grounded theory, case studies and mixed methods. Qualitative research can complement quantitative approaches. An understanding of both is useful in critically appraising the psychiatric literature.

Image manipulation as research misconduct.

PubMed

Parrish, Debra; Noonan, Bridget

2009-06-01

A growing number of research misconduct cases handled by the Office of Research Integrity involve image manipulations. Manipulations may include simple image enhancements, misrepresenting an image as something different from what it is, and altering specific features of an image. Through a study of specific cases, the misconduct findings associated with image manipulation, detection methods and those likely to identify such manipulations, are discussed. This article explores sanctions imposed against guilty researchers and the factors that resulted in no misconduct finding although relevant images clearly were flawed. Although new detection tools are available for universities and journals to detect questionable images, this article explores why these tools have not been embraced.

The image of public space on planned housing based on environmental and behavior cognition mapping (case study: Cemara Asri Estate)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nirfalini Aulia, Dwira; Zahara, Aina

2018-03-01

Public spaces in a planned housing is a place of social interaction for every visitor of public space. The research on public space image uses four public spaces that meet the criteria of public space such as pedestrian sidewalks, public park, water front and worship place. Research on the perception of public space is interesting to investigate because housing development is part of the forming of a society that should design with proper architectural considerations. The purpose of this research is to know the image of public space on the planned housing in Medan City based on the mapping of environmental and behavior cognition and to know the difference between the image that happened to four group respondent. The research method of architecture used in this research is a descriptive qualitative method with case study approach (most similar case). Analysis of data used using mental maps and questionnaires. Then the image of public space is formed based on the elements of public space, wayfinding, route choice, and movement. The image difference that occurs to the housing residents and architecture students, design and planning are outstanding, visitors to the public housing space is good, people who have never visited the public space is inadequate.

The Science Manager's Guide to Case Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Branch, Kristi M.; Peffers, Melissa S.; Ruegg, Rosalie T.

2001-09-24

This guide takes the science manager through the steps of planning, implementing, validating, communicating, and using case studies. It outlines the major methods of analysis, describing their relative merits and applicability while providing relevant examples and sources of additional information. Well-designed case studies can provide a combination of rich qualitative and quantitative information, offering valuable insights into the nature, outputs, and longer-term impacts of the research. An objective, systematic, and credible approach to the evaluation of U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science programs adds value to the research process and is the subject of this guide.

Preferences of Teaching Methods and Techniques in Mathematics with Reasons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ünal, Menderes

2017-01-01

In this descriptive study, the goal was to determine teachers' preferred pedagogical methods and techniques in mathematics. Qualitative research methods were employed, primarily case studies. 40 teachers were randomly chosen from various secondary schools in Kirsehir during the 2015-2016 educational terms, and data were gathered via…

Variety of Teaching Methodologies Used by Homeschoolers: Case Studies of Three Homeschooling Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, Andrea D.

This study examined teaching methods used by homeschooling families. Interviews were conducted with parents from three homeschooling families who used a variety of teaching methods. Researchers collected information on children's ages, number of years of homeschooling, teaching methods, and curriculum choice. Respondents described how they chose…

A Model for Effective Teaching and Learning in Research Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poindexter, Paula M.

1998-01-01

Proposes a teaching model for making research relevant. Presents a case study of the model as used in advertising and public relations research classes. Notes that the model consists of a knowledge base, team process, a realistic goal-oriented experience, self-management, expert consultation, and evaluation and synthesis. Discusses resulting…

The Role of Research in Academic Psychiatric Departments: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pato, Carlos; Abulseoud, Osama; Pato, Michelle

2011-01-01

Objective: The authors demonstrate the role that research can play in the development of an academic department of psychiatry. Method: The authors explore the challenges and achievements in the transition of one department from a strong clinically- and educationally-centered department to one with an equally strong research focus. Results: The…

Systematically Identifying Relevant Research: Case Study on Child Protection Social Workers' Resilience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFadden, Paula; Taylor, Brian J.; Campbell, Anne; McQuilkin, Janice

2012-01-01

Context: The development of a consolidated knowledge base for social work requires rigorous approaches to identifying relevant research. Method: The quality of 10 databases and a web search engine were appraised by systematically searching for research articles on resilience and burnout in child protection social workers. Results: Applied Social…

From themes to hypotheses: following up with quantitative methods.

PubMed

Morgan, David L

2015-06-01

One important category of mixed-methods research designs consists of quantitative studies that follow up on qualitative research. In this case, the themes that serve as the results from the qualitative methods generate hypotheses for testing through the quantitative methods. That process requires operationalization to translate the concepts from the qualitative themes into quantitative variables. This article illustrates these procedures with examples that range from simple operationalization to the evaluation of complex models. It concludes with an argument for not only following up qualitative work with quantitative studies but also the reverse, and doing so by going beyond integrating methods within single projects to include broader mutual attention from qualitative and quantitative researchers who work in the same field. © The Author(s) 2015.

Storytelling as an Instructional Method: Descriptions and Research Questions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

heavily used today in educa- tion and training of all types. We see evidence of this in dentistry (Whipp, Ferguson, Wells & Iacopino, 2000), the... Ergonomics Society, 2596-2598. Barnes, L. B., Christensen, C. R., & Hansen, A. J. (1994). Teaching and the case method: Text, cases, and readings. Boston...delivery, and evaluation of training systems. In G. Salvendy (Ed.), Handbook of human factors and ergonomics (pp. 472-512). (3rd ed.). New York: John

Comparative Issues and Methods in Organizational Diagnosis. Report 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-11-01

nsiltlple discriminant with a dacision-tree approach and ftund t~hat: (a) on single a~ssgninents the doe1slon’-tme iapproadh shooed a greater degree of... Single Case ..... 13 Towaru Relevant Research .............. 15 A Stock-Taking and Some Implications .......... 25 The Three Methods in Detail...to the next. . Judges are unreliable, in the sense that the same case might not be judged the same way twice in successi on. . Judges have stereotypes

Aerospace Applications of Optimization under Uncertainty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padula, Sharon; Gumbert, Clyde; Li, Wu

2003-01-01

The Multidisciplinary Optimization (MDO) Branch at NASA Langley Research Center develops new methods and investigates opportunities for applying optimization to aerospace vehicle design. This paper describes MDO Branch experiences with three applications of optimization under uncertainty: (1) improved impact dynamics for airframes, (2) transonic airfoil optimization for low drag, and (3) coupled aerodynamic/structures optimization of a 3-D wing. For each case, a brief overview of the problem and references to previous publications are provided. The three cases are aerospace examples of the challenges and opportunities presented by optimization under uncertainty. The present paper will illustrate a variety of needs for this technology, summarize promising methods, and uncover fruitful areas for new research.

Aerospace Applications of Optimization under Uncertainty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padula, Sharon; Gumbert, Clyde; Li, Wu

2006-01-01

The Multidisciplinary Optimization (MDO) Branch at NASA Langley Research Center develops new methods and investigates opportunities for applying optimization to aerospace vehicle design. This paper describes MDO Branch experiences with three applications of optimization under uncertainty: (1) improved impact dynamics for airframes, (2) transonic airfoil optimization for low drag, and (3) coupled aerodynamic/structures optimization of a 3-D wing. For each case, a brief overview of the problem and references to previous publications are provided. The three cases are aerospace examples of the challenges and opportunities presented by optimization under uncertainty. The present paper will illustrate a variety of needs for this technology, summarize promising methods, and uncover fruitful areas for new research.

Application of multi response optimization with grey relational analysis and fuzzy logic method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winarni, Sri; Wahyu Indratno, Sapto

2018-01-01

Multi-response optimization is an optimization process by considering multiple responses simultaneously. The purpose of this research is to get the optimum point on multi-response optimization process using grey relational analysis and fuzzy logic method. The optimum point is determined from the Fuzzy-GRG (Grey Relational Grade) variable which is the conversion of the Signal to Noise Ratio of the responses involved. The case study used in this research are case optimization of electrical process parameters in electrical disharge machining. It was found that the combination of treatments resulting to optimum MRR and SR was a 70 V gap voltage factor, peak current 9 A and duty factor 0.8.

Reconsidering the Utility of Case Study Designs for Researching School Reform in a Neo-Scientific Era: Insights from a Multiyear, Mixed-Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donmoyer, Robert; Galloway, Fred

2010-01-01

In recent years, policy makers and researchers once again have embraced the traditional idea that quasi-experimental research designs (or reasonable facsimiles) can provide the sort of valid and generalizable knowledge about "what works" that educational researchers had promised--but never really produced--during the previous century. Although…

Researching the Once-Powerful in Education: The Value of Retrospective Elite Interviewing in Education Policy Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selwyn, Neil

2013-01-01

While it is generally acknowledged that being "historically informed" lies at the heart of critical accounts of education policy-making, the use of historically focused retrospective research methods within the field is rare. This paper makes the case for retrospective research at a time when some of the most significant episodes of…

Integrating knowledge generation with knowledge diffusion and utilization: a case study analysis of the Consortium for Applied Research and Evaluation in Mental Health.

PubMed

Vingilis, Evelyn; Hartford, Kathleen; Schrecker, Ted; Mitchell, Beth; Lent, Barbara; Bishop, Joan

2003-01-01

Knowledge diffusion and utilization (KDU) have become a key focus in the health research community because of the limited success to date of research findings to inform health policies, programs and services. Yet, evidence indicates that successful KDU is often predicated on the early involvement of potential knowledge users in the conceptualization and conduct of the research and on the development of a "partnership culture". This study describes the integration of KDU theory with practice via a case study analysis of the Consortium for Applied Research and Evaluation in Mental Health (CAREMH). This qualitative study, using a single-case design, included a number of data sources: proposals, meeting minutes, presentations, publications, reports and curricula vitae of CAREMH members. CAREMH has adopted the following operational strategies to increase KDU capacity: 1) viewing research as a means and not as an end; 2) bringing the university and researcher to the community; 3) using participatory research methods; 4) embracing transdisciplinary research and interactions; and 5) using connectors. Examples of the iterative process between researchers and potential knowledge users in their contribution to knowledge generation, diffusion and utilization are provided. This case study supports the importance of early and ongoing involvement of relevant potential knowledge users in research to enhance its utilization potential. It also highlights the need for re-thinking research funding approaches.

Investigating nurse practitioners in the private sector: a theoretically informed research protocol.

PubMed

Adams, Margaret; Gardner, Glenn; Yates, Patsy

2017-06-01

To report a study protocol and the theoretical framework normalisation process theory that informs this protocol for a case study investigation of private sector nurse practitioners. Most research evaluating nurse practitioner service is focused on public, mainly acute care environments where nurse practitioner service is well established with strong structures for governance and sustainability. Conversely, there is lack of clarity in governance for emerging models in the private sector. In a climate of healthcare reform, nurse practitioner service is extending beyond the familiar public health sector. Further research is required to inform knowledge of the practice, operational framework and governance of new nurse practitioner models. The proposed research will use a multiple exploratory case study design to examine private sector nurse practitioner service. Data collection includes interviews, surveys and audits. A sequential mixed method approach to analysis of each case will be conducted. Findings from within-case analysis will lead to a meta-synthesis across all four cases to gain a holistic understanding of the cases under study, private sector nurse practitioner service. Normalisation process theory will be used to guide the research process, specifically coding and analysis of data using theory constructs and the relevant components associated with those constructs. This article provides a blueprint for the research and describes a theoretical framework, normalisation process theory in terms of its flexibility as an analytical framework. Consistent with the goals of best research practice, this study protocol will inform the research community in the field of primary health care about emerging research in this field. Publishing a study protocol ensures researcher fidelity to the analysis plan and supports research collaboration across teams. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Discourse Tracing as Qualitative Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeGreco, Marianne; Tracy, Sarah J.

2009-01-01

This article introduces a qualitative research method called "discourse tracing". Discourse tracing draws from contributions made by ethnographers, discourse critics, case study scholars, and process tracers. The approach offers new insights and an attendant language about how we engage in research designed specifically for the…

The Single-Case Reporting Guideline In BEhavioural Interventions (SCRIBE) 2016 Statement

PubMed Central

Tate, Robyn L.; Perdices, Michael; Rosenkoetter, Ulrike; Shadish, William; Vohra, Sunita; Barlow, David H.; Horner, Robert; Kazdin, Alan; Kratochwill, Thomas; McDonald, Skye; Sampson, Margaret; Shamseer, Larissa; Togher, Leanne; Albin, Richard; Backman, Catherine; Douglas, Jacinta; Evans, Jonathan J.; Gast, David; Manolov, Rumen; Mitchell, Geoffrey; Nickels, Lyndsey; Nikles, Jane; Ownsworth, Tamara; Rose, Miranda; Schmid, Christopher H.; Wilson, Barbara

2016-01-01

We developed a reporting guideline to provide authors with guidance about what should be reported when writing a paper for publication in a scientific journal using a particular type of research design: the single-case experimental design. This report describes the methods used to develop the Single-Case Reporting guideline In BEhavioural interventions (SCRIBE) 2016. As a result of 2 online surveys and a 2-day meeting of experts, the SCRIBE 2016 checklist was developed, which is a set of 26 items that authors need to address when writing about single-case research. This article complements the more detailed SCRIBE 2016 Explanation and Elaboration article (Tate et al., 2016) that provides a rationale for each of the items and examples of adequate reporting from the literature. Both these resources will assist authors to prepare reports of single-case research with clarity, completeness, accuracy, and transparency. They will also provide journal reviewers and editors with a practical checklist against which such reports may be critically evaluated. We recommend that the SCRIBE 2016 is used by authors preparing manuscripts describing single-case research for publication, as well as journal reviewers and editors who are evaluating such manuscripts. PMID:27279674

Challenging evidence-based decision-making: a hypothetical case study about return to work.

PubMed

Aas, Randi W; Alexanderson, Kristina

2012-03-01

A hypothetical case study about return to work was used to explore the process of translating research into practice. The method involved constructing a case study derived from the characteristics of a typical, sick-listed employee with non-specific low back pain in Norway. Next, the five-step evidence-based process, including the Patient, Intervention, Co-Interventions and Outcome framework (PICO), was applied to the case study. An inductive analysis produced 10 technical and more fundamental challenges to incorporate research into intervention decisions for an individual with comorbidity. A more dynamic, interactive approach to the evidence-based practice process is proposed. It is recommended that this plus the 10 challenges are validated with real life cases, as the hypothetical case study may not be replicable. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

New Teacher Induction Programs: A Case Study of an Exemplary School District, and How It Prepares Its New Teachers for the Use of Instructional Technology in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, David B.

2014-01-01

This research study examined Generation Y new teachers, the process of new teacher induction, and the most effective methods for providing professional development in instructional technology for Generation Y teachers. This research study examined Generation Y new teachers, the process of new teacher induction, and the most effective methods for…

Improving Research Methods for the Study of Geography and Mental Health: Utilization of Social Networking Data and the ESRI GeoEvent Processor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Courtney L.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to review the literature on geography and mental health, report on a case example using new methods for studying this topic, and provide recommendations for future research. Over 25 years ago, Holley (1988) conducted a review of the literature on geography and mental health and astutely stated, "… it is…

A user-oriented web crawler for selectively acquiring online content in e-health research.

PubMed

Xu, Songhua; Yoon, Hong-Jun; Tourassi, Georgia

2014-01-01

Life stories of diseased and healthy individuals are abundantly available on the Internet. Collecting and mining such online content can offer many valuable insights into patients' physical and emotional states throughout the pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment stages of the disease compared with those of healthy subjects. However, such content is widely dispersed across the web. Using traditional query-based search engines to manually collect relevant materials is rather labor intensive and often incomplete due to resource constraints in terms of human query composition and result parsing efforts. The alternative option, blindly crawling the whole web, has proven inefficient and unaffordable for e-health researchers. We propose a user-oriented web crawler that adaptively acquires user-desired content on the Internet to meet the specific online data source acquisition needs of e-health researchers. Experimental results on two cancer-related case studies show that the new crawler can substantially accelerate the acquisition of highly relevant online content compared with the existing state-of-the-art adaptive web crawling technology. For the breast cancer case study using the full training set, the new method achieves a cumulative precision between 74.7 and 79.4% after 5 h of execution till the end of the 20-h long crawling session as compared with the cumulative precision between 32.8 and 37.0% using the peer method for the same time period. For the lung cancer case study using the full training set, the new method achieves a cumulative precision between 56.7 and 61.2% after 5 h of execution till the end of the 20-h long crawling session as compared with the cumulative precision between 29.3 and 32.4% using the peer method. Using the reduced training set in the breast cancer case study, the cumulative precision of our method is between 44.6 and 54.9%, whereas the cumulative precision of the peer method is between 24.3 and 26.3%; for the lung cancer case study using the reduced training set, the cumulative precisions of our method and the peer method are, respectively, between 35.7 and 46.7% versus between 24.1 and 29.6%. These numbers clearly show a consistently superior accuracy of our method in discovering and acquiring user-desired online content for e-health research. The implementation of our user-oriented web crawler is freely available to non-commercial users via the following Web site: http://bsec.ornl.gov/AdaptiveCrawler.shtml. The Web site provides a step-by-step guide on how to execute the web crawler implementation. In addition, the Web site provides the two study datasets including manually labeled ground truth, initial seeds and the crawling results reported in this article.

An improved algorithm of image processing technique for film thickness measurement in a horizontal stratified gas-liquid two-phase flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuntoro, Hadiyan Yusuf; Hudaya, Akhmad Zidni; Dinaryanto, Okto; Majid, Akmal Irfan; Deendarlianto

2016-06-01

Due to the importance of the two-phase flow researches for the industrial safety analysis, many researchers developed various methods and techniques to study the two-phase flow phenomena on the industrial cases, such as in the chemical, petroleum and nuclear industries cases. One of the developing methods and techniques is image processing technique. This technique is widely used in the two-phase flow researches due to the non-intrusive capability to process a lot of visualization data which are contain many complexities. Moreover, this technique allows to capture direct-visual information data of the flow which are difficult to be captured by other methods and techniques. The main objective of this paper is to present an improved algorithm of image processing technique from the preceding algorithm for the stratified flow cases. The present algorithm can measure the film thickness (hL) of stratified flow as well as the geometrical properties of the interfacial waves with lower processing time and random-access memory (RAM) usage than the preceding algorithm. Also, the measurement results are aimed to develop a high quality database of stratified flow which is scanty. In the present work, the measurement results had a satisfactory agreement with the previous works.

