The Development, Description and Appraisal of an Emergent Multimethod Research Design to Study Workforce Changes in Integrated Care Interventions.

PubMed

Busetto, Loraine; Luijkx, Katrien; Calciolari, Stefano; González-Ortiz, Laura G; Vrijhoef, Hubertus J M

2017-03-08

In this paper, we provide a detailed and explicit description of the processes and decisions underlying and shaping the emergent multimethod research design of our study on workforce changes in integrated chronic care. The study was originally planned as mixed method research consisting of a preliminary literature review and quantitative check of these findings via a Delphi panel. However, when the findings of the literature review were not appropriate for quantitative confirmation, we chose to continue our qualitative exploration of the topic via qualitative questionnaires and secondary analysis of two best practice case reports. The resulting research design is schematically described as an emergent and interactive multimethod design with multiphase combination timing. In doing so, we provide other researchers with a set of theory- and experience-based options to develop their own multimethod research and provide an example for more detailed and structured reporting of emergent designs. We argue that the terminology developed for the description of mixed methods designs should also be used for multimethod designs such as the one presented here.

Use and Taxonomy of Social Media in Cancer-Related Research: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Klasko, Lynne; Davis, Stacy N.; Gwede, Clement K.; Wells, Kristen J.; Kumar, Ambuj; Lopez, Natalia; Meade, Cathy D.

2014-01-01

Little is known about how social media are used in cancer care. We conducted a systematic review of the use and taxonomy of social media in cancer-related studies, in PubMed, Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. We located 1350 articles published through October 2013; 69 met study inclusion criteria. Early research (1996–2007) was predominantly descriptive studies of online forums. Later, researchers began analyzing blogs, videos shared on YouTube, and social networking sites. Most studies (n = 62) were descriptive, and only 7 reported intervention studies published since 2010. Future research should include more intervention studies to determine how social media can influence behavior, and more empirical research is needed on how social media may be used to reduce health disparities. PMID:24832403

Use and taxonomy of social media in cancer-related research: a systematic review.

PubMed

Koskan, Alexis; Klasko, Lynne; Davis, Stacy N; Gwede, Clement K; Wells, Kristen J; Kumar, Ambuj; Lopez, Natalia; Meade, Cathy D

2014-07-01

Little is known about how social media are used in cancer care. We conducted a systematic review of the use and taxonomy of social media in cancer-related studies, in PubMed, Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. We located 1350 articles published through October 2013; 69 met study inclusion criteria. Early research (1996-2007) was predominantly descriptive studies of online forums. Later, researchers began analyzing blogs, videos shared on YouTube, and social networking sites. Most studies (n = 62) were descriptive, and only 7 reported intervention studies published since 2010. Future research should include more intervention studies to determine how social media can influence behavior, and more empirical research is needed on how social media may be used to reduce health disparities.

77 FR 37025 - Final Priority: Disability Rehabilitation Research Project-Burn Model Systems Centers

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-20

... other types of research, including but not limited to, descriptive research, exploratory research, and... interventions research and descriptive research, exploratory research, measures development, or other types of... injury or to conduct other types of research, including but not limited to, descriptive research...

78 FR 1213 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-08

... Information Collection Activity; Comment Request Title: Descriptive Study of County versus State Administered... Descriptive Study of County and State Administered TANF Programs. The proposed information collection consists... be forwarded by writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research...

Using Storybooks as a Character Education Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turan, Fethi; Ulutas, Ilkay

2016-01-01

This study aims to investigate the views and implementations of preschool teachers in "giving character education through picture storybooks." Descriptive review method was used in the research and supported with focus group interviews. For this reason data were took from two study groups (for the descriptive study group n = 245, for the…

Description and Recognition of the Concept of Social Capital in Higher Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tonkaboni, Forouzan; Yousefy, Alireza; Keshtiaray, Narges

2013-01-01

The current research is intended to describe and recognize the concept of social capital in higher education based on theoretical method in a descriptive-analytical approach. Description and Recognition of the data, gathered from theoretical and experimental studies, indicated that social capital is one of the most important indices for…

Music Teachers' Descriptions of Their Workplaces in Relation to Micropolitics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conway, Colleen; Rawlings, Jared; Hibbard, Shannan

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the descriptions of workplace experiences of nine music teachers in direct relation to the literature on micropolitics. Research questions were: (a) How did participant music teachers' descriptions of their workplace experiences relate to teachers, administrators, and students (as discussed in the…

The Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database: A Tool to Support Population-Based Interdisciplinary Research.

PubMed

Kennedy, Amy E; Khoury, Muin J; Ioannidis, John P A; Brotzman, Michelle; Miller, Amy; Lane, Crystal; Lai, Gabriel Y; Rogers, Scott D; Harvey, Chinonye; Elena, Joanne W; Seminara, Daniela

2016-10-01

We report on the establishment of a web-based Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database (CEDCD). The CEDCD's goals are to enhance awareness of resources, facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations, and support existing cohorts for the study of cancer-related outcomes. Comprehensive descriptive data were collected from large cohorts established to study cancer as primary outcome using a newly developed questionnaire. These included an inventory of baseline and follow-up data, biospecimens, genomics, policies, and protocols. Additional descriptive data extracted from publicly available sources were also collected. This information was entered in a searchable and publicly accessible database. We summarized the descriptive data across cohorts and reported the characteristics of this resource. As of December 2015, the CEDCD includes data from 46 cohorts representing more than 6.5 million individuals (29% ethnic/racial minorities). Overall, 78% of the cohorts have collected blood at least once, 57% at multiple time points, and 46% collected tissue samples. Genotyping has been performed by 67% of the cohorts, while 46% have performed whole-genome or exome sequencing in subsets of enrolled individuals. Information on medical conditions other than cancer has been collected in more than 50% of the cohorts. More than 600,000 incident cancer cases and more than 40,000 prevalent cases are reported, with 24 cancer sites represented. The CEDCD assembles detailed descriptive information on a large number of cancer cohorts in a searchable database. Information from the CEDCD may assist the interdisciplinary research community by facilitating identification of well-established population resources and large-scale collaborative and integrative research. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(10); 1392-401. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Developing the DESCARTE Model: The Design of Case Study Research in Health Care.

PubMed

Carolan, Clare M; Forbat, Liz; Smith, Annetta

2016-04-01

Case study is a long-established research tradition which predates the recent surge in mixed-methods research. Although a myriad of nuanced definitions of case study exist, seminal case study authors agree that the use of multiple data sources typify this research approach. The expansive case study literature demonstrates a lack of clarity and guidance in designing and reporting this approach to research. Informed by two reviews of the current health care literature, we posit that methodological description in case studies principally focuses on description of case study typology, which impedes the construction of methodologically clear and rigorous case studies. We draw from the case study and mixed-methods literature to develop the DESCARTE model as an innovative approach to the design, conduct, and reporting of case studies in health care. We examine how case study fits within the overall enterprise of qualitatively driven mixed-methods research, and the potential strengths of the model are considered. © The Author(s) 2015.

Including mixed methods research in systematic reviews: examples from qualitative syntheses in TB and malaria control.

PubMed

Atkins, Salla; Launiala, Annika; Kagaha, Alexander; Smith, Helen

2012-04-30

Health policy makers now have access to a greater number and variety of systematic reviews to inform different stages in the policy making process, including reviews of qualitative research. The inclusion of mixed methods studies in systematic reviews is increasing, but these studies pose particular challenges to methods of review. This article examines the quality of the reporting of mixed methods and qualitative-only studies. We used two completed systematic reviews to generate a sample of qualitative studies and mixed method studies in order to make an assessment of how the quality of reporting and rigor of qualitative-only studies compares with that of mixed-methods studies. Overall, the reporting of qualitative studies in our sample was consistently better when compared with the reporting of mixed methods studies. We found that mixed methods studies are less likely to provide a description of the research conduct or qualitative data analysis procedures and less likely to be judged credible or provide rich data and thick description compared with standalone qualitative studies. Our time-related analysis shows that for both types of study, papers published since 2003 are more likely to report on the study context, describe analysis procedures, and be judged credible and provide rich data. However, the reporting of other aspects of research conduct (i.e. descriptions of the research question, the sampling strategy, and data collection methods) in mixed methods studies does not appear to have improved over time. Mixed methods research makes an important contribution to health research in general, and could make a more substantial contribution to systematic reviews. Through our careful analysis of the quality of reporting of mixed methods and qualitative-only research, we have identified areas that deserve more attention in the conduct and reporting of mixed methods research.

Training in patient navigation: A review of the research literature

PubMed Central

Ustjanauskas, Amy E.; Bredice, Marissa; Nuhaily, Sumayah; Kath, Lisa; Wells, Kristen J.

2016-01-01

Despite the proliferation of patient navigation programs designed to increase timely receipt of health care, little is known about the content and delivery of patient navigation training, or best practices in this arena. The current study begins to address these gaps in understanding, as it is the first study to comprehensively review descriptions of patient navigation training in the peer-reviewed research literature. Seventy-five patient navigation efficacy studies published since 1995, identified through PubMed and by the authors, were included in this narrative review. Fifty-nine of the included studies (79%) mentioned patient navigation training, and fifty-five of these studies additionally provided a description of training. Most studies did not thoroughly document patient navigation training practices. Additionally, several topics integral to the role of patient navigators, as well as components of training central to successful adult learning, were not commonly described in the research literature. Descriptions of training also varied widely across studies in terms of duration, location, format, learning strategies employed, occupation of trainer, and content. These findings demonstrate the need for established standards of navigator training as well as future research on the optimal delivery and content of patient navigation training. PMID:26656600

Training in Patient Navigation: A Review of the Research Literature.

PubMed

Ustjanauskas, Amy E; Bredice, Marissa; Nuhaily, Sumayah; Kath, Lisa; Wells, Kristen J

2016-05-01

Despite the proliferation of patient navigation programs designed to increase timely receipt of health care, little is known about the content and delivery of patient navigation training, or best practices in this arena. The current study begins to address these gaps in understanding, as it is the first study to comprehensively review descriptions of patient navigation training in the peer-reviewed research literature. Seventy-five patient navigation efficacy studies published since 1995, identified through PubMed and by the authors, were included in this narrative review. Fifty-nine of the included studies (79%) mentioned patient navigation training, and 55 of these studies additionally provided a description of training. Most studies did not thoroughly document patient navigation training practices. Additionally, several topics integral to the role of patient navigators, as well as components of training central to successful adult learning, were not commonly described in the research literature. Descriptions of training also varied widely across studies in terms of duration, location, format, learning strategies employed, occupation of trainer, and content. These findings demonstrate the need for established standards of navigator training as well as for future research on the optimal delivery and content of patient navigation training. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

76 FR 67745 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-02

... Information Collection Activity; Comment Request Title: Descriptive Study of Tribal Temporary Assistance for... and Families (ACF) is proposing an information collection activity as part of the Descriptive Study of... Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington...

The Development, Description and Appraisal of an Emergent Multimethod Research Design to Study Workforce Changes in Integrated Care Interventions

PubMed Central

Luijkx, Katrien; Calciolari, Stefano; González-Ortiz, Laura G.

2017-01-01

Introduction: In this paper, we provide a detailed and explicit description of the processes and decisions underlying and shaping the emergent multimethod research design of our study on workforce changes in integrated chronic care. Theory and methods: The study was originally planned as mixed method research consisting of a preliminary literature review and quantitative check of these findings via a Delphi panel. However, when the findings of the literature review were not appropriate for quantitative confirmation, we chose to continue our qualitative exploration of the topic via qualitative questionnaires and secondary analysis of two best practice case reports. Results: The resulting research design is schematically described as an emergent and interactive multimethod design with multiphase combination timing. In doing so, we provide other researchers with a set of theory- and experience-based options to develop their own multimethod research and provide an example for more detailed and structured reporting of emergent designs. Conclusion and discussion: We argue that the terminology developed for the description of mixed methods designs should also be used for multimethod designs such as the one presented here. PMID:29042843

Keeping nurse researchers safe: workplace health and safety issues.

PubMed

Barr, Jennieffer; Welch, Anthony

2012-07-01

This article is a report of a qualitative study of workplace health and safety issues in nursing research. Researcher health and safety have become increasing concerns as there is an increased amount of research undertaken in the community and yet there is a lack of appropriate guidelines on how to keep researchers safe when undertaking fieldwork. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, using different sources of data to find any references to researcher health and safety issues. A simple descriptive approach to inquiry was used for this study. Three approaches to data collection were used: interviews with 15 researchers, audits of 18 ethics applications, and exploration of the literature between 1992 and 2010 for examples of researcher safety issues. Data analysis from the three approaches identified participant comments, narrative descriptions or statements focused on researcher health and safety. Nurse researchers' health and safety may be at risk when conducting research in the community. Particular concern involves conducting sensitive research where researchers are physically at risk of being harmed, or being exposed to the development of somatic symptoms. Nurse researchers may perceive the level of risk of harm as lower than the actual or potential harm present in research. Nurse researchers do not consistently implement risk assessment before and during research. Researcher health and safety should be carefully considered at all stages of the research process. Research focusing on sensitive data and vulnerable populations need to consider risk minimization through strategies such as appropriate researcher preparation, safety during data collection, and debriefing if required. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Nursing MSc Theses: A Study of an Iranian College of Nursing and Midwifery in Two Decades (1990-2010)

PubMed Central

Motamed-Jahromi, Mohadeseh; Dehghani, Seyedeh Leila

2014-01-01

Aim: A thesis is an important part of nursing graduate students’ education, which is also their first systematic and scientific attempt to learn the ABCs of research. Articles derived from theses are important for the dissemination of science and the improvement of nursing as a field. Therefore, it is the goal of the present research is to analyze the different aspects of nursing MSc theses and the number of published articles derived from them. Methods: This was a descriptive research carried out on 145 nursing MSc theses defended in Razi Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in Kerman between 1990 and 2010. All of the extracted data were put into an Excel file (2007 version) followed by a data analysis. Results: The results of this study were then presented via the use of descriptive statistics and figures. The research findings showed that most of the theses used a descriptive or analytical-descriptive method, and 42% of them had patients as their participants. They were usually delivered on the subject of health care, and only 58 articles were extracted from the whole 145 theses. Conclusion: The process of writing nursing MSc theses and thesis research articles is improving gradually. However, there is a growing need for empirical and semi-empirical research to bridge the gap between theory and practice, which is also a major concern among nurses. PMID:25168988

Nursing MSc theses: a study of an Iranian College of Nursing and Midwifery in two decades (1990-2010).

PubMed

Motamed-Jahromi, Mohadeseh; Leila Dehghani, Seyedeh

2014-05-15

A thesis is an important part of nursing graduate students' education, which is also their first systematic and scientific attempt to learn the ABCs of research. Articles derived from theses are important for the dissemination of science and the improvement of nursing as a field. Therefore, it is the goal of the present research is to analyze the different aspects of nursing MSc theses and the number of published articles derived from them. This was a descriptive research carried out on 145 nursing MSc theses defended in Razi Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery in Kerman between 1990 and 2010. All of the extracted data were put into an Excel file (2007 version) followed by a data analysis. The results of this study were then presented via the use of descriptive statistics and figures. The research findings showed that most of the theses used a descriptive or analytical-descriptive method, and 42% of them had patients as their participants. They were usually delivered on the subject of health care, and only 58 articles were extracted from the whole 145 theses. The process of writing nursing MSc theses and thesis research articles is improving gradually. However, there is a growing need for empirical and semi-empirical research to bridge the gap between theory and practice, which is also a major concern among nurses.

77 FR 14808 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

... OMB Review; Comment Request Title: Descriptive Study of Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families... and Families (ACF) is proposing an information collection activity as part of the Descriptive Study of... writing to the Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, 370...

The Characteristics of a Community of Practice in a National Writing Project Invitational Summer Institute

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearce, Terisa Ronette

2010-01-01

This qualitative naturalistic descriptive case study provides an understanding of the characteristics of a community of practice within a National Writing Project invitational summer institute. This study utilized naturalistic, descriptive case study methodology to answer the research question: What characteristics of a community of practice are…

The Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database: A Tool to Support Population-Based Interdisciplinary Research

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Amy E.; Khoury, Muin J.; Ioannidis, John P.A.; Brotzman, Michelle; Miller, Amy; Lane, Crystal; Lai, Gabriel Y.; Rogers, Scott D.; Harvey, Chinonye; Elena, Joanne W.; Seminara, Daniela

2017-01-01

Background We report on the establishment of a web-based Cancer Epidemiology Descriptive Cohort Database (CEDCD). The CEDCD’s goals are to enhance awareness of resources, facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations, and support existing cohorts for the study of cancer-related outcomes. Methods Comprehensive descriptive data were collected from large cohorts established to study cancer as primary outcome using a newly developed questionnaire. These included an inventory of baseline and follow-up data, biospecimens, genomics, policies, and protocols. Additional descriptive data extracted from publicly available sources were also collected. This information was entered in a searchable and publicly accessible database. We summarized the descriptive data across cohorts and reported the characteristics of this resource. Results As of December 2015, the CEDCD includes data from 46 cohorts representing more than 6.5 million individuals (29% ethnic/racial minorities). Overall, 78% of the cohorts have collected blood at least once, 57% at multiple time points, and 46% collected tissue samples. Genotyping has been performed by 67% of the cohorts, while 46% have performed whole-genome or exome sequencing in subsets of enrolled individuals. Information on medical conditions other than cancer has been collected in more than 50% of the cohorts. More than 600,000 incident cancer cases and more than 40,000 prevalent cases are reported, with 24 cancer sites represented. Conclusions The CEDCD assembles detailed descriptive information on a large number of cancer cohorts in a searchable database. Impact Information from the CEDCD may assist the interdisciplinary research community by facilitating identification of well-established population resources and large-scale collaborative and integrative research. PMID:27439404

Classroom Research by Classroom Teachers, 1992.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanner, Michael, Ed.

1992-01-01

This volume celebrates teachers as life-long learners of the art of teaching, by presenting 21 action research studies designed and implemented by classroom teachers. A "How To Get Started" section outlines action research steps and offers worksheets. Descriptions of the research studies begin with ethnographic studies, which include "Adopt a…

An overview of the information management component of RICIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Peter C.

1987-01-01

Information management is the RICIS (Research Institute for Computing and Information Systems) research area which covers four types of tasks initiated during the first year of research: (1) surveys - a description of the existing state of some area in computing and information systems; (2) forecasts - a description of the alternative future states of some area; (3) plans - an approach to accomplishing some objective in the future; and (4) demonstrations - working prototypes and field trials to study the feasibility and the benefits of a particular information system. The activity in these research areas is described.

Singer Perceptions of Collegiate Mid-Level Choral Experiences: A Descriptive Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Major, Marci L.; Dakon, Jacob M.

2016-01-01

In this descriptive study, researchers surveyed choristers (N = 630) from 16 mid-level collegiate choirs nationwide to investigate their perceptions and behaviors as they related to the strategies used by directors to facilitate ensemble identity. Also investigated were the factors affecting choristers' dedication to choir and their intentions…

76 FR 40372 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-08

... OMB Review; Comment Request Title: Descriptive Study of Early Head Start (Early Head Start Family and...-natal cohort of the Descriptive Study of Early Head Start (Early Head Start Family and Child Experiences... Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington...

76 FR 18223 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-01

... Information Collection Activity; Comment Request Title: Descriptive Study of Early Head Start (Early Head... tracking for the peri-natal cohort of the Descriptive Study of Early Head Start (Early Head Start Family... Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447...

Nurses' various ways of conceiving their learning process as doctoral students: a phenomenographic study.

PubMed

Arvidsson, Barbro; Franke, Anita

2013-01-01

The aim was to describe variations in how doctoral students conceive their learning process to become researchers in the light of their professional background as nurses. Nursing research is an emerging discipline and the number of nurses who acquire a doctor's degree is increasing. The study had a descriptive, qualitative design with a phenomenographic approach and was carried out by means of 20 interviews. Three different description categories emerged: (1) A learning process that provides a synthesis of different parts of the research process aimed at developing preparedness for action within the nursing profession. (2) A learning process where practical problems are integrated with and problematised in relation to scientific theories. (3) A learning process involving the transformation from nurse to researcher. The description categories revealed that the focus was on solving problems that occur in health care and synthesising them by means of research tools. Furthermore, the doctoral students explored different ways of understanding and developing their awareness of the nature of research. Focus was also on the nursing profession and practice and a shift towards the role of a researcher was evident. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Participant comprehension of research for which they volunteer: a systematic review.

PubMed

Montalvo, Wanda; Larson, Elaine

2014-11-01

Evidence indicates that research participants often do not fully understand the studies for which they have volunteered. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between the process of obtaining informed consent for research and participant comprehension and satisfaction with the research. Systematic review of published research on informed consent and participant comprehension of research for which they volunteer using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Statement as a guide. PubMed, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trails, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were used to search the literature for studies meeting the following inclusion criteria: (a) published between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2013, (b) interventional or descriptive quantitative design, (c) published in a peer-reviewed journal, (d) written in English, and (e) assessed participant comprehension or satisfaction with the research process. Studies were assessed for quality using seven indicators: sampling method, use of controls or comparison groups, response rate, description of intervention, description of outcome, statistical method, and health literacy assessment. Of 176 studies identified, 27 met inclusion criteria: 13 (48%) were randomized interventional designs and 14 (52%) were descriptive. Three categories of studies included projects assessing (a) enhanced consent process or form, (b) multimedia methods, and (c) education to improve participant understanding. Most (78%) used investigator-developed tools to assess participant comprehension, did not assess participant health literacy (74%), or did not assess the readability level of the consent form (89%). Researchers found participants lacked basic understanding of research elements: randomization, placebo, risks, and therapeutic misconception. Findings indicate (a) inconsistent assessment of participant reading or health literacy level, (b) measurement variation associated with use of nonstandardized tools, and (c) continued therapeutic misconception and lack of understanding among research participants of randomization, placebo, benefit, and risk. While the Agency for Healthcare and Quality and National Quality Forum have published informed consent and authorization toolkits, previously published validated tools are underutilized. Informed consent requires the assessment of health literacy, reading level, and comprehension of research participants using validated assessment tools and methods. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

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…

Comparative-Descriptive Study of Academic Vocabulary Specific Instruction on 3rd Grade English Language Learner Reading Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Shelley

2017-01-01

Language must be taught with academic vocabulary that is meaningful and that can be transferred between content and context. This comparative-descriptive research study examines how academic specific instruction increases students' learning of a second language acquisition (i.e., English). The conceptual framework of the study drew research…

Changes in Perceptions: A Comparative Study of the Experiential Learning of International Student Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Joane W.; Montgomery, Janey

This study was designed to provide a rich description of the changing perceptions student teachers had about increased personal growth and enhanced global awareness as a result of teaching placements in foreign countries. The study included an examination of research on the impact of international student teaching (IST) experiences, description of…

Qualitative Research in Palliative Care: Applications to Clinical Trials Work.

PubMed

Lim, Christopher T; Tadmor, Avia; Fujisawa, Daisuke; MacDonald, James J; Gallagher, Emily R; Eusebio, Justin; Jackson, Vicki A; Temel, Jennifer S; Greer, Joseph A; Hagan, Teresa; Park, Elyse R

2017-08-01

While vast opportunities for using qualitative methods exist within palliative care research, few studies provide practical advice for researchers and clinicians as a roadmap to identify and utilize such opportunities. To provide palliative care clinicians and researchers descriptions of qualitative methodology applied to innovative research questions relative to palliative care research and define basic concepts in qualitative research. Body: We describe three qualitative projects as exemplars to describe major concepts in qualitative analysis of early palliative care: (1) a descriptive analysis of clinician documentation in the electronic health record, (2) a thematic content analysis of palliative care clinician focus groups, and (3) a framework analysis of audio-recorded encounters between patients and clinicians as part of a clinical trial. This study provides a foundation for undertaking qualitative research within palliative care and serves as a framework for use by other palliative care researchers interested in qualitative methodologies.

Higher Education Teachers' Descriptions of Their Own Learning: A Large-Scale Study of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Töytäri, Aija; Piirainen, Arja; Tynjälä, Päivi; Vanhanen-Nuutinen, Liisa; Mäki, Kimmo; Ilves, Vesa

2016-01-01

In this large-scale study, higher education teachers' descriptions of their own learning were examined with qualitative analysis involving application of principles of phenomenographic research. This study is unique: it is unusual to use large-scale data in qualitative studies. The data were collected through an e-mail survey sent to 5960 teachers…

Smoking Cessation among Low-Socioeconomic Status and Disadvantaged Population Groups: A Systematic Review of Research Output.

PubMed

Courtney, Ryan J; Naicker, Sundresan; Shakeshaft, Anthony; Clare, Philip; Martire, Kristy A; Mattick, Richard P

2015-06-08

Smoking cessation research output should move beyond descriptive research of the health problem to testing interventions that can provide causal data and effective evidence-based solutions. This review examined the number and type of published smoking cessation studies conducted in low-socioeconomic status (low-SES) and disadvantaged population groups. A systematic database search was conducted for two time periods: 2000-2004 (TP1) and 2008-2012 (TP2). Publications that examined smoking cessation in a low-SES or disadvantaged population were coded by: population of interest; study type (reviews, non-data based publications, data-based publications (descriptive, measurement and intervention research)); and country. Intervention studies were coded in accordance with the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care data collection checklist and use of biochemical verification of self-reported abstinence was assessed. 278 citations were included. Research output (i.e., all study types) had increased from TP1 27% to TP2 73% (χ²=73.13, p<0.001), however, the proportion of data-based research had not significantly increased from TP1 and TP2: descriptive (TP1=23% vs. TP2=33%) or intervention (TP1=77% vs. TP2=67%). The proportion of intervention studies adopting biochemical verification of self-reported abstinence had significantly decreased from TP1 to TP2 with an increased reliance on self-reported abstinence (TP1=12% vs. TP2=36%). The current research output is not ideal or optimal to decrease smoking rates. Research institutions, scholars and funding organisations should take heed to review findings when developing future research and policy.

ONS: an ontology for a standardized description of interventions and observational studies in nutrition.

PubMed

Vitali, Francesco; Lombardo, Rosario; Rivero, Damariz; Mattivi, Fulvio; Franceschi, Pietro; Bordoni, Alessandra; Trimigno, Alessia; Capozzi, Francesco; Felici, Giovanni; Taglino, Francesco; Miglietta, Franco; De Cock, Nathalie; Lachat, Carl; De Baets, Bernard; De Tré, Guy; Pinart, Mariona; Nimptsch, Katharina; Pischon, Tobias; Bouwman, Jildau; Cavalieri, Duccio

2018-01-01

The multidisciplinary nature of nutrition research is one of its main strengths. At the same time, however, it presents a major obstacle to integrate data analysis, especially for the terminological and semantic interpretations that specific research fields or communities are used to. To date, a proper ontology to structure and formalize the concepts used for the description of nutritional studies is still lacking. We have developed the Ontology for Nutritional Studies (ONS) by harmonizing selected pre-existing de facto ontologies with novel health and nutritional terminology classifications. The ONS is the result of a scholarly consensus of 51 research centers in nine European countries. The ontology classes and relations are commonly encountered while conducting, storing, harmonizing, integrating, describing, and searching nutritional studies. The ONS facilitates the description and specification of complex nutritional studies as demonstrated with two application scenarios. The ONS is the first systematic effort to provide a solid and extensible formal ontology framework for nutritional studies. Integration of new information can be easily achieved by the addition of extra modules (i.e., nutrigenomics, metabolomics, nutrikinetics, and quality appraisal). The ONS provides a unified and standardized terminology for nutritional studies as a resource for nutrition researchers who might not necessarily be familiar with ontologies and standardization concepts.

Semantic mapping reveals distinct patterns in descriptions of social relations in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Luo, Sean X; Shinall, Jacqueline A; Peterson, Bradley S; Gerber, Andrew J

2016-08-01

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may describe other individuals differently compared with typical adults. In this study, we first asked participants to describe closely related individuals such as parents and close friends with 10 positive and 10 negative characteristics. We then used standard natural language processing methods to digitize and visualize these descriptions. The complex patterns of these descriptive sentences exhibited a difference in semantic space between individuals with ASD and control participants. Machine learning algorithms were able to automatically detect and discriminate between these two groups. Furthermore, we showed that these descriptive sentences from adults with ASD exhibited fewer connections as defined by word-word co-occurrences in descriptions, and these connections in words formed a less "small-world" like network. Autism Res 2016, 9: 846-853. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 605 - The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions A Appendix... RESEARCH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Pt. 605, App. A Appendix A to Part 605—The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions 1. Basic Energy Sciences This program supports basic science research efforts in a...

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 605 - The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions A Appendix... RESEARCH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Pt. 605, App. A Appendix A to Part 605—The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions 1. Basic Energy Sciences This program supports basic science research efforts in a...

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 605 - The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions A Appendix... RESEARCH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Pt. 605, App. A Appendix A to Part 605—The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions 1. Basic Energy Sciences This program supports basic science research efforts in a...

10 CFR Appendix A to Part 605 - The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions A Appendix... RESEARCH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Pt. 605, App. A Appendix A to Part 605—The Energy Research Program Office Descriptions 1. Basic Energy Sciences This program supports basic science research efforts in a...

Improving the Success of Light Armored Vehicle Drivers: A Qualitative Descriptive Narrative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrd, Dathan

2016-01-01

This qualitative descriptive narrative research was the first known study to collect participants' perceptions on the effectiveness of the Marine Corps' Light Armored Vehicle driver training. The general problem was the Marine Corps' vague guidance on curriculum development, instruction, and assessment for driver training of the Light armored…

Anaphoric Descriptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beller, Charley

2013-01-01

The study of definite descriptions has been a central part of research in linguistics and philosophy of language since Russell's seminal work "On Denoting" (Russell 1905). In that work Russell quickly dispatches analyses of denoting expressions with forms like "no man," "some man," "a man," and "every…

Description of Primary Education 1st Grade Students' Forms of Holding a Pencil as well as Their Grip and Compression Strengths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Temur, Turan

2011-01-01

This study aimed to examine how first grade students in primary education held and gripped a pencil and their compressive strength using a descriptive research method. The participants of the research comprises first grade students attending a private school in the city center of Ankara (n=79). All of the four different sections in this private…

Examining Development of Curriculum Knowledge of Prospective Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Ömer; Soylu, Yasin

2017-01-01

Explanatory-confirmatory research design, one of the mixed methods research designs, was used in this study to investigate Curriculum Knowledge developments of prospective teachers regarding algebra. Cross-sectional study method, as a type of descriptive research and one of the non-experimental research designs, was used to collect quantitative…

Research in the Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, James E., Ed.; Kaufman, Alan S., Ed.

2001-01-01

"Research in the Schools" publishes empirical studies focusing on the results of applied educational research, scholarly reviews of research, descriptions of technology applications and innovative teaching strategies, and other topics of interest to educational researchers. Issue number 1 contains these articles: (1) "Factors Associated with…

Canonical Correlation: Terms and Descriptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pugh, Richard C.; Hu, Yuehluen

The use of terms to describe and interpret results from canonical correlation analysis has been inconsistent across research studies. This study assembled the terminology related to the use and interpretation of canonical correlation analysis from research articles, textbooks, and computer manuals. Research articles using canonical correlation…

IT Control Deficiencies That Affect the Financial Reporting of Companies since the Enactment of the Sarbanes Oxley Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Roosevelt

2014-01-01

This research study examined the specific categories of IT control deficiencies and their related effects on financial reporting. The approach to this study was considered non-experimental, an approach sometimes called descriptive. Descriptive statistics are used to describe the basic features of the data in a study, providing simple summaries…

48 CFR 12.202 - Market research and description of agency need.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Market research and description of agency need. 12.202 Section 12.202 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION... Commercial Items 12.202 Market research and description of agency need. (a) Market research (see 10.001) is...

48 CFR 12.202 - Market research and description of agency need.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Market research and description of agency need. 12.202 Section 12.202 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION... Commercial Items 12.202 Market research and description of agency need. (a) Market research (see 10.001) is...

Including mixed methods research in systematic reviews: Examples from qualitative syntheses in TB and malaria control

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Health policy makers now have access to a greater number and variety of systematic reviews to inform different stages in the policy making process, including reviews of qualitative research. The inclusion of mixed methods studies in systematic reviews is increasing, but these studies pose particular challenges to methods of review. This article examines the quality of the reporting of mixed methods and qualitative-only studies. Methods We used two completed systematic reviews to generate a sample of qualitative studies and mixed method studies in order to make an assessment of how the quality of reporting and rigor of qualitative-only studies compares with that of mixed-methods studies. Results Overall, the reporting of qualitative studies in our sample was consistently better when compared with the reporting of mixed methods studies. We found that mixed methods studies are less likely to provide a description of the research conduct or qualitative data analysis procedures and less likely to be judged credible or provide rich data and thick description compared with standalone qualitative studies. Our time-related analysis shows that for both types of study, papers published since 2003 are more likely to report on the study context, describe analysis procedures, and be judged credible and provide rich data. However, the reporting of other aspects of research conduct (i.e. descriptions of the research question, the sampling strategy, and data collection methods) in mixed methods studies does not appear to have improved over time. Conclusions Mixed methods research makes an important contribution to health research in general, and could make a more substantial contribution to systematic reviews. Through our careful analysis of the quality of reporting of mixed methods and qualitative-only research, we have identified areas that deserve more attention in the conduct and reporting of mixed methods research. PMID:22545681

Collaborative Learning in Multicultural Classrooms: A Case Study of Dutch Senior Secondary Vocational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tielman, Kennedy; den Brok, Perry; Bolhuis, Sanneke; Vallejo, Bertha

2012-01-01

This research presents a descriptive study regarding collaborative learning in a multicultural classroom at a vocational education school in The Netherlands. The study bridges two domains of research: research on culturally diverse learning environments--which has mostly concerned primary and general secondary education--and studies on…

Task Descriptions in Diagnostic Radiology. Research Report No. 7. Volume 3, Machine-Related, Patient Care and Administrative Tasks: What Radiologists, Technologists, Nurses and Physicists Do to Run Things and Look After Patients and Equipment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilpatrick, Eleanor

The third of four volumes in Research Report No. 7 of the Health Services Mobility Study (HSMS), this book contains 149 diagnostic radiologist task descriptions that cover activities in the area of nursing (patient care), film processing, quality assurance, radiation protection, machine maintenance, housekeeping, and administration at the…

The Efficacy of Multicultural Education Training in Teacher-Credentialing Programs: A Descriptive Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delk, Tricia

2017-01-01

The purpose of the qualitative descriptive embedded single case study research was to explore how multicultural curriculum and instruction in a teacher-credentialing program prepared pre-service teachers to work with diverse students. The problem was the inadequacy on the part of teacher-credentialing programs to train pre-service teachers to make…

Informational Literacy and Information and Communication Technologies Use by Secondary Education Students in Spain: A Descriptive Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conde, Ma. José Rodríguez; Migueláñez, Susana Olmos; Molina, María Pinto; Abad, Fernando Martínez; Riaza, Blanca García

2011-01-01

Informational literacy and the use of technologies by Secondary Education students in Spain: A descriptive study. The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), together with their application to research carried out on educational areas, are factors which contribute to the promotion of a new educative model constructed on…

Teacher Perceptions and Use of the Internet in the Classroom: A Descriptive Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Steven Michael

2010-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative case study was to explore teacher perceptions and use of the Internet as a tool for constructivist learning. Based on a review of the literature, some researchers concluded that the Internet may be a catalyst for an instructional paradigm towards constructivism (Collins, 1991; Sheingold, 1991; Hadley &…

A Descriptive Analysis of the Principal Workforce in Wisconsin. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 135

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifford, Matthew; Condon, Chris; Greenberg, Ariela; Williams, Ryan; Gerdeman, R. Dean; Fetters, Jenni; Baker, Bruce

2012-01-01

This summary describes a study that responds to a request from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for information on Wisconsin's school principal workforce population. In the study, descriptive analyses addressed two research questions: (1) How do the demographic characteristics of Wisconsin school principals compare how did these…

How Analogue Research Can Advance Descriptive Evaluation Theory: Understanding (and Improving) Stakeholder Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Bernadette; Mark, Melvin M.

2015-01-01

Evaluation theories can be tested in various ways. One approach, the experimental analogue study, is described and illustrated in this article. The approach is presented as a method worthy to use in the pursuit of what Alkin and others have called descriptive evaluation theory. Drawing on analogue studies conducted by the first author, we…

Factors Related to White, Black, and Hispanic Women's Mathematics Attainments: A Descriptive Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothschild, Susan J. S.; Lichtman, Marilyn

Virtually no research conducted on women and mathematics is longitudinal in scope, generalizable in extent, and ethnic-race specific in nature. This descriptive study begins to fill the gap by examining the effects of background, school, and social-psychological factors on Hispanic, black, and white women's mathematics attainments. Data for the…

The Value of Qualitative Description in Health Services and Policy Research

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Health services and policy (HSP) researchers have long used qualitative research methodologies to explore health system issues. However, the appropriateness of one approach, qualitative description, for HSP research is still often overlooked. In this article, I discuss the role that qualitative description can play in HSP research, and argue for its greater acceptance as a valid form of academic scholarship. PMID:28277201

The Role of Qualitative Research in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devetak, Iztok; Glazar, Sasa A.; Vogrinc, Janez

2010-01-01

In the paper the qualitative research in which the researcher has been directly involved, and has himself been examining the research phenomenon in the studied environment, is presented. The aim of this qualitative study is to gather data in the form of rich content-based descriptions of people, events, and situations by using different,…

78 FR 23262 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-18

... OMB Review; Comment Request Title: Descriptive Study of County versus State Administered Temporary... Children and Families (ACF) is proposing an information collection activity as part of the Descriptive... for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW...

