Methodological issues associated with preclinical drug development and increased placebo effects in schizophrenia clinical trials.

PubMed

Brown, Matt A; Bishnoi, Ram J; Dholakia, Sara; Velligan, Dawn I

2016-01-20

Recent failures to detect efficacy in clinical trials investigating pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia raise concerns regarding the potential contribution of methodological shortcomings to this research. This review provides an examination of two key methodological issues currently suspected of playing a role in hampering schizophrenia drug development; 1) limitations on the translational utility of preclinical development models, and 2) methodological challenges posed by increased placebo effects. Recommendations for strategies to address these methodological issues are addressed.

Essential methodological considerations when using grounded theory.

PubMed

Achora, Susan; Matua, Gerald Amandu

2016-07-01

To suggest important methodological considerations when using grounded theory. A research method widely used in nursing research is grounded theory, at the centre of which is theory construction. However, researchers still struggle with some of its methodological issues. Although grounded theory is widely used to study and explain issues in nursing practice, many researchers are still failing to adhere to its rigorous standards. Researchers should articulate the focus of their investigations - the substantive area of interest as well as the focal population. This should be followed by a succinct explanation of the strategies used to collect and analyse data, supported by clear coding processes. Finally, the resolution of the core issues, including the core category and related categories, should be explained to advance readers' understanding. Researchers should endeavour to understand the tenets of grounded theory. This enables 'neophytes' in particular to make methodological decisions that will improve their studies' rigour and fit with grounded theory. This paper complements the current dialogue on improving the understanding of grounded theory methodology in nursing research. The paper also suggests important procedural decisions researchers need to make to preserve their studies' scientific merit and fit with grounded theory.

Some Methodological Considerations in Researching the Family Career.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, James

Methodological issues which confront researchers using the concept of the family career include the selection of appropriate dependent variables; the efficacy of historical versus immediate effects; and scaling the family career (a proposed replacement for the "family life cycle"). The issue of which dependent variables should be…

Managing cognitive impairment in the elderly: conceptual, intervention and methodological issues.

PubMed

Buckwalter, K C; Stolley, J M; Farran, C J

1999-11-11

With the aging of society, the incidence of dementia in the elderly is also increasing, and thus results in increased numbers of individuals with cognitive impairment. Nurses and other researchers have investigated issues concerning the management of cognitive impairment. This article highlights conceptual, intervention and methodological issues associated with this phenomenon. Cognitive change is a multivariate construct that includes alterations in a variety of information processing mechanisms such as problem solving ability, memory, perception, attention and learning, and judgement. Although there is a large body of research, conceptual, intervention and methodological issues remain. Much of the clinical research on cognitive impairment is atheoretical, with this issue only recently being addressed. While many clinical interventions have been proposed, few have been adequately tested. There are also various methodological concerns, such as small sample sizes and limited statistical power; study design issues (experimental vs. non-experimental), and internal and external validity problems. Clearly, additional research designed to intervene with these difficult behaviors is needed. A variety of psychosocial, environmental and physical parameters must be considered in the nursing care of persons with cognitive impairment. Special attention has been given to interventions associated with disruptive behaviors. Interventions are complex and knowledge must be integrated from both the biomedical and behavioral sciences in order to deal effectively with the numerous problems that can arise over a long and changing clinical course. Some researchers and clinicians have suggested that a new culture regarding dementia care is needed, one that focuses on changing attitudes and beliefs about persons with dementia and one that changes how organizations deliver that care. This review identifies key conceptual, intervention and methodological issues and recommends how these issues might be addressed in the future.

Qualitative research on the attitudes toward teenage sexual behavior of Chinese British families: methodological issues.

PubMed

Yu, Juping

2009-04-01

Qualitative approaches have been increasingly used to explore ethnic differences in teenage sexual behavior, and methodological issues of conducting such research often remain unaddressed. This article discusses issues related to sampling, rapport, language, and ethnical considerations arising while undertaking research on attitudes toward teenage sexual behavior held by Chinese British families. It highlights the value of using snowball sampling, the importance of establishing rapport, and some advantages of matching the ethnic background between researcher and participants. The researcher's gender and social and cultural backgrounds affect research processes and findings, and this itself merits further reflection.