A Research Strategy Case Study of Alcohol and Drug Prevention by Non-Governmental Organizations in Sweden 2003-2009

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Alcohol and drug prevention is high on the public health agenda in many countries. An increasing trend is the call for evidence-based practice. In Sweden in 2002 an innovative project portfolio including an integrated research and competence-building strategy for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) was designed by the National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW). This research strategy case study is based on this initiative. Methods The embedded case study includes 135 projects in 69 organisations and 14 in-depth process or effect studies. The data in the case study has been compiled using multiple methods - administrative data; interviews and questionnaires to project leaders; focus group discussions and seminars; direct and participatory observations, interviews, and documentation of implementation; consultations with the NBHW and the NGOs; and a literature review. Annual reports have been submitted each year and three bi-national conferences Reflections on preventions have been held. Results A broad range of organisations have been included in the NBHW project portfolio. A minority of the project were run by Alcohol or drug organisations, while a majority has children or adolescents as target groups. In order to develop a trustful partnership between practitioners, national agencies and researchers a series of measures were developed and implemented: meeting with project leaders, project dialogues and consultations, competence strengthening, support to documentation, in-depth studies and national conferences. A common element was that the projects were program-driven and not research-driven interventions. The role of researchers-as-technical advisors was suitable for the fostering of a trustful partnership for research and development. The independence of the NGOs was regarded as important for the momentum in the project implementation. The research strategy also includes elements of participatory research. Conclusions This research strategy case study shows that it is possible to integrate research into alcohol and drug prevention programs run by NGOs, and thereby contribute to a more evidence-based practice. A core element is developing a trustful partnership between the researchers and the organisations. Moreover, the funding agency must acknowledge the importance of knowledge development and allocating resources to research groups that is capable of cooperating with practitioners and NGOs. PMID:21492442

Harnessing Implementation Science to Increase the Impact of Health Disparity Research

PubMed Central

Chinman, Matthew; Woodward, Eva N.; Curran, Geoffrey M.; Hausmann, Leslie R. M.

2017-01-01

Background Health disparities are differences in health or health care between groups based on social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Disparity research often follows three steps: detecting (Phase 1), understanding (Phase 2), and reducing (Phase 3), disparities. While disparities have narrowed over time, many remain. Objectives We argue that implementation science could enhance disparities research by broadening the scope of Phase 2 studies and offering rigorous methods to test disparity-reducing implementation strategies in Phase 3 studies. Methods We briefly review the focus of Phase 2 and Phase 3 disparities research. We then provide a decision tree and case examples to illustrate how implementation science frameworks and research designs could further enhance disparity research. Results Most health disparities research emphasizes patient and provider factors as predominant mechanisms underlying disparities. Applying implementation science frameworks like the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research could help disparities research widen its scope in Phase 2 studies and, in turn, develop broader disparities-reducing implementation strategies in Phase 3 studies. Many Phase 3 studies of disparity reducing implementation strategies are similar to case studies, whose designs are not able to fully test causality. Implementation science research designs offer rigorous methods that could accelerate the pace at which equity is achieved in real world practice. Conclusions Disparities can be considered a “special case” of implementation challenges—when evidence-based clinical interventions are delivered to, and received by, vulnerable populations at lower rates. Bringing together health disparities research and implementation science could advance equity more than either could achieve on their own. PMID:28806362

The Comparison Study of Quadratic Infinite Beam Program on Optimization Instensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning (IMRTP) between Threshold and Exponential Scatter Method with CERR® In The Case of Lung Cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hardiyanti, Y.; Haekal, M.; Waris, A.; Haryanto, F.

2016-08-01

This research compares the quadratic optimization program on Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning (IMRTP) with the Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research (CERR) software. We assumed that the number of beams used for the treatment planner was about 9 and 13 beams. The case used the energy of 6 MV with Source Skin Distance (SSD) of 100 cm from target volume. Dose calculation used Quadratic Infinite beam (QIB) from CERR. CERR was used in the comparison study between Gauss Primary threshold method and Gauss Primary exponential method. In the case of lung cancer, the threshold variation of 0.01, and 0.004 was used. The output of the dose was distributed using an analysis in the form of DVH from CERR. The maximum dose distributions obtained were on the target volume (PTV) Planning Target Volume, (CTV) Clinical Target Volume, (GTV) Gross Tumor Volume, liver, and skin. It was obtained that if the dose calculation method used exponential and the number of beam 9. When the dose calculation method used the threshold and the number of beam 13, the maximum dose distributions obtained were on the target volume PTV, GTV, heart, and skin.

Case Study Method in Business Education in the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velushchak, Maryna

2014-01-01

Business Education is dynamic in nature and needs diverse information to deal with different business problems. To understand the peculiar situations and to manage them effectively, case studies are widely used. Researchers in education have already demonstrated that students' active participation in the educational process increases their…

Attributing Responsibility for Child Maltreatment when Domestic Violence Is Present

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landsman, Miriam J.; Hartley, Carolyn Copps

2007-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence how child welfare workers attribute responsibility for child maltreatment and child safety in cases involving domestic violence. Methods: The study used a factorial survey approach, combining elements of survey research with an experimental design. Case vignettes were…

How novice, skilled and advanced clinical researchers include variables in a case report form for clinical research: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Chu, Hongling; Zeng, Lin; Fetters, Micheal D; Li, Nan; Tao, Liyuan; Shi, Yanyan; Zhang, Hua; Wang, Xiaoxiao; Li, Fengwei; Zhao, Yiming

2017-01-01

Objectives Despite varying degrees in research training, most academic clinicians are expected to conduct clinical research. The objective of this research was to understand how clinical researchers of different skill levels include variables in a case report form for their clinical research. Setting The setting for this research was a major academic institution in Beijing, China. Participants The target population was clinical researchers with three levels of experience, namely, limited clinical research experience, clinicians with rich clinical research experience and clinical research experts. Methods Using a qualitative approach, we conducted 13 individual interviews (face to face) and one group interview (n=4) with clinical researchers from June to September 2016. Based on maximum variation sampling to identify researchers with three levels of research experience: eight clinicians with limited clinical research experience, five clinicians with rich clinical research experience and four clinical research experts. These 17 researchers had diverse hospital-based medical specialties and or specialisation in clinical research. Results Our analysis yields a typology of three processes developing a case report form that varies according to research experience level. Novice clinician researchers often have an incomplete protocol or none at all, and conduct data collection and publication based on a general framework. Experienced clinician researchers include variables in the case report form based on previous experience with attention to including domains or items at risk for omission and by eliminating unnecessary variables. Expert researchers consider comprehensively in advance data collection and implementation needs and plan accordingly. Conclusion These results illustrate increasing levels of sophistication in research planning that increase sophistication in selection for variables in the case report form. These findings suggest that novice and intermediate-level researchers could benefit by emulating the comprehensive planning procedures such as those used by expert clinical researchers. PMID:28928184

fMRI for mapping language networks in neurosurgical cases

PubMed Central

Gupta, Santosh S

2014-01-01

Evaluating language has been a long-standing application in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, both in research and clinical circumstances, and still provides challenges. Localization of eloquent areas is important in neurosurgical cases, so that there is least possible damage to these areas during surgery, maintaining their function postoperatively, therefore providing good quality of life to the patient. Preoperative fMRI study is a non-invasive tool to localize the eloquent areas, including language, with other traditional methods generally used being invasive and at times perilous. In this article, we describe methods and various paradigms to study the language areas, in clinical neurosurgical cases, along with illustrations of cases from our institute. PMID:24851003

Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research

PubMed Central

Palinkas, Lawrence A.; Horwitz, Sarah M.; Green, Carla A.; Wisdom, Jennifer P.; Duan, Naihua; Hoagwood, Kimberly

2013-01-01

Purposeful sampling is widely used in qualitative research for the identification and selection of information-rich cases related to the phenomenon of interest. Although there are several different purposeful sampling strategies, criterion sampling appears to be used most commonly in implementation research. However, combining sampling strategies may be more appropriate to the aims of implementation research and more consistent with recent developments in quantitative methods. This paper reviews the principles and practice of purposeful sampling in implementation research, summarizes types and categories of purposeful sampling strategies and provides a set of recommendations for use of single strategy or multistage strategy designs, particularly for state implementation research. PMID:24193818

A novel approach to generating CER hypotheses based on mining clinical data.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuo; Li, Lin; Yu, Yiqin; Sun, Xingzhi; Xu, Linhao; Zhao, Wei; Teng, Xiaofei; Pan, Yue

2013-01-01

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is a scientific method of investigating the effectiveness of alternative intervention methods. In a CER study, clinical researchers typically start with a CER hypothesis, and aim to evaluate it by applying a series of medical statistical methods. Traditionally, the CER hypotheses are defined manually by clinical researchers. This makes the task of hypothesis generation very time-consuming and the quality of hypothesis heavily dependent on the researchers' skills. Recently, with more electronic medical data being collected, it is highly promising to apply the computerized method for discovering CER hypotheses from clinical data sets. In this poster, we proposes a novel approach to automatically generating CER hypotheses based on mining clinical data, and presents a case study showing that the approach can facilitate clinical researchers to identify potentially valuable hypotheses and eventually define high quality CER studies.

Improving real-time efficiency of case-based reasoning for medical diagnosis.

PubMed

Park, Yoon-Joo

2014-01-01

Conventional case-based reasoning (CBR) does not perform efficiently for high volume dataset because of case-retrieval time. Some previous researches overcome this problem by clustering a case-base into several small groups, and retrieve neighbors within a corresponding group to a target case. However, this approach generally produces less accurate predictive performances than the conventional CBR. This paper suggests a new case-based reasoning method called the Clustering-Merging CBR (CM-CBR) which produces similar level of predictive performances than the conventional CBR with spending significantly less computational cost.

Reconsidering reflexivity: introducing the case for intellectual entrepreneurship.

PubMed

Cutcliffe, John R

2003-01-01

In this article, the author reconsiders reflexivity and attempts to examine some unresolved issues by drawing particular attention to the relationship between reflexivity and certain related phenomena/processes: the researcher's a priori knowledge, values, beliefs; empathy within qualitative research; the presence and influence of the researcher's tacit knowledge, and May's "magic" in method. Given the limitations of some reflexive activity identified in this article, the author introduces the case for greater intellectual entrepreneurship within the context of qualitative research. He suggests that excessive emphasis on reflexive activity might inhibit intellectual entrepreneurship. Wherein intellectual entrepreneurship implies a conscious and deliberate attempt on the part of academics to explore the world of ideas boldly; to take more risks in theory development and to move away from being timid researchers.

Research in the Rehabilitation Unit Presents Challenges to Nurse Researchers.

PubMed

Rose, Mary Ann; Neil, Janice A; Castles, Ricky; Pokorny, Marie; Watkins, Frank; Hand, Mark

Gathering data from patients on a rehabilitation unit poses challenges for nurse researchers. A case study is presented that describes ways the researchers attempted to meet these challenges while conducting their study. The case study presents the approaches that the investigators took to undertake the study and then described the ways in which these approaches could have been improved. Their successes and failures are described. Suggestions are made for future investigators. Clinical nursing research is required to develop an evidence base for practice in the rehabilitation unit. An analysis of the challenges and possible methods of overcoming these challenges is useful to both future investigators and nurses in practice to insure that studies can be carried out effectively.

Consistency of the Relations of Cognitive Ability and Personality Traits to Pilot Training Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-22

MAB–II scores. The univariate Case II correction ( Thorndike , 1949) was used for the NEO PI–R scores due to a lack of sufficient data to apply the...multivariate method (Lawley, 1943), whereas the NEO domain scores were corrected using the univariate Case 2 ( Thorndike , 1949) method. VIQ = verbal IQ; PIQ...Air Force Research Laboratory, Decision Making Division. Thorndike , R. L. (1949). Personnel selection. New York, NY: Wiley. U.S. Air Force. (2011

[Vest recorder used in diagnostics of occasionally occurring supraventricular tachycardia nearby sinus node - a case report].

PubMed

Adamczyk, Karolina; Średniawa, Beata; Mitręga, Katarzyna; Morawski, Stanisław; Musialik-Łydka, Agata; Kalarus, Zbigniew

2016-09-29

Symptoms such as palpitations, fainting, dizziness and unexplained loss of consciousness are often notified by patients in clinical practice. Cardiological causes of these ailments could be various, inter alia, atriaventricular conduction disorders, supraventricular arrythmias or more life-threatening ventricular arrythmias. Diagnostics of these disorders includes a series of basic non-invasive research and more advanced specialistic methods. Presented case report shows problems of arrythmias diagnostics and imperfections of avaible methods.

A surety engineering framework to reduce cognitive systems risks.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Caudell, Thomas P.; Peercy, David Eugene; Caldera, Eva O.

Cognitive science research investigates the advancement of human cognition and neuroscience capabilities. Addressing risks associated with these advancements can counter potential program failures, legal and ethical issues, constraints to scientific research, and product vulnerabilities. Survey results, focus group discussions, cognitive science experts, and surety researchers concur technical risks exist that could impact cognitive science research in areas such as medicine, privacy, human enhancement, law and policy, military applications, and national security (SAND2006-6895). This SAND report documents a surety engineering framework and a process for identifying cognitive system technical, ethical, legal and societal risks and applying appropriate surety methods to reducemore » such risks. The framework consists of several models: Specification, Design, Evaluation, Risk, and Maturity. Two detailed case studies are included to illustrate the use of the process and framework. Several Appendices provide detailed information on existing cognitive system architectures; ethical, legal, and societal risk research; surety methods and technologies; and educing information research with a case study vignette. The process and framework provide a model for how cognitive systems research and full-scale product development can apply surety engineering to reduce perceived and actual risks.« less

Damage-Tolerant, Affordable Composite Engine Cases Designed and Fabricated

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hopkins, Dale A.; Roberts, Gary D.; Pereira, J. Michael; Bowman, Cheryl L.

2005-01-01

An integrated team of NASA personnel, Government contractors, industry partners, and university staff have developed an innovative new technology for commercial fan cases that will substantially influence the safety and efficiency of future turbine engines. This effective team, under the direction of the NASA Glenn Research Center and with the support of the Federal Aviation Administration, has matured a new class of carbon/polymer composites and demonstrated a 30- to 50-percent improvement in specific containment capacity (blade fragment kinetic energy/containment system weight). As the heaviest engine component, the engine case/containment system greatly affects both the safety and efficiency of aircraft engines. The ballistic impact research team has developed unique test facilities and methods for screening numerous candidate material systems to replace the traditional heavy, metallic engine cases. This research has culminated in the selection of a polymer matrix composite reinforced with triaxially braided carbon fibers and technology demonstration through the fabrication of prototype engine cases for three major commercial engine manufacturing companies.

Operationally Comparable Effect Sizes for Quantifying Changes in Behavior, with Application to Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pustejovsky, James E.

2013-01-01

Single-case designs (SCDs) are a class of research methods for evaluating intervention effects by taking repeated measurements of an outcome over time on a single case, both before and after the deliberate introduction of a treatment. SCDs are used heavily in fields such as special education, school psychology, social work, and applied behavior…

Qualitative Research as a Tool for Agricultural and Extension Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Michael; Martin, Robert

1992-01-01

Three case studies of Third World development illustrate the usefulness of qualitative research methods such as CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product), oneshot interviews, and grounded theory. Adjusting technology to people and cultures rather than changing people to fit technology is advocated. (SK)

Electronic case report forms and electronic data capture within clinical trials and pharmacoepidemiology

PubMed Central

Flynn, Robert W. V.; Grieve, Kerr; Doney, Alexander; Mackenzie, Isla; MacDonald, Thomas M.; Rogers, Amy

2017-01-01

Aims Researchers in clinical and pharmacoepidemiology fields have adopted information technology (IT) and electronic data capture, but these remain underused despite the benefits. This review discusses electronic case report forms and electronic data capture, specifically within pharmacoepidemiology and clinical research. Methods The review used PubMed and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers library. Search terms used were agreed by the authors and documented. PubMed is medical and health based, whereas Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers is technology based. The review focuses on electronic case report forms and electronic data capture, but briefly considers other relevant topics; consent, ethics and security. Results There were 1126 papers found using the search terms. Manual filtering and reviewing of abstracts further condensed this number to 136 relevant manuscripts. The papers were further categorized: 17 contained study data; 40 observational data; 27 anecdotal data; 47 covering methodology or design of systems; one case study; one literature review; two feasibility studies; and one cost analysis. Conclusion Electronic case report forms, electronic data capture and IT in general are viewed with enthusiasm and are seen as a cost‐effective means of improving research efficiency, educating participants and improving trial recruitment, provided concerns about how data will be protected from misuse can be addressed. Clear operational guidelines and best practises are key for healthcare providers, and researchers adopting IT, and further work is needed on improving integration of new technologies with current systems. A robust method of evaluation for technical innovation is required. PMID:28276585

Flying, Feathery and Beaked Objects: Children's Mental Models about Birds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahi, Berat

2016-01-01

Purpose of this research is to state preschool students' mental model about birds by analyzing their drawing. This is a hermeneutical phenomenology research that is based on social constructivist philosophy. Typical case sampling method has used in order to form working group of this research. Working group consisting of 325 children who are in…

Statistical sampling methods for soils monitoring

Treesearch

Ann M. Abbott

2010-01-01

Development of the best sampling design to answer a research question should be an interactive venture between the land manager or researcher and statisticians, and is the result of answering various questions. A series of questions that can be asked to guide the researcher in making decisions that will arrive at an effective sampling plan are described, and a case...

University Students' Views about Their Cyber Bullying Behaviors and Self-Exposition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usta, Ertugrul

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research is to examine the views of university students on the presence and exposure of cyber bully behavior. The research study group consists of 10 male students who are higher education students. One of the qualitative research methods is "case study". In this direction, a "semi-structured interview form"…

The Perioperative Experience of the Ambulatory Surgery Patient

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

researchers are phenomenology , grounded theory , ethnography , history, case studies , and analytical philosophy (Munhall, 1994). Phenomenology The aim of the...Burns & Grove, 1997). In this study , a phenomenological approach was used. Phenomenology is both a philosophy and a research method . The purpose of... Theories in qualitative research are often described as being grounded in the empirical data

Quantitative Research Methods, Study Quality, and Outcomes: The Case of Interaction Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plonsky, Luke; Gass, Susan

2011-01-01

This article constitutes the first empirical assessment of methodological quality in second language acquisition (SLA). We surveyed a corpus of 174 studies (N = 7,951) within the tradition of research on second-language interaction, one of the longest and most influential traditions of inquiry in SLA. Each report was coded for methodological…

Boundary Avoidance Tracking for Instigating Pilot Induced Oscillations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craun, Robert W.; Acosta, Diana M.; Beard, Steven D.; Hardy, Gordon H.; Leonard, Michael W.; Weinstein, Michael

2013-01-01

In order to advance research in the area of pilot induced oscillations, a reliable method to create PIOs in a simulated environment is necessary. Using a boundary avoidance tracking task, researchers performing an evaluation of control systems were able to create PIO events in 42% of cases using a nominal aircraft, and 91% of cases using an aircraft with reduced actuator rate limits. The simulator evaluation took place in the NASA Ames Vertical Motion Simulator, a high-fidelity motion-based simulation facility.

Systemwide Reform in Districts under Pressure: The Role of Social Networks in Defining, Acquiring, Using, and Diffusing Research Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finnigan, Kara S.; Daly, Alan J.; Che, Jing

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the way in which low-performing schools and their district define, acquire, use, and diffuse research-based evidence. Design/methodology/approach: The mixed methods case study builds upon the prior research on research evidence and social networks, drawing on social network analyses, survey data and…

Qualitative research methods in renal medicine: an introduction.