Smoking Cessation among Low-Socioeconomic Status and Disadvantaged Population Groups: A Systematic Review of Research Output

PubMed Central

Courtney, Ryan J.; Naicker, Sundresan; Shakeshaft, Anthony; Clare, Philip; Martire, Kristy A.; Mattick, Richard P.

2015-01-01

Background: Smoking cessation research output should move beyond descriptive research of the health problem to testing interventions that can provide causal data and effective evidence-based solutions. This review examined the number and type of published smoking cessation studies conducted in low-socioeconomic status (low-SES) and disadvantaged population groups. Methods: A systematic database search was conducted for two time periods: 2000–2004 (TP1) and 2008–2012 (TP2). Publications that examined smoking cessation in a low-SES or disadvantaged population were coded by: population of interest; study type (reviews, non-data based publications, data-based publications (descriptive, measurement and intervention research)); and country. Intervention studies were coded in accordance with the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care data collection checklist and use of biochemical verification of self-reported abstinence was assessed. Results: 278 citations were included. Research output (i.e., all study types) had increased from TP1 27% to TP2 73% (χ² = 73.13, p < 0.001), however, the proportion of data-based research had not significantly increased from TP1 and TP2: descriptive (TP1 = 23% vs. TP2 = 33%) or intervention (TP1 = 77% vs. TP2 = 67%). The proportion of intervention studies adopting biochemical verification of self-reported abstinence had significantly decreased from TP1 to TP2 with an increased reliance on self-reported abstinence (TP1 = 12% vs. TP2 = 36%). Conclusions: The current research output is not ideal or optimal to decrease smoking rates. Research institutions, scholars and funding organisations should take heed to review findings when developing future research and policy. PMID:26062037

Ethical and methodological issues in qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions: a critical review.

PubMed

Carlsson, Ing-Marie; Blomqvist, Marjut; Jormfeldt, Henrika

2017-01-01

Undertaking research studies in the field of mental health is essential in mental health nursing. Qualitative research methodologies enable human experiences to become visible and recognize the importance of lived experiences. This paper argues that involving people with schizophrenia in research is critical to promote their health and well-being. The quality of qualitative research needs scrutinizing according to methodological issues such as trustworthiness and ethical standards that are a fundamental part of qualitative research and nursing curricula. The aim of this study was to critically review recent qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions, regarding descriptions of ethical and methodological issues in data collection and analysis. A search for relevant papers was conducted in three electronic databases, in December 2016. Fifteen qualitative interview studies were included and reviewed regarding methodological issues related to ethics, and data collection and analysis. The results revealed insufficient descriptions of methodology regarding ethical considerations and issues related to recruitment and sampling in qualitative interview studies with individuals with severe mental illness, putting trustworthiness at risk despite detailed descriptions of data analysis. Knowledge from the perspective of individuals with their own experience of mental illness is essential. Issues regarding sampling and trustworthiness in qualitative studies involving people with severe mental illness are vital to counteract the stigmatization of mental illness.

Ethical and methodological issues in qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions: a critical review

PubMed Central

Carlsson, Ing-Marie; Blomqvist, Marjut; Jormfeldt, Henrika

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Undertaking research studies in the field of mental health is essential in mental health nursing. Qualitative research methodologies enable human experiences to become visible and recognize the importance of lived experiences. This paper argues that involving people with schizophrenia in research is critical to promote their health and well-being. The quality of qualitative research needs scrutinizing according to methodological issues such as trustworthiness and ethical standards that are a fundamental part of qualitative research and nursing curricula. The aim of this study was to critically review recent qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions, regarding descriptions of ethical and methodological issues in data collection and analysis. A search for relevant papers was conducted in three electronic databases, in December 2016. Fifteen qualitative interview studies were included and reviewed regarding methodological issues related to ethics, and data collection and analysis. The results revealed insufficient descriptions of methodology regarding ethical considerations and issues related to recruitment and sampling in qualitative interview studies with individuals with severe mental illness, putting trustworthiness at risk despite detailed descriptions of data analysis. Knowledge from the perspective of individuals with their own experience of mental illness is essential. Issues regarding sampling and trustworthiness in qualitative studies involving people with severe mental illness are vital to counteract the stigmatization of mental illness. PMID:28901217

Development of instrument for assessing students’ critical and creative thinking ability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herpiana, R.; Rosidin, U.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop instruments to measure critical thinking ability and creative students in the topics of physics simple harmonic motion. The research method used was research development with application of procedures including research and data collection, planning, and initial product development. The participants of the study were thirty-four tenth grade students and five physics teachers of physics who were selected randomly from schools in the province of Lampung. The data collected by using test and analyzed in quantitative descriptive. Initial data showed that students’ critical and creative thinking ability were still low and instruments to assess students’ critical thinking skills and creative students was not yet available. Most of assessment conducted focused on memorization. Thus, the researchers developed a draft of instrument in the form of the test description based on criteria that encouraged students’ activity in understanding the concepts, strategies and decision/solution in dealing with problems. The development of the instrument was conducted considering real-world phenomena in the form of pictures and stories, description of the situation, and verbal presentation.

Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glick, Ashley

2010-01-01

Background: Action Research about my 2nd grade classroom in the Buffalo School District. I examined three areas of interest and tried to find some conclusions related to behavior management. Purpose: The purpose of this study is how will implementing procedures, rules, and consequences help improve student behavior. Research Design: Descriptive;…

Sleep and Student Performance at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taras, Howard; Potts-Datema, William

2005-01-01

To review the state of research on the association between sleep among school-aged children and academic outcomes, the authors reviewed published studies investigating sleep, school performance, and cognitive and achievement tests. Tables with brief descriptions of each study's research methods and outcomes are included. Research reveals a high…

Obesity and Student Performance at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taras, Howard; Potts-Datema, William

2005-01-01

To review the state of research on the association between obesity among school-aged children and academic outcomes, the authors reviewed published studies investigating obesity, school performance, and rates of student absenteeism. A table with brief descriptions of each study's research methodology and outcomes is included. Research demonstrates…

Evaluating Mixed Research Studies: A Mixed Methods Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leech, Nancy L.; Dellinger, Amy B.; Brannagan, Kim B.; Tanaka, Hideyuki

2010-01-01

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate application of a new framework, the validation framework (VF), to assist researchers in evaluating mixed research studies. Based on an earlier work by Dellinger and Leech, a description of the VF is delineated. Using the VF, three studies from education, health care, and counseling fields are…

Financial Aid for Research, Study, Travel, and Other Activities Abroad, 1990-1991.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlachter, Gail Ann; Weber, R. David

Information is provided about more than 1,700 funding opportunities open to Americans interested in research, study, travel, professional, or other activities abroad. The directory is divided into three separate sections: a descriptive list of financial aid programs established to support research, study, travel, and other activities abroad; an…

Examining Study Habits in Undergraduate STEM Courses from a Situative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hora, Matthew T.; Oleson, Amanda K.

2017-01-01

Background: A growing body of research in cognitive psychology and education research is illuminating which study strategies are effective for optimal learning, but little descriptive research focuses on how undergraduate students in STEM courses actually study in real-world settings. Using a practice-based approach informed by situated cognition…

A descriptive study of research published in scientific nursing journals from 1985 to 2010.

PubMed

Yarcheski, Adela; Mahon, Noreen E; Yarcheski, Thomas J

2012-09-01

Numerous analyses of research published in scientific nursing journals have been examined over the past decades. However, a comprehensive analysis of trends in research has not been reported since 1980. The aim of this analysis was to review randomly selected research articles published in four scientific nursing journals for the years 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 to identify changes in selected aspects of research and to compare the findings with those from an earlier similar study. This descriptive study used percentages to present trends in published studies in four scientific nursing journals for twenty-five years. A total of 976 studies were identified; 50% were randomly selected for each year analyzed. The foci of the research problem, care orientation, conceptual bases, research designs, data analysis procedures, discussion of findings, and recommendations and implications were analyzed. Most studies from 1985 (66%) through 2010 (73%) focused on nursing practice issues; in 2010 they focused on primary health (46%) and chronicity (41%). A decrease in theory-testing research from 1985 (32%) to 2010 (21%), and in theory-based studies from 1985 (31%) to 2010 (22%) was noted. Qualitative studies increased from 1985 (3%) to 2010 (21%). Psychological variables and adult populations continue to be studied mainly over 25 years. For quantitative studies, there were increases in correlational designs from 1985 (35%) to 2010 (38%), experimental designs from 1985 (16%) to 2010 (18%), and methodological studies from 1985 (5%) to 2010 (24%). There were decreases in descriptive studies from 1985 (20%) to 2010 (5%), and comparative studies from 1985 (19%) to 2010 (10%). The use of multivariate statistics increased over time. In 1985, 61% of researchers did not link their findings to theory guiding the study; 52% did not in 2010. For qualitative research, approximately 50% fell in the "other category" over the 25 years; in 2010, grounded theory (15%), phenomenological (15%) and ethnographic (20%) designs were used. Trends indicated that the building of science has been slow, incremental, and subtle, as found in the earlier study. Trends suggest a growing maturity in the research designs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The intersection between Descriptivism and Meliorism in reasoning research: further proposals in support of 'soft normativism'.

PubMed

Stupple, Edward J N; Ball, Linden J

2014-01-01

The rationality paradox centers on the observation that people are highly intelligent, yet show evidence of errors and biases in their thinking when measured against normative standards. Elqayam and Evans' (2011) reject normative standards in the psychological study of thinking, reasoning and deciding in favor of a 'value-free' descriptive approach to studying high-level cognition. In reviewing Elqayam and Evans' (2011) position, we defend an alternative to descriptivism in the form of 'soft normativism,' which allows for normative evaluations alongside the pursuit of descriptive research goals. We propose that normative theories have considerable value provided that researchers: (1) are alert to the philosophical quagmire of strong relativism; (2) are mindful of the biases that can arise from utilizing normative benchmarks; and (3) engage in a focused analysis of the processing approach adopted by individual reasoners. We address the controversial 'is-ought' inference in this context and appeal to a 'bridging solution' to this contested inference that is based on the concept of 'informal reflective equilibrium.' Furthermore, we draw on Elqayam and Evans' (2011) recognition of a role for normative benchmarks in research programs that are devised to enhance reasoning performance and we argue that such Meliorist research programs have a valuable reciprocal relationship with descriptivist accounts of reasoning. In sum, we believe that descriptions of reasoning processes are fundamentally enriched by evaluations of reasoning quality, and argue that if such standards are discarded altogether then our explanations and descriptions of reasoning processes are severely undermined.

Nursing Doctorates in Brazil: research formation and theses production.

PubMed

Scochi, Carmen Gracinda Silvan; Gelbcke, Francine Lima; Ferreira, Márcia de Assunção; Lima, Maria Alice Dias da Silva; Padilha, Katia Grillo; Padovani, Nátali Artal; Munari, Denize Bouttelet

2015-01-01

to analyze the formation of nursing doctorates in Brazil, from theses production, disciplines and other strategies focusing on research offered by courses. a descriptive and analytical study of the performance of 18 doctoral courses in nursing, running from 1982 to 2010, and defended their theses between 2010-2012. 502 theses were defended in this period, most linked to the online research process of health and nursing care. There are gaps in the knowledge of theoretical and philosophical foundations of care, nursing history and ethics. There are also weaknesses in the methodological design of the theses, with a predominance of descriptive and/or exploratory studies. This was consistent with international standards set with regards to the proposition of research of disciplines and complementary strategies in forming the doctorate. despite the efforts and advances in research formation, it is essential to expand to more robust research designs with a greater impact on production knowledge that is incorporated into practice.

Determination of Instructional Leadership Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Öznacar, Behcet; Osma, Elif

2016-01-01

This research, based on observations of teacher candidates in prep school educations and secondary schools the instructional leaders of executive managers who aim at investigating a research study descriptive nature. General screening model is used for the study. The research population in the Near East University in the Faculty of Education,…

Music Research in Inclusive School Settings: 1975 to 2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jellison, Judith A.; Draper, Ellary A.

2015-01-01

A search for music research in inclusive music school settings (1975-2013) resulted in 22 descriptive and experimental studies that can be classified and coded according to settings, participants, research variables, measures of generalization, and effectiveness of the interventions. Half of the studies reported data from both students with…

Outcome Studies of Social, Behavioral, and Educational Interventions: Emerging Issues and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Mark W.; Guo, Shenyang; Ellis, Alan R.; Thompson, Aaron M.; Wike, Traci L.; Li, Jilan

2011-01-01

This article describes the core features of outcome research and then explores issues confronting researchers who engage in outcome studies. Using an intervention research perspective, descriptive and explanatory methods are distinguished. Emphasis is placed on the counterfactual causal perspective, designing programs that fit culture and context,…

Specialist nurses' perceptions of inviting patients to participate in clinical research studies: a qualitative descriptive study of barriers and facilitators.

PubMed

French, Caroline; Stavropoulou, Charitini

2016-08-11

Increasing the number of patients participating in research studies is a current priority in the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. The role of specialist nurses in inviting patients to participate is important, yet little is known about their experiences of doing so. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of barriers and facilitators held by specialist nurses with experience of inviting adult NHS patients to a wide variety of research studies. A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive study was conducted between March and July 2015. Participants were 12 specialist nurses representing 7 different clinical specialties and 7 different NHS Trusts. We collected data using individual semi-structured interviews, and analysed transcripts using the Framework method to inductively gain a descriptive overview of barriers and facilitators. Barriers and facilitators were complex and interdependent. Perceptions varied among individuals, however barriers and facilitators centred on five main themes: i) assessing patient suitability, ii) teamwork, iii) valuing research, iv) the invitation process and v) understanding the study. Facilitators to inviting patients to participate in research often stemmed from specialist nurses' attitudes, skills and experience. Positive research cultures, effective teamwork and strong relationships between research and clinical teams at the local clinical team level were similarly important. Barriers were reported when specialist nurses felt they were providing patients with insufficient information during the invitation process, and when specialist nurses felt they did not understand studies to their satisfaction. Our study offers several new insights regarding the role of specialist nurses in recruiting patients for research. It shows that strong local research culture and teamwork overcome some wider organisational and workload barriers reported in previous studies. In addition, and in contrast to common practice, our findings suggest research teams may benefit from individualising study training and invitation procedures to specialist nurses' preferences and requirements. Findings provide a basis for reflection on practice for specialist nurses, research teams, policymakers, and all with an interest in increasing patient participation in research.

Promoting the Utilization of Science in Healthcare (PUSH) Project: A Description of the Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Research Utilization Among Pediatric Nurses.

PubMed

Cline, Genieveve J; Burger, Kristina J; Amankwah, Ernest K; Goldenberg, Neil A; Ghazarian, Sharon R

The purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the perceived barriers and facilitators to research utilization and evidence-based practice among nurses employed in a tertiary care children's hospital. Results revealed seven facilitator and six barrier themes that contribute to the understanding of the problem. The themes can be utilized by nursing professional development specialists to customize organizational infrastructure and educational programs.

A Qualitative Descriptive Case Study of the Requirements of the IT Industry for Entry-Level IT Positions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feuerherm, Todd Michael

2009-01-01

This qualitative descriptive case study explored the requirements of the IT industry for education, IT certification, and work experience for entry-level IT professionals. Research has shown a growing problem where IT graduates were not able to meet the requirements for entry-level IT jobs. IT enrollment has decreased considerably over the past…

Home Literacy Experiences and Early Childhood Disability: A Descriptive Study Using the National Household Education Surveys (NHES) Program Database

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breit-Smith, Allison; Cabell, Sonia Q.; Justice, Laura M.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The present article illustrates how the National Household Education Surveys (NHES; U.S. Department of Education, 2009) database might be used to address questions of relevance to researchers who are concerned with literacy development among young children. Following a general description of the NHES database, a study is provided that…

5 CFR 470.103 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... of this part. Research means systematic, intensive study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge... experimental or descriptive investigations conducted according to sound methodological principles. Research Program means a planned study of the manner in which public management policies and systems are operating...

5 CFR 470.103 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... of this part. Research means systematic, intensive study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge... experimental or descriptive investigations conducted according to sound methodological principles. Research Program means a planned study of the manner in which public management policies and systems are operating...

5 CFR 470.103 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... of this part. Research means systematic, intensive study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge... experimental or descriptive investigations conducted according to sound methodological principles. Research Program means a planned study of the manner in which public management policies and systems are operating...

5 CFR 470.103 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... of this part. Research means systematic, intensive study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge... experimental or descriptive investigations conducted according to sound methodological principles. Research Program means a planned study of the manner in which public management policies and systems are operating...

CONTRIBUTIONS TO RICKETTSIOSES RESEARCH IN COLOMBIA (1917-1943), LUIS B. PATIÑO CAMARGO.

PubMed

Faccini-Martínez, Álvaro A; Botero-García, Carlos A; Hidalgo, Marylin

2016-01-01

Colombian physician Luis Benigno Patiño Camargo was one of the pioneers in the study of rickettsioses in South America, demonstrating for the first time in Colombia the presence of Rickettsia rickettsii as the etiological agent of a highly deadly exanthematic febrile syndrome in the 1930s. However, Patiño-Camargo performed other investigations from 1917-1943, which represent the first descriptions and scientific evidence of the presence of R. prowazekii and R. typhi in Colombia. Almost 60 years after the latest research conducted by Dr. Patiño-Camargo, rickettsioses were again a matter of interest and research. In the last decade over 20 research studies have been published, showing new endemic areas for R. rickettsii, as well as the description of new rickettsial species in Colombia.

Research relative to atmosphere physics and spacecraft applications studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenwood, Stuart W.

1987-01-01

Progress is reported in several areas of research. Brief descriptions are given in each of the following areas: Spacelab data analysis; San Marco activity; Molecular physics; Stellar energy analysis; Troposphere data analysis; Voyager encounter analysis; Laser activity; Gravity wave study; Venus studies; and Shuttle environmental studies.

A systematic review of grounded theory studies in physiotherapy.

PubMed

Ali, Nancy; May, Stephen; Grafton, Kate

2018-05-23

This systematic review aimed at appraising the methodological rigor of grounded theory research published in the field of physiotherapy to assess how the methodology is understood and applied. A secondary aim was to provide research implications drawn from the findings to guide future grounded theory methodology (GTM) research. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINHAL, SPORT Discus, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies in the field of physiotherapy that reported using GTM and/or methods in the study title and/or abstract. The descriptive characteristics and methodological quality of eligible studies were examined using grounded theory methodology assessment guidelines. The review included 68 studies conducted between 1998 and 2017. The findings showed that GTM is becoming increasingly used by physiotherapy researchers. Thirty-six studies (53%) demonstrated a good understanding and appropriate application of GTM. Thirty-two studies (47%) presented descriptive findings and were considered to be of poor methodological quality. There are several key tenets of GTM that are integral to the iterative process of qualitative theorizing and need to be applied throughout all research practices including sampling, data collection, and analysis.

Deboning time effect on sensory descriptive flavor profiles of cooked broiler pectoralis major

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Profiling sensory texture characteristics of cooked chicken pectoralis major (breast fillets) deboned at different postmortem (PM) times has been research interests for decades. However, there is lack of peer-reviewed studies to compare sensory descriptive flavor profiles of hot-deboned versus 2-h c...

48 CFR 312.202(d) - Market research and description of agency need.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Market research and description of agency need. 312.202(d) Section 312.202(d) Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND... for the Acquisition of Commercial Items 312.202(d) Market research and description of agency need...

48 CFR 312.202(d) - Market research and description of agency need.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Market research and description of agency need. 312.202(d) Section 312.202(d) Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND... for the Acquisition of Commercial Items 312.202(d) Market research and description of agency need...

Research in the Schools, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, James E., Ed.; Kaufman, Alan S., Ed.

2000-01-01

This journal publishes articles that focus on the result of applied educational research, scholarly reviews of research,descriptions of classroom techniques, studies of assessments, and other topics of interest to educational researchers. Issue number 1 of Volume 7 contains these articles: (1) "Predicting First Grade Achievement from…

Space station systems analysis study. Part 3: Documentation. Volume 4: Supporting research and technology report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

A brief description of recommended supporting research and technology items resulting from the space station analysis study is provided. Descriptions include the title; the status with respect to the state of the art; the justification; the technical plan including objectives and technical approach; resource requirements categorized by manpower, specialized facilities, and funding in 1977 dollars; and also the target schedule. The goal is to provide high confidence in the solutions for the various functional system development problems, and to do so within a time period compatible with the overall evolutionary space construction base schedule.

Investigation of Environmental Problem Solving Skills of Preschool Age Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulutas, Aysegül; Köksalan, Bahadir

2017-01-01

The study was conducted to determine problem-solving skills of preschool age children on environment as well as factors affecting this skill. For this purpose, quantitative and qualitative research methods were used together in the study and the research was designed in the screening model. This study is a descriptive type research since it…

Building a Global Future through Research and Innovative Practices in Open and Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmood, Sheikh Tariq; Mahmood, Azhar

2014-01-01

The current study aims to investigate awareness of research students about the concept of plagiarism and to suggest possible ways to avoid it; a descriptive survey study was conducted. The objectives of the study were to examine the researcher's knowledge about concept of plagiarism, knowledge about specific terminologies, types of plagiarism, and…

Fuels research studies at NASA Lewis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antoine, A. C.

1982-01-01

Fuels research studies carried out in a variety of areas related to aviation propulsion, ground transportation, and stationary power generation systems are discussed. The major efforts are directed to studies on fuels for jet aircraft. These studies involve fuels preparation, fuels analysis, and fuel quality evaluations. The scope and direction of research activities in these areas is discussed, descriptions of Lewis capabilities and facilities given, and results of recent research efforts reported.

Guidelines for Conducting and Reporting Mixed Research in the Field of Counseling and beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leech, Nancy L.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

2010-01-01

This article provides guidelines for conducting, reporting, and evaluating mixed research studies in 3 sections: research formulation, research planning, and research implementation. To date, no such guidelines are available. Detailed descriptions of each subsection are included. The authors hope that these standards assist researchers from the…

"Who Doesn't?"--The Impact of Descriptive Norms on Corruption.

PubMed

Köbis, Nils C; van Prooijen, Jan-Willem; Righetti, Francesca; Van Lange, Paul A M

2015-01-01

Corruption poses one of the major societal challenges of our time. Considerable advances have been made in understanding corruption on a macro level, yet the psychological antecedents of corrupt behavior remain largely unknown. In order to explain why some people engage in corruption while others do not, we explored the impact of descriptive social norms on corrupt behavior by using a novel behavioral measure of corruption. We conducted three studies to test whether perceived descriptive norms of corruption (i.e. the belief about the prevalence of corruption in a specific context) influence corrupt behavior. The results indicated that descriptive norms highly correlate with corrupt behavior--both when measured before (Study 1) or after (Study 2) the behavioral measure of corruption. Finally, we adopted an experimental design to investigate the causal effect of descriptive norms on corruption (Study 3). Corrupt behavior in the corruption game significantly drops when participants receive short anti-corruption descriptive norm primes prior to the game. These findings indicate that perceived descriptive norms can impact corrupt behavior and, possibly, could offer an explanation for inter-personal and inter-cultural variation in corrupt behavior in the real world. We discuss implications of these findings and draw avenues for future research.

Effects of perceived descriptive norms on corrupt intention: The mediating role of moral disengagement.

PubMed

Zhao, Huanhuan; Zhang, Heyun; Xu, Yan

2017-01-31

The present study attempts to examine the effect of perceived descriptive norms on corrupt intention (e.g., bribe-taking intention) and then further explore the psychological mechanism underlying this effect. Based on social cognitive theory, we established a mediation model in which moral disengagement partially mediated the link between perceived descriptive norms and corrupt intention. In Study 1, participants (N = 690) completed a series of questionnaires, and the results demonstrated that, while perceived descriptive norms were positively associated with corrupt intention, it was partially mediated by moral disengagement. In Study 2, we conducted a priming experiment (N = 161) to test the causal relationship and psychological mechanism between perceived descriptive norms and corrupt intention. The results revealed that perceived descriptive norms triggered the propensity of individuals to morally disengage, which in turn, partially increased their corrupt intention. This study not only extends previous research by providing evidence that moral disengagement may be one of the reasons why perceived descriptive norms facilitate corrupt intention, but also suggests that reshaping normative beliefs and preventing the moral disengagement of individuals may be the effective ways to curb corrupt behaviours. © 2017 International Union of Psychological Science.

78 FR 51146 - Marine Mammals; File No. 17429

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-20

... the wild. The animals will be made available for scientific studies by researchers whose research... of Hawaiian monk seals, and educational descriptive signs with current information are on display at...

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

Brief Note on the Origins, Evolution, and Meaning of the Qualitative Research Concept "Thick Description"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponterotto, Joseph G.

2006-01-01

The origins, cross-disciplinary evolution, and definition of "thick description" are reviewed. Despite its frequent use in the qualitative literature, the concept of "thick description" is often confusing to researchers at all levels. The roots of this confusion are explored and examples of "thick description" are provided. The article closes with…

Invisible Web and Academic Research: A Partnership for Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alyami, Huda Y.; Assiri, Eman A.

2018-01-01

The present study aims to identify the most significant roles of the invisible web in improving academic research and the main obstacles and challenges facing the use of the invisible web in improving academic research from the perspective of academics in Saudi universities. The descriptive analytical approach was utilized in this study. It…

"Clustering" Documents Automatically to Support Scoping Reviews of Research: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stansfield, Claire; Thomas, James; Kavanagh, Josephine

2013-01-01

Background: Scoping reviews of research help determine the feasibility and the resource requirements of conducting a systematic review, and the potential to generate a description of the literature quickly is attractive. Aims: To test the utility and applicability of an automated clustering tool to describe and group research studies to improve…

Technology as an Instructional Tool: What We Are Learning. Research Bulletin #3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, St. Paul.

The purpose of this research bulletin is to provide educational decision-makers with empirical data for making informed decisions relative to the integration of technology in schools. Ten expanded abstracts of research studies are included here, each with a background/problem statement, list of study goals, description of methodology, conclusion…

Research in the Schools, 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Research in the Schools, 1999

1999-01-01

This journal publishes articles that focus on the results of applied educational research, scholarly reviews of research, descriptions of classroom techniques, studies of assessments, and other topics of interest to educational researchers. Issue number 1 of Volume 6 contains these articles: (1) "'More than Having a Vision': The Emergence of…

Classifying Values by Categories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gündüz, Mevlüt

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to make a new classification regarding the fact that the current classifications may change constantly because of values? gaining a different dimension and importance every single day. In this research descriptive research, which was used frequently in qualitative research methods, was preferred. This research was…

The importance of anti corruption education teaching materials for the young generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarmini; Made Swanda, I.; Nadiroh, Ulin

2018-01-01

Corruption is one of the most serious issues in many countries. The purpose of this paper is to identify the importance of anti-corruption education teaching materials for the younger generation. The research method used qualitative description with questionnaire as data collection tool. The sample in this research was 150 junior high school teachers in Surabaya. Data analysis technique used in this research was descriptive statistic with percentage technique. The result of this research was that Socisl Studies teachers in Surabaya realize that teaching materials on Anti-Corruption Education is very important in Social Studies learning activities. Recommendations for further research is to examine the antieducation teaching materials that contain the value of anti-corruption character. With anticorruption education is expected to give awareness and change to all the younger generation to understand and realize the importance of having the character of anti-corruption and can mengnglemlem in society.

A descriptive review of qualitative studies in first episode psychosis.

PubMed

Boydell, Katherine M; Stasiulis, Elaine; Volpe, Tiziana; Gladstone, Brenda

2010-02-01

The aim of this paper is to provide a descriptive review of published qualitative research studies on first episode psychosis (FEP). A review was undertaken to describe the findings of qualitative studies in early psychosis. Keyword searches in Medline, CINAHL, ASSIA, PsychINFO databases, as well as manual searches of other relevant journals and reference lists of primary papers, were conducted. Thirty-one qualitative papers (representing 27 discrete studies) were identified. The majority reported research concerning young people based in community settings. The research studies were organized according to the following generic social processes: (i) achieving identity; (ii) acquiring perspectives; (iii) doing activity; and, (iv) experiencing relationships. The papers reviewed are based on first-person accounts obtained from individuals who have experienced FEP, their family members and service providers. This descriptive review contributes to our understanding of the complex social processes of achieving identity, acquiring perspectives, doing activities and developing relationships as experienced by young people and the significant others in their world. The cumulative findings highlight the contextually rich and detailed information made possible through qualitative studies of FEP. They begin to account for the active engagement of individuals affected by psychosis in making sense of their experience and suggest that this experience should be understood from within young people's own framework of meaning.

When less is more: the consequences of affective primacy for subliminal priming effects.

PubMed

Stapel, Diederik A; Koomen, Willem

2005-09-01

This research investigates the consequences of the notion that one can distinguish early-evaluative (when exposure is short) and late-descriptive reactions (when exposure is long) to subliminally primed trait concepts. In three studies, it was found that the evaluative effects instigated by short exposure to primed concepts were bigger than the evaluative + descriptive effects instigated by long exposure: Less is more. Only when exposure was short, target interpretations were accompanied by evaluative inferences (Studies 1 and 3). Similarly, only when exposure was short, descriptively inapplicable trait primes affected the interpretation of an ambiguous target (Studies 2 and 3).

The intersection between Descriptivism and Meliorism in reasoning research: further proposals in support of ‘soft normativism’

PubMed Central

Stupple, Edward J. N.; Ball, Linden J.

2014-01-01

The rationality paradox centers on the observation that people are highly intelligent, yet show evidence of errors and biases in their thinking when measured against normative standards. Elqayam and Evans’ (2011) reject normative standards in the psychological study of thinking, reasoning and deciding in favor of a ‘value-free’ descriptive approach to studying high-level cognition. In reviewing Elqayam and Evans’ (2011) position, we defend an alternative to descriptivism in the form of ‘soft normativism,’ which allows for normative evaluations alongside the pursuit of descriptive research goals. We propose that normative theories have considerable value provided that researchers: (1) are alert to the philosophical quagmire of strong relativism; (2) are mindful of the biases that can arise from utilizing normative benchmarks; and (3) engage in a focused analysis of the processing approach adopted by individual reasoners. We address the controversial ‘is–ought’ inference in this context and appeal to a ‘bridging solution’ to this contested inference that is based on the concept of ‘informal reflective equilibrium.’ Furthermore, we draw on Elqayam and Evans’ (2011) recognition of a role for normative benchmarks in research programs that are devised to enhance reasoning performance and we argue that such Meliorist research programs have a valuable reciprocal relationship with descriptivist accounts of reasoning. In sum, we believe that descriptions of reasoning processes are fundamentally enriched by evaluations of reasoning quality, and argue that if such standards are discarded altogether then our explanations and descriptions of reasoning processes are severely undermined. PMID:25414687

The State of Integration of the Virtual Learning Environment and ICT into the Pedagogy of the Royal University of Bhutan: A Descriptive Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choeda; Penjor, Tandin; Dupka, Dorji; Zander, Pär-Ola

2016-01-01

This paper reports a descriptive research study on the integration of ICT and pedagogy in the colleges of the Royal University of Bhutan. It investigates whether ICT is integrated into the pedagogy and, if so, in what way. The study identifies the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) as the key technology, which is used as part of…

Research Participants' Understanding of and Reactions to Certificates of Confidentiality.

PubMed

Beskow, Laura M; Check, Devon K; Ammarell, Natalie

2014-01-01

Certificates of Confidentiality are intended to facilitate participation in critical public health research by protecting against forced disclosure of identifying data in legal proceedings, but little is known about the effect of Certificate descriptions in consent forms. To gain preliminary insights, we conducted qualitative interviews with 50 HIV-positive individuals in Durham, North Carolina to explore their subjective understanding of Certificate descriptions and whether their reactions differed based on receiving a standard versus simplified description. Most interviewees were neither reassured nor alarmed by Certificate information, and most said it would not influence their willingness to participate or provide truthful information. However, compared with those receiving the simplified description, more who read the standard description said it raised new concerns, that their likelihood of participating would be lower, and that they might be less forthcoming. Most interviewees said they found the Certificate description clear, but standard-group participants often found particular words and phrases confusing, while simplified-group participants more often questioned the information's substance. Valid informed consent requires comprehension and voluntariness. Our findings highlight the importance of developing consent descriptions of Certificates and other confidentiality protections that are simple and accurate. These qualitative results provide rich detail to inform a larger, quantitative study that would permit further rigorous comparisons.

Research Participants’ Understanding of and Reactions to Certificates of Confidentiality

PubMed Central

Check, Devon K.; Ammarell, Natalie

2013-01-01

Background Certificates of Confidentiality are intended to facilitate participation in critical public health research by protecting against forced disclosure of identifying data in legal proceedings, but little is known about the effect of Certificate descriptions in consent forms. Methods To gain preliminary insights, we conducted qualitative interviews with 50 HIV-positive individuals in Durham, North Carolina to explore their subjective understanding of Certificate descriptions and whether their reactions differed based on receiving a standard versus simplified description. Results Most interviewees were neither reassured nor alarmed by Certificate information, and most said it would not influence their willingness to participate or provide truthful information. However, compared with those receiving the simplified description, more who read the standard description said it raised new concerns, that their likelihood of participating would be lower, and that they might be less forthcoming. Most interviewees said they found the Certificate description clear, but standard-group participants often found particular words and phrases confusing, while simplified-group participants more often questioned the information’s substance. Conclusions Valid informed consent requires comprehension and voluntariness. Our findings highlight the importance of developing consent descriptions of Certificates and other confidentiality protections that are simple and accurate. These qualitative results provide rich detail to inform a larger, quantitative study that would permit further rigorous comparisons. PMID:24563806

CONTRIBUTIONS TO RICKETTSIOSES RESEARCH IN COLOMBIA (1917-1943), LUIS B. PATIÑO CAMARGO

PubMed Central

FACCINI-MARTÍNEZ, Álvaro A.; BOTERO-GARCÍA, Carlos A.; HIDALGO, Marylin

2016-01-01

Colombian physician Luis Benigno Patiño Camargo was one of the pioneers in the study of rickettsioses in South America, demonstrating for the first time in Colombia the presence of Rickettsia rickettsii as the etiological agent of a highly deadly exanthematic febrile syndrome in the 1930s. However, Patiño-Camargo performed other investigations from 1917-1943, which represent the first descriptions and scientific evidence of the presence of R. prowazekii and R. typhi in Colombia. Almost 60 years after the latest research conducted by Dr. Patiño-Camargo, rickettsioses were again a matter of interest and research. In the last decade over 20 research studies have been published, showing new endemic areas for R. rickettsii, as well as the description of new rickettsial species in Colombia. PMID:27074327

Self-Esteem and Academic Achievement of High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moradi Sheykhjan, Tohid; Jabari, Kamran; Rajeswari, K.

2014-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of self-esteem on academic achievement among high school students in Miandoab City of Iran. The methodology of the research is descriptive and correlation that descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Statistical Society includes male and female high…

Use of the Classroom Behavior Description Checklist in Preschool Developmental Screening.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aaronson, May; And Others

The Classroom Behavior Description (CBD)--a brief 10-item checklist on which teachers rate preschool childrens' behaviors which are considered most likely to influence school performance--was developed on the basis of earlier extensive research with more comprehensive children's behavior inventories. Results are reported of studies of teachers'…

A Descriptive Analysis of the Principal Workforce in Wisconsin. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 135

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clifford, Matthew; Condon, Chris; Greenberg, Ariela; Williams, Ryan; Gerdeman, R. Dean; Fetters, Jenni; Baker, Bruce

2012-01-01

This study responds to a request from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for information on Wisconsin's school principal workforce population. Descriptive analyses addressed two research questions: (1) How do the demographic characteristics of Wisconsin school principals compare how did these characteristics change over 1999-2009?; and…

Assessing Adult Learner's Numeracy as Related to Gender and Performance in Arithmetic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Awofala, Adeneye O. A.; Anyikwa, Blessing E.

2014-01-01

The study investigated adult learner numeracy as related to gender and performance in arithmetic among 32 Nigerian adult learners from one government accredited adult literacy centre in Lagos State using the quantitative research method within the blueprint of descriptive survey design. Data collected were analysed using the descriptive statistics…

NASA Research to Support the Airlines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mogford, Richard

2017-01-01

This is a PowerPoint document that reviews NASA aeronautics research that supports airline operations. It provides short descriptions of several lines of work including the Airline Operations Workshop, Airline Operations Research Laboratory Forum, Flight Awareness Collaboration Tool, dispatcher human factors study, turbulence research, ramp area accidents research, and Traffic Aware Strategic Aircrew Requests.

Abstracts of BESRL Research Publications, FY 1969.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Emma E.

Publications abstracted include Technical Research Reports 1156 and 1157, Technical Research Notes 199 through 210, Research Studies 68-4 through 68-6 and 69-1 through 6910, and Research Memorandums 68-8 through 68-13. Included are descriptions of 19 Work Units covering activities reported in the 33 abstracted publications, a list of regular…

Students' Indiscipline: Types, Causes and Possible Solutions: The Case of Secondary Schools in Cameroon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngwokabuenui, Ponfua Yhayeh

2015-01-01

This study explores students' indiscipline in secondary schools in Cameroon. The purpose of this research is to examine the familiar or common forms, the causes and probable ways to curb indiscipline in schools. The study made use of descriptive survey research design. The study was guided by four research questions whereas two hypotheses were…

An Analysis of Teacher Candidates' Usage Level of Metacognitive Learning Strategies: Sample of a University in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yesilyurt, Etem

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the level metacognitive learning strategies are used by teacher candidates. The study was designed as a descriptive research. Study group of present research consists of 291 teacher candidates studying in the Faculty of Education within the body of a Western Anatolian university in Turkey. Research…

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…

WASP (Write a Scientific Paper): Ethics approval for a research study (2).