Second Language Listening Strategy Research: Methodological Challenges and Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Denise; Graham, Suzanne; Vanderplank, Robert

2008-01-01

This paper explores methodological issues related to research into second language listening strategies. We argue that a number of central questions regarding research methodology in this line of enquiry are underexamined, and we engage in the discussion of three key methodological questions: (1) To what extent is a verbal report a valid and…

Approaches and Methodological As Well As Interpretative Issues in Quality of Life Research in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Hasanah, C. I.

2003-01-01

Quality of life measures are designed to enable patients’ perspectives on the impact of health and healthcare interventions on their lives to be assessed and taken into account in clinical decision-making and research. This paper discusses some approaches, methodological as well as interpretative issues of health related quality of life research. PMID:23386798

Research with Children: Methodological Issues and Innovative Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fargas-Malet, Montserrat; McSherry, Dominic; Larkin, Emma; Robinson, Clive

2010-01-01

In the past few decades, a growing body of literature examining children's perspectives on their own lives has developed within a variety of disciplines, such as sociology, psychology, anthropology and geography. This article provides a brief up-to-date examination of methodological and ethical issues that researchers may need to consider when…

Methodological Issues in Research on Web-Based Behavioral Interventions

PubMed Central

Danaher, Brian G; Seeley, John R

2013-01-01

Background Web-based behavioral intervention research is rapidly growing. Purpose We review methodological issues shared across Web-based intervention research to help inform future research in this area. Methods We examine measures and their interpretation using exemplar studies and our research. Results We report on research designs used to evaluate Web-based interventions and recommend newer, blended designs. We review and critique methodological issues associated with recruitment, engagement, and social validity. Conclusions We suggest that there is value to viewing this burgeoning realm of research from the broader context of behavior change research. We conclude that many studies use blended research designs, that innovative mantling designs such as the Multiphase Optimization Strategy and Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial methods hold considerable promise and should be used more widely, and that Web-based controls should be used instead of usual care or no-treatment controls in public health research. We recommend topics for future research that address participant recruitment, engagement, and social validity. PMID:19806416

Inernational research in health care management: its need in the 21st century, methodological challenges, ethical issues, pitfalls, and practicalities.

PubMed

Buttigieg, Sandra C; Rathert, Cheryl; D'Aunno, Thomas A; Savage, Grant T

2015-01-01

This commentary argues in favor of international research in the 21st century. Advances in technology, science, communication, transport, and infrastructure have transformed the world into a global village. Industries have increasingly adopted globalization strategies. Likewise, the health sector is more internationalized whereby comparisons between diverse health systems, international best practices, international benchmarking, cross-border health care, and cross-cultural issues have become important subjects in the health care literature. The focus has now turned to international, collaborative, cross-national, and cross-cultural research, which is by far more demanding than domestic studies. In this commentary, we explore the methodological challenges, ethical issues, pitfalls, and practicalities within international research and offer possible solutions to address them. The commentary synthesizes contributions from four scholars in the field of health care management, who came together during the annual meeting of the Academy of Management to discuss with members of the Health Care Management Division the challenges of international research. International research is worth pursuing; however, it calls for scholarly attention to key methodological and ethical issues for its success. This commentary addresses salient issues pertaining to international research in one comprehensive account.

Timing of translation in cross-language qualitative research.

PubMed

Santos, Hudson P O; Black, Amanda M; Sandelowski, Margarete

2015-01-01

Although there is increased understanding of language barriers in cross-language studies, the point at which language transformation processes are applied in research is inconsistently reported, or treated as a minor issue. Differences in translation timeframes raise methodological issues related to the material to be translated, as well as for the process of data analysis and interpretation. In this article we address methodological issues related to the timing of translation from Portuguese to English in two international cross-language collaborative research studies involving researchers from Brazil, Canada, and the United States. One study entailed late-phase translation of a research report, whereas the other study involved early phase translation of interview data. The timing of translation in interaction with the object of translation should be considered, in addition to the language, cultural, subject matter, and methodological competencies of research team members. © The Author(s) 2014.

Contentious issues in research on trafficked women working in the sex industry: study design, ethics, and methodology.