PubMed

Bristowe, Katherine; Selman, Lucy; Murtagh, Fliss E M

2015-09-01

Qualitative methodologies are becoming increasingly widely used in health research. However, within some specialties, including renal medicine, qualitative approaches remain under-represented in the high-impact factor journals. Qualitative research can be undertaken: (i) as a stand-alone research method, addressing specific research questions; (ii) as part of a mixed methods approach alongside quantitative approaches or (iii) embedded in clinical trials, or during the development of complex interventions. The aim of this paper is to introduce qualitative research, including the rationale for choosing qualitative approaches, and guidance for ensuring quality when undertaking and reporting qualitative research. In addition, we introduce types of qualitative data (observation, interviews and focus groups) as well as some of the most commonly encountered methodological approaches (case studies, ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, thematic analysis, framework analysis and content analysis). © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

Social vulnerability analysis of the event flood puddle (case study in Lamongan regency, East Java province)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soegiyanto; Rindawati

2018-01-01

This research was conducted in the flood plain Bonorowo in Lamongan East Java Province. The area was inundated almost every year, but people still survive and remain settled at the sites. This research is to identify and analyze the social vulnerability in the flood plains on the characteristics puddle Bonorowo This research method is the study of the characteristics and livelihood strategies of the communities living on marginal lands (floodplains Bonorowo) are regions prone to flooding / inundation. Based on the object of this study is a survey research method mix / mix method, which merge or combination of methods of quantitative and qualitative methods, so it will be obtained a description of a more comprehensive and holistic. The results obtained in this study are; Social vulnerability is not affected by the heightened puddles. Social capital is abundant making society safer and more comfortable to keep their activities and settle in the region

Overview of clinical research design.

PubMed

Hartung, Daniel M; Touchette, Daniel

2009-02-15

Basic concepts and terminology of clinical research design are presented for new clinical investigators. Clinical research, research involving human subjects, can be described as either observational or experimental. The findings of all clinical research can be threatened by issues of bias and confounding. Biases are systematic errors in how study subjects are selected or measured, which result in false inferences. Confounding is a distortion in findings that is attributable to mixing variable effects. Uncontrolled observation research is generally more prone to bias and confounding than experimental research. Observational research includes designs such as the cohort study, case-control study, and cross-sectional study, while experimental research typically involves a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The cohort study, which includes the RCT, defines subject allocation on the basis of exposure interest (e.g., drug, disease-management program) and follows the patients to assess the outcomes. The case-control study uses the primary outcome of interest (e.g., adverse event) to define subject allocation, and different exposures are assessed in a retrospective manner. Cross-sectional research evaluates both exposure and outcome concurrently. Each of these design methods possesses different strengths and weaknesses in answering research questions, as well as underlying many study subtypes. While experimental research is the strongest method for establishing causality, it can be difficult to accomplish under many scenarios. Observational clinical research offers many design alternatives that may be appropriate if planned and executed carefully.

Incorporating Servqual-QFD with Taguchi Design for optimizing service quality design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arbi Hadiyat, M.

2018-03-01

Deploying good service design in service companies has been updated issue in improving customer satisfaction, especially based on the level of service quality measured by Parasuraman’s SERVQUAL. Many researchers have been proposing methods in designing the service, and some of them are based on engineering viewpoint, especially by implementing the QFD method or even using robust Taguchi method. The QFD method would found the qualitative solution by generating the “how’s”, while Taguchi method gives more quantitative calculation in optimizing best solution. However, incorporating both QFD and Taguchi has been done in this paper and yields better design process. The purposes of this research is to evaluate the incorporated methods by implemented it to a case study, then analyze the result and see the robustness of those methods to customer perception of service quality. Started by measuring service attributes using SERVQUAL and find the improvement with QFD, the deployment of QFD solution then generated by defining Taguchi factors levels and calculating the Signal-to-noise ratio in its orthogonal array, and optimized Taguchi response then found. A case study was given for designing service in local bank. Afterward, the service design obtained from previous analysis was then evaluated and shows that it was still meet the customer satisfaction. Incorporating QFD and Taguchi has performed well and can be adopted and developed for another research for evaluating the robustness of result.

Challenges and Rewards on the Road to Translational Systems Biology in Acute Illness: Four Case Reports from Interdisciplinary Teams

PubMed Central

An, Gary; Hunt, C. Anthony; Clermont, Gilles; Neugebauer, Edmund; Vodovotz, Yoram

2007-01-01

Introduction Translational systems biology approaches can be distinguished from mainstream systems biology in that their goal is to drive novel therapies and streamline clinical trials in critical illness. One systems biology approach, dynamic mathematical modeling (DMM), is increasingly used in dealing with the complexity of the inflammatory response and organ dysfunction. The use of DMM often requires a broadening of research methods and a multidisciplinary team approach that includes bioscientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists. However, the development of these groups must overcome domain-specific barriers to communication and understanding. Methods We present four case studies of successful translational, interdisciplinary systems biology efforts, which differ by organizational level from an individual to an entire research community. Results Case 1 is a single investigator involved in DMM of the acute inflammatory response at Cook County Hospital, in which extensive translational progress was made using agent-based models of inflammation and organ damage. Case 2 is a community-level effort from the University of Witten-Herdecke in Cologne, whose efforts have led to the formation of the Society for Complexity in Acute Illness. Case 3 is an institution-based group, the Biosystems Group at the University of California, San Francisco, whose work has included a focus on a common lexicon for DMM. Case 4 is an institution-based, trans-disciplinary research group (the Center for Inflammation and Regenerative Modeling at the University of Pittsburgh, whose modeling work has led to internal education efforts, grant support, and commercialization. Conclusion A transdisciplinary approach, which involves team interaction in an iterative fashion to address ambiguity and is supported by educational initiatives, is likely to be necessary for DMM in acute illness. Community-wide organizations such as the Society of Complexity in Acute Illness (SCAI) must strive to facilitate the implementation of DMM in sepsis/trauma research into the research community as a whole. PMID:17548029

A review of improved ethical practices in environmental and public health research: case examples from native communities.

PubMed

Quigley, Dianne

2006-04-01

This article presents a review of 14 case studies and articles of research ethics issues in the conduct of environmental and public health research with Native American and other indigenous populations. The purpose of this review is to highlight new practices in the ethical conduct of research with native community populations. The findings from this review can promote more dialogue and policy development on the issue of community protections in research. Formal guidelines exist in ethical codes for individual rights as human subjects, but there is a lack of development on community rights in the ethics of research. This review illustrates how community-based participatory research practices can provide working guidelines that can overcome past research harms. More important, the compilations of guidelines offer tested field methods for improving the ethical conduct of research with native community populations.

Building Capacity to Use Earth Observations in Decision Making: A Case Study of NASA's DEVELOP National Program Methods and Best Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Childs-Gleason, L. M.; Ross, K. W.; Crepps, G.; Miller, T. N.; Favors, J. E.; Rogers, L.; Allsbrook, K. N.; Bender, M. R.; Ruiz, M. L.

2015-12-01

NASA's DEVELOP National Program fosters an immersive research environment for dual capacity building. Through rapid feasibility Earth science projects, the future workforce and current decision makers are engaged in research projects to build skills and capabilities to use Earth observation in environmental management and policy making. DEVELOP conducts over 80 projects annually, successfully building skills through partnerships with over 150 organizations and providing over 350 opportunities for project participants each year. Filling a void between short-term training courses and long-term research projects, the DEVELOP model has been successful in supporting state, local, federal and international government organizations to adopt methodologies and enhance decision making processes. This presentation will highlight programmatic best practices, feedback from participants and partner organizations, and three sample case studies of successful adoption of methods in the decision making process.

Case studies within a mixed methods paradigm: toward a resolution of the alienation between researcher and practitioner in psychotherapy research.

PubMed

Dattilio, Frank M; Edwards, David J A; Fishman, Daniel B

2010-12-01

This article addresses the long-standing divide between researchers and practitioners in the field of psychotherapy, regarding what really works in treatment and the extent to which interventions should be governed by outcomes generated in a "laboratory atmosphere." This alienation has its roots in a positivist paradigm, which is epistemologically incomplete because it fails to provide for context-based practical knowledge. In other fields of evaluation research, it has been superseded by a mixed methods paradigm, which embraces pragmatism and multiplicity. On the basis of this paradigm, we propose and illustrate new scientific standards for research on the evaluation of psychotherapeutic treatments. These include the requirement that projects should comprise several parallel studies that involve randomized controlled trials, qualitative examinations of the implementation of treatment programs, and systematic case studies. The uniqueness of this article is that it contributes a guideline for involving a set of complementary publications, including a review that offers an overall synthesis of the findings from different methodological approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

From differences in means between cases and controls to risk stratification: a business plan for biomarker development.

PubMed

Wentzensen, Nicolas; Wacholder, Sholom

2013-02-01

Researchers developing biomarkers for early detection can determine the potential for clinical benefit at early stages of development. We provide the theoretical background showing the quantitative connection between biomarker levels in cases and controls and clinically meaningful risk measures, as well as a spreadsheet for researchers to use in their own research. We provide researchers with tools to decide whether a test is useful, whether it needs technical improvement, whether it may work only in specific populations, or whether any further development is futile. The methods described here apply to any method that aims to estimate risk of disease based on biomarkers, clinical tests, genetics, environment, or behavior. Many efforts go into futile biomarker development and premature clinical testing. In many instances, predictions for translational success or failure can be made early, simply based on critical analysis of case–control data. Our article presents well-established theory in a form that can be appreciated by biomarker researchers. Furthermore, we provide an interactive spreadsheet that links biomarker performance with specific disease characteristics to evaluate the promise of biomarker candidates at an early stage.

A new method for extracting near-surface mass-density anomalies from land-based gravity data, based on a special case of Poisson's PDE at the Earth's surface: A case study of salt diapirs in the south of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AllahTavakoli, Y.; Safari, A.; Ardalan, A.; Bahroudi, A.

2015-12-01

The current research provides a method for tracking near-surface mass-density anomalies via using only land-based gravity data, which is based on a special version of Poisson's Partial Differential Equation (PDE) of the gravitational field at Earth's surface. The research demonstrates how the Poisson's PDE can provide us with a capability to extract the near-surface mass-density anomalies from land-based gravity data. Herein, this version of the Poisson's PDE is mathematically introduced to the Earth's surface and then it is used to develop the new method for approximating the mass-density via derivatives of the Earth's gravitational field (i.e. via the gradient tensor). Herein, the author believes that the PDE can give us new knowledge about the behavior of the Earth's gravitational field at the Earth's surface which can be so useful for developing new methods of Earth's mass-density determination. In a case study, the proposed method is applied to a set of gravity stations located in the south of Iran. The results were numerically validated via certain knowledge about the geological structures in the area of the case study. Also, the method was compared with two standard methods of mass-density determination. All the numerical experiments show that the proposed approach is well-suited for tracking near-surface mass-density anomalies via using only the gravity data. Finally, the approach is also applied to some petroleum exploration studies of salt diapirs in the south of Iran.

Institutional Case-Based Study on the Effect of Research Methods on Project Work in the Curriculum of Mechanical Engineering Programmes in Ghanaian Polytechnics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baffour-Awuah, Emmanuel

2015-01-01

Preparing students for Project Work (PROJ 1 and PROJ 2) require them to go through Research Methods (RE) as part of the curriculum though it takes the centre stage of the entire preparation process. Knowledge of the relationships between the two could be a useful tool in improving the performance of students in the former. The purpose of the case…

The rise of environmental analytical chemistry as an interdisciplinary activity.

PubMed

Brown, Richard

2009-07-01

Modern scientific endeavour is increasingly delivered within an interdisciplinary framework. Analytical environmental chemistry is a long-standing example of an interdisciplinary approach to scientific research where value is added by the close cooperation of different disciplines. This editorial piece discusses the rise of environmental analytical chemistry as an interdisciplinary activity and outlines the scope of the Analytical Chemistry and the Environmental Chemistry domains of TheScientificWorldJOURNAL (TSWJ), and the appropriateness of TSWJ's domain format in covering interdisciplinary research. All contributions of new data, methods, case studies, and instrumentation, or new interpretations and developments of existing data, case studies, methods, and instrumentation, relating to analytical and/or environmental chemistry, to the Analytical and Environmental Chemistry domains, are welcome and will be considered equally.

Beyond the Core: The Hot Topic(al) Alternative to the Survey-Based Introduction to Sociology Course.

PubMed

Schwartz, Michael; Smith, R Tyson

2010-10-01

In the following paper we argue that the conventional "Introduction to Sociology" survey course should be restructured because such courses try to survey an unsurveyable body of knowledge and they do not teach the application of sociological research. The conventional intro course should be replaced with an intro course that surveys the types of social dynamics that sociologists typically research and the methods they use to do so. We propose a semester-long intro course with four case study learning-units that are chosen for their coverage of the underlying sociological dynamics, methods, and core concepts. We contend that case study learning-units which concentrate on topical issues and core sociological concepts are better suited for an introduction course.

Experimental pretesting of public health campaigns: a case study.

PubMed

Whittingham, Jill; Ruiter, Robert A C; Zimbile, Filippo; Kok, Gerjo

2008-01-01

The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the merits of evaluating new public health campaign materials in the developmental phase using an experimental design. This is referred to as experimental pretesting. In practice, most new materials are tested only after they have been distributed using nonexperimental or quasiexperimental designs. In cases where materials are pretested prior to distribution, pretesting is usually done using qualitative research methods such as focus groups. Although these methods are useful, they cannot reliably predict the effectiveness of new campaign materials in a developmental phase. Therefore, we suggest when pretesting new materials, not only qualitative research methods but also experimental research methods must be used. The present study discusses an experimental pretest study of new campaign materials intended for distribution in a national sexually transmitted infection (STI) AIDS prevention campaign in the Netherlands. The campaign material tested was the storyline of a planned television commercial on safe sex. A storyboard that consisted of drawings and text was presented to members of the target population, namely, students between the ages of 14 and 16 enrolled in vocational schools. Results showed positive effects on targeted determinants of safe sexual behavior. The advantages, practical implications, and limitations of experimental pretesting are discussed.

An application of a hybrid MCDM method for the evaluation of entrepreneurial intensity among the SMEs: a case study.

PubMed

Rostamzadeh, Reza; Ismail, Kamariah; Bodaghi Khajeh Noubar, Hossein

2014-01-01

This study presents one of the first attempts to focus on critical success factors influencing the entrepreneurial intensity of Malaysian small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as they attempt to expand internationally. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and prioritize the entrepreneurial intensity among the SMEs using multicriteria decision (MCDM) techniques. In this research FAHP is used for finding the weights of criteria and subcriteria. Then for the final ranking of the companies, VIKOR (in Serbian: VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) method was used. Also, as an additional tool, TOPSIS technique, is used to see the differences of two methods applied over the same data. 5 main criteria and 14 subcriteria were developed and implemented in the real-world cases. As the results showed, two ranking methods provided different ranking. Furthermore, the final findings of the research based on VIKOR and TOPSIS indicated that the firms A3 and A4 received the first rank, respectively. In addition, the firm A4 was known as the most entrepreneurial company. This research has been done in the manufacturing sector, but it could be also extended to the service sector for measurement.

An Application of a Hybrid MCDM Method for the Evaluation of Entrepreneurial Intensity among the SMEs: A Case Study

PubMed Central

Ismail, Kamariah; Bodaghi Khajeh Noubar, Hossein

2014-01-01

This study presents one of the first attempts to focus on critical success factors influencing the entrepreneurial intensity of Malaysian small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as they attempt to expand internationally. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and prioritize the entrepreneurial intensity among the SMEs using multicriteria decision (MCDM) techniques. In this research FAHP is used for finding the weights of criteria and subcriteria. Then for the final ranking of the companies, VIKOR (in Serbian: VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) method was used. Also, as an additional tool, TOPSIS technique, is used to see the differences of two methods applied over the same data. 5 main criteria and 14 subcriteria were developed and implemented in the real-world cases. As the results showed, two ranking methods provided different ranking. Furthermore, the final findings of the research based on VIKOR and TOPSIS indicated that the firms A3 and A4 received the first rank, respectively. In addition, the firm A4 was known as the most entrepreneurial company. This research has been done in the manufacturing sector, but it could be also extended to the service sector for measurement. PMID:25197707

Piecewise exponential survival times and analysis of case-cohort data.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Gail, Mitchell H; Preston, Dale L; Graubard, Barry I; Lubin, Jay H

2012-06-15

Case-cohort designs select a random sample of a cohort to be used as control with cases arising from the follow-up of the cohort. Analyses of case-cohort studies with time-varying exposures that use Cox partial likelihood methods can be computer intensive. We propose a piecewise-exponential approach where Poisson regression model parameters are estimated from a pseudolikelihood and the corresponding variances are derived by applying Taylor linearization methods that are used in survey research. The proposed approach is evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations. An illustration is provided using data from the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study of male smokers in Finland, where a case-cohort study of serum glucose level and pancreatic cancer was analyzed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Torsten Husen: A Case of Ethnocentrism in U.S. Educational Research?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greeson, Larry E.

1994-01-01

The paucity of citations of Torsten Husen writings is an example of cultural ethnocentrism and academic imperialism in U.S. educational and psychological research. Cross-cultural perspectives, interdisciplinary analyses, and global learning are proposed as methods of overcoming the methodological parochialism, overspecialization, and international…

How qualitative research can contribute to research in the intensive care unit.

PubMed

Sinuff, Tasnim; Cook, Deborah J; Giacomini, Mita

2007-06-01

A qualitative research design can provide unique contributions to research in the intensive care unit. Qualitative research includes the entire process of research: the methodology (conceptualization of the research question, choosing the appropriate qualitative strategy, designing the protocol), methods (conducting the research using qualitative methods within the chosen qualitative strategy, analysis of the data, verification of the findings), and writing the narrative. The researcher is the instrument and the data are the participants' words and experiences that are collected and coded to present experiences, discover themes, or build theories. A number of strategies are available to conduct qualitative research and include grounded theory, phenomenology, case study, and ethnography. Qualitative methods can be used to understand complex phenomena that do not lend themselves to quantitative methods of formal hypothesis testing. Qualitative research may be used to gain insights about organizational and cultural issues within the intensive care unit and to improve our understanding of social interaction and processes of health care delivery. In this article, we outline the rationale for, and approaches to, using qualitative research to inform critical care issues. We provide an overview of qualitative methods available and how they can be used alone or in concert with quantitative methods. To illustrate how our understanding of social phenomena such as patient safety and behavior change has been enhanced we use recent qualitative studies in acute care medicine.