PubMed

Mallia, Pierre

2018-05-03

Research Ethics Committees are composed of a minimum of five members which include a lay person, a member from a different institution and at least another three members which should be versed in ethics. Legal and expert advisors can be sought by the committee. The REC will require a detailed protocol from the researcher including the curriculum of the principal investigator and all other researchers under him/her. The protocol should include all details of the research to be undertaken including a detailed description, the reasons for the research, literature pertaining to the research, a clear description of the target population, the actual consent form including what information is to be given to the participants, a declaration where necessary that things prohibited by the law (such as use of embryonic stem cells if this is the case in the country [2] will not be researchers, and a declaration that the relevant directives and rules and procedures which the REC falls under will be followed. The REC will also require a description of any risks and what actions are to be undertaken to eliminate hazards. The researchers must adhere only to the protocol given and any changes, minor or major, must be reported to the REC and approved. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

International Reports on Literacy Research: France and Argentina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malloy, Jacquelynn A., Comp.; Botzakis, Stergios, Comp.

2006-01-01

This is a compilation of two separate reports on international literacy research from France and Argentina. In the reports from France, research correspondent Jacques Fijalkow detailed three research projects that included the following: (1) A description of adult literacy skills; (2) An investigation of how study-abroad students were integrated…

Film, Literature, and Education: Trace of Ecopsychology Research in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmadi, Anas; Ghazali, Syukur; Dermawan, Taufik; Maryaeni

2017-01-01

In this study, it is explained about the development of ecopsychology in Indonesia. Related to that, the research focus are ecopsychology development and ecopsychology concretization of education in Indonesia. This research uses descriptive-qualitative approach to explain about ecopsychology in Indonesia. Based on the research results, the…

Characteristics of the Healthy Brain Project Sample: Representing Diversity among Study Participants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Lucinda L.; Laditka, James N.; Laditka, Sarah B.; Mathews, Anna E.

2009-01-01

Purpose: Description of study participants and documentation of the desired diversity in the Prevention Research Centers Healthy Aging Research Network's Workgroup on Promoting Cognitive Health large multisite study designed to examine attitudes about brain health, behaviors associated with its maintenance, and information-receiving preferences…

The Relationship between Principal Leadership Practices and Teacher Morale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Fabre K.

2013-01-01

This research explores the relationship of principal leadership practices and teacher morale. Six schools in a West Tennessee school system participated in the study. The participants in the study were executive principals and classroom teachers. The study was a descriptive, causal-comparative research design chosen to examine the possible…

Loser! On the combined impact of emotional and person-descriptive word meanings in communicative situations.

PubMed

Rohr, Lana; Abdel Rahman, Rasha

2018-07-01

Humans have a unique capacity to induce intense emotional states in others by simple acts of verbal communication, and simple messages such as bad can elicit strong emotions in the addressee. However, up to now, research has mainly focused on general emotional meaning aspects and paradigms of low personal relevance (e.g., word reading), thereby possibly underestimating the impact of verbal emotion. In the present study, we recorded ERPs while presenting emotional words differing in word-inherent person descriptiveness (in that they may or may not refer to or describe a person; e.g., winner vs. sunflower). We predicted stronger emotional responses to person-descriptive words. Additionally, we enhanced the relevance of the words by embedding them in social-communicative contexts. We observed strong parallels in the characteristics of emotion and descriptiveness effects, suggesting a common underlying motivational basis. Furthermore, word-inherent person descriptiveness affected emotion processing at late elaborate stages reflected in the late positive potential, with emotion effects found only for descriptive words. The present findings underline the importance of factors determining the personal relevance of emotional words. © 2018 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

The relationship between symbolic interactionism and interpretive description.

PubMed

Oliver, Carolyn

2012-03-01

In this article I explore the relationship between symbolic interactionist theory and interpretive description methodology. The two are highly compatible, making symbolic interactionism an excellent theoretical framework for interpretive description studies. The pragmatism underlying interpretive description supports locating the methodology within this cross-disciplinary theory to make it more attractive to nonnursing researchers and expand its potential to address practice problems across the applied disciplines. The theory and method are so compatible that symbolic interactionism appears to be part of interpretive description's epistemological foundations. Interpretive description's theoretical roots have, to date, been identified only very generally in interpretivism and the philosophy of nursing. A more detailed examination of its symbolic interactionist heritage furthers the contextualization or forestructuring of the methodology to meet one of its own requirements for credibility.

Descriptive and predictive validity of somatic attributions in patients with somatoform disorders: a systematic review of quantitative research.

PubMed

Douzenis, Athanassios; Seretis, Dionysis

2013-09-01

Research on hypochondriasis and other somatoform disorders (SFD) has provided evidence that patients with SFD tend to attribute their symptoms to organic dysfunctions or disease. However, recent studies appear to discredit this. There is no systematic evidence on whether patients with SFD predominantly rely on somatic attributions, despite calls to include somatic attributions as a positive criterion of somatic symptom disorder (SSD) in the upcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This study is a systematic review of quantitative studies which assess the descriptive and predictive validity of somatic attribution in SFD. The literature search was restricted to studies with patients who met the DSM-IV criteria for SFD. Somatic attribution style in SFD has acceptable descriptive but insufficient predictive validity. This confirms that the overlap between somatic and psychological attributions is often substantial. Attribution style can discriminate between SFD patients with and without comorbidity. A somatic attribution style does not qualify as a positive criterion in SSD. However, there is an urgent need for further research on causal illness perceptions in the full spectrum of medically unexplained symptoms in order to confirm this result. Given its high prevalence, research on psychological attribution style is warranted. Re-attribution does not provide a framework sophisticated enough to address the needs of patients in primary care. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Vocabulary Size of ELT Students at EMU in Northern Cyprus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalajahi, Seyed Ali Rezvani; Pourshahian, Bahar

2012-01-01

This research study aimed at exploring the relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size of 125 undergraduate English Language Teaching students at Eastern Mediterranean University. This research study was a correlational survey study of descriptive nature. The major findings of this study were as follows. First, the…

Science Content Knowledge of 5-6 Year Old Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olcer, Sevinc

2017-01-01

The present study is a descriptive research in the scanning model. In the present study is research conducted to determine five to six-year-old children's knowledge of science content, study group constitutes of 360 children attending preschool educational institutions in Burdur city center and their parents and teachers. In the study, Science…

Place of Instructional Supervision in Enhancing Public Primary School Teachers' Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nwambam, Aja Sunday; Eze, Prisca Ijeoma

2017-01-01

The study examined the place of instructional supervision in enhancing teachers' effectiveness in public primary schools in Ebonyi State. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consists of all the 462,186 teachers including the…

Drawing/Writing: A Brain Research-Based Writing Program Designed to Develop Descriptive, Analytical and Inferential Thinking Skills at the Elementary School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan, Susan Rich

1990-01-01

The research and the study focus on the problem of dissociated learning. Why do students fail to connect with knowledge? The purposes of the study are: to summarize research pertaining to brain growth; to describe educational approaches and tactics consistent with this research; to test a brain research-based program designed to connect children…

Studying the Education of Educators: Methodology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sirotnik, Kenneth A.

1988-01-01

Describes the methodology and research design of SEE, the study of the Education of Educators. The approach is multimethodological, exploratory, descriptive, and evaluative. The research design permits examination of working assumptions and concentration on the individual site--the college, the education departments, and specific programs within…

Teacher Evaluation Models: Compliance or Growth Oriented?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clenchy, Kelly R.

2017-01-01

This research study reviewed literature specific to the evolution of teacher evaluation models and explored the effectiveness of standards-based evaluation models' potential to facilitate professional growth. The researcher employed descriptive phenomenology to conduct a study of teachers' perceptions of a standard-based evaluation model's…

Assessment Mathematics Teacher's Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alnoor, A. G.; Yuanxiang, Guo; Abudhuim, F. S.

2007-01-01

This paper aimed to identifying the professional efficiencies for the intermediate schools mathematics teachers and tries to know at what level the math teachers experience those competencies. The researcher used a descriptive research approach, the study data collected from specialist educators and teacher's experts and previous studies to…

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

Sequential Research Needs in Evolving Disciplines of Social Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knowles, Malcolm S.

The author suggests that the emerging fields of social practice (such as recreation, social work, and adult education) must all go through a sequential pattern of research needs, first superficially, and then in ever deeper cycles. The six phases of these research needs are: definition of the field (survey and descriptive studies, census studies,…

Echoes from the Field: An Ethnographic Investigation of Outdoor Science Field Trips

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boxerman, Jonathan Zvi

2013-01-01

As popular as field trips are, one might think they have been well-studied. Nonetheless, field trips have not been heavily studied, and little research has mapped what actually transpires during field trips. Accordingly, to address this research gap, I asked two related research questions. The first question is a descriptive one: What happens on…

Impediments to Research among Students of Institutions of Higher Learning in Southern Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asiyai, Romina Ifeoma

2014-01-01

This study examined impediments to research among students of institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. The study was guided by one research question and three hypotheses. Data were collected from 600 final year students randomly selected from institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean to…

Prevalence and Implementation Fidelity of Research-Based Prevention Programs in Public Schools. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosse, Scott; Williams, Barbara; Hagen, Carol A.; Harmon, Michele; Ristow, Liam; DiGaetano, Ralph; Broene, Pamela; Alexander, Debbie; Tseng, Margaret; Derzon, James H.

2011-01-01

This report presents descriptive information about the prevalence and quality of implementation of research-based programs from the Study of the Implementation of Research-Based Programs to Prevent Youth Substance Abuse and School Crime. The study found that, while schools reported implementing a large number of prevention programs during the…

Conducting Research on Home Environments: Lessons Learned and New Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gitlin, Laura N.

2003-01-01

The study of home environments is a research domain within the field of environmental gerontology that addresses issues related to aging in place. Despite the importance of aging at home, there are few recent studies in this area and most are descriptive and lack theoretical direction. This article examines the current state of research on home…

Collaboration in the Research and Scholarship of Feminist Women Faculty. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickens, Cynthia Sullivan

This study used qualitative research to develop a richer description and deeper understanding of the collaborative process among 26 feminist women faculty. The participants were all on the faculty full-time at two research universities in the Midwest and espoused feminism as evidenced by their formal association with women's studies programs. In…

"We can move forward": challenging historical inequity in public health research in Solomon Islands.

PubMed

Redman-Maclaren, Michelle L; Maclaren, David J; Asugeni, Rowena; Fa'anuabae, Chillion E; Harrington, Humpress; Muse, Alwin; Speare, Richard; Clough, Alan R

2010-11-05

In resource-poor countries, such as Solomon Islands, the research agenda on health is often dominated by researchers from resource-rich countries. New strategies are needed to empower local researchers to set directions for health research. This paper presents a process which seeks to enable a local and potentially more equitable research agenda at a remote hospital in Solomon Islands. In preparation for a health research capacity-building workshop at Atoifi Adventist Hospital, Malaita, Solomon Islands, a computer-based search was conducted of Solomon Islands public health literature. Using a levels-of-agreement approach publications were categorised as: a) original research, b) reviews, c) program descriptions and d) commentaries or discussion. Original research publications were further sub-categorised as: i) measurement, ii) descriptive research and iii) intervention studies. Results were reviewed with Solomon Islander health professionals in a focus group discussion during the health research workshop. Focus group participants were invited to discuss reactions to literature search results and how results might assist current or future local researchers to identify gaps in the published research literature and possible research opportunities at the hospital and surrounding communities. Focus group data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Of the 218 publications meeting inclusion criteria, 144 (66%) were categorised as 'original research', 42 (19%) as 'commentaries/discussion', 28 (13%) as 'descriptions of programs' and 4 (2%) as 'reviews'. Agreement between three authors' (MRM, DM, AC) independent categorisation was 'excellent' (0.8 <κ). The 144 'original research' publications included 115 (80%) 'descriptive studies' (κ = 0.82); 19 (13%) 'intervention studies' (κ = 0.77); and 10 (7%) 'measurement studies'(κ = 0.80). Key themes identified in the focus group discussion challenged historical inequities evident from the literature review. These included: i) who has done/is doing research in Solomon Islands (largely non-Solomon Islanders); ii) when the research was done (research needs to keep up to date); iii) amount of published research (there should be more); iv) types of research (lack of intervention and operational research); v) value of published research (important); vi) gaps in published literature (need more research about nursing); vii) opportunities for research action (start small); viii) support required to undertake research at the hospital and in surrounding communities (mentoring and partnering with experienced researchers). A search and collaborative review of public health literature for Solomon Islands at a health research capacity building workshop has uncovered and challenged historical inequity in the conduct and access to public health research. Emerging Solomon Islander researchers at a remote hospital are now working to set priorities and strengthen local research efforts. These efforts have highlighted the importance of collaboration and mentoring for Solomon Islanders to instigate and implement public health research to improve the health of individuals and communities served by this remote hospital.

Computers for real time flight simulation: A market survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bekey, G. A.; Karplus, W. J.

1977-01-01

An extensive computer market survey was made to determine those available systems suitable for current and future flight simulation studies at Ames Research Center. The primary requirement is for the computation of relatively high frequency content (5 Hz) math models representing powered lift flight vehicles. The Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) was used as a benchmark vehicle for computation comparison studies. The general nature of helicopter simulations and a description of the benchmark model are presented, and some of the sources of simulation difficulties are examined. A description of various applicable computer architectures is presented, along with detailed discussions of leading candidate systems and comparisons between them.

Social support and adjustment to cancer: reconciling descriptive, correlational, and intervention research.

PubMed

Helgeson, V S; Cohen, S

1996-03-01

Several research literatures are reviewed that address the associations of emotional, informational, and instrumental social support to psychological adjustment to cancer. Descriptive studies suggest that emotional support is most desired by patients, and correlational studies suggest that emotional support has the strongest associations with better adjustment. However, the evidence for the effectiveness of peer discussion groups aimed at providing emotional support is less than convincing. Moreover, educational groups aimed at providing informational support appear to be as effective as, if not more effective than, peer discussions. Reasons for inconsistencies between the correlational and intervention literatures are discussed, and future directions are outlined.

Interventions for compassionate nursing care: A systematic review.

PubMed

Blomberg, Karin; Griffiths, Peter; Wengström, Yvonne; May, Carl; Bridges, Jackie

2016-10-01

Compassion has been identified as an essential element of nursing and is increasingly under public scrutiny in the context of demands for high quality health care. While primary research on effectiveness of interventions to support compassionate nursing care has been reported, no rigorous critical overview exists. To systematically identify, describe and analyse research studies that evaluate interventions for compassionate nursing care; assess the descriptions of the interventions for compassionate care, including design and delivery of the intervention and theoretical framework; and to evaluate evidence for the effectiveness of interventions. Published international literature written in English up to June 2015 was identified from CINAHL, Medline and Cochrane Library databases. Primary research studies comparing outcomes of interventions to promote compassionate nursing care with a control condition were included. Studies were graded according to relative strength of methods and quality of description of intervention. Narrative description and analysis was undertaken supported by tabulation of key study data including study design, outcomes, intervention type and results. 25 interventions reported in 24 studies were included in the review. Intervention types included staff training (n=10), care model (n=9) and staff support (n=6). Intervention description was generally weak, especially in relation to describing participants and facilitators, and the proposed mechanisms for change were often unclear. Most interventions were associated with improvements in patient-based, nurse-based and/or quality of care outcomes. However, overall methodological quality was low with most studies (n=16) conducted as uncontrolled before and after studies. The few higher quality studies were less likely to report positive results. No interventions were tested more than once. None of the studies reviewed reported intervention description in sufficient detail or presented sufficiently strong evidence of effectiveness to merit routine implementation of any of these interventions into practice. The positive outcomes reported suggest that further investigation of some interventions may be merited, but high caution must be exercised. Preference should be shown for further investigating interventions reported as effective in studies with a stronger design such as randomised controlled trials. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Nursing Doctorates in Brazil: research formation and theses production

PubMed Central

Scochi, Carmen Gracinda Silvan; Gelbcke, Francine Lima; Ferreira, Márcia de Assunção; Lima, Maria Alice Dias da Silva; Padilha, Katia Grillo; Padovani, Nátali Artal; Munari, Denize Bouttelet

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the formation of nursing doctorates in Brazil, from theses production, disciplines and other strategies focusing on research offered by courses. METHOD: a descriptive and analytical study of the performance of 18 doctoral courses in nursing, running from 1982 to 2010, and defended their theses between 2010-2012. RESULTS: 502 theses were defended in this period, most linked to the online research process of health and nursing care. There are gaps in the knowledge of theoretical and philosophical foundations of care, nursing history and ethics. There are also weaknesses in the methodological design of the theses, with a predominance of descriptive and/or exploratory studies. This was consistent with international standards set with regards to the proposition of research of disciplines and complementary strategies in forming the doctorate. CONCLUSION: despite the efforts and advances in research formation, it is essential to expand to more robust research designs with a greater impact on production knowledge that is incorporated into practice. PMID:26312630

A Content Analysis Concerning the Studies on Challenges Faced by Novice Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozikoglu, Ishak

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research is to analyze the studies concerning challenges faced by novice teachers in terms of various aspects and compare challenges according to location of the studies conducted in Turkey and abroad. A total of 30 research studies were included in detailed analysis. This is a descriptive study based on qualitative research…

“Who Doesn’t?”—The Impact of Descriptive Norms on Corruption

PubMed Central

Köbis, Nils C.; van Prooijen, Jan-Willem; Righetti, Francesca; Van Lange, Paul A. M.

2015-01-01

Corruption poses one of the major societal challenges of our time. Considerable advances have been made in understanding corruption on a macro level, yet the psychological antecedents of corrupt behavior remain largely unknown. In order to explain why some people engage in corruption while others do not, we explored the impact of descriptive social norms on corrupt behavior by using a novel behavioral measure of corruption. We conducted three studies to test whether perceived descriptive norms of corruption (i.e. the belief about the prevalence of corruption in a specific context) influence corrupt behavior. The results indicated that descriptive norms highly correlate with corrupt behavior—both when measured before (Study 1) or after (Study 2) the behavioral measure of corruption. Finally, we adopted an experimental design to investigate the causal effect of descriptive norms on corruption (Study 3). Corrupt behavior in the corruption game significantly drops when participants receive short anti-corruption descriptive norm primes prior to the game. These findings indicate that perceived descriptive norms can impact corrupt behavior and, possibly, could offer an explanation for inter-personal and inter-cultural variation in corrupt behavior in the real world. We discuss implications of these findings and draw avenues for future research. PMID:26121127

Research '70.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toronto Board of Education (Ontario). Research Dept.

Thirteen research reports on a wide variety of issues are annotated in this bibliography that is intended for interested school personnel. Descriptions of studies ranging from the diagnostic value of children's drawings to the effects of bilingualism are brief. Titles reflecting the content of the studies are: The Measurement of Socio-Economic…

Childhood Asthma and Student Performance at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taras, Howard; Potts-Datema, William

2005-01-01

To better understand what is known about the association between childhood asthma, school attendance, and academic outcomes, the authors reviewed published studies investigating this topic. Tables with brief descriptions of each study's research methodology and outcomes are included. Research reveals evidence that rates of absenteeism are higher…

Online Teaching Needs Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Glenda; Sivakumaran, Thillainatarajan; Dawson, Marcus Dewayne; Davis, Lucy; Choi, Yung Yu; Absher, Ashley

2010-01-01

The study utilized a descriptive research approach to analyze the professional development needs of participants. Researchers for this study wanted to know the kinds of support and incentives that are being offered for faculty members who are teaching online courses, the kinds of professional development opportunities that are being offered, the…

How Twenty-Five People Shook the Archival World: The Case of Descriptive Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Susan E.

2006-01-01

This study explores the development of the archival profession during the 1980s, a period that experienced rapid change and the adoption of the first descriptive standards. The research focuses on the leadership roles played by individuals acting independently and on behalf of their employing institutions and professional associations in the…

A Description of the Strategic Knowledge of Experts Solving Transmission Genetics Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Angelo

Descriptions of the problem-solving strategies of experts solving realistic, computer-generated transmission genetics problems are presented in this paper and implications for instruction are discussed. Seven experts were involved in the study. All of the experts had a doctoral degree and experience in both teaching and doing research in genetics.…

The Lifestyle Behaviours and Exercise Beliefs of Undergraduate Student Nurses: A Descriptive Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Eimear; McCarthy, Bernard

2011-01-01

Purpose: Only limited published research is available exploring the lifestyle practices of student nurses. The purpose of this paper is to explore the lifestyle behaviours and exercise beliefs of Irish student nurses. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive survey design was used. First-year and third-year undergraduate student nurses (n=182)…

Stress among Academic Staff and Students' Satisfaction of Their Performances in Payame Noor University of Miandoab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jabari, Kamran; Moradi Sheykhjan, Tohid

2015-01-01

Present study examined the relationship between stress among academic staff and students' satisfaction of their performances in Payame Noor University (PNU) of Miandoab City, Iran in 2014. The methodology of the research is descriptive and correlation that descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Statistical Society…

Putting Practice into Words: The State of Data and Methods Transparency in Grammatical Descriptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gawne, Lauren; Kelly, Barbara F.; Berez-Kroeker, Andrea L.; Heston, Tyler

2017-01-01

Language documentation and description are closely related practices, often performed as part of the same fieldwork project on an un(der)-studied language. Research trends in recent decades have seen a great volume of publishing in regards to the methods of language documentation, however, it is not clear that linguists' awareness of the…

Media with Captions and Description to Support Learning among Children with Sensory Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Juanita; Diaz, Maria Victoria

2017-01-01

The basis of this exploratory research was to study the benefits of using accessible media to enhance students from Hispanic origin with sensory disabilities' reading skills. A mixed method was used to explore the results of the use of captions and description in educational audiovisual content to enhance reading by increasing the vocabulary of…

Clinical research ethics review process in Lebanon: efficiency and functions of research ethics committees - results from a descriptive questionnaire-based study.

PubMed

Atallah, David; Moubarak, Malak; El Kassis, Nadine; Abboud, Sara

2018-01-11

Clinical trials conducted in Lebanon are increasing. However, little is known about the performance of research ethics committees (RECs) in charge of reviewing the research protocols. This study aimed to assess the level of adherence to the ethics surrounding the conduct of clinical trials and perceptions of team members regarding roles of the RECs during the conduct of clinical trials in Lebanon. The research question was: Are RECs adherent to the ethics surrounding the conduct of clinical trials (chapters II and IV in 'Standards and Operational Guidance for Ethics Review of Health-related Research with Human Participants' in Lebanon?' This was a quantitative and descriptive questionnaire-based study conducted among RECs of university hospitals in Lebanon. The questionnaire had to be completed online and included general questions in addition to items reflecting the different aspects of a REC performance and effectiveness. All the questionnaire was assigned a total score of 175 points. General information and questions assigned point values/scores were analysed using descriptive statistics: frequency and percentage, mean score ± standard deviation. Ten RECs participated in the study (52 persons: four chairs, one vice-president, 47 ordinary members). Forty-seven (90.4%) had previous experience with clinical research and 30 (57.7%) had a diploma or had done a training in research ethics. Forty-one percent confirmed that they were required to have a training in research ethics. All RECs had a policy for disclosing and managing potential conflicts of interest for its members, but 71.8% of participants reported the existence of such a policy for researchers. Thirty-three point three percent reported that the RECs had an anti-bribery policy. The questionnaire mean score was 129.6 ± 22.3/175 points reflecting thus an excellent adherence to international standards. Inadequate training of REC members and the lack of anti-bribery policies should be resolved to improve their performance.

[The language disorders in schizophrenia in neurolinguistic and psycholinguistic perspectives].

PubMed

Piovan, Cristiano

2012-01-01

The descriptive psychopathology has classically equated the language with the formal aspects of thought. Recent developments in experimental and clinical research have emphasized the study of the language as a specific communicative ability. Within the framework of cognitive neuropsychology, the development of innovative research models, such as those based on the mentalizing ability, has allowed to formulate new hypotheses on the pathogenetic aspects of schizophrenia. Furthermore, mentalizing ability appears to be a basic skill for the pragmatic dimension of language. The author, after a brief description of the methods of investigation of neurolinguistics and psycholinguistics, presents a review of recent studies obtained by consulting the PubMed and PsycINFO databases. Finally, he focuses on the relationship between research findings and issues related to clinical practice.

Research for Better Teaching in Pennsylvania Schools 1970-1971. Vol. II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania Association of Teacher Educators.

An introductory article and ten research reports are presented. The introductory article, "A Challenge To Implement Research," by Ben J. Wiens, discusses how the Pennsylvania Association of Teacher Educators (PATE) is working to encourage much-needed research. The studies are 1) "A Descriptive Summary of Elementary Student Teaching Programs in…

Competency-Based Education: A Quantitative Study of the U.S. Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houser, Bonnie L.

2017-01-01

There are relatively few empirical studies that examine whether using a competency-based education (CBE) approach results in increased student learning or achievement when compared to traditional education approaches. This study uses a quantitative research methodology, a nonexperimental comparative descriptive research design, and a two-group…

Twin Studies and Their Implications for Molecular Genetic Studies: Endophenotypes Integrate Quantitative and Molecular Genetics in ADHD Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Alexis C.; Neale, Michael C.

2010-01-01

Objective: To describe the utility of twin studies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) research and demonstrate their potential for the identification of alternative phenotypes suitable for genomewide association, developmental risk assessment, treatment response, and intervention targets. Method: Brief descriptions of the classic…

Issues of Instructional Supervisory Practices in Primary Schools of Ebonyi State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onele, Adali A.; Aja-Okorie, Uzoma

2016-01-01

The study examines the issue of instructional supervision in primary schools of Onueke educational zone of Ebonyi state. The purpose of the study was to find out the problems militating against effective instructional supervision in the zone. Four research questions guided the study and descriptive survey research design was employed. The…

Comparison of Critical Thinking Dispositions of Prospective Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turan, Hakan

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the critical thinking dispositions of prospective teachers. In the study, survey model, which is a descriptive research method, was used. The sample of the research consisted of 1123 students studying at the Department of Physical Education and Sports Teacher at the Schools of Physical Education and Sports…

Decomposing phenotype descriptions for the human skeletal phenome.

PubMed

Groza, Tudor; Hunter, Jane; Zankl, Andreas

2013-01-01

Over the course of the last few years there has been a significant amount of research performed on ontology-based formalization of phenotype descriptions. The intrinsic value and knowledge captured within such descriptions can only be expressed by taking advantage of their inner structure that implicitly combines qualities and anatomical entities. We present a meta-model (the Phenotype Fragment Ontology) and a processing pipeline that enable together the automatic decomposition and conceptualization of phenotype descriptions for the human skeletal phenome. We use this approach to showcase the usefulness of the generic concept of phenotype decomposition by performing an experimental study on all skeletal phenotype concepts defined in the Human Phenotype Ontology.

Chemistry Professors' Descriptions of the Impact of Research Engagement on Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hua, Olivia; Shore, Bruce M.

2014-01-01

Professors endorse a symbiotic relationship between research and teaching, but empirical evidence supporting this relationship is inconsistent. Many studies operationalized research and teaching too narrowly to detect the believed relationship. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 chemistry professors from a large…

Argumentation skill profile using “Toulmin Argumentation Pattern” analysis of high school student at Subang on topic hydrostatic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syerliana, L.; Muslim; Setiawan, W.

2018-05-01

This study aims to know profile of argumentation skill high school student at Kabupaten Subang. To achieve this goal, researcher conducted a descriptive study to analysis student test results of argumentation skill of 35 students XII SMAN. Data collection using argumentation test which has validation by expert and then it is analyzed using TAP (Toulmin Argumentation Pattern) which consist of some components such a data, claim, warrant, backing, and rebuttal on the topic of hydrostatic pressure. The method used in this research is descriptive method. The result of this research show the student’s scientific argumentation skill is still low, this is proven by 54% average claim score, 38% data, 29% warrant, 35% backing and 35% rebuttal. These findings will serve as a basis for further research on innovative learning models that can improve students’ argumentation skill.

Research: Research in Language Arts Education: Notes on How It Works.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dilworth, Collett B., Jr.

1980-01-01

Provides an overview of different types of educational research in language arts, including the quasi-experiment, the controlled methodological experiment, the controlled descriptive experiment, the non-controlled description, and textual analysis. (RL)

Brief description of research papers accepted for publication during 1979. Annual report

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

Nash, D.B

1980-06-16

Brief descriptions of research papers in radiobiology, biochemistry, metabolism, and biophysics published during 1979 are presented. The research was conducted by investigators in the Dept. of Radiation Biology and Biophysics. (ACR)

Characteristics of Qualitative Descriptive Studies: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyejin; Sefcik, Justine S.; Bradway, Christine

2016-01-01

Qualitative description (QD) is a term that is widely used to describe qualitative studies of health care and nursing-related phenomena. However, limited discussions regarding QD are found in the existing literature. In this systematic review, we identified characteristics of methods and findings reported in research articles published in 2014 whose authors identified the work as QD. After searching and screening, data were extracted from the sample of 55 QD articles and examined to characterize research objectives, design justification, theoretical/philosophical frameworks, sampling and sample size, data collection and sources, data analysis, and presentation of findings. In this review, three primary findings were identified. First, despite inconsistencies, most articles included characteristics consistent with limited, available QD definitions and descriptions. Next, flexibility or variability of methods was common and desirable for obtaining rich data and achieving understanding of a phenomenon. Finally, justification for how a QD approach was chosen and why it would be an appropriate fit for a particular study was limited in the sample and, therefore, in need of increased attention. Based on these findings, recommendations include encouragement to researchers to provide as many details as possible regarding the methods of their QD study so that readers can determine whether the methods used were reasonable and effective in producing useful findings. PMID:27686751

29 CFR 1607.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample was identified and selected... the size of each subgroup (essential). A description of how the research sample compares with the...). Any quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be...

29 CFR 1607.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample was identified and selected... the size of each subgroup (essential). A description of how the research sample compares with the...). Any quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be...

29 CFR 1607.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample was identified and selected... the size of each subgroup (essential). A description of how the research sample compares with the...). Any quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be...

29 CFR 1607.15 - Documentation of impact and validity evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (essential). (6) Sample description. A description of how the research sample was identified and selected... the size of each subgroup (essential). A description of how the research sample compares with the...). Any quantitative data which identify or define the job constructs, such as factor analyses, should be...

An Automated Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-Based Nowcasting System: Software Description

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

14. ABSTRACT A Web service /Web interface software package has been engineered to address the need for an automated means to run the Weather Research...An Automated Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)- Based Nowcasting System: Software Description by Stephen F. Kirby, Brian P. Reen, and...Based Nowcasting System: Software Description Stephen F. Kirby, Brian P. Reen, and Robert E. Dumais Jr. Computational and Information Sciences

Investigating Lifelong Learning Dispositions of Students Studying English Language and Literature in Terms of Different Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elaldi, Senel

2015-01-01

This study aims to determine lifelong learning dispositions of English Language and Literature students in terms of gender, grade levels, and age variables. Descriptive research design was used. The study group consisted of 402 students studying English Language and Literature at Cumhuriyet University in Sivas, Turkey. Research data were collected…

Principals' Application of Instructional Leadership Practices for Secondary School Effectiveness in Oyo State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loyce, Onyali Chiedozie; Victor, Akinfolarin Akinwale

2017-01-01

This study ascertained the principals' application of instructional leadership practices for secondary school effectiveness in Oyo State. Two research questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 8,701 which were made of 969…

Principals' Provision of Incentive for Secondary Schools' Improvement in Oyo State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onyali, Loyce Chiedozie; Victor, Akinfolarin Akinwale

2017-01-01

This study ascertained the principals' provision of incentive for secondary schools' improvement in Oyo State. Two research questions guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 8,701 which comprised 969 principals and 7,732 teachers in…

Hyper Text Mark-up Language and Dublin Core metadata element set usage in websites of Iranian State Universities' libraries.

PubMed

Zare-Farashbandi, Firoozeh; Ramezan-Shirazi, Mahtab; Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Nouri, Rasool

2014-01-01

Recent progress in providing innovative solutions in the organization of electronic resources and research in this area shows a global trend in the use of new strategies such as metadata to facilitate description, place for, organization and retrieval of resources in the web environment. In this context, library metadata standards have a special place; therefore, the purpose of the present study has been a comparative study on the Central Libraries' Websites of Iran State Universities for Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML) and Dublin Core metadata elements usage in 2011. The method of this study is applied-descriptive and data collection tool is the check lists created by the researchers. Statistical community includes 98 websites of the Iranian State Universities of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and method of sampling is the census. Information was collected through observation and direct visits to websites and data analysis was prepared by Microsoft Excel software, 2011. The results of this study indicate that none of the websites use Dublin Core (DC) metadata and that only a few of them have used overlaps elements between HTML meta tags and Dublin Core (DC) elements. The percentage of overlaps of DC elements centralization in the Ministry of Health were 56% for both description and keywords and, in the Ministry of Science, were 45% for the keywords and 39% for the description. But, HTML meta tags have moderate presence in both Ministries, as the most-used elements were keywords and description (56%) and the least-used elements were date and formatter (0%). It was observed that the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Science follows the same path for using Dublin Core standard on their websites in the future. Because Central Library Websites are an example of scientific web pages, special attention in designing them can help the researchers to achieve faster and more accurate information resources. Therefore, the influence of librarians' ideas on the awareness of web designers and developers will be important for using metadata elements as general, and specifically for applying such standards.

Hyper Text Mark-up Language and Dublin Core metadata element set usage in websites of Iranian State Universities’ libraries

PubMed Central

Zare-Farashbandi, Firoozeh; Ramezan-Shirazi, Mahtab; Ashrafi-Rizi, Hasan; Nouri, Rasool

2014-01-01

Introduction: Recent progress in providing innovative solutions in the organization of electronic resources and research in this area shows a global trend in the use of new strategies such as metadata to facilitate description, place for, organization and retrieval of resources in the web environment. In this context, library metadata standards have a special place; therefore, the purpose of the present study has been a comparative study on the Central Libraries’ Websites of Iran State Universities for Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML) and Dublin Core metadata elements usage in 2011. Materials and Methods: The method of this study is applied-descriptive and data collection tool is the check lists created by the researchers. Statistical community includes 98 websites of the Iranian State Universities of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Ministry of Science, Research and Technology and method of sampling is the census. Information was collected through observation and direct visits to websites and data analysis was prepared by Microsoft Excel software, 2011. Results: The results of this study indicate that none of the websites use Dublin Core (DC) metadata and that only a few of them have used overlaps elements between HTML meta tags and Dublin Core (DC) elements. The percentage of overlaps of DC elements centralization in the Ministry of Health were 56% for both description and keywords and, in the Ministry of Science, were 45% for the keywords and 39% for the description. But, HTML meta tags have moderate presence in both Ministries, as the most-used elements were keywords and description (56%) and the least-used elements were date and formatter (0%). Conclusion: It was observed that the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Science follows the same path for using Dublin Core standard on their websites in the future. Because Central Library Websites are an example of scientific web pages, special attention in designing them can help the researchers to achieve faster and more accurate information resources. Therefore, the influence of librarians’ ideas on the awareness of web designers and developers will be important for using metadata elements as general, and specifically for applying such standards. PMID:24741646

Biostatistics primer: part I.

PubMed

Overholser, Brian R; Sowinski, Kevin M

2007-12-01

Biostatistics is the application of statistics to biologic data. The field of statistics can be broken down into 2 fundamental parts: descriptive and inferential. Descriptive statistics are commonly used to categorize, display, and summarize data. Inferential statistics can be used to make predictions based on a sample obtained from a population or some large body of information. It is these inferences that are used to test specific research hypotheses. This 2-part review will outline important features of descriptive and inferential statistics as they apply to commonly conducted research studies in the biomedical literature. Part 1 in this issue will discuss fundamental topics of statistics and data analysis. Additionally, some of the most commonly used statistical tests found in the biomedical literature will be reviewed in Part 2 in the February 2008 issue.

A Descriptive Study of the Factors Influencing the Degree to Which Fourth-, Fifth-, and Sixth-Grade Virtual Education Students Perceive a Sense of Virtual Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerth, Dana A.

2013-01-01

Review of literature revealed a shortage of research describing the development of K-12 virtual communities and the absence of a tool to measure sense of virtual community in K-12 virtual education students. The purpose of this descriptive, quantitative study was to examine the perception of a sense of virtual community from the perspective of…

Teaching and Learning in Two iPad-Infused Classrooms: A Descriptive Case Study of A Dual Classroom, School-Based Pilot Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maich, Kimberly; Hall, Carmen L.; van Rhijn, Tricia Marie; Henning, Megan

2017-01-01

This multi-methods, descriptive case study examines attitudes and practices of classroom-based iPad use. The site is one inner-city, urban, publicly funded school, focused on two iPad-infused classrooms (Grade 2/3 and Grade 4/5). Data were collected from 5 educators and 35 students to investigate two research questions: How are iPads being…

Perceptions of Prospective Teachers about Tolerance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Cavus

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to ascertain the perceptions of prospective teachers about tolerance education. This research is a descriptive, qualitative study. A semi-structured and non-directive interview technique is used for collecting data. Research is carried out with 30 prospective teachers who attend Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University…

Origins, Methods and Advances in Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nye, Elizabeth; Melendez-Torres, G. J.; Bonell, Chris

2016-01-01

Qualitative research is a broad term encompassing many methods. Critiques of the field of qualitative research argue that while individual studies provide rich descriptions and insights, the absence of connections drawn between studies limits their usefulness. In response, qualitative meta-synthesis serves as a design to interpret and synthesise…

Chronic Health Conditions and Student Performance at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taras, Howard; Potts-Datema, William

2005-01-01

To review the state of research on the association between common chronic health conditions and academic outcomes, the authors reviewed published studies investigating the association of school attendance, cognitive ability, and achievement with a number of chronic diseases. Tables with brief descriptions of each study's research methods and…

Identification, Description, and Perceived Viability of K-12 Consolidated Catholic School Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Britt, Kenith C.