PubMed

Cwikel, Julie; Hoban, Elizabeth

2005-11-01

The trafficking of women and children for work in the globalized sex industry is a global social problem. Quality data is needed to provide a basis for legislation, policy, and programs, but first, numerous research design, ethical, and methodological problems must be addressed. Research design issues in studying women trafficked for sex work (WTSW) include how to (a) develop coalitions to fund and support research, (b) maintain a critical stance on prostitution, and therefore WTSW (c) use multiple paradigms and methods to accurately reflect WTSW's reality, (d) present the purpose of the study, and (e) protect respondents' identities. Ethical issues include (a) complications with informed consent procedures, (b) problematic access to WTSW (c) loss of WTSW to follow-up, (d) inability to intervene in illegal acts or human rights violations, and (e) the need to maintain trustworthiness as researchers. Methodological issues include (a) constructing representative samples, (b) managing media interest, and (c) handling incriminating materials about law enforcement and immigration.

Methodological, Theoretical, Infrastructural, and Design Issues in Conducting Good Outcome Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Michael P.; Moore, Tessa A.

2011-01-01

This article outlines a set of methodological, theoretical, and other issues relating to the conduct of good outcome studies. The article begins by considering the contribution of evidence-based medicine to the methodology of outcome research. The lessons which can be applied in outcome studies in nonmedical settings are described. The article…

Methodological Issues and Further Research in the Study of Reading Comprehension with Different Levels of Knowledge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qian, Gaoyin

Some methodological issues in the study of levels of knowledge are reviewed, and needs for further research are explored, drawing on an analysis of 12 studies reported since the late 1970s. In the 12 studies, 16 quantitative experiments were conducted. These were assessed for internal and external validity. Analysis revealed some shortcomings in…

Handbook of Reading Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, P. David, Ed.; And Others

Intended for reading educators and researchers, this handbook characterizes the current state of methodology and the cumulative research-based knowledge of reading. The book's three sections cover methodological issues, basic reading processes, and instructional practices. The 25 chapters discuss the following topics: (1) reading research history,…

(Per)Forming Archival Research Methodologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaillet, Lynee Lewis

2012-01-01

This article raises multiple issues associated with archival research methodologies and methods. Based on a survey of recent scholarship and interviews with experienced archival researchers, this overview of the current status of archival research both complicates traditional conceptions of archival investigation and encourages scholars to adopt…

Science and Television Commercials: Adding Relevance to the Research Methodology Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Paul R.

1979-01-01

Contends that research methodology courses can be relevant to issues outside of psychology and describes a method which relates the course to consumer problems. Students use experimental methodology to test claims made in television commercials advertising deodorant, bathroom tissues, and soft drinks. (KC)

"I wish he hadn't told me that": methodological and ethical issues in social trauma and conflict research.

PubMed

Chaitin, Julia

2003-10-01

Undertaking research on individuals who have experienced social traumas, such as being a victim or perpetrator of genocides and wars, presents difficult decisions for qualitative researchers. Deciding how to deal with these issues becomes more problematic when the researcher is a member of the society in conflict. To do this work, and to work collaboratively with researchers from the other side, sensitive ways to collect data have to be chosen. Interpretations of the materials can be no less difficult: Analyses often lead to information and understandings that may be difficult for the researcher to deal with from ethical, moral, and personal standpoints, especially when he or she is a member of the society and culture under study. In this keynote address, the author explores methodological and ethical issues connected to these topics. She brings examples from her work on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and focuses on use of the life story methodology.

Critical Issues in Research Design in Action Research in an SME Development Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Helen; O'Toole, Thomas

2012-01-01

Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to develop guidelines on the critical issues to consider in research design in an action research (AR) environment for SME network capability development. Design/methodology/approach: The issues in research design for AR studies are developed from the authors' experience in running learning sets but, in…

Methodological challenges when doing research that includes ethnic minorities: a scoping review.

PubMed

Morville, Anne-Le; Erlandsson, Lena-Karin

2016-11-01

There are challenging methodological issues in obtaining valid and reliable results on which to base occupational therapy interventions for ethnic minorities. The aim of this scoping review is to describe the methodological problems within occupational therapy research, when ethnic minorities are included. A thorough literature search yielded 21 articles obtained from the scientific databases PubMed, Cinahl, Web of Science and PsychInfo. Analysis followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews, applying content analysis. The results showed methodological issues concerning the entire research process from defining and recruiting samples, the conceptual understanding, lack of appropriate instruments, data collection using interpreters to analyzing data. In order to avoid excluding the ethnic minorities from adequate occupational therapy research and interventions, development of methods for the entire research process is needed. It is a costly and time-consuming process, but the results will be valid and reliable, and therefore more applicable in clinical practice.