B2B collaboration method through trust values for e-supply chain integrator: a case study of Malaysian construction industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ab. Aziz, Norshakirah; Ahmad, Rohiza; Dhanapal Durai, Dominic

2011-12-01

Limited trust, cooperation and communication have been identified as some of the issues that hinder collaboration among business partners. These one also true in the acceptance of e-supply chain integrator among organizations that involve in the same industry. On top of that, the huge number of components in supply chain industry also makes it impossible to include entire supply chain components in the integrator. Hence, this study intends to propose a method for identifying "trusted" collaborators for inclusion into an e-supply chain integrator. For the purpose of constructing and validating the method, the Malaysian construction industry is chosen as the case study due to its size and importance to the economy. This paper puts forward the background of the research, some relevant literatures which lead to trust values elements formulation, data collection from Malaysian Construction Supply Chain and a glimpse of the proposed method for trusted partner selection. Future work is also presented to highlight the next step of this research.

Evolution of self-reporting methods for identifying discrete emotions in science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritchie, Stephen M.; Hudson, Peter; Bellocchi, Alberto; Henderson, Senka; King, Donna; Tobin, Kenneth

2016-09-01

Emotion researchers have grappled with challenging methodological issues in capturing emotions of participants in naturalistic settings such as school or university classrooms. Self-reporting methods have been used frequently, yet these methods are inadequate when used alone. We argue that the self-reporting methods of emotion diaries and cogenerative dialogues can be helpful in identifying in-the-moment emotions when used in conjunction with the microanalysis of video recordings of classroom events. We trace the evolution of our use of innovative self-reporting methods through three cases from our research projects, and propose new directions for our ongoing development and application of these methods in both school and university classrooms.

Paradigms, pragmatism and possibilities: mixed-methods research in speech and language therapy.

PubMed

Glogowska, Margaret

2011-01-01

After the decades of the so-called 'paradigm wars' in social science research methodology and the controversy about the relative place and value of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, 'paradigm peace' appears to have now been declared. This has come about as many researchers have begun to take a 'pragmatic' approach in the selection of research methodology, choosing the methodology best suited to answering the research question rather than conforming to a methodological orthodoxy. With the differences in the philosophical underpinnings of the two traditions set to one side, an increasing awareness, and valuing, of the 'mixed-methods' approach to research is now present in the fields of social, educational and health research. To explore what is meant by mixed-methods research and the ways in which quantitative and qualitative methodologies and methods can be combined and integrated, particularly in the broad field of health services research and the narrower one of speech and language therapy. The paper discusses the ways in which methodological approaches have already been combined and integrated in health services research and speech and language therapy, highlighting the suitability of mixed-methods research for answering the typically multifaceted questions arising from the provision of complex interventions. The challenges of combining and integrating quantitative and qualitative methods and the barriers to the adoption of mixed-methods approaches are also considered. The questions about healthcare, as it is being provided in the 21st century, calls for a range of methodological approaches. This is particularly the case for human communication and its disorders, where mixed-methods research offers a wealth of possibilities. In turn, speech and language therapy research should be able to contribute substantively to the future development of mixed-methods research. © 2010 Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.

A comparison of fitness-case sampling methods for genetic programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez, Yuliana; Naredo, Enrique; Trujillo, Leonardo; Legrand, Pierrick; López, Uriel

2017-11-01

Genetic programming (GP) is an evolutionary computation paradigm for automatic program induction. GP has produced impressive results but it still needs to overcome some practical limitations, particularly its high computational cost, overfitting and excessive code growth. Recently, many researchers have proposed fitness-case sampling methods to overcome some of these problems, with mixed results in several limited tests. This paper presents an extensive comparative study of four fitness-case sampling methods, namely: Interleaved Sampling, Random Interleaved Sampling, Lexicase Selection and Keep-Worst Interleaved Sampling. The algorithms are compared on 11 symbolic regression problems and 11 supervised classification problems, using 10 synthetic benchmarks and 12 real-world data-sets. They are evaluated based on test performance, overfitting and average program size, comparing them with a standard GP search. Comparisons are carried out using non-parametric multigroup tests and post hoc pairwise statistical tests. The experimental results suggest that fitness-case sampling methods are particularly useful for difficult real-world symbolic regression problems, improving performance, reducing overfitting and limiting code growth. On the other hand, it seems that fitness-case sampling cannot improve upon GP performance when considering supervised binary classification.

Exploring Barriers to Effective E-Learning: Case Study of DNPA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annansingh, Fenio; Bright, Ali

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss a case study which examines and analyses a information communication technology training programme conducted using an e-learning platform at the Dartmoor National Park Authority, UK. Design/methodology/approach: The research adopted a mixed method approach which involved the use of questionnaires…

The "Russian Doll" Approach: Developing Nested Case-Studies to Support International Comparative Research in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chong, Pei Wen; Graham, Linda J.

2013-01-01

International comparison is complicated by the use of different terms, classification methods, policy frameworks and system structures, not to mention different languages and terminology. Multi-case studies can assist in the understanding of the influence wielded by cultural, social, economic, historical and political forces upon educational…

Consumer Learning for University Students: A Case for a Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crafford, Sharon; Bitzer, Eli

2009-01-01

This article indicates how the application of a simplified version of the analytical abstraction method (AAM) was used in curriculum development for consumer learning at one higher education institution in South Africa. We used a case study design and qualitative research methodology to generate data through semi-structured interviews with eight…

Expertise in Auditing: Case Representation Differences between Economy Students, Novice, Intermediate and Expert Auditors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaatstra, Rina F.; And Others

Medical expertise research methods were used to explore the relationship between auditing expertise and case representation. Subjects were 8 first-year economy students, 8 fourth-year auditing students, 8 postgraduate students in auditing, and 8 experienced auditors in the Netherlands, ranging in experience from only a limited knowledge of…

Teacher and Administrator Views on School Principals' Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Argon, Turkan

2015-01-01

The current study aims to identify teacher and administrator views regarding primary school principals' accountability. The case study model, a qualitative research method, was adopted in the study using the holistic single-case design. The working group was composed of a total of 56 individuals, 42 teachers and 14 administrators (11 principals…

Cognitive Dissonance, Supervision, and Administrative Team Conflict

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zepeda, Sally J.

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to record and summarize the tensions and problems experienced by a high school administrative team as they attempted to change supervision alongside instruction in a transition to a new block schedule. Design/methodology/approach: A case study method was used. As a case study, the research is contextual in…

Cuban Voices: A Case Study of English Language Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Steven John

2016-01-01

This case study uses qualitative research methods and a postcolonial paradigm to listen to the voices of Cuban teacher educators describing how they educate and prepare English language teachers in Cuba. English language teacher education in Cuba includes features that are considered innovative, contemporary and good practice in the Western world.…

Case Studies in Sustainability Used in an Introductory Laboratory Course to Enhance Laboratory Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luster-Teasley, Stephanie; Hargrove-Leak, Sirena; Gibson, Willietta; Leak, Roland

2017-01-01

This educational research seeks to develop novel laboratory modules by using Case Studies in the Science Teaching method to introduce sustainability and environmental engineering laboratory concepts to 21st century learners. The increased interest in "going green" has led to a surge in the number of engineering students studying…

How and Why of User Studies: RLG's RedLightGreen as a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Proffitt, Merrilee

2006-01-01

This article documents a lifecycle approach to employing user-centered design, covering both qualitative and quantitative data gathering methods in support of using this approach for product design, usability testing, and market research. The author provides specific case studies of usability studies, focus groups, interviews, ethnographic…

Participatory Evaluation and Learning: A Case Example Involving Ripple Effects Mapping of a Tourism Assessment Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhattacharyya, Rani; Templin, Elizabeth; Messer, Cynthia; Chazdon, Scott

2017-01-01

Engaging communities through research-based participatory evaluation and learning methods can be rewarding for both a community and Extension. A case study of a community tourism development program evaluation shows how participatory evaluation and learning can be mutually reinforcing activities. Many communities value the opportunity to reflect…

A Tale of 2 Teachers: A Preschool Physical Activity Intervention Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howie, Erin K.; Brewer, Alisa E.; Dowda, Marsha; McIver, Kerry L.; Saunders, Ruth P.; Pate, Russell R.

2016-01-01

Background: Preschool settings vary greatly, and research has shown that interventions are more successful when they can be adapted to individual settings. This is a descriptive case study of how 2 teachers successfully adapted and implemented a preschool physical activity intervention. Methods: The Study of Health and Activity in Preschool…

Syrians' Acceptance of Digital Lectures: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramadan, Reem

2016-01-01

Technology-based learning modules are mostly challenged by their acceptance. A single-case study and mixed research method are used to explore a unique situation of applying digital lectures at the postgraduate Programmes at the Faculty of Tourism at Damascus University as a solution for brain drain in the Syrian higher education system. Results…

Cases on Research-Based Teaching Methods in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Silva, Eugene, Ed.

2015-01-01

While the great scientists of the past recognized a need for a multidisciplinary approach, today's schools often treat math and science as subjects separate from the rest. This not only creates a disinterest among students, but also a potential learning gap once students reach college and then graduate into the workforce. "Cases on…

Rethinking Workplace Learning in the Digital World: A Case Study of Open Badges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eaglen Bertrando, Sharen Linn

2017-01-01

The purpose of this collective case study was to explore digital badging in educational institutions as support for K-12 practitioners struggling to integrate technology into pedagogical practices. The researcher conducted a mixed-method study that captured perceptions about digital badges and follow-up interviews with selected badge users to…

Case-control analysis in highway safety: Accounting for sites with multiple crashes.

PubMed

Gross, Frank

2013-12-01

There is an increased interest in the use of epidemiological methods in highway safety analysis. The case-control and cohort methods are commonly used in the epidemiological field to identify risk factors and quantify the risk or odds of disease given certain characteristics and factors related to an individual. This same concept can be applied to highway safety where the entity of interest is a roadway segment or intersection (rather than a person) and the risk factors of interest are the operational and geometric characteristics of a given roadway. One criticism of the use of these methods in highway safety is that they have not accounted for the difference between sites with single and multiple crashes. In the medical field, a disease either occurs or it does not; multiple occurrences are generally not an issue. In the highway safety field, it is necessary to evaluate the safety of a given site while accounting for multiple crashes. Otherwise, the analysis may underestimate the safety effects of a given factor. This paper explores the use of the case-control method in highway safety and two variations to account for sites with multiple crashes. Specifically, the paper presents two alternative methods for defining cases in a case-control study and compares the results in a case study. The first alternative defines a separate case for each crash in a given study period, thereby increasing the weight of the associated roadway characteristics in the analysis. The second alternative defines entire crash categories as cases (sites with one crash, sites with two crashes, etc.) and analyzes each group separately in comparison to sites with no crashes. The results are also compared to a "typical" case-control application, where the cases are simply defined as any entity that experiences at least one crash and controls are those entities without a crash in a given period. In a "typical" case-control design, the attributes associated with single-crash segments are weighted the same as the attributes of segments with multiple crashes. The results support the hypothesis that the "typical" case-control design may underestimate the safety effects of a given factor compared to methods that account for sites with multiple crashes. Compared to the first alternative case definition (where multiple crash segments represent multiple cases) the results from the "typical" case-control design are less pronounced (i.e., closer to unity). The second alternative (where case definitions are constructed for various crash categories and analyzed separately) provides further evidence that sites with single and multiple crashes should not be grouped together in a case-control analysis. This paper indicates a clear need to differentiate sites with single and multiple crashes in a case-control analysis. While the results suggest that sites with multiple crashes can be accounted for using a case-control design, further research is needed to determine the optimal method for addressing this issue. This paper provides a starting point for that research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research ethics and case studies in psychology: a commentary on Taus v. Loftus.

PubMed

Cheit, Ross E

2014-12-01

Loftus and Guyer have been criticized for the methods they employed in investigating an anonymous case study published by Corwin and Olafson. This article examines the ethical dimensions of their investigation. Loftus and Guyer have offered three defenses for their actions. All three of those defenses lack merit. Their investigation did not constitute oral history because it failed to comport with the basic requirements of that practice. Their investigation did not constitute ethical journalism because of the unjustified use of anonymous sources and the clear violation of basic fairness. Their investigation did not constitute justified medical research because of a failure to analyze or weigh the harms against the benefits. Their methods also violated ethical principles for psychologists, including the rule against activities that could reasonably be expected to impair the psychologist's objectivity. This case demonstrates that there is no ethical way to investigate a clinical case, without the patient's approval, that is both comprehensive enough to provide strong scholarship and yet respectful enough of privacy and medical confidentiality to honor important professional norms. © The Author(s) 2014.

"Finding What Doesn't Fit": Adjusting the Focus on Education in Country Towns as a Limiting Case for the "Learning or Earning" Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funnell, Robert

2008-01-01

Limiting, or nonconforming cases are good tests in research for extending a concept's reach and broadening generalisations, but the method is under utilised in the formation and assessment of educational policy. In this paper a rural town is described as a case, among others, not fitting policy regulations for "learning or earning" in…

Modeling zero-modified count and semicontinuous data in health services research part 2: case studies.

PubMed

Neelon, Brian; O'Malley, A James; Smith, Valerie A

2016-11-30

This article is the second installment of a two-part tutorial on the analysis of zero-modified count and semicontinuous data. Part 1, which appears as a companion piece in this issue of Statistics in Medicine, provides a general background and overview of the topic, with particular emphasis on applications to health services research. Here, we present three case studies highlighting various approaches for the analysis of zero-modified data. The first case study describes methods for analyzing zero-inflated longitudinal count data. Case study 2 considers the use of hurdle models for the analysis of spatiotemporal count data. The third case study discusses an application of marginalized two-part models to the analysis of semicontinuous health expenditure data. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Biomedical coatings on magnesium alloys - a review.

PubMed

Hornberger, H; Virtanen, S; Boccaccini, A R

2012-07-01

This review comprehensively covers research carried out in the field of degradable coatings on Mg and Mg alloys for biomedical applications. Several coating methods are discussed, which can be divided, based on the specific processing techniques used, into conversion and deposition coatings. The literature review revealed that in most cases coatings increase the corrosion resistance of Mg and Mg alloys. The critical factors determining coating performance, such as corrosion rate, surface chemistry, adhesion and coating morphology, are identified and discussed. The analysis of the literature showed that many studies have focused on calcium phosphate coatings produced either using conversion or deposition methods which were developed for orthopaedic applications. However, the control of phases and the formation of cracks still appear unsatisfactory. More research and development is needed in the case of biodegradable organic based coatings to generate reproducible and relevant data. In addition to biocompatibility, the mechanical properties of the coatings are also relevant, and the development of appropriate methods to study the corrosion process in detail and in the long term remains an important area of research. Copyright © 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Revival of Research Circles: Meeting the Needs of Modern Aging and the Third Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ostlund, Britt

2008-01-01

This article provides evidence that it is worthwhile to reconsider the traditional research circle method as a means of involving people in the third age in fulfilling their needs to participate in learning activities and make their voices heard. The findings are based on three cases of research circles consistently driven by the interests of the…

Views of Students', Teachers' and Parents' on the Tablet Computer Usage in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soykan, Emrah

2015-01-01

This study aims at identification of views of teachers, students and their parents at Near East College in North Cyprus on use of tablets in education. The research is a descriptive case study. In collection of data, semi-structured interviews appropriate for qualitative research methods are used. Study group for this research is composed of high…

Achieving integration in mixed methods designs-principles and practices.

PubMed

Fetters, Michael D; Curry, Leslie A; Creswell, John W

2013-12-01

Mixed methods research offers powerful tools for investigating complex processes and systems in health and health care. This article describes integration principles and practices at three levels in mixed methods research and provides illustrative examples. Integration at the study design level occurs through three basic mixed method designs-exploratory sequential, explanatory sequential, and convergent-and through four advanced frameworks-multistage, intervention, case study, and participatory. Integration at the methods level occurs through four approaches. In connecting, one database links to the other through sampling. With building, one database informs the data collection approach of the other. When merging, the two databases are brought together for analysis. With embedding, data collection and analysis link at multiple points. Integration at the interpretation and reporting level occurs through narrative, data transformation, and joint display. The fit of integration describes the extent the qualitative and quantitative findings cohere. Understanding these principles and practices of integration can help health services researchers leverage the strengths of mixed methods. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

The role of professional knowledge in case-based reasoning in practical ethics.

PubMed

Pinkus, Rosa Lynn; Gloeckner, Claire; Fortunato, Angela

2015-06-01

The use of case-based reasoning in teaching professional ethics has come of age. The fields of medicine, engineering, and business all have incorporated ethics case studies into leading textbooks and journal articles, as well as undergraduate and graduate professional ethics courses. The most recent guidelines from the National Institutes of Health recognize case studies and face-to-face discussion as best practices to be included in training programs for the Responsible Conduct of Research. While there is a general consensus that case studies play a central role in the teaching of professional ethics, there is still much to be learned regarding how professionals learn ethics using case-based reasoning. Cases take many forms, and there are a variety of ways to write them and use them in teaching. This paper reports the results of a study designed to investigate one of the issues in teaching case-based ethics: the role of one's professional knowledge in learning methods of moral reasoning. Using a novel assessment instrument, we compared case studies written and analyzed by three groups of students whom we classified as: (1) Experts in a research domain in bioengineering. (2) Novices in a research domain in bioengineering. (3) The non-research group--students using an engineering domain in which they were interested but had no in-depth knowledge. This study demonstrates that a student's level of understanding of a professional knowledge domain plays a significant role in learning moral reasoning skills.

What Discourages Students from Engaging with Innovative Instructional Methods: Creating a Barrier Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Donna E.

2015-01-01

When faculty members choose to implement instructional methods that are learning-centred, this may represent a change for students; and some resist engaging. In this exploratory case study research, 172 students shared what discourages them from being willing to engage with these innovative methods that aim to facilitate their learning.…

The Development of a New Method of Idiographic Measurement for Dynamic Assessment Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurley, Emma; Murphy, Raegan

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a new method of idiographic measurement for dynamic assessment (DA) intervention. There are two main methods of measurement for DA intervention; split-half tests and integrated scoring systems. Split-half tests of ability have proved useful from a research perspective. Integrated scoring systems coupled with case studies are…

Workplace Culture Analysis where People with Intellectual Disabilities Work: A Case Study Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fillary, Rose; Pernice, Regina

2005-01-01

Background: Research evidence suggests that investigation of workplace culture assists in enhancing social inclusion of and job retention by people with intellectual disability. Method: This research explored the potential of using Hagner's (2000) "Workplace Culture Survey" to identify inclusive characteristics of eight New Zealand…

Current Literature on Venereal Disease, 1972. Number Three. Abstracts and Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lea, Mildred V., Ed.

Presented are abstracts of documents and research pertaining to the clinical description, laboratory diagnosis, management, and therapy of syphilis and gonorrhea. Abstracted case studies of other minor venereal and related diseases are also included, as are bibliographies on current research and evaluation, public health methods, and behavioral…

Current Literature on Venereal Disease, 1972. Number Two. Abstracts and Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lea, Mildred V., Ed.

Presented are abstracts of documents and research pertaining to the clinical description, laboratory diagnosis, management, and therapy of syphilis and gonorrhea. Abstracted case studies of other minor venereal and related diseases are also included, as are bibliographies on current research and evaluation, public health methods, and behavioral…

Current Literature on Venereal Disease, 1972. Number One. Abstracts and Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lea, Mildred V., Ed.