2011-01-01

Limited research has been conducted on Catholic school viability (James, Tichy, Collins, & Schwob, 2008; Lundy, 1999) and Catholic school systems (Goldschmidt, O'Keefe, & Walsh, 2004). But no research studies have investigated the viability of the consolidated Catholic school system (DeFiore, Convey, & Schuttloffel, 2009). This study investigates…

Social Goals and Youth Aggression: Meta-Analysis of Prosocial and Antisocial Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samson, Jennifer E.; Ojanen, Tiina; Hollo, Alexandra

2012-01-01

To advance research evaluating the relationship between social information processing (Crick & Dodge) and youth aggression, this meta-analytic study examined associations between social goals and aggression in children in 21 separate research reports. Eligible studies provided descriptive or preintervention measurement of children's aggression and…

Mathematics Teachers' Criteria of Dimension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ural, Alattin

2014-01-01

The aim of the study is to determine mathematics teachers' decisions about dimensions of the geometric figures, criteria of dimension and consistency of decision-criteria. The research is a qualitative research and the model applied in the study is descriptive method on the basis of general scanning model. 15 mathematics teachers attended the…

Autistic Spectrum Disorder and Assistive Technology: Action Research Case Study of Reading Supports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsey, Pam

2012-01-01

This descriptive action research experience with case study procedures examined the use of best practices paired with assistive technologies as interventions to individualize fiction reading instruction for a high-functioning elementary student, JB (pseudonym), diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. JB's instructional, reading goals were to…

Contemporary Dissertation Research on Employment and Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barth, Peter S.

This monograph summarizes 20 recently completed dissertations representative of research being done in employment and training. Each summary has this format: description of the framework into which the study fits, explanation of its purpose, summary of methodology and type of data, and author's findings and conclusions. Six studies in section I on…

An inconclusive study comparing the effect of concrete and abstract descriptions of belief-inconsistent information.

PubMed

Collins, Katherine A; Clément, Richard

2018-01-01

Linguistic bias is the differential use of linguistic abstraction (as defined by the Linguistic Category Model) to describe the same behaviour for members of different groups. Essentially, it is the tendency to use concrete language for belief-inconsistent behaviours and abstract language for belief-consistent behaviours. Having found that linguistic bias is produced without intention or awareness in many contexts, researchers argue that linguistic bias reflects, reinforces, and transmits pre-existing beliefs, thus playing a role in belief maintenance. Based on the Linguistic Category Model, this assumes that concrete descriptions reduce the impact of belief-inconsistent behaviours while abstract descriptions maximize the impact of belief-consistent behaviours. However, a key study by Geschke, Sassenberg, Ruhrmann, and Sommer [2007] found that concrete descriptions of belief-inconsistent behaviours actually had a greater impact than abstract descriptions, a finding that does not fit easily within the linguistic bias paradigm. Abstract descriptions (e.g. the elderly woman is athletic) are, by definition, more open to interpretation than concrete descriptions (e.g. the elderly woman works out regularly). It is thus possible that abstract descriptions are (1) perceived as having less evidentiary strength than concrete descriptions, and (2) understood in context (i.e. athletic for an elderly woman). In this study, the design of Geschke et al. [2007] was modified to address this possibility. We expected that the differences in the impact of concrete and abstract descriptions would be reduced or reversed, but instead we found that differences were largely absent. This study did not support the findings of Geschke et al. [2007] or the linguistic bias paradigm. We encourage further attempts to understand the strong effect of concrete descriptions for belief-inconsistent behaviour.

Choosing to Study for a PhD: A Framework for Examining Decisions to Become a Research Student

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCulloch, Alistair; Guerin, Cally; Jayatilaka, Asangi; Calder, Paul; Ranasinghe, Damith

2017-01-01

Given its importance to institutions, policy-makers and intending students, there is a surprising lack of research exploring the reasons students choose to undertake a research degree. What studies there are tend to be largely descriptive and the topic lacks a theoretically-informed framework through which student decisions can be examined and…

Teachers' Development of Professional Knowledge through Action Research and the Facilitation of This by Teacher Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponte, Petra; Ax, Jan; Beijaard, Douwe; Wubbels, Theo

2004-01-01

This article describes the design and results of a descriptive and explorative case study into the development of professional knowledge by teachers through action research and the facilitation of this by teacher educators. The theoretical framework of the study links the Anglo-Saxon Action Research tradition and the German "Allgemeine Didaktik."…

Technology to Support Writing by Students with Learning and Academic Disabilities: Recent Research Trends and Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson-Karlan, George R.

2011-01-01

The trends and findings from a descriptive analysis of 25 years of research studies examining the effectiveness of technology to support the compositional writing of students with learning and academic disabilities are presented. A corpus of 85 applied research studies of writing technology effectiveness was identified from among 249 items in the…

Lecturers’ Understanding on Indexing Databases of SINTA, DOAJ, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, and Web of Science: A Study of Indonesians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh Ahmar, Ansari; Kurniasih, Nuning; Irawan, Dasapta Erwin; Utami Sutiksno, Dian; Napitupulu, Darmawan; Ikhsan Setiawan, Muhammad; Simarmata, Janner; Hidayat, Rahmat; Busro; Abdullah, Dahlan; Rahim, Robbi; Abraham, Juneman

2018-01-01

The Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of Indonesia has introduced several national and international indexers of scientific works. This policy becomes a guideline for lecturers and researchers in choosing the reputable publications. This study aimed to describe the understanding level of Indonesian lecturers related to indexing databases, i.e. SINTA, DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. This research used descriptive design and survey method. The populations in this study were Indonesian lecturers and researchers. The primary data were obtained from a questionnaire filled by 316 lecturers and researchers from 33 Provinces in Indonesia recruited with convenience sampling technique on October-November 2017. The data analysis was performed using frequency distribution tables, cross tabulation and descriptive analysis. The results of this study showed that the understanding of Indonesian lecturers and researchers regarding publications in indexing databases SINTA, DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar is that, on average, 66,5% have known about SINTA, DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. However, based on empirical frequency 76% of them have never published with journals or proceedings indexed in Scopus.

Investigating the dimension of time: findings from a modified grounded theory study about clients' experiences and descriptions of temporality or time within music therapy.

PubMed

Daveson, Barbara; O'Callaghan, Clare

2011-01-01

Many references to time or temporality are located within music therapy literature, however little research has been completed regarding this phenomenon. Findings from a modified grounded theory study about clients' experiences and descriptions of time within the context of music therapy are presented here. The study was informed by the constructivist-interpretive paradigm and a grounded-descriptive statement finding resulted. A 2-staged research methodology was used, comprising a deductive-inductive content analysis of information from the public domain, followed by data-mining of information from a minimum of 160 clients and analysis of data from at least 43 of these 160 clients. Information regarding memory experiences, the duration of music therapy effects, recall and retrieval, and experiences of time are identified. Implications for practice are emphasized, in particular the following is stressed (a) the importance of time orientation and temporal connectedness in relation to identity development, (b) temporal strategies within music experience to assist integration, recall, and retrieval of information, and (c) the importance of and the elements involved in time modification. New explanations for music therapy phenomena are shared, and areas for research highlighted. Benefits of using time dynamically to aid therapeutic process are proposed, and it is concluded that temporal experience within the context of music therapy is important in relation to both practice and research.

Transformative, Mixed Methods Checklist for Psychological Research with Mexican Americans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canales, Genevieve

2013-01-01

This is a description of the creation of a research methods tool, the "Transformative, Mixed Methods Checklist for Psychological Research With Mexican Americans." For conducting literature reviews of and planning mixed methods studies with Mexican Americans, it contains evaluative criteria calling for transformative mixed methods, perspectives…

Telepresence-Enabled Remote Fieldwork: Undergraduate Research in the Deep Sea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephens, A. Lynn; Pallant, Amy; McIntyre, Cynthia

2016-01-01

Deep-sea research is rarely available to undergraduate students. However, as telepresence technology becomes more available, doors may open for more undergraduates to pursue research that includes remote fieldwork. This descriptive case study is an initial investigation into whether such technology might provide a feasible opportunity for…

Gender Bias: Recent Research and Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Jersey Research Bulletin, 1996

1996-01-01

This annotated bibliography lists 14 publications about recent research on gender bias and interventions to reduce gender bias in schools. The bibliography is divided into two sections: current research and intervention. The first includes descriptions of studies examining the following topics: gender bias in U.S. schools and its effects;…

Investigating the Problem of Skill Generalization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haring, Norris; And Others

The booklet describes the efforts planned by the Washington Research Organization (UWRO) to study ways in which generalization of skills may be facilitated by severely retarded individuals. It is explained that activities of UWRO are organized around four major tasks: descriptive and laboratory research; research in natural educational settings;…

Group Work for Bulimia: A Review of Outcomes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimpfer, David G.

1990-01-01

Reviews descriptive and experimental research relating to the eating disorder known as bulimia nervosa. Reviews outcome studies of group treatment of bulimia to examine the effectiveness of group intervention. Provides recommendations for practice and future research. (Author/PVV)

Postponing the Encyclopedia: Children as Researchers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinsel, Marc I.; Pinsel, Jerry K.

Research is the planned collection, selection, and processing of information that typically takes three forms--historical, descriptive, or experimental. Historical research seeks to uncover facts with respect to events that have already happened, descriptive research seeks to uncover facts with respect to the current scene of events, and…

A Sociolinguistics Study on the Use of the Javanese Language in the Learning Process in Primary Schools in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saddhono, Kundharu; Rohmadi, Muhammad

2014-01-01

This study aims at describing the use of language at primary schools grade 1, 2, and 3 in Surakarta. The study belongs to descriptive qualitative research. It emphasizes in a note which depict real situation to support data presentation. Content analysis is used as research methodology. It analyzes the research result of the observed speech event.…

Tutorial for Thermophysics Universal Research Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-30

DS1V are compared in Section 3.4.5. 3.4.2 Description of the Example Problem In a fluid, disturbance information is communicated within a medium at the...Universal Research Framework development (TURF-DEV) package on a case-by-case basis. Brief descriptions of the operations are provided in Tables 4.1 and...of additional experimental (E) and research (R) operations included in TURF-DEV. Module Operation Description DSMC SPDistDirectDSMCCellMergeOp (R

Teaching Engaged Research Literacy: A Description and Assessment of the Research Ripped from the Headlines Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hosek, Angela M.

2016-01-01

This assignment serves to increase students' information literacy related to research gathering, critique, analysis, and implementation. For this assignment, students will: (a) identify and examine a news article that uses research; (b) trace the origins and conduct an analysis of the research study cited in the news article or a related research…

Forest Service research natural areas in California

Treesearch

Sheauchi Cheng

2004-01-01

Ecological descriptions of 98 research natural areas (of various statuses) in the Pacific Southwest Region of the USDA Forest Service are summarized in this report. These descriptions, basically based on ecological surveys conducted from 1975 through 2000, provide important but largely unknown information on the ecology of California. For each area, descriptions of...

Assessment of Oral Communication: A Major Review of the Historical Development and Trends in the Movement from 1975 to 2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morreale, Sherwyn; Backlund, Philip; Hay, Ellen; Moore, Michael

2011-01-01

This comprehensive review of the assessment of oral communication in the communication discipline is both descriptive and empirical in nature. First, some background on the topic of communication assessment is provided. Following the descriptive background, we present an empirical analysis of academic papers, research studies, and books about…

Assessing and appraising nursing students' professional communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diers, Jane E.

The purpose of this research was to define professional communication in nursing and to develop a prototype to assess and appraise communication at a selected college. The research focused on verbal and nonverbal communication between the nurse and the client using a simulated environment. The first objective was to identify the major characteristics of professional communication in nursing. In this study, the characteristics of professional communication emerged from the constant comparison method of the results of research studies in the fields of healthcare and communication. These characteristics became the elements, representative properties, and descriptive dimensions to assess and appraise verbal and nonverbal communication at the college of study. The second objective was to develop a template to assess verbal and nonverbal communication at a selected college. Using a two-fold process, the researcher used the results from the first objective to begin template construction. First, specialists in the fields of communication and nursing established the content validity of the elements, representative properties, and descriptive dimensions. Second, the course educators determined the relevancy and importance of the elements, properties, and descriptive dimensions to the objectives of two courses at the college of study. The third objective was to develop a rubric to appraise nursing students' verbal and nonverbal communication in a videotaped communication review. An appraisal rubric was constructed from an extension of the template. This rubric was then tested by faculty at the selected college to appraise the communication of five students each in the junior and senior years of the nursing program.

More than 20 years of research into the quality of life of people with HIV and AIDS--a descriptive review of study characteristics and methodological approaches of published empirical studies.

PubMed

Drewes, Jochen; Gusy, Burkhard; Rüden, Ursula von

2013-01-01

The quality of life of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) is becoming increasingly important--a fact that is also reflected in extensive research efforts. Owing to the almost complete lack of systematic integration of research findings, it is hardly possible to provide an overview of the current status of research, or to derive valid statements about research results. A literature search regarding the quality of life of PLWHA was performed in two international research databases. After checking their relevance, 852 publications appearing in scientific journals and explicitly measuring the quality of life of PLWHA were categorized on the basis of various study characteristics. The number of publications per year in our study pool has been rising steadily since 1989. Well over 40 established instruments were used to determine the quality of life, most frequently the MOS-HIV, followed by the SF-36. The great majority of the studies are correlation studies. CD4 cells, gender, and age are the most common variables for which correlations with quality of life are reported. Our descriptive review stresses both the increasing significance and the challenges of research into quality of life of PLWHA such as the great variety of instruments used. The limits of this review are discussed and we conclude with the formulation of research desiderata concerning comparative review studies on instruments and systematic reviews of frequent research questions.

Basic Needs as a Predictors of Prospective Teachers' Self-Actualization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arslan, Ali

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the predictive power of prospective teachers' basic needs on self-actualization. This is a correlational research which is one of the descriptive research methods. The study was conducted on 1033 prospective teachers studying in Bulent Ecevit University Eregli Faculty of Education in the spring term of the…

A Cross Sectional Study of the Differences between Generation, Learning Style, Modality and Learning Outcomes within a Faculty Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weeks, Joseph A., Jr.

2014-01-01

This research project was a descriptive study which measured the differences between generation, learning style, modality of course delivery and learning outcomes of the education sessions for participants in the regional higher education institution's professional development program. This research study focused on the faculty development program…

Motivational Practices and Teachers' Performance in Jinja Municipality Secondary Schools, Jinja District, Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Justine, Nairuba

2011-01-01

The purpose of the study was to establish the effect of provision of fringe benefits and the nature of working conditions under motivational practices on teachers' performance in secondary schools. The study was qualitative and quantitative; and descriptive-correlation research design was used in the study. The researcher used purposive and simple…

Pre-Service Teachers' Use of Turkish on the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Muamber

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the situation of pre-service primary school teachers' use of Turkish on the internet. The research was conducted on 100 students studying at the department of Primary School Education of Mustafa Kemal University. The research was descriptive. Data of the study was obtained from the students' conversations in…

Strategic Architecture for School of Business, Bogor Agricultural University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palupiningrum, Agustina Widi; Daryanto, Arief; Fahmi, Idqan

2016-01-01

This study aims to analyze the internal and external factors that influence the development of SB-IPB, analyze SB-IPB strategic foresight and designing SB-IPB strategic architecture. This research is a descriptive research in the form of a case study. Respondents in this study are experts from inside and outside of IPB who are policy makers,…

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…

Statistics in the pharmacy literature.

PubMed

Lee, Charlene M; Soin, Herpreet K; Einarson, Thomas R

2004-09-01

Research in statistical methods is essential for maintenance of high quality of the published literature. To update previous reports of the types and frequencies of statistical terms and procedures in research studies of selected professional pharmacy journals. We obtained all research articles published in 2001 in 6 journals: American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy, and Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. Two independent reviewers identified and recorded descriptive and inferential statistical terms/procedures found in the methods, results, and discussion sections of each article. Results were determined by tallying the total number of times, as well as the percentage, that each statistical term or procedure appeared in the articles. One hundred forty-four articles were included. Ninety-eight percent employed descriptive statistics; of these, 28% used only descriptive statistics. The most common descriptive statistical terms were percentage (90%), mean (74%), standard deviation (58%), and range (46%). Sixty-nine percent of the articles used inferential statistics, the most frequent being chi(2) (33%), Student's t-test (26%), Pearson's correlation coefficient r (18%), ANOVA (14%), and logistic regression (11%). Statistical terms and procedures were found in nearly all of the research articles published in pharmacy journals. Thus, pharmacy education should aim to provide current and future pharmacists with an understanding of the common statistical terms and procedures identified to facilitate the appropriate appraisal and consequential utilization of the information available in research articles.

Manpower Research and Development Projects; 1973 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manpower Administration (DOL), Washington, DC.

The third edition of Manpower Research and Development Projects presents descriptions of 455 projects which are grouped by subject matter to facilitate description of the research and development program and the use of the material. The 199 doctoral dissertation grants and the 12 manpower research institutional grants are classified by subject…

High incorrect use of the standard error of the mean (SEM) in original articles in three cardiovascular journals evaluated for 2012.

PubMed

Wullschleger, Marcel; Aghlmandi, Soheila; Egger, Marcel; Zwahlen, Marcel

2014-01-01

In biomedical journals authors sometimes use the standard error of the mean (SEM) for data description, which has been called inappropriate or incorrect. To assess the frequency of incorrect use of SEM in articles in three selected cardiovascular journals. All original journal articles published in 2012 in Cardiovascular Research, Circulation: Heart Failure and Circulation Research were assessed by two assessors for inappropriate use of SEM when providing descriptive information of empirical data. We also assessed whether the authors state in the methods section that the SEM will be used for data description. Of 441 articles included in this survey, 64% (282 articles) contained at least one instance of incorrect use of the SEM, with two journals having a prevalence above 70% and "Circulation: Heart Failure" having the lowest value (27%). In 81% of articles with incorrect use of SEM, the authors had explicitly stated that they use the SEM for data description and in 89% SEM bars were also used instead of 95% confidence intervals. Basic science studies had a 7.4-fold higher level of inappropriate SEM use (74%) than clinical studies (10%). The selection of the three cardiovascular journals was based on a subjective initial impression of observing inappropriate SEM use. The observed results are not representative for all cardiovascular journals. In three selected cardiovascular journals we found a high level of inappropriate SEM use and explicit methods statements to use it for data description, especially in basic science studies. To improve on this situation, these and other journals should provide clear instructions to authors on how to report descriptive information of empirical data.

Assessment of Utilization of ICT Resources in Teaching among Tertiary Institution Business Educators in South Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okolocha, Chimezie Comfort; Nwadiani, Comfort Onaigho

2015-01-01

This study assessed the utilization of ICT resources in teaching among business educators in tertiary institutions in south Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population and sample for the study comprised all 240 business educators in colleges…

Research nurses in New Zealand intensive care units: A qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Mackle, Diane; Nelson, Katherine

2018-04-20

This study explored the role of the research nurse in New Zealand (NZ) Level III intensive care units (ICU). Little was known about this role in NZ prior to this study. To describe the role and responsibilities of NZ ICU research nurses. A qualitative, descriptive approach, using semi structured interviews was used. The study was conducted in six Level III ICUs throughout NZ that employed a research nurse. Interviews were conducted with research nurses (n = 11), principal investigators (n = 6) and nurse managers (n = 6), and the findings were triangulated. The views across all ICUs and stakeholders were generally similar, with differences only being in some operational areas. This study found that the primary role of the research nurse was trial management, where they coordinated all elements of trial conduct. Almost half of the research nurses were involved in trial design through their positions on management committees. Research nurses also played a vital role in patient and trial advocacy, and they bridged the knowledge gap by bringing research to staff nurses, patients and their families. The majority of research nurses reported to a nursing line manager, and had an informal accountability to the PI. The role of NZ ICU research nurses is similar to their international counterparts. This study provides clarity about the research nurse role and showcases their key contribution in ensuring that NZ ICUs undertake high quality research, thus contributing to potential improvements for future patients' outcomes. Copyright © 2018 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The profile of students’ problem-solving skill in physics across interest program in the secondary school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jua, S. K.; Sarwanto; Sukarmin

2018-05-01

Problem-solving skills are important skills in physics. However, according to some researchers, the problem-solving skill of Indonesian students’ problem in physics learning is categorized still low. The purpose of this study was to identify the profile of problem-solving skills of students who follow the across the interests program of physics. The subjects of the study were high school students of Social Sciences, grade X. The type of this research was descriptive research. The data which used to analyze the problem-solving skills were obtained through student questionnaires and the test results with impulse materials and collision. From the descriptive analysis results, the percentage of students’ problem-solving skill based on the test was 52.93% and indicators respectively. These results indicated that students’ problem-solving skill is categorized low.

Definition of experiments and instruments for a communication/navigation research laboratory. Volume 3: Laboratory descriptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The following study objectives are covered: (1) identification of major laboratory equipment; (2) systems and operations analysis in support of the laboratory design; and (3) conceptual design of the comm/nav research laboratory.

An assessment of high-speed rail safety issues and research needs

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-12-01

The objectives of the study were to provide the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Research and Development with the following information: A general description and operating characteristics of high-speed rail systems likely to be installed i...

Teachers' Social Capital as a Resource for Curriculum Development: Lessons Learnt in the Implementation of a Child-Friendly Schools Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modipane, Mpho; Themane, Mahlapahlapana

2014-01-01

This paper reports on lessons learnt in the use of teachers' social capital as a resource for curriculum development, in the implementation of the Child-Friendly Schools (CFS) programme in South Africa. The researchers in this study were amongst the trainers. The study followed a qualitative research approach, where a descriptive research design…

Primary-Grade Teacher Candidates' Views on Museum Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tas, Ayse Mentis

2012-01-01

This study identifies the primary-grade teacher candidates' views on museum education. The research is a descriptive research that used survey model. The study group is made up of 209 primary-grade teacher candidates who were seniors in the Primary-Grade Teaching Program. They were all attending Konya University's Faculty of Education. A survey…

Evaluation through Follow-Up of Students (UGU). Project No. 2119. Current Project 1983:4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ljung, Bengt-Olov; Emanuelsson, Ingemar

1983-01-01

This newsletter describes a research design enabling descriptive, comparative, evaluative follow-up studies of individual development in social contexts related to schooling. In addition, it describes a research project focusing mainly on evaluative studies of the ability of the educational system to confer, on different individuals in various…

The National Research Council in 1977: Current Issues and Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.

This second annual report of the National Research Council (NRC) offers views of its officers on national issues from the vantage of the NRC, and descriptions of study projects in progress. Reports are made by the NRC's divisions of: behavioral and social sciences, life sciences, engineering, mathematical and physical sciences, international…

Motivators, Facilitators, and Barriers to Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Miller, Wendy; Brown, Patrick R

In this descriptive, qualitative research study, the researchers used semistructured interviews with older adults who engaged in regular physical activity to identify common motivators, facilitators, and barriers to participating in regular exercise. The authors used these interviews to identify major themes and discuss implications for population health.

A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Enrichment Programs on Gifted Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Mihyeon

2016-01-01

Although descriptions of enrichment programs are valuable for practitioners, practices, and services for gifted students, they must be backed by evidence, derived through a synthesis of research. This study examined research on enrichment programs serving gifted students and synthesized the current studies between 1985 and 2014 on the effects of…

The Experience of Assessing Out-of-School Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiriktas, Halit; Eslek, Sinan

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate out-of-school learning environments within the borders of the province of Izmir in terms of various parameters. With this purpose, the researchers developed the "Out-Of-School Learning Environments Assessment Survey." The study used the screening model, which is a descriptive research method. In the scope…

Visionary Leadership in the Administrative Staff of the Guapan Educational Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molina, Oscar Antonio Martinez

2018-01-01

The purpose of the present study lies in determining the visionary leadership manifest in the administrative staff of the Guapan Educational Unit, with the research taking the form of a positivist descriptive research study that will deepen the knowledge of the variable that concerns us: visionary leadership. Through the application of field…

Preservice Science Teachers' Views on Science-Technology-Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dikmentepe, Emel; Yakar, Zeha

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the views of pre-service science teachers on Science-Technology-Society (STS). In the research, a descriptive research method was used and data were collected using the Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) Questionnaire. In general, the results of this study revealed that pre-service science teachers…

Problems in Learning of Electronic Filing at Vocational School in Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutirman; Muhyadi; Surjono, Herman Dwi

2017-01-01

This study aims to investigate the learning implementation of electronic filing and problems faced by teachers in learning implementing of electronic filing. This study is a descriptive research with qualitative approach. Collecting data used interview and documentation techniques. The research subjects consisted of 29 teachers who teach Filing…

Students' Critical Thinking Ability: Description Based on Academic Level and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zetriuslita, Hj.; Ariawan, Rezi; Nufus, Hayatun

2016-01-01

This research aims to describe students' critical thinking ability based on the level academic and gender. The populations of this study were 132 students participating in five classes of Calculus course. The research data obtained through technical tests and interview techniques. This study found that the high level of capability, both male…

Research into Practice: The Influence of Discourse Studies on Language Descriptions and Task Design in Published ELT Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilmore, Alex

2015-01-01

Discourse studies is a vast, multidisciplinary, and rapidly expanding area of research, embracing a range of approaches including discourse analysis, corpus analysis, conversation analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, critical discourse analysis, genre analysis and multimodal discourse analysis. Each approach offers its own unique perspective…

Study of Human Barriers upon Development of Virtual Disciplines at University of Isfahan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikoonezhad, Sepideh; Nili, Mohammadreza; Esfahani, Ahmadreza Nasr

2015-01-01

The present study has been carried out to investigate the human barriers of developing virtual majors at Isfahan University; therefore, considering its objective, it is a functional research. It was conducted in combined (quantitative-qualitative) manner via descriptive survey method. In order to do the research, investigating the texts, interview…

Influence of Social Media on Psychosocial Behaviour and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umar, Talatu Ibrahim; Idris, Murja

2018-01-01

This study investigated the influence of social media on psychosocial behaviour and academic performance of secondary school students. It was conducted in Batagarawa Local Government, Katsina State, Nigeria. Two research hypotheses were formulated for the study, and descriptive survey research design was employed. The target population consists of…

Young Chinese Children's Justifications of Plants as Living Things

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tao, Ying

2016-01-01

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to explore how Chinese preschool children categorize plants into either living or nonliving things. The research was framed within the interpretive paradigm and was designed as a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Participants were children 4 to 6 years of age from 3 kindergartens in Jiangsu…

The Moderating Role of Close versus Distal Peer Injunctive Norms and Interdependent Self-Construal in the Effects of Descriptive Norms on College Drinking.

PubMed

Yang, Bo

2018-06-01

Based on the theory of normative social behavior (Rimal & Real, 2005), this study examined the effects of descriptive norms, close versus distal peer injunctive norms, and interdependent self-construal on college students' intentions to consume alcohol. Results of a cross-sectional study conducted among U.S. college students (N = 581) found that descriptive norms, close, and distal peer injunctive norms had independent effects on college students' intentions to consume alcohol. Furthermore, close peer injunctive norms moderated the effects of descriptive norms on college students' intentions to consume alcohol and the interaction showed different patterns among students with a strong and weak interdependent self-construal. High levels of close peer injunctive norms weakened the relationship between descriptive norms and intentions to consume alcohol among students with a strong interdependent self-construal but strengthened the relationship between descriptive norms and intentions to consume alcohol among students with a weak interdependent self-construal. Implications of the findings for norms-based research and college drinking interventions are discussed.

Qualitative Research Literature: A Bibliographic Essay.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horn, Jim

1998-01-01

Presents selected literature that exemplifies (in theory and in practice) four methodological frameworks that have found wide application in qualitative studies: symbolic interactionism, phenomenological description, constructivist hermeneutics, and critical studies. (Author/LRW)

Hydrogen partitioning and transport in titanium aluminides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Han, Kwang S.; Lee, Weon S.

1993-01-01

This report gives the final summary of the research work perfomed from March 1, 1990 to August 28, 1993. Brief descriptions of the research findings are given on the surface variation of Ti-14Al-21Nb as a function of temperature under ultrahigh vacuum conditions; titanium aluminides: surface composition effects as a function of temperature; Auger electron intensity variation in oxygen-charged silver; and segregation of sulfur on a titanium surface studied by Auger electron spectroscopy. Each description details one or more of the attached corresponding figures. Published journal documents are provided as appendices to give further detail.

What's in a Name? The Incorrect Use of Case Series as a Study Design Label in Studies Involving Dogs and Cats.

PubMed

Sargeant, J M; O'Connor, A M; Cullen, J N; Makielski, K M; Jones-Bitton, A

2017-07-01

Study design labels are used to identify relevant literature to address specific clinical and research questions and to aid in evaluating the evidentiary value of research. Evidence from the human healthcare literature indicates that the label "case series" may be used inconsistently and inappropriately. Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of studies in the canine and feline veterinary literature labeled as case series that actually corresponded to descriptive cohort studies, population-based cohort studies, or other study designs. Our secondary objective was to identify the proportion of case series in which potentially inappropriate inferential statements were made. Descriptive evaluation of published literature. One-hundred published studies (from 19 journals) labeled as case series. Studies were identified by a structured literature search, with random selection of 100 studies from the relevant citations. Two reviewers independently characterized each study, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Of the 100 studies, 16 were case series. The remaining studies were descriptive cohort studies (35), population-based cohort studies (36), or other observational or experimental study designs (13). Almost half (48.8%) of the case series or descriptive cohort studies, with no control group and no formal statistical analysis, included inferential statements about the efficacy of treatment or statistical significance of potential risk factors. Authors, peer-reviewers, and editors should carefully consider the design elements of a study to accurately identify and label the study design. Doing so will facilitate an understanding of the evidentiary value of the results. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Social Studies Teacher Candidates' Opinions about Digital Citizenship and Its Place in Social Studies Teacher Training Program: A Comparison between the USA and Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karaduman, Hidir

2017-01-01

This research aims to determine and compare what social studies teacher candidates living in two different countries think about digital citizenship and its place within social studies and social studies teacher training program and to produce suggestions concerning digital citizenship education. Having a descriptive design, this research has…

A detailed description of the uncertainty analysis for high area ratio rocket nozzle tests at the NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidian, Kenneth J.; Dieck, Ronald H.; Chuang, Isaac

1987-01-01

A preliminary uncertainty analysis was performed for the High Area Ratio Rocket Nozzle test program which took place at the altitude test capsule of the Rocket Engine Test Facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Results from the study establish the uncertainty of measured and calculated parameters required for the calculation of rocket engine specific impulse. A generalized description of the uncertainty methodology used is provided. Specific equations and a detailed description of the analysis is presented. Verification of the uncertainty analysis model was performed by comparison with results from the experimental program's data reduction code. Final results include an uncertainty for specific impulse of 1.30 percent. The largest contributors to this uncertainty were calibration errors from the test capsule pressure and thrust measurement devices.

Affective Beliefs Influence the Experience of Eating Meat

PubMed Central

Anderson, Eric C.; Barrett, Lisa Feldman

2016-01-01

People believe they experience the world objectively, but research continually demonstrates that beliefs influence perception. Emerging research indicates that beliefs influence the experience of eating. In three studies, we test whether beliefs about how animals are raised can influence the experience of eating meat. Samples of meat were paired with descriptions of animals raised on factory farms or raised on humane farms. Importantly, the meat samples in both conditions were identical. However, participants experienced the samples differently: meat paired with factory farm descriptions looked, smelled, and tasted less pleasant. Even basic properties of flavor were influenced: factory farmed samples tasted more salty and greasy. Finally, actual behavior was influenced: participants consumed less when samples were paired with factory farm descriptions. These findings demonstrate that the experience of eating is not determined solely by physical properties of stimuli—beliefs also shape experience. PMID:27556643

A detailed description of the uncertainty analysis for High Area Ratio Rocket Nozzle tests at the NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidian, Kenneth J.; Dieck, Ronald H.; Chuang, Isaac

1987-01-01

A preliminary uncertainty analysis has been performed for the High Area Ratio Rocket Nozzle test program which took place at the altitude test capsule of the Rocket Engine Test Facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center. Results from the study establish the uncertainty of measured and calculated parameters required for the calculation of rocket engine specific impulse. A generalized description of the uncertainty methodology used is provided. Specific equations and a detailed description of the analysis are presented. Verification of the uncertainty analysis model was performed by comparison with results from the experimental program's data reduction code. Final results include an uncertainty for specific impulse of 1.30 percent. The largest contributors to this uncertainty were calibration errors from the test capsule pressure and thrust measurement devices.

[Psychiatry of the life span?--relevance of age in psychiatric research].

PubMed

Sikorski, Claudia; Motzek, Tom

2010-11-01

The aim of this study was to determine to what extent studies published in two German journals took the age of their sample into consideration. All publications of the two journals were viewed. Only empirical research papers were included. It was then assessed whether they included information on age of the sample and, if that was the case, the studies were further categorized as only giving descriptive sample information, reporting age-specific results of dependent variables or using age as a predictor in regression analyses. Furthermore, the age range covered was assessed. 88 % of all studies included information on age. Of those, about half only provided descriptive information on the age of the study sample, while more than one third used the age variable as a predictor in multivariate models. Few studies reported age-specific outcomes. Main focus of research was on adult populations aged 18 to 65. Only few studies concentrated on children and adolescents. In light of demographic change and age specificity of psychological disorders, it will be necessary to further differentiate and report age-specific results of psychiatric research. A change in what is considered normative aging and developmental tasks for certain age groups calls for further research in those age groups. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Parent-Research as a Process of Inquiry: An Ethnographic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabuto, Bobbie

2008-01-01

This article illustrates how an ethnographic perspective can provide a descriptive methodological approach to parent-research as a process of inquiry within the field of education. By juxtaposing data and illuminating reflexive accounts from a longitudinal parent-research study, I suggest that such a perspective provides critical insights into the…

An Analysis of Research Trends in Dissertations and Theses Studying Blended Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drysdale, Jeffery S.; Graham, Charles R.; Spring, Kristian J.; Halverson, Lisa R.

2013-01-01

This article analyzes the research of 205 doctoral dissertations and masters' theses in the domain of blended learning. A summary of trends regarding the growth and context of blended learning research is presented. Methodological trends are described in terms of qualitative, inferential statistics, descriptive statistics, and combined approaches…

Traveling beyond Dangerous Private and Universal Discourses: Radioactivity of Radical Hermeneutics and Objectivism in Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eryaman, Mustafa Yunus

2006-01-01

In this article, the author explores several definitions of reading and evaluating educational research texts without finding deep private meanings or developing objective, scientific, and instrumental norms for evaluating quality of educational research studies. Among these descriptions, the author emphasizes Gadamer's weak poststructural model…

Review of the Technology-Utilization Level of String Instrument Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Döger, Didem; Kiliç, Ilgim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the technology-utilization level of Fine Arts High School string instrument teachers. A pattern based on descriptive method has been used to conduct the researchers. Research data has been collected via literature review and questionnaire developed and prepared by the researcher. SPSS program has been…

Environmental Quality Research and Development. A Review and Analysis of Federal Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC.

This is the first interagency report on Federal environmental quality research and development programs that presents program descriptions, levels of funding, and analyses. Undertaken at the request of the Federal Council for Science and Technology, the study may be useful in identifying environmental quality research and development programs in…

The Legacy of Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory: Nursing Research Focusing on the Impact of Healthcare Environments.

PubMed

Zborowsky, Terri

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore nursing research that is focused on the impact of healthcare environments and that has resonance with the aspects of Florence Nightingale's environmental theory. Nurses have a unique ability to apply their observational skills to understand the role of the designed environment to enable healing in their patients. This affords nurses the opportunity to engage in research studies that have immediate impact on the act of nursing. Descriptive statistics were performed on 67 healthcare design-related research articles from 25 nursing journals to discover the topical areas of interest of nursing research today. Data were also analyzed to reveal the research designs, research methods, and research settings. These data are part of an ongoing study. Descriptive statistics reveal that topics and settings most frequently cited are in keeping with the current healthcare foci of patient care quality and safety in acute and intensive care environments. Research designs and methods most frequently cited are in keeping with the early progression of a knowledge area. A few assertions can be made as a result of this study. First, education is important to continue the knowledge development in this area. Second, multiple method research studies should continue to be considered as important to healthcare research. Finally, bedside nurses are in the best position possible to begin to help us all, through research, understand how the design environment impacts patients during the act of nursing. Evidence-based design, literature review, nursing.

Assisting the bereaved: A systematic review of the evidence for grief counselling.

PubMed

Waller, Amy; Turon, Heidi; Mansfield, Elise; Clark, Katherine; Hobden, Bree; Sanson-Fisher, Rob

2016-02-01

Supporting people after bereavement is a priority area for many health services. Investment in bereavement care must be supported by a rigorous evidence-base. To examine the (1) relative proportion of descriptive, measurement and intervention research in grief counselling and (2) quality and effectiveness of intervention studies. Systematic review of studies published in the area of grief counselling. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and PsycINFO databases were searched for studies published between 2000 and 2013. Eligible papers were categorised into descriptive, measurement, review, commentaries and intervention studies. Intervention studies were assessed against the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care methodological criteria, and papers meeting criteria were assessed for quality. The impact of interventions on grief, psychological morbidity and quality of life was examined. A total of 126 data-based papers, including 47 descriptive, 3 measurement and 76 grief counselling intervention studies were included. Only 59% (n = 45) of intervention studies met Effective Practice and Organisation of Care design criteria. Overall, study quality was poor, with the majority of interventions showing a risk of bias in several key areas. The three studies that met all criteria showed mixed effectiveness. Grief counselling interventions require a strong rationale for design, and a systematic approach to development and evaluation. Descriptive research efforts should inform this process, focusing on homogeneity in sample, identification of risk factors for complicated grief and the impact of extraneous factors on intervention effects. Interventions should include comparisons to usual care, as well as replication to confirm positive findings. © The Author(s) 2015.