Ethical Dilemmas in Qualitative Research Methodology: Researcher's Reflections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngozwana, Nomazulu

2018-01-01

This article examines the ethical dilemmas that are specific to qualitative research methodology. These dilemmas concern the issues of withdrawal from the study, anonymity and confidentiality, which are discussed. Each aspect examines how it was dealt with using the researcher's reflections. The research was positioned within an interpretive…

Methodological Issues Related to the Use of P Less than 0.05 in Health Behavior Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duryea, Elias; Graner, Stephen P.; Becker, Jeremy

2009-01-01

This paper reviews methodological issues related to the use of P less than 0.05 in health behavior research and suggests how application and presentation of statistical significance may be improved. Assessment of sample size and P less than 0.05, the file drawer problem, the Law of Large Numbers and the statistical significance arguments in…

Common Methodology Mistakes in Educational Research, Revisited, along with a Primer on Both Effect Sizes and the Bootstrap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Bruce

As an extension of B. Thompson's 1998 invited address to the American Educational Research Association, this paper cites two additional common faux pas in research methodology and explores some research issues for the future. These two errors in methodology are the use of univariate analyses in the presence of multiple outcome variables (with the…

Interactive Features of Web Surveys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conrad, Frederick G.

2007-01-01

Educational researchers and policy makers have come to rely on data from sample surveys. However, survey research on educational issues poses some special challenges. In many respects, the survey methodology issues in educational research are the same as those throughout the social and behavioral sciences. These issues concern obtaining the best…

Rural Communities and Rural Social Issues: Priorities for Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Alan; Duff, John; Saggers, Sherry; Baines, Patricia

This report recommends priorities for research into rural communities and rural social issues in Australia, based on an extensive literature review, surveys of policymaking agencies and researchers, and discussion at a national workshop in May 1999. Chapters 1-2 outline the study's background, purpose, and methodology; discuss issues in the…

Ethics and Epistemology in Big Data Research.

PubMed

Lipworth, Wendy; Mason, Paul H; Kerridge, Ian; Ioannidis, John P A

2017-12-01

Biomedical innovation and translation are increasingly emphasizing research using "big data." The hope is that big data methods will both speed up research and make its results more applicable to "real-world" patients and health services. While big data research has been embraced by scientists, politicians, industry, and the public, numerous ethical, organizational, and technical/methodological concerns have also been raised. With respect to technical and methodological concerns, there is a view that these will be resolved through sophisticated information technologies, predictive algorithms, and data analysis techniques. While such advances will likely go some way towards resolving technical and methodological issues, we believe that the epistemological issues raised by big data research have important ethical implications and raise questions about the very possibility of big data research achieving its goals.

Researching Values in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halliday, John

2002-01-01

Considers methodological issues that arise when values form the main focus of empirical educational research. Includes discussion of the idea that social science, in general, and educational research, in particular, are forms of moral inquiry. Outlines a methodology of educational research, drawing from work by Imre Lakatos, Alasdair MacIntyre,…

The Oklahoma City bombing study and methodological issues in longitudinal disaster mental health research.

PubMed

North, Carol S

2005-01-01

Several methodological issues may affect the findings of studies of the mental health effects of disasters over time. These issues include analysis of the course of individual disorders over time that may be lost when they are presented embedded in general summary statistics, consideration of assessment of psychiatric disorders versus symptoms, adherence to established criteria in assigning psychiatric diagnoses, and orientation of mental health issues to the type of disaster exposure of the sample. This report will explore these methodological issues in a review of disaster literature and in data obtained from study of survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing. Clinical implications of the data obtained from the Oklahoma City bombing study of survivors of the direct bomb blast are presented in the context of these methodological concerns.

Methodological issues in HIV-related social research in Nigeria.