Presented are abstracts of documents and research pertaining to the clinical description, laboratory diagnosis, management, and therapy of syphilis and gonorrhea. Abstracted case studies of other minor venereal and related diseases are also included, as are bibliographies on current research and evaluation, public health methods, and behavioral…

Exploring Aging Attitudes through a Puppet Making Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whiteland, Susan R.

2016-01-01

Intergenerational programs often reduce ageism and stereotypical thinking. This author uses a mixed methods case study to investigate how attitudes may change when older adults and children participate in an intergenerational art project. The research question, "Is there a positive correlation in children's attitudes toward older adults and…

The Authority of the NCAA and Its Member Institutions over Student Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franey, Tammy Wood

2013-01-01

Growing litigation between the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), its member institutions, and student athletes has caused concern for both student athletes and colleges and universities. This qualitative research utilized a legal-historical, document-based method of inquiry. The research analyzed cases between 1953-2012 involving…

Community-Based Research and Approaches to Social Change: The Case of the Hispanic Health Council.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schensul, Jean J.; And Others

1981-01-01

This article reviews six programs that have applied anthropological concepts, methods, and research to implementing change in American schools, school districts, and communities. The programs are: (1) the West Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Free School, an experimental alternative education program that emphasizes freedom, individualized instruction,…

Progress in the Measurement of Laterality and Implications for Dyslexia Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiscock, Merrill; Kinsbourne, Marcel

1995-01-01

This review of the literature on laterality research concludes that, despite advances in the classification accuracy of laterality methods, definitive conclusions about hemispheric specialization in individual cases of dyslexic children cannot be drawn. Event-related measurements of cerebral metabolism promise to complement but not replace…

Predicting Nursing Facility Transition Candidates Using AID: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Mary L.; Wiley, Elizabeth; Fries, Brant E.

2007-01-01

Purpose: Although the nursing facility transition literature is growing, little research has analyzed the characteristics of individuals so assisted or compared participants to those who remain institutionalized. This article describes an analytic method that researchers can apply to address these knowledge gaps, using the Arkansas Passages…

Information Sharing in the Field of Design Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pilerot, Ola

2015-01-01

Introduction: This paper reports on an extensive research project which aimed at exploring information sharing activities in a scholarly context. The paper presents and synthesises findings from a literature review and three qualitative case studies. The empirical setting is a geographically distributed Nordic network of design scholars. Method:…

Students' Presentations: Does the Experience Change Their Views?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sander, Paul; Sanders, Lalage

2005-01-01

Introduction: Research has shown that students do not like student presentations, yet a case can be made for them. This study seeks to understand the effects that presentations have on students. Method: Within an action research framework, two repeated-measures studies were completed, one with students undertaking assessed presentations the other…

Academic Life: Monitoring Work Patterns and Daily Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forgasz, Helen J.; Leder, Gilah C.

2006-01-01

Academics are reported to be working longer hours and have less time for research because of increasing administrative and teaching demands. The traditional pattern of the academic enterprise appears to have changed. To explore whether this is indeed the case, the Experience Sampling Method [ESM], a research technique devised by Mihaly…

BOOK REVIEW: ESTUARINE SCIENCE: A SYNTHETIC APPROACH TO RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

EPA Science Inventory

This book is the product of fifty leading estuarine scientists most of whom attended a workshop convened for the purpose of "put[ting] together the case for synthesis of estuarine data and to show the capabilities of synthetic methods of research" (p. 2). The editor, John E. Hob...

Case Study of Instructional Innovation among Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCracklin, Patricia

2012-01-01

In one mid-western elementary school, teachers received training designed to change their teaching methods in their classrooms. Research has shown teachers have difficulty changing teaching behaviors. The research questions addressed teachers' beliefs and understandings of teaching in a new way. The theoretical framework for this study is…

Population Validity for Educational Data Mining Models: A Case Study in Affect Detection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ocumpaugh, Jaclyn; Baker, Ryan; Gowda, Sujith; Heffernan, Neil; Heffernan, Cristina

2014-01-01

Information and communication technology (ICT)-enhanced research methods such as educational data mining (EDM) have allowed researchers to effectively model a broad range of constructs pertaining to the student, moving from traditional assessments of knowledge to assessment of engagement, meta-cognition, strategy and affect. The automated…

A Review of Astronomy Education Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Janelle M.; Slater, Timothy F.

The field of astronomy education is rapidly growing beyond merely sharing effective activities or curriculum ideas. This paper categorizes and summarizes the literature in astronomy education research and contains more than 100 references to articles, books, and Web-based materials. Research into student understanding on a variety of topics now occupies a large part of the literature. Topics include the shape of Earth and gravity, lunar phases, seasons, astrobiology, and cosmology. The effectiveness of instructional methods is now being tested systematically, taking data beyond the anecdotal with powerful research designs and statistical analyses. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches have found their places in the researcher's toolbox. In all cases, the connection between the research performed and its effect on classroom instruction is largely lacking.

Developing comparative criminology and the case of China: an introduction.

PubMed

Liu, Jianhong

2007-02-01

Although comparative criminology has made significant development during the past decade or so, systematic empirical research has only developed along a few topics. Comparative criminology has never occupied a central position in criminology. This article analyzes the major theoretical and methodological impediments in the development of comparative criminology. It stresses a need to shift methodology from a conventional primary approach that uses the nation as the unit of analysis to an in-depth case study method as a primary methodological approach. The article maintains that case study method can overcome the limitation of its descriptive tradition and become a promising methodological approach for comparative criminology.

Hospital branding in Italy: A pilot study based on the case method.

PubMed

Esposito, Annamaria

2017-01-01

The article investigates if, and in affirmative case how, Italian hospitals are managing corporate brand communication. Thanks to results of qualitative research, this article offers insights on Italian hospital branding. The pilot study based in the case method is to be considered a starting point for wider investigations on this topic, and it is useful for managers and practitioners who want to understand the role of corporate brand in hospital communication management and to connect health care professionals with the audience in a meaningful way in those countries in which the health care system is a mix of both public and private institutions.

Analyzing the contributions of a government-commissioned research project: a case study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background It often remains unclear to investigators how their research contributes to the work of the commissioner. We initiated the ‘Risk Model’ case study to gain insight into how a Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) project and its knowledge products contribute to the commissioner’s work, the commissioner being the Health Care Inspectorate. We aimed to identify the alignment efforts that influenced the research project contributions. Based on the literature, we expected interaction between investigators and key users to be the most determining factor for the contributions of a research project. Methods In this qualitative case study, we analyzed the alignment efforts and contributions in the Risk Model project by means of document analysis and interviews according to the evaluation method Contribution Mapping. Furthermore, a map of the research process was drafted and a feedback session was organized. After the feedback session with stakeholders discussing the findings, we completed the case study report. Results Both organizations had divergent views on the ownership of the research product and the relationship between RIVM and the Inspectorate, which resulted in different expectations. The RIVM considered the use of the risk models to be problematic, but the inspectors had a positive opinion about its contributions. Investigators, inspectors, and managers were not aware of these remarkably different perceptions. In this research project, we identified six relevant categories of both horizontal alignment efforts (between investigators and key users) as well as vertical alignment efforts (within own organization) that influenced the contributions to the Inspectorate’s work. Conclusions Relevant alignment efforts influencing the contributions of the project became manifest at three levels: the first level directly relates to the project, the second to the organizational environment, and the third to the formal and historical relationship between the organizations. Both external and internal alignments influence the contributions of a research project. Based on the findings, we recommend that research institutes invest in a reflective attitude towards the social aspects of research projects at all levels of the organization and develop alignment strategies to enhance the contributions of research. PMID:24498894

Average Likelihood Methods of Classification of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-01

case of cognitive radio applications. Modulation classification is part of a broader problem known as blind or uncooperative demodulation the goal of...Introduction 2 2.1 Modulation Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2.2 Research Objectives...6 3 Modulation Classification Methods 7 3.0.1 Ad Hoc

Using the social entrepreneurship approach to generate innovative and sustainable malaria diagnosis interventions in Tanzania: a case study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background There have been a number of interventions to date aimed at improving malaria diagnostic accuracy in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, limited success is often reported for a number of reasons, especially in rural settings. This paper seeks to provide a framework for applied research aimed to improve malaria diagnosis using a combination of the established methods, participatory action research and social entrepreneurship. Methods This case study introduces the idea of using the social entrepreneurship approach (SEA) to create innovative and sustainable applied health research outcomes. The following key elements define the SEA: (1) identifying a locally relevant research topic and plan, (2) recognizing the importance of international multi-disciplinary teams and the incorporation of local knowledge, (3) engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation and learning, (4) remaining motivated and determined to achieve sustainable long-term research outcomes and, (5) sharing and transferring ownership of the project with the international and local partner. Evaluation The SEA approach has a strong emphasis on innovation lead by local stakeholders. In this case, innovation resulted in a unique holistic research program aimed at understanding patient, laboratory and physician influences on accurate diagnosis of malaria. An evaluation of milestones for each SEA element revealed that the success of one element is intricately related to the success of other elements. Conclusions The SEA will provide an additional framework for researchers and local stakeholders that promotes innovation and adaptability. This approach will facilitate the development of new ideas, strategies and approaches to understand how health issues, such as malaria, affect vulnerable communities. PMID:20128922

Evidence-informed health policy 4 – Case descriptions of organizations that support the use of research evidence

PubMed Central

Lavis, John N; Moynihan, Ray; Oxman, Andrew D; Paulsen, Elizabeth J

2008-01-01

Background Previous efforts to produce case descriptions have typically not focused on the organizations that produce research evidence and support its use. External evaluations of such organizations have typically not been analyzed as a group to identify the lessons that have emerged across multiple evaluations. Case descriptions offer the potential for capturing the views and experiences of many individuals who are familiar with an organization, including staff, advocates, and critics. Methods We purposively sampled a subgroup of organizations from among those that participated in the second (interview) phase of the study and (once) from among other organizations with which we were familiar. We developed and pilot-tested a case description data collection protocol, and conducted site visits that included both interviews and documentary analyses. Themes were identified from among responses to semi-structured questions using a constant comparative method of analysis. We produced both a brief (one to two pages) written description and a video documentary for each case. Results We conducted 51 interviews as part of the eight site visits. Two organizational strengths were repeatedly cited by individuals participating in the site visits: use of an evidence-based approach (which was identified as being very time-consuming) and existence of a strong relationship between researchers and policymakers (which can be challenged by conflicts of interest). Two organizational weaknesses – a lack of resources and the presence of conflicts of interest – were repeatedly cited by individuals participating in the site visits. Participants offered two main suggestions for the World Health Organization (and other international organizations and networks): 1) mobilize one or more of government support, financial resources, and the participation of both policymakers and researchers; and 2) create knowledge-related global public goods. Conclusion The findings from our case descriptions, the first of their kind, intersect in interesting ways with the messages arising from two systematic reviews of the factors that increase the prospects for research use in policymaking. Strong relationships between researchers and policymakers bodes well given such interactions appear to increase the prospects for research use. The time-consuming nature of an evidence-based approach, on the other hand, suggests the need for more efficient production processes that are 'quick and clean enough.' Our case descriptions and accompanying video documentaries provide a rich description of organizations supporting the use of research evidence, which can be drawn upon by those establishing or leading similar organizations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. PMID:19091110

Qualitative research and its methods in epilepsy: Contributing to an understanding of patients' lived experiences of the disease.

PubMed

Rapport, Frances; Clement, Clare; Doel, Marcus A; Hutchings, Hayley A

2015-04-01

This review paper makes the case for the usefulness of qualitative research methods in the context of epilepsy research. It begins with an assessment of the current state of epilepsy literature and identifies gaps especially in the following: research in 'developing' countries and research around surgery for adults with epilepsy. It makes the case that disclosure of people's behaviors, actions, and reactions in different, often complex health-care situations can indicate how they bring meaning to their disease experiences and support needs. It shows the value of encouraging work that clarifies how patients manage their illness and how they understand changes in their health and well-being over the life course of their illness and how health-care professionals and other stakeholder groups care for those with epilepsy. The paper suggests a range of methods for addressing gaps in the literature and highlights a range of data collection, data analysis, and data interpretation and synthesis techniques that are appropriate in this context. It pays particular attention to the strengths of qualitative applications in mixed-methods research using an example from a recent ulcerative colitis drug trial that indicates how they can be integrated into study findings, add rich description, and enhance study outcomes. Ethnographic methodology is also presented, as a way of offering rare access to the 'lived experience' dimension, before the paper concludes with an assessment of the qualitative criteria of credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability for judging a study's 'trustworthiness'. The criteria evidence not only the trustworthiness of data and findings but also the ways in which a study has approached any challenges inherent in its research design. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statistical methods for studying disease subtype heterogeneity.

PubMed

Wang, Molin; Spiegelman, Donna; Kuchiba, Aya; Lochhead, Paul; Kim, Sehee; Chan, Andrew T; Poole, Elizabeth M; Tamimi, Rulla; Tworoger, Shelley S; Giovannucci, Edward; Rosner, Bernard; Ogino, Shuji

2016-02-28

A fundamental goal of epidemiologic research is to investigate the relationship between exposures and disease risk. Cases of the disease are often considered a single outcome and assumed to share a common etiology. However, evidence indicates that many human diseases arise and evolve through a range of heterogeneous molecular pathologic processes, influenced by diverse exposures. Pathogenic heterogeneity has been considered in various neoplasms such as colorectal, lung, prostate, and breast cancers, leukemia and lymphoma, and non-neoplastic diseases, including obesity, type II diabetes, glaucoma, stroke, cardiovascular disease, autism, and autoimmune disease. In this article, we discuss analytic options for studying disease subtype heterogeneity, emphasizing methods for evaluating whether the association of a potential risk factor with disease varies by disease subtype. Methods are described for scenarios where disease subtypes are categorical and ordinal and for cohort studies, matched and unmatched case-control studies, and case-case study designs. For illustration, we apply the methods to a molecular pathological epidemiology study of alcohol intake and colon cancer risk by tumor LINE-1 methylation subtypes. User-friendly software to implement the methods is publicly available. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Improving ethical knowledge and sensemaking from cases through elaborative interrogation and outcome valence.

PubMed

Johnson, James F; Bagdasarov, Zhanna; MacDougall, Alexandra E; Steele, Logan; Connelly, Shane; Devenport, Lynn D; Mumford, Michael D

2014-01-01

The case-based approach to learning is popular among many applied fields. However, results of case-based education vary widely on case content and case presentation. This study examined two aspects of case-based education-outcome valence and case elaboration methods-in a two-day case-based Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) ethics education program. Results suggest that outcome information is an integral part of a quality case. Furthermore, valence consistent outcomes may have certain advantages over mixed valence outcome information. Finally, students enjoy and excel working with case material, and the use of elaborative interrogation techniques can significantly improve internally-focused ethical sensemaking strategies associated with personal biases, constraints, and emotions.

Organizational Context Matters: A Research Toolkit for Conducting Standardized Case Studies of Integrated Care Initiatives

PubMed Central

Grudniewicz, Agnes; Gray, Carolyn Steele; Wodchis, Walter P.; Carswell, Peter; Baker, G. Ross

2017-01-01

Introduction: The variable success of integrated care initiatives has led experts to recommend tailoring design and implementation to the organizational context. Yet, organizational contexts are rarely described, understood, or measured with sufficient depth and breadth in empirical studies or in practice. We thus lack knowledge of when and specifically how organizational contexts matter. To facilitate the accumulation of evidence, we developed a research toolkit for conducting case studies using standardized measures of the (inter-)organizational context for integrating care. Theory and Methods: We used a multi-method approach to develop the research toolkit: (1) development and validation of the Context and Capabilities for Integrating Care (CCIC) Framework, (2) identification, assessment, and selection of survey instruments, (3) development of document review methods, (4) development of interview guide resources, and (5) pilot testing of the document review guidelines, consolidated survey, and interview guide. Results: The toolkit provides a framework and measurement tools that examine 18 organizational and inter-organizational factors that affect the implementation and success of integrated care initiatives. Discussion and Conclusion: The toolkit can be used to characterize and compare organizational contexts across cases and enable comparison of results across studies. This information can enhance our understanding of the influence of organizational contexts, support the transfer of best practices, and help explain why some integrated care initiatives succeed and some fail. PMID:28970750

The ethics of contacting family members of a subject in a genetic research study to return results for an autosomal dominant syndrome.

PubMed

Taylor, Holly A; Wilfond, Benjamin S

2013-01-01

This case explores the ethical landscape around recontacting a subject's relatives to return genetic research results when the informed consent form signed by the original cohort of subjects is silent on whether investigators may share new information with the research subject's family. As a result of rapid advances in genetic technology, methods to identify genetic markers can mature during the life course of a study. In this case, the investigators identified the genetic mutation responsible for the disorder after a number of their original subjects had died. The researchers now have the ability to inform relatives of the subject about their risk of developing the same disease. Mark Rothstein, JD, from the University of Louisville School of Medicine, provides an overview of the medical/scientific, legal, and ethical issues underlying this case. Lauren Milner, PhD, and colleagues at Stanford University explore how the relationship between researcher and subject affect this debate. Seema Shah, JD, and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) discuss whether and how requirements of the duty to warn are applicable in this case.

A user-oriented web crawler for selectively acquiring online content in e-health research

PubMed Central

Xu, Songhua; Yoon, Hong-Jun; Tourassi, Georgia

2014-01-01

Motivation: Life stories of diseased and healthy individuals are abundantly available on the Internet. Collecting and mining such online content can offer many valuable insights into patients’ physical and emotional states throughout the pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment stages of the disease compared with those of healthy subjects. However, such content is widely dispersed across the web. Using traditional query-based search engines to manually collect relevant materials is rather labor intensive and often incomplete due to resource constraints in terms of human query composition and result parsing efforts. The alternative option, blindly crawling the whole web, has proven inefficient and unaffordable for e-health researchers. Results: We propose a user-oriented web crawler that adaptively acquires user-desired content on the Internet to meet the specific online data source acquisition needs of e-health researchers. Experimental results on two cancer-related case studies show that the new crawler can substantially accelerate the acquisition of highly relevant online content compared with the existing state-of-the-art adaptive web crawling technology. For the breast cancer case study using the full training set, the new method achieves a cumulative precision between 74.7 and 79.4% after 5 h of execution till the end of the 20-h long crawling session as compared with the cumulative precision between 32.8 and 37.0% using the peer method for the same time period. For the lung cancer case study using the full training set, the new method achieves a cumulative precision between 56.7 and 61.2% after 5 h of execution till the end of the 20-h long crawling session as compared with the cumulative precision between 29.3 and 32.4% using the peer method. Using the reduced training set in the breast cancer case study, the cumulative precision of our method is between 44.6 and 54.9%, whereas the cumulative precision of the peer method is between 24.3 and 26.3%; for the lung cancer case study using the reduced training set, the cumulative precisions of our method and the peer method are, respectively, between 35.7 and 46.7% versus between 24.1 and 29.6%. These numbers clearly show a consistently superior accuracy of our method in discovering and acquiring user-desired online content for e-health research. Availability and implementation: The implementation of our user-oriented web crawler is freely available to non-commercial users via the following Web site: http://bsec.ornl.gov/AdaptiveCrawler.shtml. The Web site provides a step-by-step guide on how to execute the web crawler implementation. In addition, the Web site provides the two study datasets including manually labeled ground truth, initial seeds and the crawling results reported in this article. Contact: xus1@ornl.gov Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:24078710

Cluster detection methods applied to the Upper Cape Cod cancer data.