EFL Learners' Levels of Comprehension Across Text Structures: A Comparison of Literal and Inferential Comprehension of Descriptive and Enumerative Expository Texts.

PubMed

Saadatnia, Mahmood; Ketabi, Saeed; Tavakoli, Mansoor

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between text structure and two levels of reading comprehension, namely literal and inferential, in Iranian EFL learners. Studies have generally found that learners perform differently after they have read different text structures (Amiri et al. in Proc Soc Behav Sci 66:402-409, 2012). The text structures in focus were descriptive and enumerative expository texts. One hundred eighty upper-intermediate EFL learners were assigned four reading passages, two including descriptive and the other two enumerative text structure, followed by both literal and inferential multiple-choice items. A number of paired-samples t tests were run to provide answers to the research questions of this study. The results indicated that the participants meaningfully outperformed on the descriptive texts at both levels of literal and inferential comprehension. The findings also revealed that in both text structures of description and enumeration, literal comprehension significantly outweighed inferential comprehension. Implications were made for L2 materials developers, language teachers, and language testers regarding the consideration of text typical features in their practice.

Primary care providers' cancer genetic testing-related knowledge, attitudes, and communication behaviors: A systematic review and research agenda.

PubMed

Hamilton, Jada G; Abdiwahab, Ekland; Edwards, Heather M; Fang, Min-Lin; Jdayani, Andrew; Breslau, Erica S

2017-03-01

Primary care providers (PCPs) can play a critical role in helping patients receive the preventive health benefits of cancer genetic risk information. Thus, the objective of this systematic review was to identify studies of US PCPs' knowledge, attitudes, and communication-related behaviors regarding genetic tests that could inform risk-stratification approaches for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer screening in order to describe current findings and research gaps. We conducted a systematic search of six electronic databases to identify peer-reviewed empirical articles relating to US PCPs and genetic testing for breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer published in English from 2008 to 2016. We reviewed these data and used narrative synthesis methods to integrate findings into a descriptive summary and identify research needs. We identified 27 relevant articles. Most focused on genetic testing for breast cancer (23/27) and colorectal cancer risk (12/27); only one study examined testing for prostate cancer risk. Most articles addressed descriptive research questions (24/27). Many studies (24/27) documented PCPs' knowledge, often concluding that providers' knowledge was incomplete. Studies commonly (11/27) examined PCPs' attitudes. Across studies, PCPs expressed some concerns about ethical, legal, and social implications of testing. Attitudes about the utility of clinical genetic testing, including for targeted cancer screening, were generally favorable; PCPs were more skeptical of direct-to-consumer testing. Relatively fewer studies (9/27) examined PCPs' communication practices regarding cancer genetic testing. This review indicates a need for investigators to move beyond descriptive research questions related to PCPs' knowledge and attitudes about cancer genetic testing. Research is needed to address important gaps regarding the development, testing, and implementation of innovative interventions and educational programs that can improve PCPs' genetic testing knowledge, assuage concerns about the appropriateness of cancer genetic testing, and promote open and effective patient-provider communication about genetic risk and genetic testing.

Vignettes: Implications for LIS Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benedetti, Allison; Jackson, John; Luo, Lili

2018-01-01

Vignettes, brief descriptions of fictional characters and situations, serve as a tool to study people's lives, perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about specific situations. Although not widely used in library and information science (LIS) research, vignettes can depersonalize responses to controversial situations or behavioral responses related…

ELLs' Perceptions of Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Rachael M.

2017-01-01

This research investigated reading support and book preferences of fourth grade English language learners (ELLs) who were struggling readers. This qualitative research focused on three case studies. Interviews were conducted to explore ELLs' perceptions on reading motivation, reading programs, and types of support they received. Descriptions of…

ELLs' Perceptions of Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Rachael M.

2012-01-01

This research investigated reading support and book preferences of fourth grade English language learners (ELLs) who were struggling readers. This qualitative research focused on three case studies. Interviews were conducted to explore ELLs' perceptions on reading motivation, reading programs, and types of support they received. Descriptions of…

Learning Disabilities Research: Defining Populations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovitt, Thomas C.; Jenkins, Joseph R.

1979-01-01

The article emphasizes the need for a uniform format for defining the populations selected for research, particularly with learning disabled individuals. The population descriptions from three studies dealing with some aspect of reading are presented and scrutinized in terms of the four categories. (Author/DLS)

Environmental resources of selected areas of Hawaii: Cultural environment and aesthetic resources

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

Trettin, L.D.; Petrich, C.H.; Saulsbury, J.W.

This report has been prepared to make available and archive the background scientific data and related information collected on the cultural environment and aesthetic resources during the preparation of the environmental impact statement (EIS) for Phases 3 and 4 of the Hawaii Geothermal Project (HGP) as defined by the state of Hawaii in its April 1989 proposal to Congress. The cultural environment in the Geothermal Resource Zone (GRZ) and associated study area consists of Native Hawaiian cultural and religious practices and both Native Hawaiian and non-Native Hawaiian cultural resources. This report consists of three sections: (1) a description of Nativemore » Hawaiian cultural and religious rights, practices, and values; (2) a description of historic, prehistoric, and traditional Native Hawaiian sites; and (3) a description of other (non-native) sites that could be affected by development in the study area. Within each section, the level of descriptive detail varies according to the information currently available. The description of the cultural environment is most specific in its coverage of the Geothermal Resource Subzones in the Puna District of the island of Hawaii and the study area of South Maui. Ethnographic and archaeological reports by Cultural Advocacy Network Developing Options and International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc., respectively, supplement the descriptions of these two areas with new information collected specifically for this study. Less detailed descriptions of additional study areas on Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and the island of Hawaii are based on existing archaeological surveys.« less

Horatio Audio-Describes Shakespeare's "Hamlet": Blind and Low-Vision Theatre-Goers Evaluate an Unconventional Audio Description Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Udo, J. P.; Acevedo, B.; Fels, D. I.

2010-01-01

Audio description (AD) has been introduced as one solution for providing people who are blind or have low vision with access to live theatre, film and television content. However, there is little research to inform the process, user preferences and presentation style. We present a study of a single live audio-described performance of Hart House…

A study of concept options for the evolution of Space Station Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kowitz, Herbert R.; Brender, Karen D.; Cirillo, William M.; Collier, Lisa; Ganoe, George G.; Gould, Marston J.; Kaszubowski, Martin; Lawrence, George F.; Llewellyn, Charles P.; Reaux, Ray

1990-01-01

Two conceptual evolution configurations for Space Station Freedom, a research and development configuration, and a transportation node configuration are described and analyzed. Results of pertinent analyses of mass properties, attitude control, microgravity, orbit lifetime, and reboost requirements are provided along with a description of these analyses. Also provided are brief descriptions of the elements and systems that comprise these conceptual configurations.

[Knowledge and willingness to participate in research: a descriptive study of volunteers in a clinical trial].

PubMed

Lobato, Lucas; Gazzinelli, Maria Flávia; Gazzinelli, Andréa; Soares, Amanda Nathale

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate volunteers' knowledge of the information on the free informed consent form and their willingness to participate in a clinical trial. This was a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in November 2011 with subjects from a clinical trial in Americaninhas, northeast Minas Gerais State, Brazil. A convenience sample included 143 adults of both sexes, 18 to 45 years of age. A structured questionnaire was applied one week after signing the free informed consent form. Most participants signed the free informed consent without sufficient knowledge of the research information and were influenced in their decision to participate in the trial. The authors conclude that signing the free informed consent form fails to express all participants' autonomy in clinical trials.

Characteristics of Qualitative Descriptive Studies: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Kim, Hyejin; Sefcik, Justine S; Bradway, Christine

2017-02-01

Qualitative description (QD) is a term that is widely used to describe qualitative studies of health care and nursing-related phenomena. However, limited discussions regarding QD are found in the existing literature. In this systematic review, we identified characteristics of methods and findings reported in research articles published in 2014 whose authors identified the work as QD. After searching and screening, data were extracted from the sample of 55 QD articles and examined to characterize research objectives, design justification, theoretical/philosophical frameworks, sampling and sample size, data collection and sources, data analysis, and presentation of findings. In this review, three primary findings were identified. First, although there were some inconsistencies, most articles included characteristics consistent with the limited available QD definitions and descriptions. Next, flexibility or variability of methods was common and effective for obtaining rich data and achieving understanding of a phenomenon. Finally, justification for how a QD approach was chosen and why it would be an appropriate fit for a particular study was limited in the sample and, therefore, in need of increased attention. Based on these findings, recommendations include encouragement to researchers to provide as many details as possible regarding the methods of their QD studies so that readers can determine whether the methods used were reasonable and effective in producing useful findings. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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…

A Metaphor Analysis of the Fifth Grade Students' Perceptions about Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdogan, Tolga; Erdogan, Özge

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine the fifth grade students' perceptions about writing through metaphor analysis. This is a descriptive research in nature, and a qualitative research method was employed in the study. The participants of the study are a total of 594 fifth graders in the city of Ankara. The students are asked to complete the…

Transforming a High School Media Center into a Library Learning Commons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiara, Nancy A.

2014-01-01

This study outlines a planned action based research project focused on studying the transformation of an urban high school media center to a learning commons model. This study includes a descriptive account as well as the impact of steps taken to match the media center to the needs of the 21st century learner. The research focuses on shifting…

Evaluation of Classroom Teachers' Opinions about In-Service Training (The Case of Mugla)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aykaç, Necdet; Yildirim, Kasim

2017-01-01

The current study aimed to evaluate the classroom teachers' opinions about in-service training process. Thus, the current study was designed as a descriptive case study. A total of 28 classroom teachers constituted the sample group of the research. The research process was carried out on the classroom teachers working in state elementary schools…

Implementation of Quality Assurance Standards and Principals' Administrative Effectiveness in Public Secondary Schools in Edo and Delta States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Momoh, U.; Osagiobare, Emmanuel Osamiro

2015-01-01

The study investigated principals' implementation of quality assurance standards and administrative effectiveness in public secondary schools in Edo and Delta States. To guide the study, four research questions and hypotheses were raised. Descriptive research design was adopted for the study and the simple random sampling technique was used to…

Students' Failure to Submit Research Projects on Time: A Case Study from Masvingo Regional Centre at Zimbabwe Open University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chabaya, Owence; Chiome, Chrispen; Chabaya, Raphinos A.

2009-01-01

The study sought to determine lecturers' and students' perceptions of factors contributing to students' failure to submit research projects on time in three departments of the Zimbabwe Open University. The study employed a descriptive survey design and was both quantitative and qualitative. The questionnaire used as a data-gathering instrument had…

Descriptive Model of Generic WAMS

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

Hauer, John F.; DeSteese, John G.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Transmission Reliability Program is supporting the research, deployment, and demonstration of various wide area measurement system (WAMS) technologies to enhance the reliability of the Nation’s electrical power grid. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was tasked by the DOE National SCADA Test Bed Program to conduct a study of WAMS security. This report represents achievement of the milestone to develop a generic WAMS model description that will provide a basis for the security analysis planned in the next phase of this study.

A descriptive qualitative study of student learning in a psychosocial nursing class infused with art, literature, music, and film.

PubMed

Jensen, Alice; Curtis, Mary

2008-01-01

Nursing educators have long valued and supported the integration of liberal arts in professional nursing programs. This descriptive qualitative study explores the meanings students derive from the integration of liberal arts content into a psychosocial nursing class. Questionnaires, class observation, and focus group interviews revealed five themes: an interesting hook, a deeper level of understanding, developing self-understanding, developing empathy and increasing cultural awareness. Researchers suggest that integrating liberal arts into nursing education enhances student learning.

Methods of feminist family therapy supervision.

PubMed

Prouty, A M; Thomas, V; Johnson, S; Long, J K

2001-01-01

Although feminist family therapy has been studied and practiced for more than 20 years, writing about feminist supervision in family therapy has been limited. Three supervision methods emerged from a qualitative study of the experiences of feminist family therapy supervisors and the therapists they supervised: The supervision contract, collaborative methods, and hierarchical methods. In addition to a description of the participants' experiences of these methods, we discuss their fit with previous theoretical descriptions of feminist supervision and offer suggestions for future research.

75 FR 59195 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Time-and-Materials (T&M) and Labor-Hour (LH) Contracts for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

... suitable. At a minimum, the D&F shall-- (i) Include a description of the market research conducted (see 8... determination and findings is required to contain several elements, including a description of the market research performed for the acquisition and a description of the actions planned to maximize the use of...

Evaluating lineup fairness: Variations across methods and measures.

PubMed

Mansour, Jamal K; Beaudry, Jennifer L; Kalmet, Natalie; Bertrand, Michelle I; Lindsay, R C L

2017-02-01

Triers of fact sometimes consider lineup fairness when determining the suggestiveness of an identification procedure. Likewise, researchers often consider lineup fairness when comparing results across studies. Despite their importance, lineup fairness measures have received scant empirical attention and researchers inconsistently conduct and report mock-witness tasks and lineup fairness measures. We conducted a large-scale, online experiment (N = 1,010) to examine how lineup fairness measures varied with mock-witness task methodologies as well as to explore the validity and reliability of the measures. In comparison to descriptions compiled from multiple witnesses, when individual descriptions were presented in the mock-witness task, lineup fairness measures indicated a higher number of plausible lineup members but more bias toward the suspect. Target-absent lineups were consistently estimated to be fairer than target-present lineups-which is problematic because it suggests that lineups containing innocent suspects are less likely to be challenged in court than lineups containing guilty suspects. Correlations within lineup size measures and within some lineup bias measures indicated convergent validity and the correlations across the lineup size and lineup bias measures demonstrated discriminant validity. The reliability of lineup fairness measures across different descriptions was low and reliability across different sets of mock witnesses was moderate to high, depending on the measure. Researchers reporting lineup fairness measures should specify the type of description presented, the amount of detail in the description, and whether the mock witnesses viewed target-present and/or -absent lineups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

How do older people describe their sensory experiences of the natural world? A systematic review of the qualitative evidence.

PubMed

Orr, Noreen; Wagstaffe, Alexandra; Briscoe, Simon; Garside, Ruth

2016-06-01

Despite the increased scholarly interest in the senses and sensory experiences, the topic of older people's sensory engagement with nature is currently under researched. This paper reviews and synthesises qualitative research evidence about how older people, including those living with dementia, describe their sensory engagement with the natural world. Ten databases were searched from 1990 to September 2014: MEDLINE (Ovid), MEDLINE-in-Process (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), GreenFILE (EBSCO), ProQuest Sociology, ASSIA (ProQuest), International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (ProQuest); HMIC (Ovid); Social Policy and Practice (Ovid). Forward and backward citation chasing of included articles was conducted; 20 organizations were contacted to identify unpublished reports. Screening was undertaken independently by two reviewers. Twenty seven studies were included. Thematic analysis revealed that descriptions of sensory experiences are encompassed within six themes: descriptions from 'the window'; sensory descriptions that emphasise vision; descriptions of 'being in nature'; descriptions of 'doing in nature'; barriers to sensory engagement; and meanings of being and doing in nature. Older people derive considerable pleasure and enjoyment from viewing nature, being and doing in nature which, in turn has a positive impact on their wellbeing and quality of life. Future research could usefully explore how sensory engagement with nature could be used to stimulate reminiscences of places and people, and evoke past sensory experiences to enrich everyday life and maintain a sense of self. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO ( CRD42015020736 ).

Energy Savings Potential and Research, Development, & Demonstration Opportunities for Commercial Building Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems

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

none,

2011-09-01

This report covers an assessment of 182 different heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technologies for U.S. commercial buildings to identify and provide analysis on 17 priority technology options in various stages of development. The analyses include an estimation of technical energy-savings potential, description of technical maturity, description of non-energy benefits, description of current barriers for market adoption, and description of the technology’s applicability to different building or HVAC equipment types. From these technology descriptions, are suggestions for potential research, development and demonstration (RD&D) initiatives that would support further development of the priority technology options.

Reframing Serial Murder Within Empirical Research.

PubMed

Gurian, Elizabeth A

2017-04-01

Empirical research on serial murder is limited due to the lack of consensus on a definition, the continued use of primarily descriptive statistics, and linkage to popular culture depictions. These limitations also inhibit our understanding of these offenders and affect credibility in the field of research. Therefore, this comprehensive overview of a sample of 508 cases (738 total offenders, including partnered groups of two or more offenders) provides analyses of solo male, solo female, and partnered serial killers to elucidate statistical differences and similarities in offending and adjudication patterns among the three groups. This analysis of serial homicide offenders not only supports previous research on offending patterns present in the serial homicide literature but also reveals that empirically based analyses can enhance our understanding beyond traditional case studies and descriptive statistics. Further research based on these empirical analyses can aid in the development of more accurate classifications and definitions of serial murderers.

Assessment of children's capacity to consent for research: a descriptive qualitative study of researchers' practices.

PubMed

Gibson, Barbara E; Stasiulis, Elaine; Gutfreund, Shawna; McDonald, Maria; Dade, Lauren

2011-08-01

In Canadian jurisdictions without specific legislation pertaining to research consent, the onus is placed on researchers to determine whether a child is capable of independently consenting to participate in a research study. Little, however, is known about how child health researchers are approaching consent and capacity assessment in practice. The aim of this study was to explore and describe researchers' current practices. The study used a qualitative descriptive design consisting of 14 face-to-face interviews with child health researchers and research assistants in Southern Ontario. Transcribed interviews were analysed for common themes. Procedures for assessing capacity varied considerably from the use of age cutoffs to in-depth engagement with each child. Three key issues emerged from the accounts: (1) requirements that consent be provided by a single person thwarted researchers' abilities to support family decision-making; (2) little practical distinction was made between assessing if a child was capable, versus determining if study information had been adequately explained by the researcher; and (3) participants' perceived that review boards' requirements may conflict with what they considered ethical consent practices. The results suggest that researchers' consent and capacity knowledge and skills vary considerably. Perceived discrepancies between ethical practice and ethics boards' requirements suggest the need for dialogue, education and possibly ethics board reforms. Furthermore we propose, where appropriate, a 'family decision-making' model that allows parents and their children to consent together, thereby shifting the focus from separate assent and consent procedures to approaches that appropriately engage the child and family.

Space Station life sciences guidelines for nonhuman experiment accommodation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arno, R.; Hilchey, J.

1985-01-01

Life scientists will utilize one of four habitable modules which constitute the initial Space Station configuration. This module will be initially employed for studies related to nonhuman and human life sciences. At a later date, a new module, devoted entirely to nonhuman life sciences will be launched. This report presents a description of the characteristics of a Space Station laboratory facility from the standpoint of nonhuman research requirements. Attention is given to the science rationale for experiments which support applied medical research and basic gravitational biology, mission profiles and typical equipment and subsystem descriptions, issues associated with the accommodation of nonhuman life sciences on the Space Station, and conceptual designs for the initial operational capability configuration and later Space Station life-sciences research facilities.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research funding of prison health research: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Kouyoumdjian, Fiona G; McIsaac, Kathryn E; Foran, Jessica E; Matheson, Flora I

2017-01-01

Health research provides a means to define health status and to identify ways to improve health. Our objective was to define the proportion of grants and funding from the Government of Canada's health research investment agency, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), that was awarded for prison health research, and to describe the characteristics of funded grants. In this descriptive study, we defined prison health research as research on the health and health care of people in prisons and at the time of their release. We searched the CIHR Funding Decisions Database by subject and by investigator name for funded grants for prison health research in Canada in all competitions between 2010 and 2014. We calculated the proportion of grants and funding awarded for prison health research, and described the characteristics of funded grants. During the 5-year study period, 21 grants were awarded that included a focus on prison health research, for a total of $2 289 948. Six of these grants were operating grants and 6 supported graduate or fellowship training. In total, 0.13% of all grants and 0.05% of all funding was for prison health research. A relatively small proportion of CIHR grants and funding were awarded for prison health research between 2010 and 2014. If prison health is a priority for Canada, strategic initiatives that include funding opportunities could be developed to support prison health research in Canada.

The Therapeutic Stage Encounters the Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Imholz, Susan

2008-01-01

Clinical research in expressive therapies, psychodrama in particular, offer education researchers and software designers descriptive analyses and evidence-based impact studies on attitudinal shifts and enhanced problem solving abilities for patients and students who participate in psychodrama role-play. Gaming environments and virtual worlds that…

An Interdisciplinary Outreach Model of African American Recruitment for Alzheimer's Disease Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Monique M.; Meisel, Marie M.; Williams, James; Morris, John C.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The African American Outreach Satellite (Satellite) provides educational outreach to facilitate African American recruitment for longitudinal studies at the Washington University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). This descriptive article characterizes the Satellite's recruitment methods, plan for community engagement, results of…

Fluctuation between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism.

PubMed

Gore, Whitney L; Widiger, Thomas A

2016-10-01

Current literature on narcissistic personality disorder has emphasized a distinction between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Some researchers have further suggested that narcissistic persons fluctuate between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. However, this perception has been confined largely to clinical experience with no systematic research testing the hypothesis. Clinicians and clinical psychology professors in the current study identified 143 persons who fit a description of either a grandiose or a vulnerable narcissist and indicated the extent to which these persons ever demonstrated traits of the complementary variant. The results supported the fluctuation hypothesis, particularly for episodes of vulnerable narcissism in persons identified as a grandiose narcissist. Correlations of the grandiose and vulnerable narcissism traits with a brief five-factor model measure corroborated past trait descriptions of the 2 respective variants of narcissism. The results of the current study are compared with existing cross-sectional and longitudinal research, and suggestions for future research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

What research tells us about knowledge transfer strategies to improve public health in low-income countries: a scoping review.

PubMed

Siron, Stéphanie; Dagenais, Christian; Ridde, Valéry

2015-11-01

This study describes the current state of research on knowledge transfer strategies to improve public health in low-income countries, to identify the knowledge gaps on this topic. In this scoping review, a descriptive and systematic process was used to analyse, for each article retained, descriptions of research context and methods, types of knowledge transfer activities and results reported. 28 articles were analysed. They dealt with the evaluation of transfer strategies that employed multiple activities, mostly targeting health professionals and women with very young children. Most often these studies used quantitative designs and measurements of instrumental use with some methodological shortcomings. Results were positive and suggested recommendations for improving professional practices, knowledge and health-related behaviours. The review highlights the great diversity of transfer strategies used, strategies and many conditions for knowledge use. The review provides specific elements for understanding the transfer processes in low-income countries and highlights the need for systematic evaluation of the conditions for research results utilization.

Recruitment and Retention of K-12 Public School Principals in a Regional Educational Collaborative in Rhode Island

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gifford, Linda A.

2010-01-01

The primary purpose of this descriptive survey research study was to examine the recruitment and retention practices of K-12 public school principals. The perceptions and attitudes of current principals towards recruitment and retention practices were investigated. The research questions guiding this study examined (a) principals' attitudes…

A Comparative Study on Power Point Presentation and Traditional Lecture Method in Material Understandability, Effectiveness and Attitude

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sewasew, Daniel; Mengestle, Missaye; Abate, Gebeyehu

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare PPT and traditional lecture method in material understandability, effectiveness and attitude among university students. Comparative descriptive survey research design was employed to answer the research questions raised. Four hundred and twenty nine participants were selected randomly using stratified sampling…

Animals in Atomic Research, Revised, Understanding the Atom Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ricciuti, Edward R.

A brief historical account of the use of animals in research is followed by descriptions of the use of animals in modern bio-medical experiments. Emphasis is given to studies investigating the effects of radiation on animals including both somatic and genetic effects. The effects of radiation in the environment are studied by analyzing animals for…

Open and Distance Education Accreditation Standards Scale: Validity and Reliability Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Can, Ertug

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop, and test the validity and reliability of a scale for the use of researchers to determine the accreditation standards of open and distance education based on the views of administrators, teachers, staff and students. This research was designed according to the general descriptive survey model since it aims…

How L2 Legal Writers Use Strategies for Scholarly Writing: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bain Butler, Donna

2010-01-01

This dissertation research fills existing gaps regarding the practices and processes of teaching second language (L2) writers at higher ranges of proficiency in law school context. It is a mixed methods, longitudinal, descriptive, writer-centered study. The research purpose was to explore strategic competence as a catalyst for professional…

The Long-Term Impact of Admission Policies: A Comparative Study of Two Emergent Research Institutions in Texas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crisp, Gloria; Horn, Catherine; Dizinno, Gerry; Barlow, Libby

2013-01-01

The present study explored the long-term impact of admission policies at two aspiring research institutions in Texas. Six years of longitudinal institutional data were analyzed for all full-time first time in college undergraduate students at both universities. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to identify relationships and…

Investigation of Critical Thinking Attitudes and Reading Habits of Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kizilet, Ali

2017-01-01

This study aims to define reading habits and critical thinking levels of pre-service teachers, who study at departments of classroom and physical education and sports teaching, and presenting the differences between these. The variables of the research were designed in accordance with descriptive research model. In 2016 to 17 academic year fall…

A Descriptive Study of the Behavior and Personality Characteristics of Adolescent Runaways Using the Personality Inventory for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohr, Michael E.

The phenomenon of adolescent runaway behavior is of critical concern to mental health professionals. Conceptualization, prediction, and treatment interventions are of extreme importance. This study sought to build upon prior research by using the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC). Previous research indicated that adolescent running away…

A Study Identifying the Components of a Quality Child Care Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Panetta, Sandra J.

Specific characteristics of a quality day care center are identified through a survey of parents, teachers, and directors utilizing or working in day care centers. The introduction to this descriptive research study offers background information on the history of the child care movement in America and a review of related research projects. A…

Children and Discipline: Investigating Secondary School Students' Perception of Discipline through Metaphors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadik, Fatma

2018-01-01

This is a descriptive study investigating the perception of children about discipline through metaphors developed by them. A total of 445 students participated in the research and the data was collected with the "Discipline Metaphors Survey (DMS)" developed by the researchers. At the end of the study, 143 metaphors, 94 positive and 49…

A Research into Evaluation of Basketball Athletes' Risk Perception Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karatas, Ozgur

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare the risk perception levels of Basketball athletes in Turkish League teams according to some variables. In this research the "general screening model," which is one of the descriptive screening methods, was used. While the population of the study consists of athletes actively engaged in the Turkish…

Turkish Pre-Service History Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Motivations on the Teaching Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akçali, Asli Avci

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify the self-efficacy beliefs and motivations of Turkish pre-service history teachers, with respect to "the teaching profession in general", as well as "the history teaching profession specifically". With a descriptive aim, the study will be based on survey research. The research uses an explanatory…

The Impact of Career and Technical Education on Native American Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neilson, Brent Alan

2016-01-01

The results of this qualitative descriptive study provide insight into the impact Career and Technical Education has on Native American male students in Northern Arizona. This study was created in response to the lack of research, especially qualitative research in this area. Moreover, it provided Native youth an opportunity to share their stories…

Effective International Medical Disaster Relief: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

PubMed

Broby, Nicolette; Lassetter, Jane H; Williams, Mary; Winters, Blaine A

2018-04-01

Purpose The aim of this study was to assist organizations seeking to develop or improve their medical disaster relief effort by identifying fundamental elements and processes that permeate high-quality, international, medical disaster relief organizations and the teams they deploy. A qualitative descriptive design was used. Data were gathered from interviews with key personnel at five international medical response organizations, as well as during field observations conducted at multiple sites in Jordan and Greece, including three refugee camps. Data were then reviewed by the research team and coded to identify patterns, categories, and themes. The results from this qualitative, descriptive design identified three themes which were key characteristics of success found in effective, well-established, international medical disaster relief organizations. These characteristics were first, ensuring an official invitation had been extended and the need for assistance had been identified. Second, the response to that need was done in an effective and sustainable manner. Third, effective organizations strived to obtain high-quality volunteers. By following the three key characteristics outlined in this research, organizations are more likely to improve the efficiency and quality of their work. In addition, they will be less likely to impede the overall recovery process. Broby N , Lassetter JH , Williams M , Winters BA . Effective international medical disaster relief: a qualitative descriptive study. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):119-126.

Research priorities in medical education: A national study.

PubMed

Tootoonchi, Mina; Yamani, Nikoo; Changiz, Tahereh; Yousefy, Alireza

2012-01-01

One preliminary step to strengthen medical education research would be determining the research priorities. The aim of this study was to determine the research priorities of medical education in Iran in 2007-2008. This descriptive study was carried out in two phases. Phase one was performed in 3 stages and used Delphi technique among academic staffs of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The three stages included a brainstorming workshop for 140 faculty members and educational experts resulting in a list of research priorities, then, in the second and third stages 99 and 76 questionnaires were distributed among faculty members. In the second phase, the final questionnaires were mailed to educational research center managers of universities type I, II and III, and were distributed among 311 academic members and educational experts to rate the items on a numerical scale ranging from 1 to 10. The most important research priorities included faculty members' development methods, faculty members' motives, satisfaction and welfare, criteria and procedures of faculty members' promotion, teaching methods and learning techniques, job descriptions and professional skills of graduates, quality management in education, second language, clinical education, science production in medicine, faculty evaluation and information technology. This study shows the medial education research priorities in national level and in different types of medical universities in Iran. It is recommended that faculty members and research administrators consider the needs and requirements of education and plan the researches in education according to these priorities.

Research priorities in medical education: A national study

PubMed Central

Tootoonchi, Mina; Yamani, Nikoo; Changiz, Tahereh; Yousefy, Alireza

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND: One preliminary step to strengthen medical education research would be determining the research priorities. The aim of this study was to determine the research priorities of medical education in Iran in 2007-2008. METHODS: This descriptive study was carried out in two phases. Phase one was performed in 3 stages and used Delphi technique among academic staffs of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The three stages included a brainstorming workshop for 140 faculty members and educational experts resulting in a list of research priorities, then, in the second and third stages 99 and 76 questionnaires were distributed among faculty members. In the second phase, the final questionnaires were mailed to educational research center managers of universities type I, II and III, and were distributed among 311 academic members and educational experts to rate the items on a numerical scale ranging from 1 to 10. RESULTS: The most important research priorities included faculty members’ development methods, faculty members’ motives, satisfaction and welfare, criteria and procedures of faculty members’ promotion, teaching methods and learning techniques, job descriptions and professional skills of graduates, quality management in education, second language, clinical education, science production in medicine, faculty evaluation and information technology. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the medial education research priorities in national level and in different types of medical universities in Iran. It is recommended that faculty members and research administrators consider the needs and requirements of education and plan the researches in education according to these priorities. PMID:23248661

Life sciences payloads for Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunning, R. W.

1974-01-01

The Life Sciences Program for utilization of the Shuttle in the 1980's is presented. Requirements for life sciences research experiments in space flight are discussed along with study results of designs to meet these requirements. The span of life sciences interests in biomedicine, biology, man system integration, bioinstrumentation and life support/protective systems is described with a listing of the research areas encompassed in these descriptions. This is followed by a description of the approach used to derive from the life sciences disciplines, the research functions and instrumentation required for an orbital research program. Space Shuttle design options for life sciences experiments are identified and described. Details are presented for Spacelab laboratories for dedicated missions, mini-labs with carry on characteristics and carry on experiments for shared payload missions and free flying satellites to be deployed and retrieved by the Shuttle.

Management Approaches to Stomal and Peristomal Complications: A Narrative Descriptive Study.

PubMed

Beitz, Janice M; Colwell, Janice C

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify optimal interventions for selected complications based on WOC nurse experts' judgment/expertise. A cross-sectional quantitative descriptive design with qualitative, narrative-type components was used for this study. Following validation rating of appropriateness of interventions and quantitative rankings of first-, second-, and third-line approaches, participants provided substantive handwritten narrative comments about listed interventions. Comments were organized and prioritized using frequency count. Narrative comments reflected the quantitative rankings of efficacy of approaches. Clinicians offered further specific suggestions regarding product use and progression of care for selected complications. Narrative analysis using descriptive quantitative frequency count supported the rankings of most preferred treatments of selected stomal and peristomal complications. Findings add to the previous research on prioritized approaches and evidence-based practice in ostomy care.

Effects of augmentative and alternative communication on challenging behavior: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Walker, Virginia L; Snell, Martha E

2013-06-01

The purposes of this review were to (a) use meta-analytic procedures to examine the effectiveness of single-case AAC intervention research on challenging behaviors exhibited by individuals with disabilities, (b) identify study characteristics that moderate intervention effects, and (c) evaluate the quality of research. The authors provided inferential and descriptive analyses of 54 studies representing 111 participants and estimated effect sizes using the Nonoverlap of All Pairs (NAP) method. Overall, AAC interventions were found to be equally effective across a broad spectrum of participants and interventions. AAC interventions were more effective with younger children than with adults. Interventions in which functional behavior assessments (FBA) were used had significantly larger effect sizes than those that did not use FBAs. Further, functional communication training interventions resulted in larger effect sizes than Picture Exchange Communication System interventions. Descriptive analysis revealed that (a) interventions often occurred in atypical environments (e.g., therapy room, experimental room) and with atypical interventionists (e.g., therapists, researchers), and (b) numerous studies did not exhibit quality characteristics of single-case research.

Professional Staffing Levels and Fourth-Grade Student Research in Rural Schools with High-Poverty Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krueger, Karla Steege; Donham, Jean

2013-01-01

Rural schools in high-poverty areas are often understaffed. This descriptive phenomenological study examined fourth-grade state research projects in high-poverty rural Iowa schools to reveal the influence of school librarians' staffing levels on student learning of research skills. To determine evidence of students' critical literacy, ethical use…

Clinical Research: A Psychotherapeutic Assessment Model for Siblings in Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hindle, Debbie

2007-01-01

This paper focuses on the aspects of a qualitative research project that examines an assessment protocol for the placement of siblings in foster care and/or future adoption. A brief description of the background to the study and the research design is given. Evaluating the material from the quantitative instruments used and the psychotherapeutic…

Listening to Our Students: Understanding How They Learn Research Methods in Geography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keenan, Kevin; Fontaine, Danielle

2012-01-01

How undergraduate students learn research methods in geography has been understudied. Existing work has focused on course description from the instructor's perspective. This study, however, uses a grounded theory approach to allow students' voices to shape a new theory of how they themselves say that they learn research methods. Data from two…

Teachers' Obstacles in Implementing Numbered Head Together in Social Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Widyaningtyas, Harini; Winarni, Retno; Murwaningsih, Tri

2018-01-01

This study is aimed at describing teachers' obstacles in applying Numbered Head Together learning model in social science learning. The type of research is qualitative descriptive. The subject of the research is the third-grade teacher of elementary school in Sukoharjo Sub-district. The findings of the research were analyzed using interactive…

Institute for the Study of Human Capabilities Summary Descriptions of Research for the Period January 1987 through August 1988

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-01

Office of Scientific Research, the National Science Foundation, and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. In March, 1986 he...nine ob- (In these four graphs, values below 0.5servers. Solid dots: mean values. represent super- addivity , which is in(Values show amounts of various

Research on the Field of Education Policy: Exploring Different Levels of Approach and Abstraction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mainardes, Jefferson; Tello, César

2016-01-01

This paper, of theoretical nature, explores the levels of approach and abstraction of research in the field of education policy: description, analysis and understanding. Such categories were developed based on concepts of Bourdieu's theory and on the grounds of epistemological studies focused on education policy and meta-research. This paper…

The Promise of Qualitative Research to Inform Theory to Address Health Equity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shelton, Rachel C.; Griffith, Derek M.; Kegler, Michelle C.

2017-01-01

Most public health researchers and practitioners agree that we need to accelerate our efforts to eliminate health disparities and promote health equity. The past two decades of research have provided a wealth of descriptive studies, both qualitative and quantitative, that describe the size, scale, and scope of health disparities, as well as the…

Employees' Perception of Learning New Software from Customized Training Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dean, Kristi L.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this research is to conduct a descriptive survey research study that will look at the value of using customized training materials to train employees to learn how to use software. The data will be repeatedly compared; ensuring the design of the research and the corresponding data collection method provides a panoramic and…

Current Practices and Future Directions in Reporting Disability in School-Based Physical Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haegele, Justin Anthony; Hodge, Samuel

2017-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to determine what trends exist in the identification and description of participants with disabilities used in school-based physical education research. A total of 60 research articles published in the "Journal of Teaching in Physical Education" from 2010-2014 which included school-aged individuals…

Students' Misconceptions about the Ozone Layer and the Effect of Internet-Based Media on It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gungordu, Nahide; Yalcin-Celik, Ayse; Kilic, Ziya

2017-01-01

In this study, students' misconceptions about the ozone layer were investigated, looking specifically at the effect internet-based media has on the formation of these misconceptions. Quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used to perform the research. As part of the quantitative portion of the research, the descriptive survey…

Educational Research European Survey 1970, Volume 4, Austria, Federal Republic of Germany, Netherland, Turkey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of Europe, Strasbourg (France). Documentation Center for Education in Europe.

The answers to questionnaires sent to members of the Council of Europe to obtain details of Government policy on educational research, descriptions of the principal educational research organizations, and summaries of the major studies completed or in progress in 1970 are summarized in this compilation prepared by the Documentation Center for…

A District's Use of Data and Research to Inform Policy Formation and Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seager, Andrew; Madura, John P.; Cox, Joshua; Carey, Rebecca

2015-01-01

This descriptive study of a change initiative by the Syracuse (NY) City School District informs the question, "How do school boards and districts better use research and data to inform policy decisions?" Researchers used interviews and artifacts to describe how the district developed and implemented a new discipline policy, the Syracuse…

Developing integrated methods to address complex resource and environmental issues

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kathleen S.; Phillips, Jeffrey D.; McCafferty, Anne E.; Clark, Roger N.