PubMed

Erinosho, Olayiwola; Joseph, Richard; Isiugo-Abanihe, Uche; Dike, Nkem; Aderinto, Adeyinka A

2013-12-01

This paper is about methodological issues in a community-wide study in Nigeria on an infectious disease, namely HIV/AIDS. The study was designed to ascertain the risk factors that contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS and how that can be tackled in order to bring about behavioural change. The research team believed at the onset that a study on the interplay between HIV/AIDS and sensitive issues like sexual mores and sexuality requires much more than a straightjacket social science method, such as simply doing a cross-section study and/or using interview schedule. This paper reviews the essence of cross-disciplinary approach; team building; as well as the use of a non-participatory observational approach in data collection. It also shows why ample consideration was given to ethical issues which are often glossed over in social research in developing countries. The lessons from the study underscore the methodological imperatives in social research that focus on sensitive issues in largely non-literate context like Nigeria. Although there are formidable challenges in community-based studies in largely non-literate societies, nevertheless they could easily be surmounted if there are ample time and resources to navigate the various sticking points.

Argumentation in elementary science education: addressing methodological issues and conceptual understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaya, Ebru

2017-11-01

In this review essay I respond to issues raised in Mijung Kim and Wolff-Michael Roth's paper titled "Dialogical argumentation in elementary science classrooms", which presents a study dealing with dialogical argumentation in early elementary school classrooms. Since there is very limited research on lower primary school students' argumentation in school science, their paper makes a contribution to research on children's argumentation skills. In this response, I focus on two main issues to extend the discussion in Kim and Roth's paper: (a) methodological issues including conducting a quantitative study on children's argumentation levels and focusing on children's written argumentation in addition to their dialogical argumentation, and (b) investigating children's conceptual understanding along with their argumentation levels. Kim and Roth emphasize the difficulty in determining the level of children's argumentation through the Toulmin's Argument Pattern and lack of high level arguments by children due to their difficulties in writing texts. Regarding these methodological issues, I suggest designing quantitative research on coding children's argument levels because such research could potentially provide important findings on children's argumentation. Furthermore, I discuss alternative written products including posters, figures, or pictures generated by children in order to trace children's arguments, and finally articulating argumentation and conceptual understanding of children.

Work Group on American Indian Research and Program Evaluation Methodology, Symposium on Research and Evaluation Methodology: Lifespan Issues Related to American Indians/Alaska Natives with Disabilities (Washington, DC, April 26-27, 2002).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Jamie D., Ed.; Erickson, Jill Shepard, Ed.; Johnson, Sharon R., Ed.; Marshall, Catherine A., Ed.; Running Wolf, Paulette, Ed.; Santiago, Rolando L., Ed.

This first symposium of the Work Group on American Indian Research and Program Evaluation Methodology (AIRPEM) explored American Indian and Alaska Native cultural considerations in relation to "best practices" in research and program evaluation. These cultural considerations include the importance of tribal consultation on research…

The Differential Effect of Attentional Condition on Subsequent Vocabulary Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohammed, Halah Abdulelah; Majid, Norazman Abdul; Abdullah, Tina

2016-01-01

This study addressed the potential methodological issues effect of attentional condition on subsequent vocabulary development from a different perspective, which addressed several potential methodological issues of previous research that have been based on psycholinguistic notion of second language learner as a limited capacity processor. The…

Leadership and Culture: Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Comparing Models across Cultural Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heck, Ronald H.

1996-01-01

Identifies salient conceptual and methodological issues involved in cross-cultural research. Surveys principals and teachers from California and the Marshall Islands regarding perceptions of principals' leadership capabilities in three areas: school governance, school climate and culture, and instructional organization. There was substantial…

Methodology of Diagnostics of Interethnic Relations and Ethnosocial Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maximova, Svetlana G.; Noyanzina, Oksana Ye.; Omelchenko, Daria A.; Maximov, Maxim B.; Avdeeva, Galina C.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to research the methodological approaches to the study of interethnic relations and ethno-social processes. The analysis of the literature was conducted in three main areas: 1) the theoretical and methodological issues of organizing the research of inter-ethnic relations, allowing to highlight the current…

Is there an "abortion trauma syndrome"? Critiquing the evidence.