PubMed

Ozonoff, Al; Webster, Thomas; Vieira, Veronica; Weinberg, Janice; Ozonoff, David; Aschengrau, Ann

2005-09-15

A variety of statistical methods have been suggested to assess the degree and/or the location of spatial clustering of disease cases. However, there is relatively little in the literature devoted to comparison and critique of different methods. Most of the available comparative studies rely on simulated data rather than real data sets. We have chosen three methods currently used for examining spatial disease patterns: the M-statistic of Bonetti and Pagano; the Generalized Additive Model (GAM) method as applied by Webster; and Kulldorff's spatial scan statistic. We apply these statistics to analyze breast cancer data from the Upper Cape Cancer Incidence Study using three different latency assumptions. The three different latency assumptions produced three different spatial patterns of cases and controls. For 20 year latency, all three methods generally concur. However, for 15 year latency and no latency assumptions, the methods produce different results when testing for global clustering. The comparative analyses of real data sets by different statistical methods provides insight into directions for further research. We suggest a research program designed around examining real data sets to guide focused investigation of relevant features using simulated data, for the purpose of understanding how to interpret statistical methods applied to epidemiological data with a spatial component.

Disease Risk Score (DRS) as a Confounder Summary Method: Systematic Review and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Tadrous, Mina; Gagne, Joshua J.; Stürmer, Til; Cadarette, Suzanne M.

2013-01-01

Purpose To systematically examine trends and applications of the disease risk score (DRS) as a confounder summary method. Methods We completed a systematic search of MEDLINE and Web of Science® to identify all English language articles that applied DRS methods. We tabulated the number of publications by year and type (empirical application, methodological contribution, or review paper) and summarized methods used in empirical applications overall and by publication year (<2000, ≥2000). Results Of 714 unique articles identified, 97 examined DRS methods and 86 were empirical applications. We observed a bimodal distribution in the number of publications over time, with a peak 1979-1980, and resurgence since 2000. The majority of applications with methodological detail derived DRS using logistic regression (47%), used DRS as a categorical variable in regression (93%), and applied DRS in a non-experimental cohort (47%) or case-control (42%) study. Few studies examined effect modification by outcome risk (23%). Conclusion Use of DRS methods has increased yet remains low. Comparative effectiveness research may benefit from more DRS applications, particularly to examine effect modification by outcome risk. Standardized terminology may facilitate identification, application, and comprehension of DRS methods. More research is needed to support the application of DRS methods, particularly in case-control studies. PMID:23172692

Methodology for automating software systems. Task 1 of the foundations for automating software systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moseley, Warren

1989-01-01

The early stages of a research program designed to establish an experimental research platform for software engineering are described. Major emphasis is placed on Computer Assisted Software Engineering (CASE). The Poor Man's CASE Tool is based on the Apple Macintosh system, employing available software including Focal Point II, Hypercard, XRefText, and Macproject. These programs are functional in themselves, but through advanced linking are available for operation from within the tool being developed. The research platform is intended to merge software engineering technology with artificial intelligence (AI). In the first prototype of the PMCT, however, the sections of AI are not included. CASE tools assist the software engineer in planning goals, routes to those goals, and ways to measure progress. The method described allows software to be synthesized instead of being written or built.

Paradigms for machine learning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlimmer, Jeffrey C.; Langley, Pat

1991-01-01

Five paradigms are described for machine learning: connectionist (neural network) methods, genetic algorithms and classifier systems, empirical methods for inducing rules and decision trees, analytic learning methods, and case-based approaches. Some dimensions are considered along with these paradigms vary in their approach to learning, and the basic methods are reviewed that are used within each framework, together with open research issues. It is argued that the similarities among the paradigms are more important than their differences, and that future work should attempt to bridge the existing boundaries. Finally, some recent developments in the field of machine learning are discussed, and their impact on both research and applications is examined.

The Educational and Moral Significance of the American Chemical Society's The Chemist's Code of Conduct

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruton, Samuel V.

2003-05-01

While the usefulness of the case study method in teaching research ethics is frequently emphasized, less often noted is the educational value of professional codes of ethics. Much can be gained by having students examine codes and reflect on their significance. This paper argues that codes such as the American Chemical Society‘s The Chemist‘s Code of Conduct are an important supplement to the use of cases and describes one way in which they can be integrated profitably into a class discussion of research ethics.

Isolation, amplification and characterization of foodborne pathogen disease bacteria gene for rapid kit test development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurjayadi, M.; Santoso, I.; Kartika, I. R.; Kurniadewi, F.; Saamia, V.; Sofihan, W.; Nurkhasanah, D.

2017-07-01

There is a lot of public concern over food safety. Food-safety cases recently, including many food poisoning cases in both the developed and developing countries, considered to be the national security threats which involved police investigation. Quick and accurate detection methods are needed to handle the food poisoning cases with a big number of sufferers at the same time. Therefore, the research is aimed to develop a specific, sensitive, and rapid result molecular detection tool for foodborne pathogen bacteria. We, thus, propose genomic level approach with Polymerase Chain Reaction. The research has successfully produced a specific primer to perform amplification to fim-C S. typhi, E. coli, and pef Salmonella typhimurium genes. The electrophoresis result shows that amplification products are 95 base pairs, 121 base pairs, and 139 base pairs; and all three genes are in accordance with the size of the in silico to third genes bacteria. In conclusion, the research has been successfully designed a specific detection tool to three foodborne pathogen bacteria genes. Further stages test and the uses of Real-time PCR in the detection are still in the trial process for better detection method.

Saprobic analysis to Marina coastal, Semarang city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuriasih, D. M.; Anggoro, S.; Haeruddin

2018-02-01

Semarang city is one of coastal city in Indonesia, that antropogenic activities have impact to coastal of Semarang, including Marina beach. Therefore, it is important to study the quality of seawater related with antropogenic activities. The research purpose was to analyze the saprobic level of Marina beach as an indicator of marine pollution. This case study research used survey method. Purposive method was used for sampling the seawater at five stations at the beach. This research can be concluded that TSI (Tropic Saprobic Index) higher than standard that indicated the Marina Beach Seawaters polution at level of β - Mesosaprobic.

Child Geopolitical Agency: A Mixed Methods Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habashi, Janette; Worley, Jody

2009-01-01

This study examines the geopolitical agency of Palestinian children. Mixed methodology was used to identify the etiologies contributing to processes of political socialization. Both qualitative and qualitative methods are equally distributed throughout this research. Focus groups and interviews with 12 Palestinian children, aged 10 to 13 years,…

Applied Behavior Analysis and Statistical Process Control?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopkins, B. L.

1995-01-01

Incorporating statistical process control (SPC) methods into applied behavior analysis is discussed. It is claimed that SPC methods would likely reduce applied behavior analysts' intimate contacts with problems and would likely yield poor treatment and research decisions. Cases and data presented by Pfadt and Wheeler (1995) are cited as examples.…

Storytelling as an Instructional Method: Definitions and Research Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Dee H.; Hull, Thomas D.; Donahue, Jennifer A.

2009-01-01

This paper discusses the theoretical and empirical foundations of the use of storytelling in instruction. The definition of "story" is given and four instructional methods are identified related to storytelling: case-based, narrative-based, scenario-based, and problem-based instruction. The article provides descriptions of the four…

Nursing Admission Practices to Discern "Fit": A Case Study Exemplar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinutko, Jaime M.

2014-01-01

Admission to a baccalaureate nursing school in the United States is currently a challenging proposition for a variety of reasons. This research explored a holistic nursing school admission process at a small, private, baccalaureate college using a retrospective, mixed-method, approach. The holistic method included multiple admission criteria, both…

Anthropologists and Missionaries. Part II. Studies in Third World Societies. Publication Number Twenty-Six.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salamone, Frank A., Ed.

The topics of anthropologist-missionary relationships, theology and missiology, research methods and missionary contributions to ethnology, missionary training and methods, and specific case studies are presented. The ten essays are: (1) "An Ethnoethnography of Missionaries in Kalingaland" (Robert Lawless); (2) "Missionization and…

Efficacy methods to evaluate health communication and marketing campaigns.

PubMed

Evans, W Douglas; Uhrig, Jennifer; Davis, Kevin; McCormack, Lauren

2009-06-01

Communication and marketing are growing areas of health research, but relatively few rigorous efficacy studies have been conducted in these fields. In this article, we review recent health communication and marketing efficacy research, present two case studies that illustrate some of the considerations in making efficacy design choices, and advocate for greater emphasis on rigorous health communication and marketing efficacy research and the development of a research agenda. Much of the outcomes research in health communication and marketing, especially mass media, utilizes effectiveness designs conducted in real time, in the media markets or communities in which messages are delivered. Such evaluations may be impractical or impossible, however, imiting opportunities to advance the state of health communication and marketing research and the knowledge base on effective campaign strategies, messages, and channels. Efficacy and effectiveness studies use similar measures of behavior change. Efficacy studies, however, offer greater opportunities for experimental control, message exposure, and testing of health communication and marketing theory. By examining the literature and two in-depth case studies, we identify advantages and limitations to efficacy studies. We also identify considerations for when to adopt efficacy and effectiveness methods, alone or in combination. Finally, we outline a research agenda to investigate issues of internal and external validity, mode of message presentation, differences between marketing and message strategies, and behavioral outcomes.

Beyond the Core: The Hot Topic(al) Alternative to the Survey-Based Introduction to Sociology Course

PubMed Central

Smith, R. Tyson

2011-01-01

In the following paper we argue that the conventional “Introduction to Sociology” survey course should be restructured because such courses try to survey an unsurveyable body of knowledge and they do not teach the application of sociological research. The conventional intro course should be replaced with an intro course that surveys the types of social dynamics that sociologists typically research and the methods they use to do so. We propose a semester-long intro course with four case study learning-units that are chosen for their coverage of the underlying sociological dynamics, methods, and core concepts. We contend that case study learning-units which concentrate on topical issues and core sociological concepts are better suited for an introduction course. PMID:21709825

A devolved model for public involvement in the field of mental health research: case study learning.

PubMed

Moule, Pam; Davies, Rosie

2016-12-01

Patient and public involvement in all aspects of research is espoused and there is a continued interest in understanding its wider impact. Existing investigations have identified both beneficial outcomes and remaining issues. This paper presents the impact of public involvement in one case study led by a mental health charity conducted as part of a larger research project. The case study used a devolved model of working, contracting with service user-led organizations to maximize the benefits of local knowledge on the implementation of personalized budgets, support recruitment and local user-led organizations. To understand the processes and impact of public involvement in a devolved model of working with user-led organizations. Multiple data collection methods were employed throughout 2012. These included interviews with the researchers (n = 10) and research partners (n = 5), observation of two case study meetings and the review of key case study documentation. Analysis was conducted in NVivo10 using a coding framework developed following a literature review. Five key themes emerged from the data; Devolved model, Nature of involvement, Enabling factors, Implementation challenges and Impact. While there were some challenges of implementing the devolved model it is clear that our findings add to the growing understanding of the positive benefits research partners can bring to complex research. A devolved model can support the involvement of user-led organizations in research if there is a clear understanding of the underpinning philosophy and support mechanisms are in place. © 2015 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Using Visual Analysis to Evaluate and Refine Multilevel Models of Single-Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baek, Eun Kyeng; Petit-Bois, Merlande; Van den Noortgate, Wim; Beretvas, S. Natasha; Ferron, John M.

2016-01-01

In special education, multilevel models of single-case research have been used as a method of estimating treatment effects over time and across individuals. Although multilevel models can accurately summarize the effect, it is known that if the model is misspecified, inferences about the effects can be biased. Concern with the potential for model…

Implementing the Health Promoting School in Denmark: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordin, Lone Lindegaard

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into teachers' practice in implementing school-based health promotion. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative research was designed as a multiple case study. The study involved five schools, 233 pupils in the age 12-16 and 23 teachers. The primary data generation method were focus…

Mecca Hills: Visitor research case study

Treesearch

Deborah Chavez; John Baas; Patricia Winter

1993-01-01

This "Case Study" represents the first in a series of reports which provide insight into specific management environments and the factors significant to an understanding of the expectations and demands of public land visitors in the West. The study describes the methods and results of a two year inventory of visitors in a wildland area in the desert...

Toward a Theory of Discontinuous Career Transition: Investigating Career Transitions Necessitated by Traumatic Life Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynie, J. Michael; Shepherd, Dean

2011-01-01

Career researchers have focused on the mechanisms related to career progression. Although less studied, situations in which traumatic life events necessitate a discontinuous career transition are becoming increasingly prevalent. Employing a multiple case study method, we offer a deeper understanding of such transitions by studying an extreme case:…

The Physics of Music with Interdisciplinary Approach: A Case of Prospective Music Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turna, Özge; Bolat, Mualla

2016-01-01

Physics of music is an area that is covered by interdisciplinary approach. In this study it is aimed to determine prospective music teachers' level of association with physics concepts which are related to music. The research is a case study which combines qualitative and quantitative methods. Eighty-four students who were studying at the…

Evaluating the Impact of the U.S. National Toxicology Program: A Case Study on Hexavalent Chromium.

PubMed

Xie, Yun; Holmgren, Stephanie; Andrews, Danica M K; Wolfe, Mary S

2017-02-01

Evaluating the impact of federally funded research with a broad, methodical, and objective approach is important to ensure that public funds advance the mission of federal agencies. We aimed to develop a methodical approach that would yield a broad assessment of National Toxicology Program's (NTP's) effectiveness across multiple sectors and demonstrate the utility of the approach through a case study. A conceptual model was developed with defined activities, outputs (products), and outcomes (proximal, intermediate, distal) and applied retrospectively to NTP's research on hexavalent chromium (CrVI). Proximal outcomes were measured by counting views of and requests for NTP's products by external stakeholders. Intermediate outcomes were measured by bibliometric analysis. Distal outcomes were assessed through Web and LexisNexis searches for documents related to legislation or regulation changes. The approach identified awareness of NTP's work on CrVI by external stakeholders (proximal outcome) and citations of NTP's research in scientific publications, reports, congressional testimonies, and legal and policy documents (intermediate outcome). NTP's research was key to the nation's first-ever drinking water standard for CrVI adopted by California in 2014 (distal outcome). By applying this approach to a case study, the utility and limitations of the approach were identified, including challenges to evaluating the outcomes of a research program. This study identified a broad and objective approach for assessing NTP's effectiveness, including methodological needs for more thorough and efficient impact assessments in the future. Citation: Xie Y, Holmgren S, Andrews DMK, Wolfe MS. 2017. Evaluating the impact of the U.S. National Toxicology Program: a case study on hexavalent chromium. Environ Health Perspect 125:181-188; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP21.

The Return of the Native: The Blurred Boundaries of Insider/Outsider Research in an English Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perryman, Jane

2011-01-01

This paper outlines the methodological issues I faced during my research as a "returning native" in an English secondary school. The empirical research took the form of a three-year case study and used some ethnographic methods, as it comprised interviews carried out over a period of three academic years in the school in which I was once…

Learning challenges and sustainable development: A methodological perspective.

PubMed

Seppänen, Laura

2017-01-01

Sustainable development requires learning, but the contents of learning are often complex and ambiguous. This requires new integrated approaches from research. It is argued that investigation of people's learning challenges in every-day work is beneficial for research on sustainable development. The aim of the paper is to describe a research method for examining learning challenges in promoting sustainable development. This method is illustrated with a case example from organic vegetable farming in Finland. The method, based on Activity Theory, combines historical analysis with qualitative analysis of need expressions in discourse data. The method linking local and subjective need expressions with general historical analysis is a promising way to overcome the gap between the individual and society, so much needed in research for sustainable development. Dialectically informed historical frameworks have practical value as tools in collaborative negotiations and participatory designs for sustainable development. The simultaneous use of systemic and subjective perspectives allows researchers to manage the complexity of practical work activities and to avoid too simplistic presumptions about sustainable development.

Applications of mixed-methods methodology in clinical pharmacy research.

PubMed

Hadi, Muhammad Abdul; Closs, S José

2016-06-01

Introduction Mixed-methods methodology, as the name suggests refers to mixing of elements of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in a single study. In the past decade, mixed-methods methodology has gained popularity among healthcare researchers as it promises to bring together the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Methodology A number of mixed-methods designs are available in the literature and the four most commonly used designs in healthcare research are: the convergent parallel design, the embedded design, the exploratory design, and the explanatory design. Each has its own unique advantages, challenges and procedures and selection of a particular design should be guided by the research question. Guidance on designing, conducting and reporting mixed-methods research is available in the literature, so it is advisable to adhere to this to ensure methodological rigour. When to use it is best suited when the research questions require: triangulating findings from different methodologies to explain a single phenomenon; clarifying the results of one method using another method; informing the design of one method based on the findings of another method, development of a scale/questionnaire and answering different research questions within a single study. Two case studies have been presented to illustrate possible applications of mixed-methods methodology. Limitations Possessing the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis, interpretation and integration remains the biggest challenge for researchers conducting mixed-methods studies. Sequential study designs are often time consuming, being in two (or more) phases whereas concurrent study designs may require more than one data collector to collect both qualitative and quantitative data at the same time.

Iowa Case Management for Rural Drug Abuse

PubMed Central

Hall, James A.; Sarrazin, Mary S. Vaughan; Huber, Diane L.; Vaughn, Thomas; Block, Robert I.; Reedy, Amanda R.; Jang, MiJin

2011-01-01

Objective The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive, strengths-based model of case management for clients in drug abuse treatment. Method 503 volunteers from residential or intensive outpatient treatment were randomly assigned to one of three conditions of Iowa Case Management (ICM) plus treatment as usual (TAU), or to a fourth condition of TAU only. All were assessed at intake and followed at 3, 6, and 12 months. Results Clients in all four conditions significantly decreased substance use by 3 months after intake and maintained most gains over time. However, the addition of ICM to TAU did not improve substance use outcomes. Conclusion Overall, the addition of case management did not significantly improve drug treatment as hypothesized by both researchers and clinicians. Some results were mixed, possibly due to the heterogeneous sample, wide range of case management activities, or difficulty retaining participants over time. PMID:22065018

[Modeling the requirements on routine data of general practitioners from the health-care researcher's point of view with the help of unified modeling langauge (UML)].