2016-02-08

IntroductionThis circular provides an overview of selected activities that were conducted within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Integrated Methods Development Project, an interdisciplinary project designed to develop new tools and conduct innovative research requiring integration of geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and remote-sensing expertise. The project was supported by the USGS Mineral Resources Program, and its products and acquired capabilities have broad applications to missions throughout the USGS and beyond.In addressing challenges associated with understanding the location, quantity, and quality of mineral resources, and in investigating the potential environmental consequences of resource development, a number of field and laboratory capabilities and interpretative methodologies evolved from the project that have applications to traditional resource studies as well as to studies related to ecosystem health, human health, disaster and hazard assessment, and planetary science. New or improved tools and research findings developed within the project have been applied to other projects and activities. Specifically, geophysical equipment and techniques have been applied to a variety of traditional and nontraditional mineral- and energy-resource studies, military applications, environmental investigations, and applied research activities that involve climate change, mapping techniques, and monitoring capabilities. Diverse applied geochemistry activities provide a process-level understanding of the mobility, chemical speciation, and bioavailability of elements, particularly metals and metalloids, in a variety of environmental settings. Imaging spectroscopy capabilities maintained and developed within the project have been applied to traditional resource studies as well as to studies related to ecosystem health, human health, disaster assessment, and planetary science. Brief descriptions of capabilities and laboratory facilities and summaries of some applications of project products and research findings are included in this circular. The work helped support the USGS mission to “provide reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.” Activities within the project include the following:Spanned scales from microscopic to planetary;Demonstrated broad applications across disciplines;Included life-cycle studies of mineral resources;Incorporated specialized areas of expertise in applied geochemistry including mineralogy, hydrogeology, analytical chemistry, aqueous geochemistry, biogeochemistry, microbiology, aquatic toxicology, and public health; andIncorporated specialized areas of expertise in geophysics including magnetics, gravity, radiometrics, electromagnetics, seismic, ground-penetrating radar, borehole radar, and imaging spectroscopy.This circular consists of eight sections that contain summaries of various activities under the project. The eight sections are listed below:Laboratory Facilities and Capabilities, which includes brief descriptions of the various types of laboratories and capabilities used for the project;Method and Software Development, which includes summaries of remote-sensing, geophysical, and mineralogical methods developed or enhanced by the project;Instrument Development, which includes descriptions of geophysical instruments developed under the project;Minerals, Energy, and Climate, which includes summaries of research that applies to mineral or energy resources, environmental processes and monitoring, and carbon sequestration by earth materials;Element Cycling, Toxicity, and Health, which includes summaries of several process-oriented geochemical and biogeochemical studies and health-related research activities;Hydrogeology and Water Quality, which includes descriptions of innovative geophysical, remote-sensing, and geochemical research pertaining to hydrogeology and water-quality applications;Hazards and Disaster Assessment, which includes summaries of research and method development that were applied to natural hazards, human-caused hazards, and disaster assessments; andDatabases and Framework Studies, which includes descriptions of fundamental applications of geophysical studies and of the importance of archived data.

A Note on Intelligence Assessment within Studies of Specific Language Impairment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camarata, Stephen; Swisher, Linda

1990-01-01

Research procedures used to evaluate the intelligence of children with specific language impairment are reviewed. Almost half of the 167 studies did not include adequate descriptions of intelligence assessment. (Author/JDD)

A Comparison of Male and Female Assistant Superintendents and Their Descriptions of Internal Barriers, External Barriers, Motivators, Stressors, and Discriminatory Acts They Anticipate Encountering on the Route to the Superintendency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Tanesha N.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to compare male and female assistant superintendents and their descriptions of Internal Barriers, External Barriers, Internal Motivators, External Motivators, Stressors, and Discriminatory Acts they anticipated encountering on the route to the superintendency in Suffolk and Nassau Counties on Long Island, New…

An Incentive Program for Nurse Aides Implementation Report: Description and Evaluation. Illinois Long Term Care Research and Demonstration Projects Series. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinke, Mary

This study examined a nursing aide recognition program in a nursing home with 50 nurses and 200 nurse aides. Before the program was implemented, baseline data on job satisfaction were gathered with a questionnaire. A one-page description of the program and an evaluation tool were distributed to the nurse aides at their information sessions. Nurse…

Descriptive Developmental Research: Why Only Time?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labouvie, Erich W.

1975-01-01

The usefulness of the concepts of cohort and time of measurement in descriptive developmental research was examined by comparing the time-specific cross-sectional and cohort-specific longitudinal age gradients of stable and unstable children. (Author/ED)

Studies of ARO-Relevant Fuels using Shock Tube/Laser Absorption Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-19

elementary reaction rate constants. These experimental methods are the mainstay of this ARO research program at Stanford. The primary scientific... methods and able to pursue careers as leaders in science and engineering in the United States. Results Dissemination: Descriptions of the research have...constants. These experimental methods are the mainstay of this ARO research program at Stanford. The primary scientific problem that this research

Examination of the Social Behavior of 4 Age Old Preschool Children According to Teacher Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amca, Dervise; Kivanç Öztug, Emine

2016-01-01

The main aim of this research is to compare the social behavior of children according to the teacher interviews. Screening model method has been used at this research which is one of the descriptive research methods. The study group of this research was created totally 691 children, from the age group of 4, which were observed at least 8 weeks…

Nutrition and Student Performance at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taras, Howard

2005-01-01

This article reviews research from published studies on the association between nutrition among school-aged children and their performance in school and on tests of cognitive functioning. Each reviewed article is accompanied by a brief description of its research methodology and outcomes. Articles are separated into 4 categories: food…

Grammaticality and Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hordern, Jim

2017-01-01

This paper uses Bernstein's concept of grammar to illuminate aspects of educational research. The relationship between internal and external languages of description in the production of disciplinary knowledge is examined. This leads to a reflection on the various factors both internal and external to the discipline of educational studies that…

Innovative Research Strategies for Business Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Bridget N.

2007-01-01

An internal, ongoing debate that all professional areas of study have is how to understand the impact of shifting economies, demographics, technologies, and globalization. Much business education research focuses on describing current practices. To this end, issues are often addressed by using surveys that are analyzed using descriptive analysis…

Summary of Research on Open Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Research Service, Arlington, VA.

This report summarizes the available research on open/informal education. The introduction discusses the assumptions which underlie open education and presents definitions and descriptions of open education. The body of the report examines 30 studies of open education and reports findings with regard to student achievement, student self-concept…

78 FR 12066 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-21

... OMB Review; Comment Request Title: Tracking of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (EHSRET) Sample. OMB No.: 0970-0388. Description: The EHSREP is a longitudinal study originally designed.../families who participated in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (EHSREP) until the...

The child's perspective on discomfort during medical research procedures: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Staphorst, Mira S; Benninga, Marc A; Bisschoff, Margriet; Bon, Irma; Busschbach, Jan J V; Diederen, Kay; van Goudoever, Johannes B; Haarman, Eric G; Hunfeld, Joke A M; Jaddoe, Vincent V W; de Jong, Karin J M; de Jongste, Johan C; Kindermann, Angelika; Königs, Marsh; Oosterlaan, Jaap; Passchier, Jan; Pijnenburg, Mariëlle W; Reneman, Liesbeth; Ridder, Lissy de; Tamminga, Hyke G; Tiemeier, Henning W; Timman, Reinier; van de Vathorst, Suzanne

2017-08-01

The evaluation of discomfort in paediatric research is scarcely evidence-based. In this study, we make a start in describing children's self-reported discomfort during common medical research procedures and compare this with discomfort during dental check-ups which can be considered as a reference level of a 'minimal discomfort' medical procedure. We exploratory study whether there are associations between age, anxiety-proneness, gender, medical condition, previous experiences and discomfort. We also describe children's suggestions for reducing discomfort. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Paediatric research at three academic hospitals. 357 children with and without illnesses (8-18 years, mean=10.6 years) were enrolled: 307 from paediatric research studies and 50 from dental care. We measured various generic forms of discomfort (nervousness, annoyance, pain, fright, boredom, tiredness) due to six common research procedures: buccal swabs, MRI scans, pulmonary function tests, skin prick tests, ultrasound imaging and venepunctures. Most children reported limited discomfort during the research procedures (means: 1-2.6 on a scale from 1 to 5). Compared with dental check-ups, buccal swab tests, skin prick tests and ultrasound imaging were less discomforting, while MRI scans, venepunctures and pulmonary function tests caused a similar degree of discomfort. 60.3% of the children suggested providing distraction by showing movies to reduce discomfort. The exploratory analyses suggested a positive association between anxiety-proneness and discomfort. The findings of this study support the acceptability of participation of children in the studied research procedures, which stimulates evidence-based research practice. Furthermore, the present study can be considered as a first step in providing benchmarks for discomfort of procedures in paediatric research. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The child's perspective on discomfort during medical research procedures: a descriptive study

PubMed Central

Staphorst, Mira S; Benninga, Marc A; Bisschoff, Margriet; Bon, Irma; Busschbach, Jan J V; Diederen, Kay; van Goudoever, Johannes B; Haarman, Eric G; Hunfeld, Joke A M; Jaddoe, Vincent V W; de Jong, Karin J M; de Jongste, Johan C; Kindermann, Angelika; Königs, Marsh; Oosterlaan, Jaap; Passchier, Jan; Pijnenburg, Mariëlle W; Reneman, Liesbeth; de Ridder, Lissy; Tamminga, Hyke G; Tiemeier, Henning W; Timman, Reinier; van de Vathorst, Suzanne

2017-01-01

Objective The evaluation of discomfort in paediatric research is scarcely evidence-based. In this study, we make a start in describing children's self-reported discomfort during common medical research procedures and compare this with discomfort during dental check-ups which can be considered as a reference level of a ‘minimal discomfort’ medical procedure. We exploratory study whether there are associations between age, anxiety-proneness, gender, medical condition, previous experiences and discomfort. We also describe children's suggestions for reducing discomfort. Design Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting Paediatric research at three academic hospitals. Patients 357 children with and without illnesses (8–18 years, mean=10.6 years) were enrolled: 307 from paediatric research studies and 50 from dental care. Main outcome measures We measured various generic forms of discomfort (nervousness, annoyance, pain, fright, boredom, tiredness) due to six common research procedures: buccal swabs, MRI scans, pulmonary function tests, skin prick tests, ultrasound imaging and venepunctures. Results Most children reported limited discomfort during the research procedures (means: 1–2.6 on a scale from 1 to 5). Compared with dental check-ups, buccal swab tests, skin prick tests and ultrasound imaging were less discomforting, while MRI scans, venepunctures and pulmonary function tests caused a similar degree of discomfort. 60.3% of the children suggested providing distraction by showing movies to reduce discomfort. The exploratory analyses suggested a positive association between anxiety-proneness and discomfort. Conclusions The findings of this study support the acceptability of participation of children in the studied research procedures, which stimulates evidence-based research practice. Furthermore, the present study can be considered as a first step in providing benchmarks for discomfort of procedures in paediatric research. PMID:28765130

Evaluating the effectiveness of clinical medical librarian programs: a systematic review of the literature*

PubMed Central

Wagner, Kay Cimpl; Byrd, Gary D.

2004-01-01

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine if a systematic review of the evidence from thirty years of literature evaluating clinical medical librarian (CML) programs could help clarify the effectiveness of this outreach service model. Methods: A descriptive review of the CML literature describes the general characteristics of these services as they have been implemented, primarily in teaching-hospital settings. Comprehensive searches for CML studies using quantitative or qualitative evaluation methods were conducted in the medical, allied health, librarianship, and social sciences literature. Findings: Thirty-five studies published between 1974 and 2001 met the review criteria. Most (30) evaluated single, active programs and used descriptive research methods (e.g., use statistics or surveys/questionnaires). A weighted average of 89% of users in twelve studies found CML services useful and of high quality, and 65% of users in another overlapping, but not identical, twelve studies said these services contributed to improved patient care. Conclusions: The total amount of research evidence for CML program effectiveness is not great and most of it is descriptive rather than comparative or analytically qualitative. Standards are needed to consistently evaluate CML or informationist programs in the future. A carefully structured multiprogram study including three to five of the best current programs is needed to define the true value of these services. PMID:14762460

Values within the Context of Postmodernity and Their Roles in Happiness: A Research on University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coskun, Yemliha

2017-01-01

The aim of the study is to explore the relation between values and happiness of the university students in the Context of Postmodernity. The research is a descriptive study in the screening model. The study was carried out with 376 students from the faculties of Physical Education and Sports, Education, Science and Letters, Business, Theology,…

Integrative taxonomy on the fast track - towards more sustainability in biodiversity research.

PubMed

Riedel, Alexander; Sagata, Katayo; Suhardjono, Yayuk R; Tänzler, Rene; Balke, Michael

2013-03-27

A so called "taxonomic impediment" has been recognized as a major obstacle to biodiversity research for the past two decades. Numerous remedies were then proposed. However, neither significant progress in terms of formal species descriptions, nor a minimum standard for descriptions have been achieved so far. Here, we analyze the problems of traditional taxonomy which often produces keys and descriptions of limited practical value. We suggest that phylogenetics and phenetics had a subtle and so far unnoticed effect on taxonomy leading to inflated species descriptions. The term "turbo-taxonomy" was recently coined for an approach combining cox1 sequences, concise morphological descriptions by an expert taxonomist, and high-resolution digital imaging to streamline the formal description of larger numbers of new species. We propose a further development of this approach which, together with open access web-publication and automated pushing of content from journal into a wiki, may create the most efficient and sustainable way to conduct taxonomy in the future. On demand, highly concise descriptions can be gradually updated or modified in the fully versioned wiki-framework we use. This means that the visibility of additional data is not compromised, while the original species description -the first version- remains preserved in the wiki, and of course in the journal version. A DNA sequence database with an identification engine replaces an identification key, helps to avoid synonyms and has the potential to detect grossly incorrect generic placements. We demonstrate the functionality of a species-description pipeline by naming 101 new species of hyperdiverse New Guinea Trigonopterus weevils in the open-access journal ZooKeys. Fast track taxonomy will not only increase speed, but also sustainability of global species inventories. It will be of great practical value to all the other disciplines that depend on a usable taxonomy and will change our perception of global biodiversity. While this approach is certainly not suitable for all taxa alike, it is the tool that will help to tackle many hyperdiverse groups and pave the road for more sustainable comparative studies, e.g. in community ecology, phylogeography and large scale biogeographic studies.

Development Problems With Component Construction. Proceedings of Conference of the Building Research Institute, Division of Engineering and Industrial Research (Fall 1959).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.

Publication of conference papers includes--(1) an overview of the ceiling system complex by a lighting manufacturer, (2) review of problems influencing the development of roofing systems, (3) description of cooperative research within the cement industry, and (4) description of joint research development of structural ceramic panels. Included…

7 CFR 621.10 - Description.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AGRICULTURE WATER RESOURCES RIVER BASIN INVESTIGATIONS AND SURVEYS USDA Cooperative Studies § 621.10... representatives of the Economic Research Service, Forest Service, and NRCS. The NRCS representative chairs the...

Ureteral Stents: Impact on Quality of Life.

PubMed

Ucuzal, Meral; Serçe, Perihan

Ureteral stents have an indispensable place in urology, and indications for their use are increasing. However, stents can affect their users' quality of life negatively because of complications and adverse effects. This descriptive research aimed to determine the effect of ureteral stenting on quality of life. The study sample consisted of 75 patients. Data were collected using a questionnaire form, the SF-36 Quality of Life Scale, and the International Prostate Symptom Score. Patients were interviewed twice (before stenting and 1 month after stenting). The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics methods. This research determined that patients with ureteral stents had increased lower urinary tract symptoms and significantly reduced quality of life.

Meaning of bereavement among older African American widows.

PubMed

Rodgers, Laura S

2004-01-01

In spite of the increase in research on spousal bereavement, researchers have not specifically addressed the impact that ethnicity may have on the bereavement experience. The results of this descriptive phenomenological study increase the understanding of spousal bereavement among older African American widows. Storytelling was at the heart of every participant's description of her bereavement experience. Six themes were identified: awareness of death, care giving, getting through, moving on, changing feelings, and financial security. For nurses to effectively intervene in the lives of bereaved older African American widows, they must consider each widow's culture, heritage, and lived experiences, which can be ascertained through eliciting and listening to the widow's life stories.

True happiness: The role of morality in the folk concept of happiness.

PubMed

Phillips, Jonathan; De Freitas, Julian; Mott, Christian; Gruber, June; Knobe, Joshua

2017-02-01

Recent scientific research has settled on a purely descriptive definition of happiness that is focused solely on agents' psychological states (high positive affect, low negative affect, high life satisfaction). In contrast to this understanding, recent research has suggested that the ordinary concept of happiness is also sensitive to the moral value of agents' lives. Five studies systematically investigate and explain the impact of morality on ordinary assessments of happiness. Study 1 demonstrates that moral judgments influence assessments of happiness not only for untrained participants, but also for academic researchers and even in those who study happiness specifically. Studies 2 and 3 then respectively ask whether this effect may be explained by general motivational biases or beliefs in a just world. In both cases, we find evidence against these explanations. Study 4 shows that the impact of moral judgments cannot be explained by changes in the perception of descriptive psychological states. Finally, Study 5 compares the impact of moral and nonmoral value, and provides evidence that unlike nonmoral value, moral value is part of the criteria that govern the ordinary concept of happiness. Taken together, these studies provide a specific explanation of how and why the ordinary concept of happiness deviates from the definition used by researchers studying happiness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Sequentially Simulated Outcomes: Kind Experience versus Nontransparent Description

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogarth, Robin M.; Soyer, Emre

2011-01-01

Recently, researchers have investigated differences in decision making based on description and experience. We address the issue of when experience-based judgments of probability are more accurate than are those based on description. If description is well understood ("transparent") and experience is misleading ("wicked"), it…

Descriptive drinking norms in Native American and non-Hispanic White college students.

PubMed

Hagler, Kylee J; Pearson, Matthew R; Venner, Kamilla L; Greenfield, Brenna L

2017-09-01

College students tend to overestimate how much their peers drink, which is associated with higher personal alcohol use. However, research has not yet examined if this phenomenon holds true among Native American (NA) college students. This study examined associations between descriptive norms and alcohol use/consequences in a sample of NA and non-Hispanic White (NHW) college students. NA (n=147, 78.6% female) and NHW (n=246, 67.8% female) undergraduates completed an online survey. NAs NHWs showed similar descriptive norms such that the "typical college student," "typical NA student," and "typical NHW student" were perceived to drink more than "best friends." "Best friends" descriptive norms (i.e., estimations of how many drinks per week were consumed by participants' best friends) were the most robust predictors of alcohol use/consequences. Effect size estimates of the associations between drinking norms and participants' alcohol use were consistently positive and ranged from r=0.25 to r=0.51 across the four reference groups. Negative binomial hurdle models revealed that all descriptive norms tended to predict drinking, and "best friends" drinking norms predicted alcohol consequences. Apart from one interaction effect, likely due to familywise error rate, these associations were not qualified by interactions with racial/ethnic group. We found similar patterns between NAs and NHWs both in the pattern of descriptive norms across reference groups and in the strength of associations between descriptive norms and alcohol use/consequences. Although these results suggest that descriptive norms operate similarly among NAs as other college students, additional research is needed to identify whether other norms (e.g., injunctive norms) operate similarly across NA and NHW students. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Electrical Materials Research for NASAs Hybrid Electric Commercial Aircraft Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowman, Randy

2017-01-01

A high-level description of NASA GRC research in electrical materials is presented with a brief description of the AATTHGEP funding project. To be presented at the Interagency Advanced Power Group Electrical Materials panel session.

Effect of descriptive information and experience on automation reliance.

PubMed

Yuviler-Gavish, Nirit; Gopher, Daniel

2011-06-01

The present research addresses the issue of reliance on decision support systems for the long-term (DSSLT), which help users develop decision-making strategies and long-term planning. It is argued that providing information about a system's future performance in an experiential manner, as compared with a descriptive manner, encourages users to increase their reliance level. Establishing appropriate reliance on DSSLT is contingent on the system developer's ability to provide users with information about the system's future performance. A sequence of three studies contrasts the effect on automation reliance of providing descriptive information versus experience for DSSLT with two different positive expected values of recommendations. Study I demonstrated that when automation reliance was determined solely on the basis of description, it was relatively low, but it increased significantly when a decision was made after experience with 50 training simulations. Participants were able to learn to increase their automation reliance levels when they encountered the same type of recommendation again. Study 2 showed that the absence of preliminary descriptive information did not affect the automation reliance levels obtained after experience. Study 3 demonstrated that participants were able to generalize their learning about increasing reliance levels to new recommendations. Using experience rather than description to give users information about future performance in DSSLT can help increase automation reliance levels. Implications for designing DSSLT and decision support systems in general are discussed.

Descriptive and inferential statistical methods used in burns research.

PubMed

Al-Benna, Sammy; Al-Ajam, Yazan; Way, Benjamin; Steinstraesser, Lars

2010-05-01

Burns research articles utilise a variety of descriptive and inferential methods to present and analyse data. The aim of this study was to determine the descriptive methods (e.g. mean, median, SD, range, etc.) and survey the use of inferential methods (statistical tests) used in articles in the journal Burns. This study defined its population as all original articles published in the journal Burns in 2007. Letters to the editor, brief reports, reviews, and case reports were excluded. Study characteristics, use of descriptive statistics and the number and types of statistical methods employed were evaluated. Of the 51 articles analysed, 11(22%) were randomised controlled trials, 18(35%) were cohort studies, 11(22%) were case control studies and 11(22%) were case series. The study design and objectives were defined in all articles. All articles made use of continuous and descriptive data. Inferential statistics were used in 49(96%) articles. Data dispersion was calculated by standard deviation in 30(59%). Standard error of the mean was quoted in 19(37%). The statistical software product was named in 33(65%). Of the 49 articles that used inferential statistics, the tests were named in 47(96%). The 6 most common tests used (Student's t-test (53%), analysis of variance/co-variance (33%), chi(2) test (27%), Wilcoxon & Mann-Whitney tests (22%), Fisher's exact test (12%)) accounted for the majority (72%) of statistical methods employed. A specified significance level was named in 43(88%) and the exact significance levels were reported in 28(57%). Descriptive analysis and basic statistical techniques account for most of the statistical tests reported. This information should prove useful in deciding which tests should be emphasised in educating burn care professionals. These results highlight the need for burn care professionals to have a sound understanding of basic statistics, which is crucial in interpreting and reporting data. Advice should be sought from professionals in the fields of biostatistics and epidemiology when using more advanced statistical techniques. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Quantitative descriptive analysis of Italian polenta produced with different corn cultivars.

PubMed

Zeppa, Giuseppe; Bertolino, Marta; Rolle, Luca

2012-01-30

Polenta is a porridge-like dish, generally made by mixing cornmeal with salt water and stirring constantly while cooking over a low heat. It can be eaten plain, straight from the pan, or topped with various foods (cheeses, meat, sausages, fish, etc.). It is most popular in northern Italy but can also be found in Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Argentina and other countries in Eastern Europe and South America. Despite this diffusion, there are no data concerning the sensory characteristics of this product. A research study was therefore carried out to define the lexicon for a sensory profile of polenta and relationships with corn cultivars. A lexicon with 13 sensory parameters was defined and validated before references were determined. After panel training, the sensory profiles of 12 autochthonous maize cultivars were defined. The results of this research highlighted that quantitative descriptive analysis can also be used for the sensory description of polenta, and that the defined lexicon can be used to describe the sensory qualities of polenta for both basic research, such as maize selection, and product development. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Distal biceps brachii tendon repair: a systematic review of patient outcome determination using modified Coleman methodology score criteria.

PubMed

Nyland, John; Causey, Brandon; Wera, Jeff; Krupp, Ryan; Tate, David; Gupta, Amit

2017-07-01

This systematic literature review evaluated the methodological research design quality of studies that evaluated patient outcomes following distal biceps brachii tendon repair and developed evidence-based recommendations for future patient clinical outcomes research. Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses criteria, and using "biceps brachii", "tendon", "repair" and "outcome assessment" search terms, the CINAHL, Academic Search Premier and MEDLINE databases were searched from January 1960-October 2015. The modified Coleman methodology score (MCMS) served as the primary outcome measure. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed for composite and component MCMS and for patient outcome assessment methodology use frequency. A total of 93 studies were evaluated. Overall MCMS was low (57.1 ± 14). Only 12 (12.9 %) had prospective cohort or randomized controlled trial designs. There was a moderate relationship between publication year and MCMS (r = 0.53, P < 0.0001). Although 61 studies (65.6 %) had adequate surgical descriptions, only 3 (3.2 %) had well-described rehabilitation. Of 2253 subjects, only 39 (1.7 %) were women. Studies published after 2008 had higher MCMS scores than studies published earlier (61.3 ± 10 versus 52.9 ± 16, P = 0.003). Although overall research study methodological scores improved on average since 2008, generally low MCMS scores, retrospective designs, lack of eccentric elbow flexor or supinator strength testing, and poorly described surgical and rehabilitation descriptions remain commonplace. These findings decrease clinical study validity and generalizability. III.

Nurses' perception of ethical climate and organizational commitment.

PubMed

Borhani, Fariba; Jalali, Tayebe; Abbaszadeh, Abbas; Haghdoost, Aliakbar

2014-05-01

The high turnover of nurses has become a universal issue. The manner in which nurses view their organization's ethical climate has direct bearing on their organizational commitment. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between nurses' perception of ethical climate and organizational commitment in teaching hospitals in the southeastern region of Iran. A descriptive analytical design was used in this study. The sample consisted of 275 nurses working in four teaching hospitals in the southeastern region of Iran. The instruments used in this study included a demographic questionnaire, Ethical Climate Questionnaire, and Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using Pearson's correlation, t-test, and descriptive statistic through Statistical Package for Social Science, version 16. The result of this research indicated a positive correlation among professionalism, caring, rules, independence climate, and organizational commitment. Therefore, findings of this study are a guideline for researchers and managers alike who endeavor to improve organizational commitment.

Token Economy: A Systematic Review of Procedural Descriptions.

PubMed

Ivy, Jonathan W; Meindl, James N; Overley, Eric; Robson, Kristen M

2017-09-01

The token economy is a well-established and widely used behavioral intervention. A token economy is comprised of six procedural components: the target response(s), a token that functions as a conditioned reinforcer, backup reinforcers, and three interconnected schedules of reinforcement. Despite decades of applied research, the extent to which the procedures of a token economy are described in complete and replicable detail has not been evaluated. Given the inherent complexity of a token economy, an analysis of the procedural descriptions may benefit future token economy research and practice. Articles published between 2000 and 2015 that included implementation of a token economy within an applied setting were identified and reviewed with a focus on evaluating the thoroughness of procedural descriptions. The results show that token economy components are regularly omitted or described in vague terms. Of the articles included in this analysis, only 19% (18 of 96 articles reviewed) included replicable and complete descriptions of all primary components. Missing or vague component descriptions could negatively affect future research or applied practice. Recommendations are provided to improve component descriptions.

Descriptive Statistics: Reporting the Answers to the 5 Basic Questions of Who, What, Why, When, Where, and a Sixth, So What?

PubMed

Vetter, Thomas R

2017-11-01

Descriptive statistics are specific methods basically used to calculate, describe, and summarize collected research data in a logical, meaningful, and efficient way. Descriptive statistics are reported numerically in the manuscript text and/or in its tables, or graphically in its figures. This basic statistical tutorial discusses a series of fundamental concepts about descriptive statistics and their reporting. The mean, median, and mode are 3 measures of the center or central tendency of a set of data. In addition to a measure of its central tendency (mean, median, or mode), another important characteristic of a research data set is its variability or dispersion (ie, spread). In simplest terms, variability is how much the individual recorded scores or observed values differ from one another. The range, standard deviation, and interquartile range are 3 measures of variability or dispersion. The standard deviation is typically reported for a mean, and the interquartile range for a median. Testing for statistical significance, along with calculating the observed treatment effect (or the strength of the association between an exposure and an outcome), and generating a corresponding confidence interval are 3 tools commonly used by researchers (and their collaborating biostatistician or epidemiologist) to validly make inferences and more generalized conclusions from their collected data and descriptive statistics. A number of journals, including Anesthesia & Analgesia, strongly encourage or require the reporting of pertinent confidence intervals. A confidence interval can be calculated for virtually any variable or outcome measure in an experimental, quasi-experimental, or observational research study design. Generally speaking, in a clinical trial, the confidence interval is the range of values within which the true treatment effect in the population likely resides. In an observational study, the confidence interval is the range of values within which the true strength of the association between the exposure and the outcome (eg, the risk ratio or odds ratio) in the population likely resides. There are many possible ways to graphically display or illustrate different types of data. While there is often latitude as to the choice of format, ultimately, the simplest and most comprehensible format is preferred. Common examples include a histogram, bar chart, line chart or line graph, pie chart, scatterplot, and box-and-whisker plot. Valid and reliable descriptive statistics can answer basic yet important questions about a research data set, namely: "Who, What, Why, When, Where, How, How Much?"

Research Planning from a Micro-Ecological Perspective: Summary of Interview Study. Educational and Psychological Interactions No. 60.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bierschenk, Bernhard

Empirical information is presented on how researchers at Swedish institutes of education perceive, structure, and define educational and psychological problems. The collection, evaluation, and presentation of the results of the study were made on the basis of system theoretic assumptions in that the description and analysis of the initial phase of…

Programs, Services, Materials of the New York State Education Department for Black and Puerto Rican Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany.

This booklet provides a brief descriptive listing of programs and services, and materials and resources for black and Puerto Rican studies available at present, to be available in 1970-71, and in the planning stage. The services described are those of research, advisory, consulting, funding, and supportive categories. Part of the research services…

A Study Investigating the Perceived Service Quality Levels of Sport Center Members: A Kano Model Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Kadir; Polat, Ercan; Güzel, Pinar

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate sport center members' perceived service quality levels with a view to Kano customer expectations and requirements model. To that end, a descriptive approach and a correlational research design featuring survey method is adopted. Research group consists of 680 (300 women, 380 men) sport center members who…

Analytical and Methodological Issues in the Use of Qualitative Data Analysis Software: A Description of Three Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Margerum-Leys, Jon; Kupperman, Jeff; Boyle-Heimann, Kristen

This paper presents perspectives on the use of data analysis software in the process of qualitative research. These perspectives were gained in the conduct of three qualitative research studies that differed in theoretical frames, areas of interests, and scope. Their common use of a particular data analysis software package allows the exploration…

A Descriptive Study to Identify Student Perceptions of How Compassionate Enrollment Affects Persistence at a Two-Year Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Kimberly A.

2017-01-01

College students are failing to graduate at unacceptable rates (Camera, 2016; DeVore, 2016; Scherer & Anson, 2014; Schneider, 2008). If graduation is the goal, then retention is the means. The research study sought to understand a potential solution to the pervasive retention problem, by researching a new strategy, compassionate enrollment.…

Analysis of 4th Grade Students' Problem Solving Skills in Terms of Several Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sungur, Gülcan; Bal, Pervin Nedim

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine if the level of primary school students in solving problems differs according to some demographic variables. The research is descriptive type in the general survey method, it was carried out with quantitative research techniques. The sample of the study consisted of 587 primary school students in Grade 4. The…

Patterns of Sophistication and Naivety: Some Features of Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Education. Occasional Paper No. 22.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Frederick

The limits and boundaries of anthropology are briefly discussed, along with a general description of lay attitudes towards the field. A research case is given to illustrate the way in which anthropological study methods can contribute to educational research. Noted among these contributions is an informed distrust that anthropologists exhibit…

Back Eddies of Learning in the Recognition of Prior Learning: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peruniak, Geoff; Powell, Rick

2007-01-01

The limited research that exists in the area of prior learning assessment (PLA) has tended to be descriptive and conceptual in nature. Where empirical studies have been done, they have focussed mainly on PLA as a means of credentialing rather than as a learning experience. Furthermore, there has been very little empirical research into the…

Scholars' Satisfaction with Digital Library Collection and Gaps in the Provision of Effective Information Resources and Services: A Pakistani Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Amjid; Ahmed, Shamshad; Masrek, Mohamad Noorman

2014-01-01

The study aims to explore the researchers' satisfaction with digital library resources and services and how they improved the research culture in Pakistani universities. A descriptive survey method was employed to achieve objectives of this study. Using stratified random sampling, for this survey we selected 14 public sector universities of Khyber…

Evaluation of English Achievement Test: A Comparison between High and Low Achievers amongst Selected Elementary School Students of Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haider, Zubair; Latif, Farah; Akhtar, Samina; Mushtaq, Maria

2012-01-01

Validity, reliability and item analysis are critical to the process of evaluating the quality of an educational measurement. The present study evaluates the quality of an assessment constructed to measure elementary school student's achievement in English. In this study, the survey model of descriptive research was used as a research method.…

Caught in the Middle: Child Language Brokering as a Form of Unrecognised Language Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antonini, Rachele

2016-01-01

This paper will present the findings of a wide-scale research aimed at studying the phenomenon of Child Language Brokering (henceforth CLB) in Italy. After providing a description of recent immigration patterns and the provision of language services in Italy, and an overview of current research in this field, this study will discuss narrative data…

Leadership research in business and health care.

PubMed

Vance, Connie; Larson, Elaine

2002-01-01

To summarize research on leadership in the health care and business literature and to identify the outcomes of leadership on individuals, groups, and organizations. A computerized search and review of research studies was conducted in the health care and business literature from 1970-1999. Studies were categorized and analyzed according to participants, design, primary topic area, and effects or outcomes of leadership. Most of the health care and business literature on leadership consisted of anecdotal or theoretical discussion. Only 4.4% (n = 290) of 6,628 articles reviewed were data-based. Further, the largest proportion of the research (120/290, 41.4%) was purely descriptive of the demographic characteristics or personality traits of leaders. Other studies showed the influence of leadership on subordinates (27.9%). Only 15 (5.2%) of 290 research articles include correlations of qualities or styles of leadership with measurable outcomes on the recipients of services or positive changes in organizations. Research on leadership in the health care and business literature to date has been primarily descriptive. Although work in the social sciences indicates that leadership styles can have a major influence on performance and outcomes, minimal transfer of this work to the health care system is evident. Limited research on leadership and health care outcomes exists, such as changes in patient care or improvements in organizational outputs. In this era of evidence-based practice, such research, although difficult to conduct, is urgently needed.

Description-based reappraisal regulate the emotion induced by erotic and neutral images in a Chinese population.

PubMed

Peng, Jiaxin; Qu, Chen; Gu, Ruolei; Luo, Yue-Jia

2012-01-01

Previous emotion-regulation research has shown that the late positive potential (LPP) is sensitive to the down-regulation of emotion; however, whether LPP is also sensitive to the up-regulation of emotion remains unclear. The present study examined the description-based reappraisal effects on the up-regulation of positive emotions induced by erotic and neutral images in a Chinese population. Self-reported ratings and event-related potential (ERP) were recorded when subjects viewed pleasant and neutral images, which were shown after either a neutral or positive description. Self-reported results showed that images following positive descriptions were rated as more pleasant compared to images following neutral descriptions. ERP results revealed that the P2, P3, and slow wave (SW) components were larger for erotic pictures than for neutral pictures, while the positive description condition yielded attenuated erotic image-induced P2, P3 and SW and increased SW induced by neutral images. The results demonstrated that description-based reappraisal, as a method of reappraisal, significantly modulates the emotional experience and ERP responses to erotic and neutral images.

Description-based reappraisal regulate the emotion induced by erotic and neutral images in a Chinese population

PubMed Central

Peng, Jiaxin; Qu, Chen; Gu, Ruolei; Luo, Yue-Jia

2013-01-01

Previous emotion-regulation research has shown that the late positive potential (LPP) is sensitive to the down-regulation of emotion; however, whether LPP is also sensitive to the up-regulation of emotion remains unclear. The present study examined the description-based reappraisal effects on the up-regulation of positive emotions induced by erotic and neutral images in a Chinese population. Self-reported ratings and event-related potential (ERP) were recorded when subjects viewed pleasant and neutral images, which were shown after either a neutral or positive description. Self-reported results showed that images following positive descriptions were rated as more pleasant compared to images following neutral descriptions. ERP results revealed that the P2, P3, and slow wave (SW) components were larger for erotic pictures than for neutral pictures, while the positive description condition yielded attenuated erotic image-induced P2, P3 and SW and increased SW induced by neutral images. The results demonstrated that description-based reappraisal, as a method of reappraisal, significantly modulates the emotional experience and ERP responses to erotic and neutral images. PMID:23335894

Introducing Postphenomenological Research: A Brief and Selective Sketch of Phenomenological Research Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aagaard, Jesper

2017-01-01

In time, phenomenology has become a viable approach to conducting qualitative studies in education. Popular and well-established methods include descriptive and hermeneutic phenomenology. Based on critiques of the essentialism and receptivity of these two methods, however, this article offers a third variation of empirical phenomenology:…

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…

Student Participation in Dual Enrollment and College Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Stephanie J.

2014-01-01

The study investigated the impact of dual enrollment participation on the academic preparation of first-year full-time college students at a large comprehensive community college and a large research university. The research design was causal-comparative and utilized descriptive and inferential statistics. Multivariate analysis of variances were…

Away with Linguists! Normativity, Inequality and Metascientific Reflexivity in Sociolinguistic Fieldwork

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaspers, Jürgen; Meeuwis, Michael

2013-01-01

This paper addresses the fact that in spite of the descriptive and well-intentioned ambitions of much sociolinguistic-ethnographic research, members of studied groups often continue to interpret such research as a largely vertically organized socio-political activity that communicates a prescriptive social and linguistic normativity the researcher…

Education and Older People. Selected Bibliographies on Ageing 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Dianne, Comp.