PubMed

Robinson, Gail Erlick; Stotland, Nada L; Russo, Nancy Felipe; Lang, Joan A; Occhiogrosso, Mallay

2009-01-01

The objective of this review is to identify and illustrate methodological issues in studies used to support claims that induced abortion results in an "abortion trauma syndrome" or a psychiatric disorder. After identifying key methodological issues to consider when evaluating such research, we illustrate these issues by critically examining recent empirical studies that are widely cited in legislative and judicial testimony in support of the existence of adverse psychiatric sequelae of induced abortion. Recent studies that have been used to assert a causal connection between abortion and subsequent mental disorders are marked by methodological problems that include, but not limited to: poor sample and comparison group selection; inadequate conceptualization and control of relevant variables; poor quality and lack of clinical significance of outcome measures; inappropriateness of statistical analyses; and errors of interpretation, including misattribution of causal effects. By way of contrast, we review some recent major studies that avoid these methodological errors. The most consistent predictor of mental disorders after abortion remains preexisting disorders, which, in turn, are strongly associated with exposure to sexual abuse and intimate violence. Educating researchers, clinicians, and policymakers how to appropriately assess the methodological quality of research about abortion outcomes is crucial. Further, methodologically sound research is needed to evaluate not only psychological outcomes of abortion, but also the impact of existing legislation and the effects of social attitudes and behaviors on women who have abortions.

PDTRT special section: Methodological issues in personality disorder research.

PubMed

Widiger, Thomas A

2017-10-01

Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment includes a rolling, ongoing Special Section concerned with methodological issues in personality disorder research. This third edition of this series includes two articles. The first is by Brian Hicks, Angus Clark, and Emily Durbin: "Person-Centered Approaches in the Study of Personality Disorders." The second article is by Steve Balsis: "Item Response Theory Applications in Personality Disorder Research." Both articles should be excellent resources for future research and certainly manuscripts submitted to this journal that use these analytic tools. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Research MethodologyOverview of Qualitative Research

PubMed Central

GROSSOEHME, DANIEL H.

2015-01-01

Qualitative research methods are a robust tool for chaplaincy research questions. Similar to much of chaplaincy clinical care, qualitative research generally works with written texts, often transcriptions of individual interviews or focus group conversations and seeks to understand the meaning of experience in a study sample. This article describes three common methodologies: ethnography, grounded theory, and phenomenology. Issues to consider relating to the study sample, design, and analysis are discussed. Enhancing the validity of the data, as well reliability and ethical issues in qualitative research are described. Qualitative research is an accessible way for chaplains to contribute new knowledge about the sacred dimension of people's lived experience. PMID:24926897

[Reflections on qualitative research. Interview of Luisa Saiani with Luigina Mortari].

PubMed

Mortari, Luigina; Saiani, Luisa

2013-01-01

Reflections on qualitative research. Interview of Luisa Saiani to Luigina Mortari. Luigina Mortari, an internationally known expert of epistemology and qualitative research, was interviewed to explore her thoughts on issues relevant for qualitative research: when a research question can be considered relevant; key methodological elements; ethical issues.

I. DEVELOPMENTAL METHODOLOGY AS A CENTRAL SUBDISCIPLINE OF DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE.

PubMed

Card, Noel A

2017-06-01

This first chapter introduces the main goals of the monograph and previews the remaining chapters. The goals of this monograph are to provide summaries of our current understanding of advanced developmental methodologies, provide information that can advance our understanding of human development, identify shortcomings in our understanding of developmental methodology, and serve as a flagpost for organizing developmental methodology as a subdiscipline within the broader field of developmental science. The remaining chapters in this monograph address issues in design (sampling and big data), longitudinal data analysis, and issues of replication and research accumulation. The final chapter describes the history of developmental methodology, considers how the previous chapters in this monograph fit within this subdiscipline, and offers recommendations for further advancement. © 2017 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Making the Invisible Visible: A Methodological and a Substantive Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dagley, Valerie

2004-01-01

This article discusses the issue of "making the invisible visible" from a methodological and a substantive viewpoint. The ideas emerged from a doctoral research study into individual target setting with middle ability students in an English secondary school. The students involved had been identified by assessments as "average"…

Canadian-led capacity-building in biostatistics and methodology in cardiovascular and diabetes trials: the CANNeCTIN Biostatistics and Methodological Innovation Working Group