PubMed

Kersting, M; Hauswaldt, J; Lingner, H

2012-08-01

Health-care research is, besides primary acquired study data, based on data from widely differing secondary sources. In order to link, compare and analyze data sources uniform models and methods are needed. This could be facilitated by a more structured description of requirements, models and methods of health-care research than those currently used. Suitable methods of presentation were sought in an approach to this target and the unified modeling language (UML) identified as a possible alternative. Using different tools 3 UML diagrams were created to represent some individual aspects of a scientific use file (SUF): A use case diagram as well as an activity and a class diagram. In the use case diagram we attempted to represent the general use cases of an SUF based on general practitioners routine data. Secondly a class diagram was constructed to visualize the contents and structure of a SUF. Thirdly an activity diagram was developed to graphically represent the concept of a general practitioner's episode of care. The creation of the UML diagrams was possible without any technical difficulties. Regarding the content the 3 diagrams must still be considered as prototypes. The use case diagram shows possible uses and users of an SUF, e. g. a research worker, industry but also the general practitioner who supplies the data. The class diagram reveals a general data structure that can serve information processes in practice and research. Besides aggregation, possibilities for specialization and generalization are essential elements of the class diagram that can be used meaningfully. The activity diagram for the schematic representation of a general practitioner's episode of care reveals the existence of multiple endpoints of an episode and the possibility to form relationships by means of episodes (diagnosis>therapy). The constructed diagrams are preliminary results and should be refined in future steps. Use case diagrams enable a rapid overview of the meaning and purpose of a system, in this case an SUF. Class diagrams can help at a professional level to describe relationships between entities (classes/objects) more clearly than with the existing methods of representation. Activity diagrams are successors to classic flow charts. They are complemented appropriately by status diagrams. UML is suitable to uniformly and graphically describe a system (here an SUF) from various points of view. In future, validated UML models will help us to present scientific concepts and results in a more structured form than before and to promote the technological use of these concepts in practice. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Tobacco documents research methodology

PubMed Central

McCandless, Phyra M; Klausner, Kim; Taketa, Rachel; Yerger, Valerie B

2011-01-01

Tobacco documents research has developed into a thriving academic enterprise since its inception in 1995. The technology supporting tobacco documents archiving, searching and retrieval has improved greatly since that time, and consequently tobacco documents researchers have considerably more access to resources than was the case when researchers had to travel to physical archives and/or electronically search poorly and incompletely indexed documents. The authors of the papers presented in this supplement all followed the same basic research methodology. Rather than leave the reader of the supplement to read the same discussion of methods in each individual paper, presented here is an overview of the methods all authors followed. In the individual articles that follow in this supplement, the authors present the additional methodological information specific to their topics. This brief discussion also highlights technological capabilities in the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library and updates methods for organising internal tobacco documents data and findings. PMID:21504933

Perceptions of the Community College of High School Counselors and Advisors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitkos, Yvonne M.; Bragg, Debra D.

2008-01-01

Using the case study method, this research investigated how the community college is perceived by high school counselors and advisors. The research considered how high school counselors' and advisors' perceptions of the community college were informed by selected school leaders, faculty, and students, and it explored how those perceptions were…

Ties That Do Not Bind: Musings on the Specious Relevance of Academic Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolton, Michael J.; Stolcis, Gregory B.

2003-01-01

Discusses the gap between academic research and practice in public administration and argues that it can be traced to conflicts such as theoretical vs. pragmatic knowledge, data-supported vs. logic-driven information, scientific method vs. case studies, academic vs. practitioner journals, and tenure vs. organizational effectiveness. Explores…

Like a Chameleon: A Beginning Teacher's Journey to Implement Active Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Susan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to follow the learning trajectory of a beginning teacher attempting to implement active learning instructional methods in a middle grades classroom. The study utilized a qualitative case study methodological approach with the researcher in the role of participant observer. Three research questions were explored: the…

Accounting Training Module Development to Boost Agriculture Financial Literacy on Palm Farmers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasibuan, Henny Triyana; Murwani, Danardana; Widjaja, Sri Umi Mientarti; Witjaksono, Mit

2017-01-01

This research aims to develop agriculture accounting training module in order to increase palm oil farmer financial literacy, in this case farmers in Donomulyo, Malang Regency, Indonesia. The method utilized in model development is Design Based Research using the following progression: problem identification, explanation of goals, design and…

Reduction in Force: Policy & Procedure in South Carolina School Districts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Robert E.; Woodson, Marvin C.

Starting from a survey of research literature and court cases, researchers conducted a study of South Carolina school districts' policies and procedures concerning reductions in force (RIFs). The literature review indicated some of the conditions necessitating RIFs (such as state financial problems), methods of avoiding RIFs, and criteria for RIF…

Navigating a Divided Society: Educational Research Strategies for Post-Conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Komatsu, Taro

2012-01-01

This article discusses methodological issues associated with education research in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and describes strategies taken to address them. Within a case study, mixed methods allowed the author to examine school leaders' perceptions multi-dimensionally. Multi-level analysis was essential to the understanding of policy-making…

When Worlds Collide: Identity, Culture and the Lived Experiences of Research When "Teaching-Led"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, John G.; Hemmings, Brian; Kay, Russell; Callinan, Carol

2015-01-01

This article presents detailed findings from the qualitative or interpretive phase of a mixed-methods case study focusing on the professional identities and lived experiences of research among six lecturers working in different capacities across the field of education in a "teaching-led" higher education institution. Building upon the…

Evidence from the New Cases in the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drysdale, Lawrie

2011-01-01

This issue of "Leadership and Policy in Schools" outlines research into successful principal leadership from the perspective of four countries--New Zealand, Israel, Cyprus, and the USA (San Antonio). The research followed the methods and protocols established by the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP), which was…

Documenting Elementary Teachers' Sustainability of Instructional Practices: A Mixed Method Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotner, Bridget A.

2014-01-01

School reform programs focus on making educational changes; however, research on interventions past the funded implementation phase to determine what was sustained is rarely done (Beery, Senter, Cheadle, Greenwald, Pearson, et al., 2005). This study adds to the research on sustainability by determining what instructional practices, if any, of the…

Balancing Teacher and Student Roles in Elementary Classrooms: Preservice Elementary Teachers' Learning about the Inquiry Continuum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biggers, Mandy; Forbes, Cory T.

2012-01-01

Using the National Research Council's inquiry continuum framework, we use a multiple-case study research design to investigate the teacher- and student-directedness of elementary preservice teachers' planned and enacted science lessons and their pedagogical reasoning about science instruction during a semester-long science methods course. Our…

Development of Chemical Engineering Course Methods Using Action Research: Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virkki-Hatakka, Terhi; Tuunila, Ritva; Nurkka, Niina

2013-01-01

This paper reports on the systematic development of a teaching methodology for two chemical engineering courses. The aim was to improve the quality of teaching to achieve expected learning outcomes more effectively. The development was carried out over a period of several years based on an action research methodology with data systematically…

After the Workshop: A Case Study of Post-Workshop Implementation of Active Learning in an Electrical Engineering Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shekhar, Prateek; Maura Borrego

2017-01-01

Engineering education research has empirically validated the effectiveness of active learning over traditional instructional methods. However, the dissemination of education research into instructional practice has been slow. Faculty workshops for current and future instructors offer a solution to promote the widespread adoption of active learning…

Coding the Composing Process: A Guide for Teachers and Researchers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perl, Sondra

Designed for teachers and researchers interested in the study of the composing process, this guide introduces a method of analysis that can be applied to data from a range of different cases. Specifically, the guide offers a simple, direct coding scheme for describing the movements occurring during composing that involves four procedures: teaching…

Climate Cases: Learning about Student Conceptualizations of Global Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tierney, Benjamin P.

2013-01-01

The complex topic of global climate change continues to be a challenging yet important topic among science educators and researchers. This mixed methods study adds to the growing research by investigating student conceptions of climate change from a system theory perspective (Von Bertalanffy, 1968) by asking the question, "How do differences…

Tutorial on Using Regression Models with Count Outcomes Using R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaujean, A. Alexander; Morgan, Grant B.

2016-01-01

Education researchers often study count variables, such as times a student reached a goal, discipline referrals, and absences. Most researchers that study these variables use typical regression methods (i.e., ordinary least-squares) either with or without transforming the count variables. In either case, using typical regression for count data can…

Assumptions of Asian American Similarity: The Case of Filipino and Chinese American Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agbayani-Siewert, Pauline

2004-01-01

The conventional research model of clustering ethnic groups into four broad categories risks perpetuating a pedagogy of stereotypes in social work policies and practice methods. Using an elaborated research model, this study tested the assumption of cultural similarity of Filipino and Chinese American college students by examining attitudes,…

Profile of a Museum Registrar: CASE Research Project 7-78.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoachlander, Marjorie E.

This book represents the first independent research study directed toward the educational needs and interests of museum registrars to be undertaken by a university in collaboration with a nationally recognized museum. The study's primary objective was to provide data to be used for the development of materials and methods in the training and…

The Importance of Distributed Broadband Networks to Academic Biomedical Research and Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yellowlees, Peter M.; Hogarth, Michael; Hilty, Donald M.

2006-01-01

Objective: This article highlights the importance of distributed broadband networks as part of the core infrastructure necessary to deliver academic research and education programs. Method: The authors review recent developments in the field and present the University of California, Davis, environment as a case study of a future virtual regional…

Teacher Participation in Online Professional Development: Exploring Academic Year Classroom Impacts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Opfer, Thomas

2017-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods case study research was to investigate the reasons teachers chose online professional development (OPD) focusing on technology integration and how this OPD impacted teachers' classroom practices over a six month period. Previous research identified that OPD provides flexibility beyond what traditional face-to-face…

A Road Like No Other: Mothers' Experiences with Early Intervention Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piper, Amy Wickizer

2010-01-01

This dual case study utilizes qualitative research methods to examine the experiences of two mothers of young children with special needs. Over the course of ten months, the researcher spent many hours interviewing both mothers about their experiences with Early Intervention (EI) professionals. Observations of medical appointments, team meetings,…

The Importance of Neurological and Cognitive Research for Reading Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacRae-Campbell, Linda

New views of intelligence and cognitive learning styles highlight ways to increase educational effectiveness by improving instructional methods. Research shows that both hemispheres of the brain play a role in learning, but evidence indicates that one hemisphere may be more aroused than the other in the case of a particular child. Individuals with…

Seeding Success: Schools That Work for Aboriginal Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munns, Geoff; O'Rourke, Virginia; Bodkin-Andrews, Gawaian

2013-01-01

This article reports on a large mixed methods research project that investigated the conditions of success for Aboriginal school students. The article presents the qualitative case study component of the research. It details the work of four schools identified as successful for Aboriginal students with respect to social and academic outcomes, and…

Facilitators and Barriers to Doctoral Supervision: A Case Study in Health Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askew, Catherine; Dixon, Robyn; McCormick, Ross; Callaghan, Kathleen; Wang, Grace Ying; Shulruf, Boaz

2016-01-01

Supervision capacity is becoming an issue that may restrict the ability of universities to meet eligible students' needs. Although there has been considerable research into the methods of supervision and the supervisor-student relationship, at this time there is little specific research into reasons why qualified academics choose or otherwise to…

The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Biomedical Research Centre (SLAM BRC) case register: development and descriptive data

PubMed Central

Stewart, Robert; Soremekun, Mishael; Perera, Gayan; Broadbent, Matthew; Callard, Felicity; Denis, Mike; Hotopf, Matthew; Thornicroft, Graham; Lovestone, Simon

2009-01-01

Background Case registers have been used extensively in mental health research. Recent developments in electronic medical records, and in computer software to search and analyse these in anonymised format, have the potential to revolutionise this research tool. Methods We describe the development of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Case Register Interactive Search tool (CRIS) which allows research-accessible datasets to be derived from SLAM, the largest provider of secondary mental healthcare in Europe. All clinical data, including free text, are available for analysis in the form of anonymised datasets. Development involved both the building of the system and setting in place the necessary security (with both functional and procedural elements). Results Descriptive data are presented for the Register database as of October 2008. The database at that point included 122,440 cases, 35,396 of whom were receiving active case management under the Care Programme Approach. In terms of gender and ethnicity, the database was reasonably representative of the source population. The most common assigned primary diagnoses were within the ICD mood disorders (n = 12,756) category followed by schizophrenia and related disorders (8158), substance misuse (7749), neuroses (7105) and organic disorders (6414). Conclusion The SLAM BRC Case Register represents a 'new generation' of this research design, built on a long-running system of fully electronic clinical records and allowing in-depth secondary analysis of both numerical, string and free text data, whilst preserving anonymity through technical and procedural safeguards. PMID:19674459

Classification of breast abnormalities using artificial neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaman, Nur Atiqah Kamarul; Rahman, Wan Eny Zarina Wan Abdul; Jumaat, Abdul Kadir; Yasiran, Siti Salmah

2015-05-01

Classification is the process of recognition, differentiation and categorizing objects into groups. Breast abnormalities are calcifications which are tumor markers that indicate the presence of cancer in the breast. The aims of this research are to classify the types of breast abnormalities using artificial neural network (ANN) classifier and to evaluate the accuracy performance using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The methods used in this research are ANN for breast abnormalities classifications and Canny edge detector as a feature extraction method. Previously the ANN classifier provides only the number of benign and malignant cases without providing information for specific cases. However in this research, the type of abnormality for each image can be obtained. The existing MIAS MiniMammographic database classified the mammogram images into three features only namely characteristic of background tissues, class of abnormality and radius of abnormality. However, in this research three other features are added-in. These three features are number of spots, area and shape of abnormalities. Lastly the performance of the ANN classifier is evaluated using ROC curve. It is found that ANN has an accuracy of 97.9% which is considered acceptable.

R and D Evaluation Workshop report, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Research, September 7--8, 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jordan, G.

1995-10-30

The objective of the workshop was to promote discussions between experts and research managers on developing approaches for assessing the impact of DOE`s basic energy research upon the energy mission, applied research, technology transfer, the economy, and society. The purpose of this impact assessment is to demonstrate results and improve ER research programs in this era when basic research is expected to meet changing national economic and social goals. The questions addressed were: (1) By what criteria and metrics does Energy Research measure performance and evaluate its impact on the DOE mission and society while maintaining an environment that fostersmore » basic research? (2) What combination of evaluation methods best applies to assessing the performance and impact of OBES basic research? The focus will be upon the following methods: Case studies, User surveys, Citation analysis, TRACES approach, Return on DOE investment (ROI)/Econometrics, and Expert panels. (3) What combination of methods and specific rules of thumb can be applied to capture impacts along the spectrum from basic research to products and societal impacts?« less

Improving the quality of the ECG signal by filtering in wavelet transform domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DzierŻak, RóŻa; Surtel, Wojciech; Dzida, Grzegorz; Maciejewski, Marcin

2016-09-01

The article concerns the research methods of noise reduction occurring in the ECG signals. The method is based on the use of filtration in wavelet transform domain. The study was conducted on two types of signal - received during the rest of the patient and obtained during physical activity. For each of the signals 3 types of filtration were used. The study was designed to determine the effectiveness of various wavelets for de-noising signals obtained in both cases. The results confirm the suitability of the method for improving the quality of the electrocardiogram in case of both types of signals.

Disease risk score as a confounder summary method: systematic review and recommendations.

PubMed

Tadrous, Mina; Gagne, Joshua J; Stürmer, Til; Cadarette, Suzanne M

2013-02-01

To systematically examine trends and applications of the disease risk score (DRS) as a confounder summary method. We completed a systematic search of MEDLINE and Web of Science® to identify all English language articles that applied DRS methods. We tabulated the number of publications by year and type (empirical application, methodological contribution, or review paper) and summarized methods used in empirical applications overall and by publication year (<2000, ≥2000). Of 714 unique articles identified, 97 examined DRS methods and 86 were empirical applications. We observed a bimodal distribution in the number of publications over time, with a peak 1979-1980, and resurgence since 2000. The majority of applications with methodological detail derived DRS using logistic regression (47%), used DRS as a categorical variable in regression (93%), and applied DRS in a non-experimental cohort (47%) or case-control (42%) study. Few studies examined effect modification by outcome risk (23%). Use of DRS methods has increased yet remains low. Comparative effectiveness research may benefit from more DRS applications, particularly to examine effect modification by outcome risk. Standardized terminology may facilitate identification, application, and comprehension of DRS methods. More research is needed to support the application of DRS methods, particularly in case-control studies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An Exploration of Ethical Issues in Research in Children’s Health and the Environment

PubMed Central

Paulson, Jerome A.

2006-01-01

The consideration of ethical issues relating to pediatric environmental health is a recent phenomenon. Discussions of biomedical ethics, research on children, and environmental health research have a longer history. In the late 1990s, researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, undertook a study to compare the effectiveness of several methods of reducing lead risk in housing. In a preliminary finding in the case of Grimes v. Kennedy Krieger Institute, Inc., a Maryland court questioned the ethics of performing research on children when there is no prospect of direct benefit to those children and whether parents can consent to such research. This case dramatically raised the profile of ethical issues among the pediatric environmental health research community. To broaden the discussion of these issues and in response to the Kennedy-Krieger case, the Children’s Environmental Health Network held a working meeting on 5 and 6 March 2004 to explore this topic. The articles in this mini-monograph were prepared by the authors as a result of the workshop and represent their opinions. This article is an introduction to the workshop and a summary of the articles to follow. PMID:17035150

Rough case-based reasoning system for continues casting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Wenbin; Lei, Zhufeng

2018-04-01

The continuous casting occupies a pivotal position in the iron and steel industry. The rough set theory and the CBR (case based reasoning, CBR) were combined in the research and implementation for the quality assurance of continuous casting billet to improve the efficiency and accuracy in determining the processing parameters. According to the continuous casting case, the object-oriented method was applied to express the continuous casting cases. The weights of the attributes were calculated by the algorithm which was based on the rough set theory and the retrieval mechanism for the continuous casting cases was designed. Some cases were adopted to test the retrieval mechanism, by analyzing the results, the law of the influence of the retrieval attributes on determining the processing parameters was revealed. A comprehensive evaluation model was established by using the attribute recognition theory. According to the features of the defects, different methods were adopted to describe the quality condition of the continuous casting billet. By using the system, the knowledge was not only inherited but also applied to adjust the processing parameters through the case based reasoning method as to assure the quality of the continuous casting and improve the intelligent level of the continuous casting.

Top-rated British business research: has the emperor got any clothes?

PubMed

Lilford, R J; Dobbie, F; Warren, R; Braunholtz, D; Boaden, R

2003-08-01

Business schools have great prestige and charge large amounts of money for their courses. But how good is the science on which they base their prescriptions for action? To find out we examined the published output from the only three British business schools with the highest (5*) research assessment ranking at the time the articles were published. We conclude that theory development and model construction are often elegant. However, the methods used to obtain primary empirical information to confirm or refute the theories or populate models are poor, at least from a positivist or pragmatic ontological perspective. Large scale comparative studies made up only a small proportion of research output from the business schools. Literature reviews were not systematic. The sampling frame and rationale for selection of cases for study are inadequately described. The methods of data collection were frequently not given in sufficient detail to enable the study to be replicated and the conclusions tended to go far beyond what the data by themselves could support. However, this does not have to be the case-there are excellent examples of research in social sciences. We conclude, therefore, that top-rated British business research is a scantily clad emperor.