These annotated bibliographies are intended to assist researchers, students, and other practitioners interested in the topic of education and aging. How-to guides, research studies, literature reviews, essays, state-of-the-art reviews, and program descriptions are included. Works are arranged by the following subject areas: general, learning…

Using Delphi Methodology to Design Assessments of Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manizade, Agida Gabil; Mason, Marguerite M.

2011-01-01

Descriptions of methodologies that can be used to create items for assessing teachers' "professionally situated" knowledge are lacking in mathematics education research literature. In this study, researchers described and used the Delphi method to design an instrument to measure teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. The instrument focused on a…

A Retention Study of Career-Based Intervention Teachers in Ohio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zirkle, Chris; Winegardner, Amy

2005-01-01

Teacher retention has been of interest to educational researchers for over three decades. Various reasons for teacher attrition have been cited, including student discipline and motivation problems, working conditions, low salary, and a lack of administrator support. This descriptive survey research sought to determine the present status of…

Education for Sustainable Development: An Exploratory Study in a Portuguese University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torres, Ricardo; Vieira, Rui Marques; Rodrigues, Ana V.; Sá, Patrícia; Moreira, Gillian

2017-01-01

Purpose: The research aims to evaluate whether this educational approach is being implemented in a Portuguese public university and looking for explicit references to education for sustainable development (ESD) in the online descriptions of course units (CU). Design/methodology/approach: The research design adopted for this qualitative research…

78 FR 37226 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-20

... Implementation Study. OMB No.: 0970-0398. Description: The Office of Data Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (HHS... Planning, Research, and Evaluation (HHS/ACF/OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF... designed and implemented in the field, collect performance measure data for PREP programs, and assess the...

78 FR 62637 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

...- Component Evaluation--Data Collection Related to the Design and Implementation Study. OMB No.: 0970-0398. Description: The Office of Data Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (HHS/ACF/ACYF/ODARE) in the Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) and the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (HHS/ACF...

Facilitating Factors and Barriers to BMI Screening in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stalter, Ann M.; Chaudry, Rosemary V.; Polivka, Barbara J.

2010-01-01

The National Association of School Nurses advocates for body mass index (BMI) screening. Little research describes school nurse practice of BMI screening. In this descriptive study, 25 Ohio school nurses participated in three focus groups. An adapted "Healthy People 2010" Determinants of Health Model guided the research questions. School…

The Attitudes and Opinions of Tutees and Tutors Towards Using Cross-Age Online Tutoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almassaad, Ahmad; Alotaibi, Khaled

2012-01-01

The research aims to identify the attitudes and opinions of tutees and tutors at King Saud University towards using cross-age online tutoring. An electronic survey and interviews were used to collect the data required for this study. A descriptive analysis was used as a research methodology. Thirty participants in this research were asked to…

Perspectives of Using Internet on the Scientific Research among the Postgraduate Students at the University of Khartoum-Sudan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Hassan, Esam Idress K.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the perspectives of using Internet on the scientific research among the Postgraduate Students at the University of Khartoum. The researcher used the descriptive analytical method, the population consisted of all Postgraduate students at the University of Khartoum (Master & Ph.D.), registered during the…

How Do Students Studying Turkish in Lithuania Describe Turkish Culture and People?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varisoglu, M. Celal

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to describe ideas that students learning Turkish in Lithuania have about Turkish culture and Turkish people. A descriptive method was used in the research. The data for the research was collected from 15 students who learn Turkish at Vilnius University in Vilnius, Lithuania. For the participating in the research students,…

Early American Textbooks, 1775-1900. A Catalog of the Titles Held by the Educational Research Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svobodny, Dolly, Ed.

Intended as an educational resource for use in the study of the early development of education in the United States, this catalog, prepared by the Educational Research Library of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement, contains bibliographic descriptions for more than 6,000 textbooks published from 1775…

Pipelines or Pipe Dreams? PhD Production and Other Matters in a South African Dental Research Institute 1954-2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grossman, Elly S.; Cleaton-Jones, Peter E.

2011-01-01

This retrospective study documents the Masters and PhD training of 131 Dental Research Institute (DRI) postgraduates (1954-2006) to establish demographics, throughput and research outcomes for future PhD pipeline strategies using the DRI database. Descriptive statistics show four degree-based groups of postgraduates: 18 PhDs; 55 MScs; 42 MDents…

A Study of the Environmental Risk Perceptions and Environmental Awareness Levels of High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anilan, Burcu

2014-01-01

This descriptive research was conducted to determine the levels of environmental risk perceptions and environmental awareness of high school students in Eskisehir. High school students in the towns Tepebasi and Odunpazari in the 2010-2011 school years constitute the universe of the research. The sample of the research is composed of 413 high…

Long-Term Research Does Pay Off - A Summary of the Southern Station Experience

Treesearch

Margaret S. Devall; Virgil C. Baldwin; [Compilers

1998-01-01

Descriptions and summaries of completed and ongoing long-term research studies (those in existence for 5 or more years) conducted by scientists of the USDA Forest Service's former Southern Forest Experiment Station (now part of the Southern Research Station) are presented in this report. The array of data bases at the Southern Station includes forest surveys,...

Implementation strategies: recommendations for specifying and reporting

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Implementation strategies have unparalleled importance in implementation science, as they constitute the ‘how to’ component of changing healthcare practice. Yet, implementation researchers and other stakeholders are not able to fully utilize the findings of studies focusing on implementation strategies because they are often inconsistently labelled and poorly described, are rarely justified theoretically, lack operational definitions or manuals to guide their use, and are part of ‘packaged’ approaches whose specific elements are poorly understood. We address the challenges of specifying and reporting implementation strategies encountered by researchers who design, conduct, and report research on implementation strategies. Specifically, we propose guidelines for naming, defining, and operationalizing implementation strategies in terms of seven dimensions: actor, the action, action targets, temporality, dose, implementation outcomes addressed, and theoretical justification. Ultimately, implementation strategies cannot be used in practice or tested in research without a full description of their components and how they should be used. As with all intervention research, their descriptions must be precise enough to enable measurement and ‘reproducibility.’ We propose these recommendations to improve the reporting of implementation strategies in research studies and to stimulate further identification of elements pertinent to implementation strategies that should be included in reporting guidelines for implementation strategies. PMID:24289295

Implementation strategies: recommendations for specifying and reporting.

PubMed

Proctor, Enola K; Powell, Byron J; McMillen, J Curtis

2013-12-01

Implementation strategies have unparalleled importance in implementation science, as they constitute the 'how to' component of changing healthcare practice. Yet, implementation researchers and other stakeholders are not able to fully utilize the findings of studies focusing on implementation strategies because they are often inconsistently labelled and poorly described, are rarely justified theoretically, lack operational definitions or manuals to guide their use, and are part of 'packaged' approaches whose specific elements are poorly understood. We address the challenges of specifying and reporting implementation strategies encountered by researchers who design, conduct, and report research on implementation strategies. Specifically, we propose guidelines for naming, defining, and operationalizing implementation strategies in terms of seven dimensions: actor, the action, action targets, temporality, dose, implementation outcomes addressed, and theoretical justification. Ultimately, implementation strategies cannot be used in practice or tested in research without a full description of their components and how they should be used. As with all intervention research, their descriptions must be precise enough to enable measurement and 'reproducibility.' We propose these recommendations to improve the reporting of implementation strategies in research studies and to stimulate further identification of elements pertinent to implementation strategies that should be included in reporting guidelines for implementation strategies.

78 FR 8150 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-05

... three components: the ``Design and Implementation Study,'' the ``Performance Analysis Study,'' and the...- Component Evaluation--Data Collection Related to the Performance Analysis Study and the Impact and the In-depth Implementation Study. OMB No.: 0970-0398 Description: The Office of Data Analysis, Research, and...

Profile of the Chief Research Officer at Major Research Universities in the United States and Examination of the Current Pathways to the Position

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nash, Julie A.; Wright, Dianne A.

2013-01-01

A study to construct a profile of the Chief Research Officer (CRO) was conducted through aggregation of data through a survey instrument distributed to CROs at 240 Carnegie Classified research institutions. Resumes of CROs were voluntarily submitted and job descriptions were obtained and content analyzed. The career pathways and the profile of the…

Avian models for toxicity testing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, E.F.; Hoffman, D.J.

1984-01-01

The use of birds as test models in experimental and environmental toxicology as related to health effects is reviewed, and an overview of descriptive tests routinely used in wildlife toxicology is provided. Toxicologic research on birds may be applicable to human health both directly by their use as models for mechanistic and descriptive studies and indirectly as monitors of environmental quality. Topics include the use of birds as models for study of teratogenesis and embryotoxicity, neurotoxicity, behavior, trends of environmental pollution, and for use in predictive wildlife toxicology. Uses of domestic and wild-captured birds are discussed.

How Important Is Research on Pollution Levels in Antarctica? Historical Approach, Difficulties and Current Trends.

PubMed

Szopińska, Małgorzata; Namieśnik, Jacek; Polkowska, Żaneta

Despite the fact that Antarctica is a continent notably free from large negative impact of human activities, literature data can be the basis for concluding that this is not an area free from anthropogenic pollutants. Pollutants, which are identified in various elements of the environment of Antarctica, are mostly connected with long-range atmospheric transport (LRAT) and deposition in this area. The study presents: a historical overview of research pertaining to the presence of pollutants in entire Antarctica; a description of the development of research on pollutants in various environmental samples conducted in this area since 1960; a detailed description of contemporary analytical research (2000-2014); information on concentration levels of a broad range of pollutants present in various elements of the environment. The data collected can provide grounds for concluding that pollutants present in this area can contribute to gradual degradation of Antarctic ecosystem.

Research odyssey: the evolution of a research partnership between baccalaureate nursing students and practicing nurses.

PubMed

Gray, Mary Tod

2010-05-01

This longitudinal descriptive study evaluates the implementation of an innovative teaching strategy: a research partnership between baccalaureate nursing students and nurses in two acute care hospitals. The impetus for this partnership was to introduce a concrete, clinical dimension to a junior level introductory nursing research course. Formative analysis was used to evaluate the success and weaknesses of this innovative strategy over 3 years. Following each year, an evaluation by students and nursing unit managers led to refinement of the partnership goals and logistics for the following year. The third year culminates in a comparison between student responses to the partnership in the small community hospital and those assigned to a larger magnet status hospital. Conclusions, based on content and descriptive analysis indicate the partnership's educational benefits for students and a few logistical concerns. Future directions for this educational strategy are presented. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students using an augmented Theory of Planned Behavior

PubMed Central

Rajah-Kanagasabai, Camilla J.; Roberts, Lynne D.

2015-01-01

This study examined the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior model, augmented by descriptive norms and justifications, for predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students. A convenience sample of 205 research active Western Australian university students (47 male, 158 female, ages 18–53 years, M = 22, SD = 4.78) completed an online survey. There was a low level of engagement in research misconduct, with approximately one in seven students reporting data fabrication and one in eight data falsification. Path analysis and model testing in LISREL supported a parsimonious two step mediation model, providing good fit to the data. After controlling for social desirability, the effect of attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms and perceived behavioral control on student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices was mediated by justifications and then intention. This revised augmented model accounted for a substantial 40.8% of the variance in student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices, demonstrating its predictive utility. The model can be used to target interventions aimed at reducing student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices. PMID:25983709

Predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students using an augmented Theory of Planned Behavior.

PubMed

Rajah-Kanagasabai, Camilla J; Roberts, Lynne D

2015-01-01

This study examined the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior model, augmented by descriptive norms and justifications, for predicting self-reported research misconduct and questionable research practices in university students. A convenience sample of 205 research active Western Australian university students (47 male, 158 female, ages 18-53 years, M = 22, SD = 4.78) completed an online survey. There was a low level of engagement in research misconduct, with approximately one in seven students reporting data fabrication and one in eight data falsification. Path analysis and model testing in LISREL supported a parsimonious two step mediation model, providing good fit to the data. After controlling for social desirability, the effect of attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms and perceived behavioral control on student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices was mediated by justifications and then intention. This revised augmented model accounted for a substantial 40.8% of the variance in student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices, demonstrating its predictive utility. The model can be used to target interventions aimed at reducing student engagement in research misconduct and questionable research practices.

Research amongst Physical Therapists in the State of Kuwait: Participation, Perception, Attitude and Barriers

PubMed Central

Aljadi, Sameera H.; Alrowayeh, Hesham N.; Alotaibi, Naser M.; Taaqi, Maqdad M.; Alquraini, Habib; Alshatti, Talal A.

2013-01-01

Objectives The objectives of this descriptive study were to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of physical therapists regarding research, the intention to engage in research and the barriers to participating in research amongst physical therapists in the State of Kuwait. Subjects and Methods A previously validated questionnaire was distributed to 200 non-randomly selected physical therapists. The questionnaire gathered demographic data as well as information regarding research-related activities. Descriptive statistics, frequency and χ2 analyses were used in this study. Results Of the 200 questionnaires distributed to physical therapists 122 (61%) were completed and returned. The physical therapists had a positive attitude towards reading these findings in order to update their knowledge. However, only 16 (17%) of the physical therapists participated in clinical research. The common reasons given were: minimal role and reduced ability, intention and level of engagement in initiating research, probably due to work overload, time constraints and limited access to resources. Conclusions Physical therapists in Kuwait had a positive attitude towards the application of research findings to their practice. However, they were not confident in initiating research due to work overload and lack of time as well as limited access to library resources. Therefore, we recommend stimulation to engage in research activities to be a requirement and to develop a system to improve the skills and knowledge of doing research. PMID:23988758

Peering Inside the Black Box of Undergraduate Study Habits: The Centrality of Self-Regulated Learning in a Digitized World. WCER Working Paper No. 2015-3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hora, Matthew T.; Oleson, Amanda K.

2015-01-01

Research suggests which study strategies are effective but little descriptive research focuses on how undergraduate students study in real-world settings. Thus, the mechanisms of students' actual learning remain a black box for the field of higher education, with far more attention paid to inputs and outputs of the learning process. Using a…

Learning in First-Year Biology: Approaches of Distance and On-Campus Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinn, Frances Catherine

2011-01-01

This paper aims to extend previous research into learning of tertiary biology, by exploring the learning approaches adopted by two groups of students studying the same first-year biology topic in either on-campus or off-campus "distance" modes. The research involved 302 participants, who responded to a topic-specific version of the Study Process Questionnaire, and in-depth interviews with 16 of these students. Several quantitative analytic techniques, including cluster analysis and Rasch differential item functioning analysis, showed that the younger, on-campus cohort made less use of deep approaches, and more use of surface approaches than the older, off-campus group. At a finer scale, clusters of students within these categories demonstrated different patterns of learning approach. Students' descriptions of their learning approaches at interview provided richer complementary descriptions of the approach they took to their study in the topic, showing how deep and surface approaches were manifested in the study context. These findings are critically analysed in terms of recent literature questioning the applicability of learning approaches theory in mass education, and their implications for teaching and research in undergraduate biology.

Compassion fatigue in liver and kidney transplant nurse coordinators: a descriptive research study.

PubMed

Kim, Sabin

2013-12-01

Because of the nature of the helping professions, nurses are at high risk for compassion fatigue and burnout. In the past, many researchers have studied compassion fatigue and burnout in nurses. However, reports of research assessing liver and kidney transplant nurse coordinators' compassion fatigue and burnout are rare. To assess liver and kidney transplant nurse coordinators' levels of compassion fatigue and burnout. A nonexperimental, exploratory descriptive study was conducted using the Professional Quality of Life Scale Version 5 (ProQOL-V), a 30-item self-report instrument to measure participants' level of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. This study sampled 14 liver and kidney transplant nurse coordinators from a large multiorgan transplant center in the Southeast region. Transplant nurse coordinators had an average level of compassion satisfaction, an average level of burnout, and an average level of secondary traumatic stress. Within liver and kidney transplant nurse coordinators, a statistically significant relationship was found between education levels of transplant nurse coordinators and the level of burnout, suggesting that education levels may influence burnout.

7 CFR 3402.6 - Overview of the special international study and/or thesis/dissertation research travel allowance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3402.6... each USDA Graduate Fellow who desires to be considered for a special international study or thesis...

Investigating Music Information Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weissenberger, Lynnsey K.

2016-01-01

This dissertation, titled "Investigating Music Information Objects," is a study of the nature, description, representations, and ideas related to music information objects (MIOs). This research study investigates how music practitioners from various traditions describe and conceptualize MIOs, using a theoretical framework to classify…

The nursing role in ICU outreach: an international exploratory study.

PubMed

Endacott, Ruth; Chaboyer, Wendy

2006-01-01

It is widely acknowledged that many critically ill patients are managed outside of designated critical care units. One strategy adopted in Australia and England to assess and manage risk in these patients is the intensive care unit (ICU) outreach or liaison nurse service. This article examines how ICU outreach/liaison roles in Australia and England operate in the context of Manley's theoretical framework for advanced nursing practice. Descriptive case study design using semi-structured interviews and job descriptions as sources of evidence. Findings of interviews with six Australian ICU Liaison nurses are already published; this study replicated the Australian study with four ICU Consultant Nurses in England and mapped interview and job description data from both countries onto Manley's conceptual framework for advanced practice/consultant nurse. Four themes emerged from the English data: patient interventions, support for ward staff, liaison between ward and ICU staff and hospital-wide impact. The first three of these comprised the core service common to the roles in both countries. Manley's four subroles (expert practitioner, consultant, educator and researcher) were present across both countries. However, the interview and job description data demonstrated that there were lower expectations in Australia that the roles would lead to staff development and build capacity across the hospital system. Similarly, formal education for ward staff such as ALERT and CRiSP courses were more developed in UK. Our data demonstrate that the role undertaken in England and Australia is sufficiently comparable to use as a research intervention in international studies across the two countries. However, the macro service level differs. Job descriptions across both countries emphasized the need to influence hospital policy; however, the ICU consultant nurses in England might be considered better placed to achieve this through role title and access to the hospital executive. In both countries, the roles would benefit from systematic evaluation of the impact on outcomes. This is particularly important for longer-term integration of the role in the health services in both countries.

Tourette Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... trials, epidemiology, neurophysiology, neuroimmunology, and descriptive/diagnostic clinical science. Findings from these studies will provide clues for more effective therapies. Information from the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus Tourette Syndrome × What research is ...

Do Different Types of Social Identity Moderate the Association between Perceived Descriptive Norms and Drinking Among College Students?

PubMed Central

Rinker, Dipali Venkataraman; Neighbors, Clayton

2014-01-01

Perceived descriptive norms are one of the strongest predictors of college drinking. Social Identity Theory posits that much of our identity is based on groups with which we affiliate. Prior research suggests that there is an association between perceived descriptive norms and drinking among those who identify more strongly with the normative referent group. However, no studies to date have examined how different facets of social identity affect the relationship between perceived descriptive norms and drinking. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the interaction between perceived descriptive norms and social identity on drinking varied as a function of different dimensions of social identity among college students. Participants were 1,095 college students from a large, public, southern university who completed an online survey about drinking behaviors and related attitudes. Drinks per week was examined as a function of norms, the Importance, Commitment, Deference, and Superiority subscales of the Measure of Identification with Groups, as well as the two-way interactions between each dimension of social identity and norms. Results indicated that norms were associated with drinking, but that this relationship varied as a function of identity dimension. The association between norms and drinking was stronger among those who viewed the university’s student body as part of their own identity and were more committed to their fellow students, but weaker among those who reported greater deference to student leaders. This research suggests the importance of examining multiple dimensions of social identity in considering social influences on drinking. PMID:24836160

Do different types of social identity moderate the association between perceived descriptive norms and drinking among college students?

PubMed

Rinker, Dipali Venkataraman; Neighbors, Clayton

2014-09-01

Perceived descriptive norms are one of the strongest predictors of college drinking. Social Identity Theory posits that much of our identity is based on groups with which we affiliate. Prior research suggests that there is an association between perceived descriptive norms and drinking among those who identify more strongly with the normative referent group. However, no studies to date have examined how different facets of social identity affect the relationship between perceived descriptive norms and drinking. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the interaction between perceived descriptive norms and social identity on drinking varied as a function of different dimensions of social identity among college students. Participants were 1095 college students from a large, public, southern university who completed an online survey about drinking behaviors and related attitudes. Drinks per week was examined as a function of norms, the Importance, Commitment, Deference, and Superiority subscales of the Measure of Identification with Groups, as well as the two-way interactions between each dimension of social identity and norms. Results indicated that norms were associated with drinking, but that this relationship varied as a function of identity dimension. The association between norms and drinking was stronger among those who viewed the university's student body as part of their own identity and were more committed to their fellow students, but weaker among those who reported greater deference to student leaders. This research suggests the importance of examining multiple dimensions of social identity in considering social influences on drinking. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Academic Advising and Gender Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nemeth, Sean

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this correlational study was to identify whether there are differences in student satisfaction scores in academic advisement gender pairings in an undergraduate university setting. Methodology: This study was a descriptive correlational research study utilizing archival survey data. The collected data consisted of numeric…

Intravesical NGF Antisense Therapy Using Lipid Nanoparticle for Interstitial Cystitis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

bladder symptoms including urinary frequency and urgency. Previous studies have indicated that overexpression of nerve growth factor (NGF) is an... studies indicate overexpression of nerve growth factor (NGF) as a key factor in the symptom development of IC/BPS. NGF antisense oligonucleotides hold...Stability Testing  Ex -vivo stress testing II-2. Research Accomplishment Description AIM 1 Regulatory approval for animal research ; Obtain

Working Memory Tasks in Relation to Phonological Processes of Arab Dyslexics in the State of Kuwait

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-dyiar, Mosaad Abo; Salem, Ashraf Atta M. S.

2013-01-01

The current study investigated the relationship between the working memory tasks and the phonological processes of Arab dyslexics in the primary stage in the State of Kuwait. The researchers used the descriptive research design. The sample of the study consists of 500 pupils (250 males and 250 females), their ages range from (9.05 ± 0.49) years…

The Use of Edmodo in Creating an Online Learning Community of Practice for Learning to Teach Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekici, Didem Inel

2017-01-01

This study aimed to create an online community of practice by creating a virtual classroom in the Edmodo application and ascertain the opinions of pre-service primary teachers about the effects of Edmodo on their learning to teach science and availability of Edmodo. The research used a case study, which is one method of descriptive research.…

Assessment of Day Caring Methods among Civil Servant Mothers of Reproductive Age in Lagos State Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akinnubi, Caroline Funmbi

2016-01-01

This study examined the day caring methods among the civil servants of reproductive age with children between three months to four years in Lagos State Nigeria. The research design employed for this study was a descriptive research design. A total number of 212 teachers and 128 ministry workers making a total of 340 reproductive age mothers were…

The Effect of the Time Management Art on Academic Achievement among High School Students in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Zoubi, Maysoon

2016-01-01

This study aimed at recognizing the effect of the Time Management Art on academic achievement among high school students in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The researcher employed the descriptive-analytic research to achieve the purpose of the study where he chose a sample of (2000) high school female and male students as respondents to the…

Corpus-Based Approaches to Language Description for Specialized Academic Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flowerdew, John

2017-01-01

Language description is a fundamental requirement for second language (L2) syllabus design. The greatest advances in language description in recent decades have been done with the help of electronic corpora. Such language description is the theme of this article. The article first introduces some basic concepts and principles in corpus research.…

Examining the Reproducibility of 6 Published Studies in Public Health Services and Systems Research.

PubMed

Harris, Jenine K; B Wondmeneh, Sarah; Zhao, Yiqiang; Leider, Jonathon P

2018-02-23

Research replication, or repeating a study de novo, is the scientific standard for building evidence and identifying spurious results. While replication is ideal, it is often expensive and time consuming. Reproducibility, or reanalysis of data to verify published findings, is one proposed minimum alternative standard. While a lack of research reproducibility has been identified as a serious and prevalent problem in biomedical research and a few other fields, little work has been done to examine the reproducibility of public health research. We examined reproducibility in 6 studies from the public health services and systems research subfield of public health research. Following the methods described in each of the 6 papers, we computed the descriptive and inferential statistics for each study. We compared our results with the original study results and examined the percentage differences in descriptive statistics and differences in effect size, significance, and precision of inferential statistics. All project work was completed in 2017. We found consistency between original and reproduced results for each paper in at least 1 of the 4 areas examined. However, we also found some inconsistency. We identified incorrect transcription of results and omitting detail about data management and analyses as the primary contributors to the inconsistencies. Increasing reproducibility, or reanalysis of data to verify published results, can improve the quality of science. Researchers, journals, employers, and funders can all play a role in improving the reproducibility of science through several strategies including publishing data and statistical code, using guidelines to write clear and complete methods sections, conducting reproducibility reviews, and incentivizing reproducible science.

Educational services in health sciences libraries: a content analysis of the literature, 1987-1994.

PubMed Central

Dimitroff, A

1995-01-01

The recent literature (1987-1994) describing educational services of health sciences librarians was analyzed for content. Variables examined included publication journal, country, type of article (description, review, or advocacy), target audience of education services, and subject of article. Articles that reported research results also were identified. Of 123 articles studied, 82.1% were descriptive, 14.6% advocacy, and 3.3% reviews. Library users were the primary target audience (85.1%), an increase over the percentage reported in an earlier study of the 1975-1986 literature. Librarians were the target audience in 12.8% of the articles, a decrease from the previous study's findings. There was an increase in educational offerings by academic libraries, which sponsored 83.2% of programs, while hospital libraries' sponsorship decreased to 5% of programs reported in the literature. The analysis identified a major need for research related to educational activities in health sciences libraries. PMID:8547899

Laboratory for Atmospheres: Philosophy, Organization, Major Activities, and 1999 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Laboratory for Atmospheres is helping to answer questions related to climate, and climate change and other scientific questions about our planet and its neighbors. The Laboratory conducts a broad theoretical and experimental research program studying all aspects of the atmospheres of the Earth and other planets, including their structural, dynamical, radiative, and chemical properties. In this report,there is a statement of the labs philosophy and a description of it's role in NASA's mission. A broad description of the research and a summary of the scientists' major accomplishments in 1999 is also included. The report also presents useful information on human resources, scientific interactions, and outreach activities with the outside community.

Systematic Review of Methods in Low-Consensus Fields: Supporting Commensuration through `Construct-Centered Methods Aggregation' in the Case of Climate Change Vulnerability Research.

PubMed

Delaney, Aogán; Tamás, Peter A; Crane, Todd A; Chesterman, Sabrina

2016-01-01

There is increasing interest in using systematic review to synthesize evidence on the social and environmental effects of and adaptations to climate change. Use of systematic review for evidence in this field is complicated by the heterogeneity of methods used and by uneven reporting. In order to facilitate synthesis of results and design of subsequent research a method, construct-centered methods aggregation, was designed to 1) provide a transparent, valid and reliable description of research methods, 2) support comparability of primary studies and 3) contribute to a shared empirical basis for improving research practice. Rather than taking research reports at face value, research designs are reviewed through inductive analysis. This involves bottom-up identification of constructs, definitions and operationalizations; assessment of concepts' commensurability through comparison of definitions; identification of theoretical frameworks through patterns of construct use; and integration of transparently reported and valid operationalizations into ideal-type research frameworks. Through the integration of reliable bottom-up inductive coding from operationalizations and top-down coding driven from stated theory with expert interpretation, construct-centered methods aggregation enabled both resolution of heterogeneity within identically named constructs and merging of differently labeled but identical constructs. These two processes allowed transparent, rigorous and contextually sensitive synthesis of the research presented in an uneven set of reports undertaken in a heterogenous field. If adopted more broadly, construct-centered methods aggregation may contribute to the emergence of a valid, empirically-grounded description of methods used in primary research. These descriptions may function as a set of expectations that improves the transparency of reporting and as an evolving comprehensive framework that supports both interpretation of existing and design of future research.

Systematic Review of Methods in Low-Consensus Fields: Supporting Commensuration through `Construct-Centered Methods Aggregation’ in the Case of Climate Change Vulnerability Research

PubMed Central

Crane, Todd A.; Chesterman, Sabrina

2016-01-01

There is increasing interest in using systematic review to synthesize evidence on the social and environmental effects of and adaptations to climate change. Use of systematic review for evidence in this field is complicated by the heterogeneity of methods used and by uneven reporting. In order to facilitate synthesis of results and design of subsequent research a method, construct-centered methods aggregation, was designed to 1) provide a transparent, valid and reliable description of research methods, 2) support comparability of primary studies and 3) contribute to a shared empirical basis for improving research practice. Rather than taking research reports at face value, research designs are reviewed through inductive analysis. This involves bottom-up identification of constructs, definitions and operationalizations; assessment of concepts’ commensurability through comparison of definitions; identification of theoretical frameworks through patterns of construct use; and integration of transparently reported and valid operationalizations into ideal-type research frameworks. Through the integration of reliable bottom-up inductive coding from operationalizations and top-down coding driven from stated theory with expert interpretation, construct-centered methods aggregation enabled both resolution of heterogeneity within identically named constructs and merging of differently labeled but identical constructs. These two processes allowed transparent, rigorous and contextually sensitive synthesis of the research presented in an uneven set of reports undertaken in a heterogenous field. If adopted more broadly, construct-centered methods aggregation may contribute to the emergence of a valid, empirically-grounded description of methods used in primary research. These descriptions may function as a set of expectations that improves the transparency of reporting and as an evolving comprehensive framework that supports both interpretation of existing and design of future research. PMID:26901409

Technology-delivered adaptations of motivational interviewing for health-related behaviors: A systematic review of the current research

PubMed Central

Shingleton, Rebecca M.; Palfai, Tibor P.

2015-01-01

Objectives The aims of this paper were to describe and evaluate the methods and efficacy of technology-delivered motivational interviewing interventions (TAMIs), discuss the challenges and opportunities of TAMIs, and provide a framework for future research. Methods We reviewed studies that reported using motivational interviewing (MI) based components delivered via technology and conducted ratings on technology description, comprehensiveness of MI, and study methods. Results The majority of studies were fully-automated and included at least one form of media rich technology to deliver the TAMI. Few studies provided complete descriptions of how MI components were delivered via technology. Of the studies that isolated the TAMI effects, positive changes were reported. Conclusion Researchers have used a range of technologies to deliver TAMIs suggesting feasibility of these methods. However, there are limited data regarding their efficacy, and strategies to deliver relational components remain a challenge. Future research should better characterize the components of TAMIs, empirically test the efficacy of TAMIs with randomized controlled trials, and incorporate fidelity measures. Practice Implications TAMIs are feasible to implement and well accepted. These approaches offer considerable potential to reduce costs, minimize therapist and training burden, and expand the range of clients that may benefit from adaptations of MI. PMID:26298219

Year-Round Daylight Saving Time Study : Volume 2. Supporting Studies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-06-01

This volume contains detailed background material in support of findings of the Interim Report. It includes the findings of a survey of attifudes towards daylight saving conducted by the National Opinion Research Center; description of sunrise and su...

ARL Human Factors Engineering Technology: Overview of 6.2 Efforts for Dr. Lemnios, DDRE

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

Soldier-focused Neurotechnologies . Summaries for each area include a brief description of the research, types of experiments, tests, and demonstrations...7 2.4 Soldier-focused Neurotechnologies ...focused Neurotechnologies In the research summaries, the questions posed during the review are addressed: • What types of experiments/studies/tests

Evaluation of Secondary School Students' Writing Fluency Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atasoy, Arzu; Temizkan, Mehmet

2016-01-01

Developed to evaluate secondary school students' writing fluency skills, this study is descriptive in nature and uses a mixed method approach. During the research, the researcher attempted to identify students' abilities to write in terms of quantity and complexity, on the one hand, and also attempted to identify findings on accuracy, the…

Aging in the Undergraduate Curriculum: Faculty Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyman, Janna C.; Gutheil, Irene A.; White-Ryan, Linda; Phipps, Colette; Guishard, Dozene

2008-01-01

This descriptive study of undergraduate faculty (N = 177) ascertained the extent to which aging content is taught and faculty are interested in aging. The research was the result of a collaboration among an area agency on aging, an alliance of academic and community leaders, and a university-based research center. While approximately 43% of the…

Critical Thinking Tendencies of Geography Teacher Candidates in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geçit, Yilmaz; Akarsu, Ali Haydar

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research is to determine the critical thinking levels of geography teacher candidates. The research was descriptive and conducted in a relational survey model. The population of this study consists of students of the geography department of Karadeniz Technical University, Atatürk University and Marmara University education…

Influence of Motivation Theory and Supplemental Workshops on First-Time Passing Rates of HBCU Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moffett, Noran L.; Frizzell, Melanie M.; Brownlee-Williams, Yolanda; Thompson, Jill M.

2014-01-01

The action research methodology for this study reports descriptive statistical findings from the performance of 19 Early Childhood Education African American teacher candidates matriculating through a state-approved program at an HBCU. Researcher-moderators provided a treatment plan of focused summer workshops, conceptualized based upon the…

Technology-Supported Formative and Summative Assessment of Collaborative Scientific Inquiry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hickey, Daniel T.; DeCuir, Jessica; Hand, Bryon; Kyser, Brandon; Laprocina, Simona; Mordica, Joy

This study defined and validated a new set of dimensions, new anchoring descriptions, and a new rubric format for assessing participation in collaboration. One strand of the research explored the use of analog video-technology to conduct summative assessment of collaborative inquiry. The second strand of the research explored the use of video…

NRCL-70, Review of the Activities of the Laboratories 1970.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa (Ontario).

Included are descriptions of activities of each of the 12 laboratories in the National Research Council of Canada, including background information and a summary of the studies (research) and results. The 12 laboratories in the NRCL are the following: Atlantic Regional Laboratory, Biochemistry Laboratory, Division of Biology, Division of Building…

The Implementer Disposition of Teacher Certification Policy in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malkab, Marnih; Nawawi, Juanda; Mahmud, Alimuddin; Sujiono, Eko Hadi

2015-01-01

This research aims to examine and analyze the implementers disposition in the implementation of teacher certification policy in Makassar City and to know how is the disposition affects in successful implementation policy. This research is descriptive by using a qualitative approach. Sources of data in this study are primary data from the…

Student Engagement in the Classroom: The Impact of Classroom, Teacher, and Student Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dykstra Steinbrenner, Jessica R.; Watson, Linda R.

2015-01-01

Researchers have highlighted engagement as a critical component of effective interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet there is limited research related to engagement in school-age children with ASD. This descriptive study was designed to examine joint engagement and its relationship with classroom factors and student…

Understanding the Priorities of Australian Secondary Schools through an Analysis of Their Mission and Vision Statements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Kelly-Ann; Kern, Margaret L.; Vella-Brodrick, Dianne; Waters, Lea

2018-01-01

Purpose: The vision or mission statement of a school outlines the school's purpose and defines the context, goals, and aspirations that govern the institution. Using vision and mission statements, the present descriptive research study investigated trends in Australian secondary schools' priorities. Research Methods: A stratified sample of…

Evolution Perception with Metaphors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Fatih

2016-01-01

The main objective of this research is to find out how the teacher candidates who graduated from the Faculty of Theology and study in pedagogical formation program perceive the theory of evolution. Having a descriptive characteristic, this research is conducted with 63 Faculty of Theology graduate teacher candidates of which 36 is women and 27 is…

Nursing Faculty Members' Perspectives of Faculty-to-Faculty Workplace Incivility among Nursing Faculty Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amos, Kimberly S.

2013-01-01

In recent years, nursing faculty incivility has been a searing topic of research. Nursing research included studies on incivility among nursing students, incivility between nursing students and nursing faculty, and incivility in the clinical setting. However, literature specifically on nursing faculty incivility was limited. This descriptive,…

Research on the Language of the English Classroom: A Disconnected Dream.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kluwin, Thomas N.

Methods used in studies of the classroom language of the English teacher are described in this paper and some results of the research are reported. The paper first describes three methods traditionally employed in the description of the language of the English classroom--live observation systems, coding systems based on transcripts, and…

Practice-Near and Practice-Distant Methods in Human Services Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froggett, Lynn; Briggs, Stephen

2012-01-01

This article discusses practice-near research in human services, a cluster of methodologies that may include thick description, intensive reflexivity, and the study of emotional and relational processes. Such methods aim to get as near as possible to experiences at the relational interface between institutions and the practice field.…

Discovering the Quantity of Quality: Scoring "Regional Identity" for Quantitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Daniel A.

2008-01-01

The variationist paradigm in sociolinguistics is at a disadvantage when dealing with variables that are traditionally treated qualitatively, e.g., "identity". This study essays to level the accuracy and descriptive value of qualitative research in a quantitative setting by rendering such a variable quantitatively accessible. To this end,…

Counselling Strategies for Curbing Examination Malpractices in Secondary Schools in Enugu State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egbo, Anthonia Chinonyelum

2015-01-01

This study investigated the Counselling strategies for curbing "Examination Malpractices" in Secondary Schools in Enugu State Nigeria. The researcher used three research questions. The Design used was a descriptive survey design. Sample consisted of 335 respondents comprising principals (N = 19), PTA secretaries (N = 19), teachers (N =…

Strengthening Student Engagement with Quantitative Subjects in a Business Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warwick, Jon; Howard, Anna

2014-01-01

This paper reflects on the results of research undertaken at a large UK university relating to the teaching of quantitative subjects within a Business Faculty. It builds on a simple model of student engagement and, through the description of three case studies, describes research undertaken and developments implemented to strengthen aspects of the…

An Empirical Typology of the Latent Programmatic Structure of Community College Student Success Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatch, Deryl K.; Bohlig, E. Michael

2016-01-01

The definition and description of student success programs in the literature (e.g., orientation, first-year seminars, learning communities, etc.) suggest underlying programmatic similarities. Yet researchers to date typically depend on ambiguous labels to delimit studies, resulting in loosely related but separate research lines and few…

Recruiting Healthy Volunteers for Research Participation via Internet Advertising

PubMed Central

Bramstedt, Katrina A.