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The Biostatistics and Methodological Innovation Working (BMIW) Group is one of several working groups within the CANadian Network and Centre for Trials INternationally (CANNeCTIN). This programme received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canada Foundation for Innovation beginning in 2008, to enhance the infrastructure and build capacity for large Canadian-led clinical trials in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). The overall aims of the BMIW Group's programme within CANNeCTIN, are to advance biostatistical and methodological research, and to build biostatistical capacity in CVD and DM. Our program of research and training includes: monthly videoconferences on topical biostatistical and methodological issues in CVD/DM clinical studies; providing presentations on methods issues at the annual CANNeCTIN meetings; collaborating with clinician investigators on their studies; training young statisticians in biostatistics and methods in CVD/DM trials and organizing annual symposiums on topical methodological issues. We are focused on the development of new biostatistical methods and the recruitment and training of highly qualified personnel - who will become leaders in the design and analysis of CVD/DM trials. The ultimate goal is to enhance global health by contributing to efforts to reduce the burden of CVD and DM. PMID:21332987

Ethical and Methodological Complexities in Research Involving Sexual Minorities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bettinger, Thomas V.

2010-01-01

While there is growing attention to sexual minorities in adult education (AE) and human resource development (HRD) literature, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people have received very little attention in AE or in HRD research. This article captures methodological issues and concerns from LBGTQ-related research from…

Methodological Challenges in Physical Activity Research with Older Adults

PubMed Central

Chase, Jo-Ana D.

2015-01-01

The aging adult population is growing, as well as the incidence of chronic illness among older adults. Physical activity has been demonstrated in the literature to be a beneficial component of self-management for chronic illnesses commonly found in the older adult population. Health sciences research seeks to develop new knowledge, practices, and policies that may benefit older adults’ management of chronic illness and quality of life. However, research with the older adult population, though beneficial, includes potential methodological challenges specific to this age group. This article discusses common methodological issues in research among older adults, with a focus on physical activity intervention studies. Awareness and understanding of these issues may facilitate future development of research studies devoted to the aging adult population, through appropriate modification and tailoring of sampling techniques, intervention development, and data measures and collection. PMID:21821726

Newspaper Coverage of the 1992 Presidential Campaign: A Content Analysis of Character/Competence/Image Issues versus Platform/Political Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sims, Judy R.; Giordano, Joseph

A research study assessed the amount of front page newspaper coverage allotted to "character/competence/image" issues versus "platform/political" issues in the 1992 presidential campaign. Using textual analysis, methodology of content analysis, researchers coded the front page of the following 5 newspapers between August 1 and…

Bringing translation out of the shadows: translation as an issue of methodological significance in cross-cultural qualitative research.

PubMed

Wong, Josephine Pui-Hing; Poon, Maurice Kwong-Lai

2010-04-01

Translation is an integral component of cross-cultural research that has remained invisible. It is commonly assumed that translation is an objective and neutral process, in which the translators are "technicians" in producing texts in different languages. Drawing from the field of translation studies and the findings of a translation exercise conducted with three bilingual Cantonese-English translators, the authors highlight some of the methodological issues about translation in cross-cultural qualitative research. They argue that only by making translation visible and through open dialogue can researchers uncover the richness embedded in the research data and facilitate multiple ways of knowing.

Measurement of testosterone in human sexuality research: methodological considerations.

PubMed

van Anders, Sari M; Goldey, Katherine L; Bell, Sarah N

2014-02-01

Testosterone (T) and other androgens are incorporated into an increasingly wide array of human sexuality research, but there are a number of issues that can affect or confound research outcomes. This review addresses various methodological issues relevant to research design in human studies with T; unaddressed, these issues may introduce unwanted noise, error, or conceptual barriers to interpreting results. Topics covered are (1) social and demographic factors (gender and sex; sexual orientations and sexual diversity; social/familial connections and processes; social location variables), (2) biological rhythms (diurnal variation; seasonality; menstrual cycles; aging and menopause), (3) sample collection, handling, and storage (saliva vs. blood; sialogogues, saliva, and tubes; sampling frequency, timing, and context; shipping samples), (4) health, medical issues, and the body (hormonal contraceptives; medications and nicotine; health conditions and stress; body composition, weight, and exercise), and (5) incorporating multiple hormones. Detailing a comprehensive set of important issues and relevant empirical evidence, this review provides a starting point for best practices in human sexuality research with T and other androgens that may be especially useful for those new to hormone research.

Balancing Methodological Rigor and the Needs of Research Participants: A Debate on Alternative Approaches to Sensitive Research.