Predicted Performance of a Thrust-Enhanced SR-71 Aircraft with an External Payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conners, Timothy R.

1997-01-01

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has completed a preliminary performance analysis of the SR-71 aircraft for use as a launch platform for high-speed research vehicles and for carrying captive experimental packages to high altitude and Mach number conditions. Externally mounted research platforms can significantly increase drag, limiting test time and, in extreme cases, prohibiting penetration through the high-drag, transonic flight regime. To provide supplemental SR-71 acceleration, methods have been developed that could increase the thrust of the J58 turbojet engines. These methods include temperature and speed increases and augmentor nitrous oxide injection. The thrust-enhanced engines would allow the SR-71 aircraft to carry higher drag research platforms than it could without enhancement. This paper presents predicted SR-71 performance with and without enhanced engines. A modified climb-dive technique is shown to reduce fuel consumption when flying through the transonic flight regime with a large external payload. Estimates are included of the maximum platform drag profiles with which the aircraft could still complete a high-speed research mission. In this case, enhancement was found to increase the SR-71 payload drag capability by 25 percent. The thrust enhancement techniques and performance prediction methodology are described.

The struggle for methodological orthodoxy in nursing research: the case of mental health.

PubMed

White, Edward

2003-06-01

This paper is not intended as an exhaustive review of contemporary mental health nursing research. Rather, the intention is to explore some of the competing arguments for different methodological approaches in social research, using mental health nursing as a case example. The paper questions the extent to which the artificially dichotomized debate over quantitative versus qualitative research impacts upon the working lives of practitioners, managers and policy makers. In particular, the paper traces the development of survey method, during this its centennial anniversary year. It also traces its subsequent decline, in favour of what will be referred to as the new methodological orthodoxy in nursing research. It is also interwoven with occasional accounts of personal experience, drawn from an international perspective. The paper calls for a reapproachement between different wings of methodological opinion, in deference to a publicly unified position for nursing research in which the achievement of quality becomes the over-arching concern.

Single-Case Design Research: Building the Evidence-Base in the Field of Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students.

PubMed

Cannon, Joanna E; Guardino, Caroline; Antia, Shirin D; Luckner, John L

2016-01-01

The field of education of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students has a paucity of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to guide instruction. The authors discussed how the research methodology of single-case design (SCD) can be used to build EBPs through direct and systematic replication of studies. An overview of SCD research methods is presented, including an explanation of how internal and external validity issues are addressed, and why SCD is appropriate for intervention research with DHH children. The authors then examine the SCD research in the field according to quality indicators (QIs; at the individual level and as a body of evidence) to determine the existing evidence base. Finally, future replication areas are recommended to fill the gaps in SCD research with students who are DHH in order to add to the evidence base in the field.

Research designs and making causal inferences from health care studies.

PubMed

Flannelly, Kevin J; Jankowski, Katherine R B

2014-01-01

This article summarizes the major types of research designs used in healthcare research, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational studies. Observational studies are divided into survey studies (descriptive and correlational studies), case-studies and analytic studies, the last of which are commonly used in epidemiology: case-control, retrospective cohort, and prospective cohort studies. Similarities and differences among the research designs are described and the relative strength of evidence they provide is discussed. Emphasis is placed on five criteria for drawing causal inferences that are derived from the writings of the philosopher John Stuart Mill, especially his methods or canons. The application of the criteria to experimentation is explained. Particular attention is given to the degree to which different designs meet the five criteria for making causal inferences. Examples of specific studies that have used various designs in chaplaincy research are provided.

Ship viscous flow: A report on the 1990 SSPA-IIHR Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patel, Virendra C.; Larsson, Lars

1992-01-01

To assess the state of the art in ship viscous flow computation a Workshop was organized in 1990 by three organizations: SSPA Maritime Consulting AB, Chalmers University of Technology, and the Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research. Two test cases were specified by the organizers and sent out to all interested research groups, which were asked to submit results in a prescribed format. In September 1990 a meeting was held at Chalmers University of Technology. All results had then been collected and presented in a common format, and the theories based on responses to a questionnaire sent out earlier. During the meeting, each research group was first given the opportunity to briefly introduce their method and results. Thereafter, a considerable time was spent on general discussions on the performance of the different methods considering the differences in the underlying theories. Specific items that were addressed were grid generation, governing equations, boundary conditions, turbulence modelling, and numerical methods. Practical aspects of the results, for instance from the point of view of propeller design, were also discussed. The Workshop Proceedings contain a description of the participating methods, and the results of both test cases. In the present paper, a summary of the Workshop and its results is presented.

Stylistic features of case reports as a genre of medical discourse.

PubMed

Lysanets, Yuliia; Morokhovets, Halyna; Bieliaieva, Olena

2017-03-13

The present paper discusses the lexical and grammatical peculiarities of English language medical case reports, taking into account their communicative purposes and intentions. The objective of the research is to clarify the principal mechanisms of producing an effective English language medical case report and thus to provide recommendations and guidelines for medical professionals who will deal with this genre. The analysis of medical case reports will largely focus on the most significant linguistic peculiarities, such as the use of active and passive voice, the choice of particular verb tenses, and pronouns. The selected medical case reports will be considered using methods of lexico-grammatical analysis, quantitative examination, and contextual, structural, narrative, and stylistic analyses. The research revealed a range of important stylistic features of medical case reports which markedly distinguish them from other genres of medical scientific writing: educational and instructive intentions, conciseness and brevity, direct and personal tone, and material presented in a narrative style. The present research has shown that the communicative strategies of the analyzed discourse, mentioned immediately above, are effectively implemented by means of specific lexical units and grammatical structures: the dominance of active voice sentences, past simple tense, personal pronouns, and modal verbs. The research has also detected the occasional use of the present perfect, present simple, and future simple tenses and passive voice which also serve particular communicative purposes of medical case reports. Medical case reports possess a range of unique characteristics which differ from those of research articles and other scientific genres within the framework of written medical discourse. It is to be emphasized that it is highly important for medical professionals to master the major stylistic principles and communicative intentions of medical case report as a genre in order to share their findings with fellow researchers from all over the world. Hence, in the process of training future medical researchers, the analysis of the basic mechanisms of writing a medical case report should be an integral part of the curricula in English for Specific Purposes at universities.

Experiences of Siblings of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Angell, Maureen E.; Meadan, Hedda; Stoner, Julia B.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and identify their self-reported support needs. We conducted in-person semi-structured interviews with 12 siblings aged 7 to 15 of children aged 6 to 15 with ASDs. Employing a qualitative collective case study research method, we conducted cross-case analyses to address our research questions. Three major themes emerged: (a) descriptions of the sibling subsystem (b) cohesion between and among the siblings, and (c) adaptability of the participant siblings to having family members with ASDs. Discussion of these findings and recommendations for future research contributes to the existing literature on siblings of children with disabilities. PMID:22928104

Case-study experiments in the introductory physics curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arion, D. N.; Crosby, K. M.; Murphy, E. A.

2000-09-01

Carthage College added inquiry-based case study activities to the traditional introductory physics laboratory. Student teams designed, constructed, and executed their own experiments to study real-world phenomena, through which they gained understanding both of physic principles and methods of physics research. Assessment results and student feedback through teacher evaluations indicate that these activities improved student attitudes about physics as well as their ability to solve physics problems relative to previous course offerings that did not include case study.

Evaluating Community-Based Participatory Research to Improve Community-Partnered Science and Community Health

PubMed Central

Hicks, Sarah; Duran, Bonnie; Wallerstein, Nina; Avila, Magdalena; Belone, Lorenda; Lucero, Julie; Magarati, Maya; Mainer, Elana; Martin, Diane; Muhammad, Michael; Oetzel, John; Pearson, Cynthia; Sahota, Puneet; Simonds, Vanessa; Sussman, Andrew; Tafoya, Greg; Hat, Emily White

2013-01-01

Background Since 2007, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Policy Research Center (PRC) has partnered with the Universities of New Mexico and Washington to study the science of community-based participatory research (CBPR). Our goal is to identify facilitators and barriers to effective community–academic partnerships in American Indian and other communities, which face health disparities. Objectives We have described herein the scientific design of our National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study (2009–2013) and lessons learned by having a strong community partner leading the research efforts. Methods The research team is implementing a mixed-methods study involving a survey of principal investigators (PIs) and partners across the nation and in-depth case studies of CBPR projects. Results We present preliminary findings on methods and measures for community-engaged research and eight lessons learned thus far regarding partnership evaluation, advisory councils, historical trust, research capacity development of community partner, advocacy, honoring each other, messaging, and funding. Conclusions Study methodologies and lessons learned can help community–academic research partnerships translate research in communities. PMID:22982842

Sexual harassment within the marine sciences and the ethical dilemmas of collaboration: a case study in the education and reportino methods available to scientists, students, and staff on board a federal research vessel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohern, J.

2016-02-01

Within the Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, a disparity between male and female involvement persists on the order of about 3:1. While roughly 40% of men with STEM degrees go on to pursue STEM jobs, just 26% of women with STEM degrees hold jobs within the STEM field. There are a number of contributing factors to these disparities, but one pernicious factor is the issue of sexual harassment and discrimination. For the marine sciences this is an especially concerning issue because our field research frequently takes place hundreds of miles offshore. Despite education and policy initiatives, sexual harassment pervades many research vessels and is often never addressed, discouraging female involvement and limiting the opportunities available to women. Ethical dilemmas develop when administrators do not want to risk limited field schedules and funding while investigations are conducted and harassment issues resolved. Additionally, scientists and staff often collaborate between institutions, benefitting science but blurring the lines of responsibility. In one such case, administrators within a federal research office declined to report sexual harassment taking place between contracted crew members on their research vessel. The lengthy review process and lack of culpability discourages reporting of sexual harassment and allows problematic situations to occur. This case study reviews the reporting mechanisms currently in place, the barriers to reporting, and the proposed methods for more effectively resolving discriminatory workplaces. Collaboration within marine science is an absolute necessity, and our research benefits from diverse working groups. As marine scientists we have an ethical responsibility to ensure safe working environments for both the scientists and the staff who make our research possible.

Generalizing DTW to the multi-dimensional case requires an adaptive approach

PubMed Central

Hu, Bing; Jin, Hongxia; Wang, Jun; Keogh, Eamonn

2017-01-01

In recent years Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) has emerged as the distance measure of choice for virtually all time series data mining applications. For example, virtually all applications that process data from wearable devices use DTW as a core sub-routine. This is the result of significant progress in improving DTW’s efficiency, together with multiple empirical studies showing that DTW-based classifiers at least equal (and generally surpass) the accuracy of all their rivals across dozens of datasets. Thus far, most of the research has considered only the one-dimensional case, with practitioners generalizing to the multi-dimensional case in one of two ways, dependent or independent warping. In general, it appears the community believes either that the two ways are equivalent, or that the choice is irrelevant. In this work, we show that this is not the case. The two most commonly used multi-dimensional DTW methods can produce different classifications, and neither one dominates over the other. This seems to suggest that one should learn the best method for a particular application. However, we will show that this is not necessary; a simple, principled rule can be used on a case-by-case basis to predict which of the two methods we should trust at the time of classification. Our method allows us to ensure that classification results are at least as accurate as the better of the two rival methods, and, in many cases, our method is significantly more accurate. We demonstrate our ideas with the most extensive set of multi-dimensional time series classification experiments ever attempted. PMID:29104448

GSTAR-SUR Modeling With Calendar Variations And Intervention To Forecast Outflow Of Currencies In Java Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akbar, M. S.; Setiawan; Suhartono; Ruchjana, B. N.; Riyadi, M. A. A.

2018-03-01

Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) is general method to estimates Generalized Space Time Autoregressive (GSTAR) parameters. But in some cases, the residuals of GSTAR are correlated between location. If OLS is applied to this case, then the estimators are inefficient. Generalized Least Squares (GLS) is a method used in Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) model. This method estimated parameters of some models with residuals between equations are correlated. Simulation study shows that GSTAR with GLS method for estimating parameters (GSTAR-SUR) is more efficient than GSTAR-OLS method. The purpose of this research is to apply GSTAR-SUR with calendar variation and intervention as exogenous variable (GSTARX-SUR) for forecast outflow of currency in Java, Indonesia. As a result, GSTARX-SUR provides better performance than GSTARX-OLS.

Is the Alma Ata vision of comprehensive primary health care viable? Findings from an international project

PubMed Central

Labonté, Ronald; Sanders, David; Packer, Corinne; Schaay, Nikki

2014-01-01

Background The 4-year (2007–2011) Revitalizing Health for All international research program (http://www.globalhealthequity.ca/projects/proj_revitalizing/index.shtml) supported 20 research teams located in 15 low- and middle-income countries to explore the strengths and weaknesses of comprehensive primary health care (CPHC) initiatives at their local or national levels. Teams were organized in a triad comprised of a senior researcher, a new researcher, and a ‘research user’ from government, health services, or other organizations with the authority or capacity to apply the research findings. Multiple regional and global team capacity-enhancement meetings were organized to refine methods and to discuss and assess cross-case findings. Objective Most research projects used mixed methods, incorporating analyses of qualitative data (interviews and focus groups), secondary data, and key policy and program documents. Some incorporated historical case study analyses, and a few undertook new surveys. The synthesis of findings in this report was derived through qualitative analysis of final project reports undertaken by three different reviewers. Results Evidence of comprehensiveness (defined in this research program as efforts to improve equity in access, community empowerment and participation, social and environmental health determinants, and intersectoral action) was found in many of the cases. Conclusions Despite the important contextual differences amongst the different country studies, the similarity of many of their findings, often generated using mixed methods, attests to certain transferable health systems characteristics to create and sustain CPHC practices. These include:  Well-trained and supported community health workers (CHWs) able to work effectively with marginalized communities Effective mechanisms for community participation, both informal (through participation in projects and programs, and meaningful consultation) and formal (though program management structures) Co-partnership models in program and policy development (in which financial and knowledge supports from governments or institutions are provided to communities, which retain decision-making powers in program design and implementation) Support for community advocacy and engagement in health and social systems decision making These characteristics, in turn, require a political context that supports state responsibilities for redistributive health and social protection measures. PMID:25150030

Is the Alma Ata vision of comprehensive primary health care viable? Findings from an international project.

PubMed

Labonté, Ronald; Sanders, David; Packer, Corinne; Schaay, Nikki

2014-01-01

The 4-year (2007-2011) Revitalizing Health for All international research program (http://www.globalhealthequity.ca/projects/proj_revitalizing/index.shtml) supported 20 research teams located in 15 low- and middle-income countries to explore the strengths and weaknesses of comprehensive primary health care (CPHC) initiatives at their local or national levels. Teams were organized in a triad comprised of a senior researcher, a new researcher, and a 'research user' from government, health services, or other organizations with the authority or capacity to apply the research findings. Multiple regional and global team capacity-enhancement meetings were organized to refine methods and to discuss and assess cross-case findings. Most research projects used mixed methods, incorporating analyses of qualitative data (interviews and focus groups), secondary data, and key policy and program documents. Some incorporated historical case study analyses, and a few undertook new surveys. The synthesis of findings in this report was derived through qualitative analysis of final project reports undertaken by three different reviewers. Evidence of comprehensiveness (defined in this research program as efforts to improve equity in access, community empowerment and participation, social and environmental health determinants, and intersectoral action) was found in many of the cases. Despite the important contextual differences amongst the different country studies, the similarity of many of their findings, often generated using mixed methods, attests to certain transferable health systems characteristics to create and sustain CPHC practices. These include:1. Well-trained and supported community health workers (CHWs) able to work effectively with marginalized communities2. Effective mechanisms for community participation, both informal (through participation in projects and programs, and meaningful consultation) and formal (though program management structures)3. Co-partnership models in program and policy development (in which financial and knowledge supports from governments or institutions are provided to communities, which retain decision-making powers in program design and implementation)4. Support for community advocacy and engagement in health and social systems decision makingThese characteristics, in turn, require a political context that supports state responsibilities for redistributive health and social protection measures.

Case base classification on digital mammograms: improving the performance of case base classifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raman, Valliappan; Then, H. H.; Sumari, Putra; Venkatesa Mohan, N.

2011-10-01

Breast cancer continues to be a significant public health problem in the world. Early detection is the key for improving breast cancer prognosis. The aim of the research presented here is in twofold. First stage of research involves machine learning techniques, which segments and extracts features from the mass of digital mammograms. Second level is on problem solving approach which includes classification of mass by performance based case base classifier. In this paper we build a case-based Classifier in order to diagnose mammographic images. We explain different methods and behaviors that have been added to the classifier to improve the performance of the classifier. Currently the initial Performance base Classifier with Bagging is proposed in the paper and it's been implemented and it shows an improvement in specificity and sensitivity.

Action Research of an Error Self-Correction Intervention: Examining the Effects on the Spelling Accuracy Behaviors of Fifth-Grade Students Identified as At-Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Jill; Rafferty, Lisa A.; Sullivan, Ray; Blake, Amy

2017-01-01

In this action research case study, the researchers used a multiple baseline across two student pairs design to investigate the effects of the error self-correction method on the spelling accuracy behaviors for four fifth-grade students who were identified as being at risk for learning disabilities. The dependent variable was the participants'…

Case Method Instruction: 25 Minutes of Discussion Can Make a Difference

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

discussion was facilitated by computer rather than an instructor. In a comparison of pretest and posttest scores, students performed better on a...that the research design utilized a within-subjects design without a control group. Thus, the pretest might have primed students to focus on the... Research Institute Jason M. Brunner and Christopher L. Vowels Kansas State University Consortium Research Fellows Program Julia M. Kim

U.S. ARMY HUMAN FACTORS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL CONFERENCE, INDIVIDUAL AND SMALL-UNIT TRAINING FOR COMBAT OPERATIONS (12TH, FORT BENNING, GEORGIA, OCTOBER 1966).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

JACOBS, T.O.; AND OTHERS

RESEARCH IN THE AREA OF MILITARY TRAINING AND TRAINING METHODS WAS REVIEWED AND ASSESSED FOR (1) ITS RELEVANCE TO MODERN COMBAT OPERATIONS (IDENTIFICATION OF COMBAT TASKS, DEVELOPMENT OF SKILL TRAINING, AND EVALUATION) AND (2) ITS EFFICIENCY (REDUCED COST AND TIME AND INCREASED TRAINEE PROFICIENCY, OR BOTH). CASES OF EFFECTIVE RESEARCH IN USE OF…

Three Interaction Patterns on Asynchronous Online Discussion Behaviours: A Methodological Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jo, I.; Park, Y.; Lee, H.

2017-01-01

An asynchronous online discussion (AOD) is one format of instructional methods that facilitate student-centered learning. In the wealth of AOD research, this study evaluated how students' behavior on AOD influences their academic outcomes. This case study compared the differential analytic methods including web log mining, social network analysis…