2007-01-01

Objective: The Internet is frequently used as a tool to recruit research subjects, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides general guidance regarding such advertising. The goal of this study was to explore the incidence and nature of ethically inappropriate recruiting advertisements on the Internet and to provide descriptive guidance to researchers for responsible Internet recruiting. Methods: In this study, 119 advertisements recruiting health volunteers and listed on the CenterWatch Clinical Trials Listing Service website were reviewed for content as well as text style and visual effects. Results: The majority of advertisements satisfied FDA guidance. However, 21 (18%) were ethically troubling with regard to font size, font style, and/or verbiage. In many advertisements, it was unclear if “medication” meant “investigational drug,” “over-the-counter medication” or US FDA approved “prescription medication.” Nearly 30% of the 119 advertisements used the terms “free,” “no charge” or “no cost” as lures. Conclusion: Ethically problematic recruiting advertisements can be coercive and misleading. Descriptive guidance provided in this paper can help clinical researchers create ethically appropriate recruiting advertisements. PMID:17607043

Practices of research data curation in institutional repositories: A qualitative view from repository staff

PubMed Central

Stvilia, Besiki

2017-01-01

The importance of managing research data has been emphasized by the government, funding agencies, and scholarly communities. Increased access to research data increases the impact and efficiency of scientific activities and funding. Thus, many research institutions have established or plan to establish research data curation services as part of their Institutional Repositories (IRs). However, in order to design effective research data curation services in IRs, and to build active research data providers and user communities around those IRs, it is essential to study current data curation practices and provide rich descriptions of the sociotechnical factors and relationships shaping those practices. Based on 13 interviews with 15 IR staff members from 13 large research universities in the United States, this paper provides a rich, qualitative description of research data curation and use practices in IRs. In particular, the paper identifies data curation and use activities in IRs, as well as their structures, roles played, skills needed, contradictions and problems present, solutions sought, and workarounds applied. The paper can inform the development of best practice guides, infrastructure and service templates, as well as education in research data curation in Library and Information Science (LIS) schools. PMID:28301533

Practices of research data curation in institutional repositories: A qualitative view from repository staff.

PubMed

Lee, Dong Joon; Stvilia, Besiki

2017-01-01

The importance of managing research data has been emphasized by the government, funding agencies, and scholarly communities. Increased access to research data increases the impact and efficiency of scientific activities and funding. Thus, many research institutions have established or plan to establish research data curation services as part of their Institutional Repositories (IRs). However, in order to design effective research data curation services in IRs, and to build active research data providers and user communities around those IRs, it is essential to study current data curation practices and provide rich descriptions of the sociotechnical factors and relationships shaping those practices. Based on 13 interviews with 15 IR staff members from 13 large research universities in the United States, this paper provides a rich, qualitative description of research data curation and use practices in IRs. In particular, the paper identifies data curation and use activities in IRs, as well as their structures, roles played, skills needed, contradictions and problems present, solutions sought, and workarounds applied. The paper can inform the development of best practice guides, infrastructure and service templates, as well as education in research data curation in Library and Information Science (LIS) schools.

Efforts to Bridge the Gap between Research and Practice in Social Work: Precedents and Prospects: Keynote Address at the Bridging the Gap Symposium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Allen

2015-01-01

This keynote address discusses previous and ongoing efforts to reduce the persistent gap between research and practice in social work and offers recommendations for further bridging that gap. Key among those recommendations is the need to conduct descriptive outcome studies of efforts to adapt research-supported interventions in everyday practice…

The Role of Evidence-Based Research in the Decision-Making Process as Perceived by Local Board of Education Policymakers in West Virginia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoylman, Elizabeth Anne

2017-01-01

This non-experimental, descriptive study explored the perceptions of PK-12 policymakers in West Virginia regarding the sources of information they use in the decision-making process; whether and how evidence-based research is relied upon; whether evidence-based research is considered credible and usable; and what barriers, facilitators, and…

Multilevel description of the DNA molecule translocation in solid-state synthetic nanopores

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

Nosik, V. L., E-mail: v-nosik@yandex.ru; Rudakova, E. B.

2016-07-15

Interest of researchers in micro- and nanofluidics of polymer solutions and, in particular, DNA ionic solutions is constantly increasing. The use of DNA translocation with a controlled velocity through solid-state nanopores and pulsed X-ray beams in new sequencing schemes opens up new possibilities for studying the structure of DNA and other biopolymers. The problems related to the description of DNA molecular motion in a limited volume of nanopore are considered.

Research ethics review at University Eduardo Mondlane (UEM)/Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique (2013-2016): a descriptive analysis of the start-up of a new research ethics committee (REC).

PubMed

Sacarlal, Jahit; Muchanga, Vasco; Mabutana, Carlos; Mabui, Matilde; Mariamo, Arlete; Cuamba, Assa Júlio; Fumo, Leida Artur; Silveira, Jacinta; Heitman, Elizabeth; Moon, Troy D

2018-05-23

Mozambique has seen remarkable growth in biomedical research over the last decade. To meet a growing need, the National Committee for Bioethics in Health of Mozambique (CNBS) encouraged the development of ethical review processes at institutions that regularly conduct medical and social science research. In 2012, the Faculty of Medicine (FM) of University Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) and the Maputo Central Hospital (MCH) established a joint Institutional Committee on Bioethics for Health (CIBS FM & MCH). This study examines the experience of the first 4 years of the CIBS FM & MCH. This study provides a descriptive, retrospective analysis of research protocols submitted to and approved by the CIBS FM & MCH between March 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016, together with an analysis of the Committee's respective reviews and actions. A total of 356 protocols were submitted for review during the period under analysis, with 309 protocols approved. Sixty-four percent were submitted by students, faculty, and researchers from UEM, mainly related to Master's degree research (42%). Descriptive cross-sectional studies were the most frequently reviewed research (61%). The majority were prospective (71%) and used quantitative methodologies (51%). The Departments of Internal Medicine at MCH and Community Health at the FM submitted the most protocols from their respective institutions, with 38 and 53% respectively. The CIBS's average time to final approval for all protocols was 56 days, rising to 161 for the 40 protocols that required subsequent national-level review by the CNBS. Our results show that over its first 4 years, the CIBS FM & MCH has been successful in managing a constant demand for protocol review and that several broad quality improvement initiatives, such as investigator mentoring and an electronic protocol submission platform have improved efficiency in the review process and the overall quality of the protocols submitted. Beyond Maputo, long-term investments in training and ethical capacity building for CIBS across the country continue to be needed, as Mozambique develops greater capacity for research and makes progress toward improving the health of all its citizens.

Research priorities in medical education at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences:categories and subcategories in the Iranian context

PubMed Central

NABEIEI, PARISA; AMINI, MITRA; GHANAVATI, SHIRIN; MARHAMATI, SAADAT

2016-01-01

Introduction Research in education is a globally significant issue without a long history. Due to the importance of the issue in Health System Development programs, this study intended to determine research priorities in medical education, considering their details and functions. By determining barriers existing in research in education progress, it is tried to make research priorities more functional by recommending acceptable strategies. Methods This is a qualitative-descriptive study in two descriptive phases. The goal of these phases was to determine research priorities subcategories in medical education by Nominal Group Technique (NGT) and two rounds of Delphi method. Through the first phase, subcategories of research priorities were determined, using Nominal Group Technique under medical education experts’ supervision. Through two rounds of Delphi, a questionnaire was constructed based on the subcategories. Eventually, research priorities were determined based on their highest score (scores more than 7 out of 10). Results In the first phase (NGT), 35 priorities in 5 major fields of medical education were presented. In the second phase, priorities were scored, using Delphi method. Medical Ethics and professionalism gained the highest scores (7.63±1.26) and educational evaluation the lowest (7.28±1.52). In this stage, 7 items were omitted but 2 of them were added again after experts’ revision in the third round of Delphi. Conclusion According to the results of the present study and based on previous studies, it really seems that the fields of “Learning and Teaching Approaches” and “Medical Ethics and Professionalism” were more important. Because of financial and resource limitations in our country and the importance of research priorities, it is recommended to frequently study “research priorities determination program” at universities. PMID:26793723

How do researchers influence decision-makers? Case studies of Mexican policies.

PubMed

Trostle, J; Bronfman, M; Langer, A

1999-06-01

Though the problems translating or applying research in policy-making are legion, solutions are rare. As developing countries increase their capacities to develop effective local solutions to their health problems, they confront the research/policy dilemma. Yet few descriptive studies of research-policy links can be found from developing countries, and the relevance of European and North American models and data is questionable. We report the results of a descriptive study from Mexico of the relationship between health research and policy in four vertical programmes (AIDS, cholera, family planning, immunization). We interviewed 67 researchers and policy-makers from different institutions and levels of responsibility. We analyzed interviewee responses looking for factors that promoted or impeded exchanges between researchers and policy-makers. These were, in turn, divided into emphases on content, actors, process, and context. Many of the promoting factors resembled findings from studies in industrialized countries. Some important differences across the four programmes, which also distinguish them from industrialized country programmes, included extent of reliance on formal communication channels, role of the mass media in building social consensus or creating discord, levels of social consensus, role of foreign donors, and extent of support for biomedical versus social research. We recommend various ways to increase the impact of research on health policy-making in Mexico. Some of the largest challenges include the fact that researchers are but one of many interest groups, and research but one input among many equally legitimate elements to be considered by policy-makers. Another important challenge in Mexico is the relatively small role played by the public in policy-making. Further democratic changes in Mexico may be the most important incentive to increase the use of research in policy-making.

The Future Is Now: The Role of Institutional Research in Campus Transformation: Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the North East Association for Institutional Research (25th, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 14-17, 1998).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North East Association for Institutional Research.

This proceedings document is comprised of the 17 papers, panel presentations, and work shares presented at a 1998 conference on institutional research. The papers are: (1) "Description of the UDAES Project: A Study of Undergraduate Academic Experiences" (Karen W. Bauer); (2) "Transforming Your Campus: Mixed Methodology in Institutional Research"…

Teaching Statistics Using Classic Psychology Research: An Activities-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Karen Y.; Dodd, Brett A.

2012-01-01

In this article, we discuss a collection of active learning activities derived from classic psychology studies that illustrate the appropriate use of descriptive and inferential statistics. (Contains 2 tables.)

The development of CERDAS learning strategy guide for science education students of distance education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahayu, U.; Darmayanti, T.; Widodo, A.; Redjeki, S.

2017-02-01

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a part of students’ skills in which they manage, regulate, and monitor their learning process so they can reach their study goal. Students of distance education should comprise this skill. The aim of this research is to describe the development of distance students learning guide, namely “CEDAS strategy” designed for science students. The students’ guidance consists of seven principles, they are; selecting and applying learning strategy appropriately, managing time effectively, planning of learning realistically and accurately, achieving study goal, and doing self-evaluation continuously. The research method was qualitative descriptive. The research involved the students of Universitas Terbuka’ Biology education who participated in Animal Embryology course. The data were collected using a questionnaire and interview. Furthermore, it was analyzed by descriptive analyses. Research finding showed that during try out, most of the students stated that the learning guide was easy to understand, concise, interesting and encouraging for students to continue reading and learning. In the implementation stage, most students commented that the guide is easy to understand, long enough, and helpful so it can be used as a reference to study independently and to apply it in the daily basis.

Parental behaviour in paediatric chronic pain: a qualitative observational study.

PubMed

Dunford, Emma; Thompson, Miles; Gauntlett-Gilbert, Jeremy

2014-10-01

Parental behaviour appears to influence the adjustment of children with chronic pain. However, research in this area has failed to produce consistent evidence. Studies have tended to rely on self-report measures derived from adult pain populations. This qualitative, observational research provides descriptive data of parental behaviour in a clinical environment. A qualitative observational study was made of parents and adolescents in a physically stressful setting. Modified grounded theory was used to analyse verbal and non-verbal behaviours. Eight parent-adolescent dyads seeking treatment for chronic pain were videoed during physical exercise sessions. Verbal and non-verbal behaviours were recorded and transcribed. Four overarching categories emerged: 'monitoring', 'protecting', 'encouraging' and 'instructing'. These often had both verbal and non-verbal aspects. Within these categories, more precise behavioural groups were also identified. This research identifies categories of parental behaviour that were derived directly from observation, rather than imposed on the basis of results from different populations. Four categories of behaviour were derived, which clarify and extend dimensions used in existing self-report instruments. Careful description of parental behaviours showed features that past research has neglected, and highlighted potential drawbacks of apparently positive parental actions. © The Author(s) 2013.

Access to digital library databases in higher education: design problems and infrastructural gaps.

PubMed

Oswal, Sushil K

2014-01-01

After defining accessibility and usability, the author offers a broad survey of the research studies on digital content databases which have thus far primarily depended on data drawn from studies conducted by sighted researchers with non-disabled users employing screen readers and low vision devices. This article aims at producing a detailed description of the difficulties confronted by blind screen reader users with online library databases which now hold most of the academic, peer-reviewed journal and periodical content essential for research and teaching in higher education. The approach taken here is borrowed from descriptive ethnography which allows the author to create a complete picture of the accessibility and usability problems faced by an experienced academic user of digital library databases and screen readers. The author provides a detailed analysis of the different aspects of accessibility issues in digital databases under several headers with a special focus on full-text PDF files. The author emphasizes that long-term studies with actual, blind screen reader users employing both qualitative and computerized research tools can yield meaningful data for the designers and developers to improve these databases to a level that they begin to provide an equal access to the blind.

A Study of Learning Strategies in Foreign Language Instruction: Findings of the Longitudinal Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chamot, Anna Uhl; And Others

Part of a larger research project, this longitudinal study analyzed differences between effective and ineffective high school and college language learners and changes in strategy uses over time. Related studies include a descriptive study, which identified learning strategies used in studying foreign languages, and a course development study, in…

A Study on Metacognitive Thinking Skills of University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coskun, Yemliha

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the university students' metacognition thinking skills. The research is a descriptive study in the screening model.The study was carried out with 407 students from the faculties of physical education and sports, education science and letters, business administration, theology, engineering, forestry and…

Self-Esteem, Study Habits and Academic Performance among University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chilca Alva, Manuel L.

2017-01-01

This study was intended to establish whether self-esteem and study habits correlate with academic performance among university students. Research conducted was descriptive observational, multivariate or cross-sectional factorial in nature. The study population consisted of 196 students enrolled in a Basic Mathematics 1 class at the School of…

A Description of a Mother's Play Guidance for Her Child with Autism in the Process of Playing by the Rules

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okcun, Meral Cilem; Akcin, Nur

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the strategies used by a mother with a child with autism during games activities with peers to provide the child with social skills. The research method of this study is "a qualitative single-subject case study". The participants in this research are a mother and her 9-year-old child with autism, one…

A study on Korean nursing students' educational outcomes

PubMed Central

Oh, Kasil; Lee, Hyang-Yeon; Lee, Sook-Ja; Kim, In-Ja; Choi, Kyung-Sook; Ko, Myung-Sook

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe outcome indicators of nursing education including critical thinking, professionalism, leadership, and communication and to evaluate differences among nursing programs and academic years. A descriptive research design was employed. A total of 454 students from four year baccalaureate (BS) nursing programs and two three-year associate degree (AD) programs consented to complete self-administered questionnaires. The variables were critical thinking, professionalism, leadership and communication. Descriptive statistics, χ2-test, t-tests, ANOVA, and the Tukey test were utilized for the data analysis. All the mean scores of the variables were above average for the test instruments utilized. Among the BS students, those in the upper classes tended to attain higher scores, but this tendency was not identified in AD students. There were significant differences between BS students and AD students for the mean scores of leadership and communication. These findings suggested the need for further research to define properties of nursing educational outcomes, and to develop standardized instruments for research replication and verification. PMID:21602914

Community-Based Participatory Research and Smoking Cessation Interventions: A Review of the Evidence

PubMed Central

Newman, Susan D.; Heath, Janie; Williams, Lovoria B.; Tingen, Martha S.

2011-01-01

SYNOPSIS This article presents a review of the evidence on the use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and smoking cessation interventions. An overview of CBPR is provided, along with a description of the search methods and quality scoring. Research questions are explored to determine: if CBPR improves the quality of research methods and community involvement in cessation intervention studies; and, cessation outcomes when using CBPR approaches. Results of the review are provided along with a comprehensive table summarizing all included studies. Strengths and challenges of the CBPR approach are presented with recommendations for future research. PMID:22289400

Tackling extremes: challenges for ecological and evolutionary research on extreme climatic events.

PubMed

Bailey, Liam D; van de Pol, Martijn

2016-01-01

Extreme climatic events (ECEs) are predicted to become more frequent as the climate changes. A rapidly increasing number of studies - though few on animals - suggest that the biological consequences of ECEs can be severe. However, ecological research on the impacts of ECEs has been limited by a lack of cohesiveness and structure. ECEs are often poorly defined and have often been confusingly equated with climatic variability, making comparison between studies difficult. In addition, a focus on short-term studies has provided us with little information on the long-term implications of ECEs, and the descriptive and anecdotal nature of many studies has meant it is still unclear what the key research questions are. Synthesizing the current state of work is essential to identify ways to make progress. We conduct a synthesis of the literature and discuss conceptual and practical challenges faced by research on ECEs. We consider three steps to advance research. First, we discuss the importance of choosing an ECE definition and identify the pros and cons of 'climatological' and 'biological' definitions of ECEs. Secondly, we advocate research beyond short-term descriptive studies to address questions concerning the long-term implications of ECEs, focussing on selective pressures and phenotypically plastic responses and how they might differ from responses to a changing climatic mean. Finally, we encourage a greater focus on multi-event studies that help us understand the implications of changing patterns of ECEs, through the combined use of modelling, experimental and observational field studies. This study aims to open a discussion on the definitions, questions and methods currently used to study ECEs, which will lead to a more cohesive approach to future ECE research. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2015 British Ecological Society.

Development of plant anatomy teaching material based on palynological studies of pollen impacted by the haze of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desti

2018-05-01

The research about palynological study of pollen impacted by the haze of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis from Riau Province and its development as a teaching material for plant anatomy has been conducted in Biology Laboratory of Islamic University of Riau. The objective of this research is to find out of the pollen morphology of H. rosa-sinensis and the result of this study developed for teaching materials for plant anatomy subject. The method is descriptive. The analysis data used descriptive qualitative. The result showed that pollen has several characteristics which can be observed which is impacted by the haze. Pollen was observed is single pollen type, spheroidal sarcoid, polyphenoporate aperture type and exterior ornament. From result of research can be concluded that there is difference of pollen analysis between plant observed. Implication of research results in learning in the form of teaching materials for Plant Anatomy subject. Based on the validation results, it is known that the teaching materials that have been prepared can be used in the learning with percentage level achievement of 90.91% for teaching materials. The subject matter of Plant Anatomy which has been prepared based on the research result can be used in the learning process

A bibliometric review of drug and alcohol research focused on Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

PubMed

Clifford, Anton; Shakeshaft, Anthony

2017-07-01

Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States experience a disproportionately high burden of harms from substance misuse. Research is therefore required to improve our understanding of substance use in Indigenous populations and provide evidence on strategies effective for reducing harmful use. A search of 13 electronic databases for peer-reviewed articles published between 1993 and 2014 focusing on substance use and Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Relevant abstracts were classified as data or non-data based research. Data-based studies were further classified as measurement, descriptive or intervention and their trends examined by country and drug type. Intervention studies were classified by type and their evaluation designs classified using the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) data collection checklist. There was a statistically significant increase from 1993 to 2014 in the percentage of total publications that were data-based (P < 0.001). Overall, data-based publications were mostly descriptive for all countries (84-93%) and drug types (74-95%). There were fewer measurement (0-4%) and intervention (0-14%) publications for all countries and the percentage of these did not change significantly over time. Forty-two percent of intervention studies employed an EPOC evaluation design. Strategies to increase the frequency and quality of measurement and intervention research in the Indigenous drug and alcohol field are required. The dominance of descriptive research in the Indigenous drug and alcohol field is less than optimal for generating evidence to inform Indigenous drug and alcohol policy and programs. [Clifford A, Shakeshaft A. A bibliometric review of drug and alcohol research focused on Indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:509-522]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Critical thinking in nursing: an integrated review.

PubMed

Brunt, Barbara A

2005-01-01

Critical thinking skills are essential to function in today's complex health care environment and to ensure continuing competence for the future. This article provides a review of various definitions and research studies related to critical thinking. Educators and researchers need to clearly define critical thinking, because there has been wide variation in definitions and descriptions of critical thinking. Research studies have shown inconsistent findings, and many have used a one-group pretest-posttest design over a single course or during the length of a nursing program. Studies have not shown an association between critical thinking and competence; rigorous research studies are needed to understand the process of critical thinking.

Towards the development of a comprehensive framework: Qualitative systematic survey of definitions of clinical research quality

PubMed Central

von Niederhäusern, Belinda; Schandelmaier, Stefan; Mi Bonde, Marie; Brunner, Nicole; Hemkens, Lars G.; Rutquist, Marielle; Bhatnagar, Neera; Guyatt, Gordon H.; Pauli-Magnus, Christiane; Briel, Matthias

2017-01-01

Objective To systematically survey existing definitions, concepts, and criteria of clinical research quality, both developed by stakeholder groups as well as in the medical literature. This study serves as a first step in the development of a comprehensive framework for the quality of clinical research. Study design and setting We systematically and in duplicate searched definitions, concepts and criteria of clinical research quality on websites of stakeholders in clinical research until no further insights emerged and in MEDLINE up to February 2015. Stakeholders included governmental bodies, regulatory agencies, the pharmaceutical industry, academic and commercial contract research organizations, initiatives, research ethics committees, patient organizations and funding agencies from 13 countries. Data synthesis involved descriptive and qualitative analyses following the Framework Method on definitions, concepts, and criteria of clinical research quality. Descriptive codes were applied and grouped into clusters to identify common and stakeholder-specific quality themes. Results Stakeholder concepts on how to assure quality throughout study conduct or articles on quality assessment tools were common, generally with no a priori definition of the term quality itself. We identified a total of 20 explicit definitions of clinical research quality including varying quality dimensions and focusing on different stages in the clinical research process. Encountered quality dimensions include ethical conduct, patient safety/rights/priorities, internal validity, precision of results, generalizability or external validity, scientific and societal relevance, transparency and accessibility of information, research infrastructure and sustainability. None of the definitions appeared to be comprehensive either in terms of quality dimensions, research stages, or stakeholder perspectives. Conclusion Clinical research quality is often discussed but rarely defined. A framework defining clinical research quality across stakeholders’ individual perspectives is desirable to facilitate discussion, assessment, and improvement of quality at all stages of clinical research. PMID:28715491

Whey protein stories - An experiment in writing a multidisciplinary biography.

PubMed

Jensen, Tenna; Bechshoeft, Rasmus L; Giacalone, Davide; Otto, Marie Haulund; Castro-Mejía, Josue; Bin Ahmad, Hajar Fauzan; Reitelseder, Søren; Jespersen, Astrid Pernille

2016-12-01

This is an experimental, dual-purpose article about whey protein and how to conduct interdisciplinary analyses and writings. On the one hand, this article is a multidisciplinary commodity biography, which consists of five descriptions of whey protein written by the five different research groups involved in the interdisciplinary research project CALM(Counteracting Age-related loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass). On the other hand, it is a meta-analysis, which aims to uncover and highlight examples of how the five descriptions contribute to each other with insights into the contextualisation of knowledge, contrasts between the descriptions and the new dimensions they bring to established fields of interest. The meta-analysis also contains a discussion of interdisciplinary study objects and the usefulness of the multidisciplinary commodity biography as a format for interdisciplinary publications. The article contributes to the field of food studies with a multidisciplinary biography of whey protein - including its sensory qualities and challenges, insights into its cultural history, its nutritional value and effects on the human body and an analysis of how it is perceived by people who consume it. The biography thereby expands upon existing understandings of whey protein while discussing the usefulness of employing the commodity biography format in interdisciplinary writing. Moreover, the article contributes to the field of interdisciplinary research by providing a practical example of a joint publication and reflections upon the existence, interaction and possibilities of monodisciplinary knowledge structures within interdisciplinary studies and publications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Materials sciences research. [research facilities, research projects, and technical reports of materials tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Research projects involving materials research conducted by various international test facilities are reported. Much of the materials research is classified in the following areas: (1) acousto-optic, acousto-electric, and ultrasonic research, (2) research for elucidating transport phenomena in well characterized oxides, (3) research in semiconductor materials and semiconductor devices, (4) the study of interfaces and interfacial phenomena, and (5) materials research relevant to natural resources. Descriptions of the individual research programs are listed alphabetically by the name of the author and show all personnel involved, resulting publications, and associated meeting speeches.

Dissolution mechanism of calcium apatites in acids: A review of literature

PubMed Central

Dorozhkin, Sergey V

2012-01-01

Eight dissolution models of calcium apatites (both fluorapatite and hydroxyapatite) in acids were drawn from the published literature, analyzed and discussed. Major limitations and drawbacks of the models were conversed in details. The models were shown to deal with different aspects of apatite dissolution phenomenon and none of them was able to describe the dissolution process in general. Therefore, an attempt to combine the findings obtained by different researchers was performed which resulted in creation of the general description of apatite dissolution in acids. For this purpose, eight dissolution models were assumed to complement each other and provide the correct description of the specific aspects of apatite dissolution. The general description considers all possible dissolution stages involved and points out to some missing and unclear phenomena to be experimentally studied and verified in future. This creates a new methodological approach to investigate reaction mechanisms based on sets of affine data, obtained by various research groups under dissimilar experimental conditions. PMID:25237611

Programs in Environmental Studies Part Three: Special Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Review, 1984

1984-01-01

Presents descriptions of special programs in environmental studies. They include: historical geography (University of Illinois); internship program (Miami University); public service projects (Miami University); philosophy of ecology program (University of Montana); and a research program at the Center for Conservation Biology (Stanford…

77 FR 57563 - Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-18

... review of recent research on the identification of ELs with special needs, and (2) case studies of six school districts and three schools in each district. Findings will be descriptive in nature. The study is...

77 FR 28360 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-14

... study has two main components: (1) A review of recent research on the identification of ELs with special... descriptive in nature. The study is not a program evaluation and does not purport to assess program outcomes...

Documenting the Emergence of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems as a Disruptive Technology in Nicotine and Tobacco Science

PubMed Central

Correa, John B.; Ariel, Idan; Menzie, Nicole S.; Brandon, Thomas H.

2016-01-01

Background The emergence of the electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, or “e-cigarettes”) has resulted in nicotine and tobacco scientists committing increased resources to studying these products. Despite this surge of research on various topics related to e-cigarettes, it is important to characterize the evolving e-cigarette research landscape as a way to identify important future research directions. The purpose of this review was to broadly categorize published scholarly work on e-cigarettes using a structured, multi-level coding scheme. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted to collect articles on e-cigarettes that were published in peer-reviewed journals from 2006 through 2014. Studies were classified through 3 coding waves. Articles were first divided into research reports, literature reviews and opinions/editorials. Research reports were further categorized to determine the proportion of these studies using human participants. Finally, human studies were classified based on their methodologies: descriptive, predictive, explanatory, and intervention. Results Research reports (n = 224) and opinions/editorials (n = 248) were published at similar rates during this time period. All types of articles showed exponential rates of increase in more recent years. 76.3% of human research studies tended to be descriptive in nature, with very little research employing experimental (6.8%) or intervention-based methodologies (5.4%). Conclusions This review reinforces the idea that e-cigarettes are a disruptive technology exerting substantial influence on nicotine and tobacco science. This review also suggests that opinions on e-cigarettes may be outpacing our scientific understanding of these devices. Our findings highlight the need for more e-cigarette research involving experimental, intervention, and longitudinal designs. PMID:27816664

Documenting the emergence of electronic nicotine delivery systems as a disruptive technology in nicotine and tobacco science.

PubMed

Correa, John B; Ariel, Idan; Menzie, Nicole S; Brandon, Thomas H

2017-02-01

The emergence of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, or "e-cigarettes") has resulted in nicotine and tobacco scientists committing increased resources to studying these products. Despite this surge of research on various topics related to e-cigarettes, it is important to characterize the evolving e-cigarette research landscape as a way to identify important future research directions. The purpose of this review was to broadly categorize published scholarly work on e-cigarettes using a structured, multi-level coding scheme. A systematic literature search was conducted to collect articles on e-cigarettes that were published in peer-reviewed journals from 2006 through 2014. Studies were classified through 3 coding waves. Articles were first divided into research reports, literature reviews and opinions/editorials. Research reports were further categorized to determine the proportion of these studies using human participants. Finally, human studies were classified based on their methodologies: descriptive, predictive, explanatory, and intervention. Research reports (n=224) and opinions/editorials (n=248) were published at similar rates during this time period. All types of articles showed exponential rates of increase in more recent years. 76.4% of human research studies were descriptive in nature, with very little research employing experimental (6.8%) or intervention-based methodologies (5.4%). This review reinforces the idea that e-cigarettes are a disruptive technology exerting substantial influence on nicotine and tobacco science. This review also suggests that opinions on e-cigarettes may be outpacing our scientific understanding of these devices. Our findings highlight the need for more e-cigarette research involving experimental, intervention, and longitudinal designs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medical universities educational and research online services: benchmarking universities' website towards e-government.

PubMed

Farzandipour, Mehrdad; Meidani, Zahra

2014-06-01

Websites as one of the initial steps towards an e-government adoption do facilitate delivery of online and customer-oriented services. In this study we intended to investigate the role of the websites of medical universities in providing educational and research services following the E-government maturity model in the Iranian universities. This descriptive and cross- sectional study was conducted through content analysis and benchmarking the websites in 2012. The research population included the entire medical university website (37). Delivery of educational and research services through these university websites including information, interaction, transaction, and Integration were investigated using a checklist. The data were then analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and using SPSS software. Level of educational and research services by websites of the medical universities type I and II was evaluated medium as 1.99 and 1.89, respectively. All the universities gained a mean score of 1 out of 3 in terms of integration of educational and research services. Results of the study indicated that Iranian universities have passed information and interaction stages, but they have not made much progress in transaction and integration stages. Failure to adapt to e-government in Iranian medical universities in which limiting factors such as users' e-literacy, access to the internet and ICT infrastructure are not so crucial as in other organizations, suggest that e-government realization goes beyond technical challenges.

Mathematical Description of the Uptake of Hydrocarbons in Jet Fuel into the Stratum Corneum of Human Volunteers

PubMed Central

Kim, David; Farthing, Matthew W.; Miller, Cass T.; Nylander-French, Leena A.

2008-01-01

The objective of this research was to develop a mathematical description of uptake of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons into the stratum corneum of human skin in vivo. A simple description based on Fick’s Laws of diffusion was used to predict the spatiotemporal variation of naphthalene, 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene, undecane, and dodecane in the stratum corneum of human volunteers. The estimated values of the diffusion coefficients for each chemical were comparable to values predicted using in vitro skin systems and biomonitoring studies. These results demonstrate the value of measuring dermal exposure using the tape-strip technique and the importance of quantifying of dermal uptake. PMID:18423910

[Advance on genome research of Yersinia pestis bacteriophage].

PubMed

Tan, H L; Wang, P; Li, W

2017-04-10

Completion of the genome sequences on Yersinia pestis bacteriophage offered unprecedented opportunity for researchers to carry out related genomic studies. This review was based on the genomic sequences and provided a genomic perspective in describing the essential features of genome on Yersinia pestis bacteriophage. Based on the comparative genomics, genetic evolutionary relationship was discussed. Description of functions from the gene prediction and protein annotation provided evidence for further related studies.

Nurses' use of qualitative research approaches to investigate tobacco use and control.

PubMed

Schultz, Annette S H; Bottorff, Joan L; McKeown, Stephanie Barclay

2009-01-01

Qualitative research methods are increasingly used by nurse scientists to explore a wide variety of topics relevant to practice and/or health policy issues. The purpose of this chapter is to review the contributions of nurse scientists to the field of tobacco control through the use of qualitative research methods. A systematic literature search strategy was used to identify 51 articles published between 1980 and 2008. The majority (84%) of reviewed articles were authored by North American nurse scientists. Cessation was the most commonly (85%) studied aspect of tobacco control. Six qualitative research approaches were used: qualitative descriptive (55%), narrative analysis (8%), phenomenology (6%), grounded theory (14%), ethnography (12%), and case study (6%). Qualitative descriptive methods were primarily one-off studies to address practical problems or issues encountered in practice, and often validated current understandings related to tobacco. Researchers who used other types of qualitative methods and who conducted qualitative studies as part of programs of research were more likely to make more substantive contributions to the evolving field of tobacco control. These contributions related to how smoking intertwines with personal and social identities, the influence of social context on tobacco use, and nurses' involvement in tobacco control (both of their own tobacco use and in assisting others). Nurse scientists interested in exploring tobacco-related issues are encouraged to consider the full range of qualitative research approaches. Qualitative research methods contribute to our understanding of tobacco use arising from nursing practice, health care and policy, along with the field of tobacco control in general.

The study design elements employed by researchers in preclinical animal experiments from two research domains and implications for automation of systematic reviews.

PubMed

O'Connor, Annette M; Totton, Sarah C; Cullen, Jonah N; Ramezani, Mahmood; Kalivarapu, Vijay; Yuan, Chaohui; Gilbert, Stephen B

2018-01-01

Systematic reviews are increasingly using data from preclinical animal experiments in evidence networks. Further, there are ever-increasing efforts to automate aspects of the systematic review process. When assessing systematic bias and unit-of-analysis errors in preclinical experiments, it is critical to understand the study design elements employed by investigators. Such information can also inform prioritization of automation efforts that allow the identification of the most common issues. The aim of this study was to identify the design elements used by investigators in preclinical research in order to inform unique aspects of assessment of bias and error in preclinical research. Using 100 preclinical experiments each related to brain trauma and toxicology, we assessed design elements described by the investigators. We evaluated Methods and Materials sections of reports for descriptions of the following design elements: 1) use of comparison group, 2) unit of allocation of the interventions to study units, 3) arrangement of factors, 4) method of factor allocation to study units, 5) concealment of the factors during allocation and outcome assessment, 6) independence of study units, and 7) nature of factors. Many investigators reported using design elements that suggested the potential for unit-of-analysis errors, i.e., descriptions of repeated measurements of the outcome (94/200) and descriptions of potential for pseudo-replication (99/200). Use of complex factor arrangements was common, with 112 experiments using some form of factorial design (complete, incomplete or split-plot-like). In the toxicology dataset, 20 of the 100 experiments appeared to use a split-plot-like design, although no investigators used this term. The common use of repeated measures and factorial designs means understanding bias and error in preclinical experimental design might require greater expertise than simple parallel designs. Similarly, use of complex factor arrangements creates novel challenges for accurate automation of data extraction and bias and error assessment in preclinical experiments.

Local descriptive norms for overweight/obesity and physical inactivity, features of the built environment, and 10-year change in glycosylated haemoglobin in an Australian population-based biomedical cohort.

PubMed

Carroll, Suzanne J; Paquet, Catherine; Howard, Natasha J; Coffee, Neil T; Taylor, Anne W; Niyonsenga, Theo; Daniel, Mark

2016-10-01

Descriptive norms vary between places. Spatial variation in health-related descriptive norms may predict individual-level health outcomes. Such relationships have rarely been investigated. This study assessed 10-year change in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in relation to local descriptive norms for overweight/obesity (n = 1890) and physical inactivity (n = 1906) in models accounting for features of the built environment. HbA1c was measured three times over 10 years for a population-based biomedical cohort of adults in Adelaide, South Australia. Environmental exposures were expressed for cohort participants using 1600 m road-network buffers centred on participants' residential address. Local descriptive norms (prevalence of overweight/obesity [body mass index ≥25 kg/m(2)] and of physical inactivity [<150 min/week]) were aggregated from responses to a separate geocoded population survey. Built environment measures were public open space (POS) availability (proportion of buffer area) and walkability. Separate sets of multilevel models analysed different predictors of 10-year change in HbA1c. Each model featured one local descriptive norm and one built environment variable with area-level education and individual-level covariates (age, sex, employment status, education, marital status, and smoking status). Interactions between local descriptive norms and built environment measures were assessed. HbA1c increased over time. POS availability and local descriptive norms for overweight/obesity and physical inactivity were each associated with greater rates of HbA1c increase. Greater walkability was associated with a reduced rate of HbA1c increase, and reduced the influence of the overweight/obesity norm on the rate of increase in HbA1c. Local descriptive health-related norms and features of the built environment predict 10-year change in HbA1c. The impact of local descriptive norms can vary according to built environment features. Little researched thus far, local descriptive norms may play an important role in the evolution of HbA1c and thus cardiometabolic risk, over time. Further empirical research on local descriptive norms is necessary to understand how residential environments shape chronic disease risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies for the Europagenic Plasma Source in Jupiter's Inner Magnetosphere during the Galileo Europa Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smyth, William H.

2004-01-01

Progress in research to understand the three-dimensional nature of the Europagenic plasma torus is summarized. Efforts to improve the plasma torus description near Europa's orbit have included a better understanding of Europa's orbit and an improved description of the planetary magnetic field. New plasma torus chemistry for molecular and atomic species has been introduced and implemented in Europa neutral cloud models. Preliminary three-dimensional model calculations for Europa's neutral clouds and their plasma sources are presented.