PubMed

Chan, T M Simon; Teram, Eli; Shaw, Ian

2017-01-01

Despite growing consideration of the needs of research participants in studies related to sensitive issues, discussions of alternative ways to design sensitive research are scarce. Structured as an exchange between two researchers who used different approaches in their studies with childhood sexual abuse survivors, in this article, we seek to advance understanding of methodological and ethical issues in designing sensitive research. The first perspective, which is termed protective, promotes the gradual progression of participants from a treatment phase into a research phase, with the ongoing presence of a researcher and a social worker in both phases. In the second perspective, which is termed minimalist, we argue for clear boundaries between research and treatment processes, limiting the responsibility of researchers to ensuring that professional support is available to participants who experience emotional difficulties. Following rebuttals, lessons are drawn for ethical balancing between methodological rigor and the needs of participants. © The Author(s) 2015.

Ethical Issues Involving Research Conducted with Homebound Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Locher, Julie L.; Bronstein, Janet; Robinson, Caroline O.; Williams, Charlotte; Ritchie, Christine S.

2006-01-01

Conducting research in the home setting with homebound older adults presents distinct ethical and practical challenges that require special consideration. This article describes the methodological issues that make studying homebound older adults especially vulnerable to therapeutic misconception and researcher role conflict and offers practical…

Mapping the Ethnographic Journey: A "Road Map" for Novice Researchers Wanting to Engage in Ethnography, Critical Theory and Policy Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naidu, Sham

2012-01-01

In this article, the "researcher" narrates the issues faced by novice researchers in choosing the correct lenses to conduct research when searching for the truth via the use of qualitative methodology. It is argued that choosing an appropriate research approach and methodology can be described as an "arduous" journey. For the…

An introduction to exemplar research: a definition, rationale, and conceptual issues.

PubMed

Bronk, Kendall Cotton; King, Pamela Ebstyne; Matsuba, M Kyle

2013-01-01

The exemplar methodology represents a useful yet underutilized approach to studying developmental constructs. It features an approach to research whereby individuals, entities, or programs that exemplify the construct of interest in a particularly intense or highly developed manner compose the study sample. Accordingly, it reveals what the upper ends of development look like in practice. Utilizing the exemplar methodology allows researchers to glimpse not only what is but also what is possible with regard to the development of a particular characteristic. The present chapter includes a definition of the exemplar methodology, a discussion of some of key conceptual issues to consider when employing it in empirical studies, and a brief overview of the other chapters featured in this volume. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Methodologies and Methods for User Behavioral Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Peiling

1999-01-01

Discusses methodological issues in empirical studies of information-related behavior in six specific research areas: information needs and uses; information seeking; relevance judgment; online searching (including online public access catalog, online database, and the Web); human-system interactions; and reference transactions. (Contains 191…

Journeys into Inner/Outer Space: Reflections on the Methodological Challenges of Negotiating Insider/Outsider Status in International Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savvides, Nicola; Al-Youssef, Joanna; Colin, Mindy; Garrido, Cecilia

2014-01-01

This article highlights key theoretical and methodological issues and implications of being an insider/outsider when undertaking qualitative research in international educational settings. It first addresses discourses of "self" and "other," noting that identity and belonging emerge from fluid engagement between researchers and…

Educational Design as Conversation: A Conversation Analytical Perspective on Teacher Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Kruiningen, Jacqueline F.

2013-01-01

The aim of this methodological paper is to expound on and demonstrate the value of conversation-analytical research in the area of (informal) teacher learning. The author discusses some methodological issues in current research on interaction in teacher learning and holds a plea for conversation-analytical research on interactional processes in…

"The Road Less Traveled": Combining Disability Studies and Quantitative Analysis with Medium and Large Data Sets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosier, Meghan

2012-01-01

Historically, researchers focused on individuals with severe disabilities have utilized single-subject research methodologies to study the application of the behavioral theory to learning. In contrast, disability studies scholars have primarily used qualitative research methodologies to study quality of life or policy issues related to individuals…

Methodological Issues and Practical Problems in Conducting Research on Abused Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinard, E. Milling

In order to inform policy and programs, research on child abuse must be not only methodologically rigorous, but also practically feasible. However, practical problems make child abuse research difficult to conduct. Definitions of abuse must be explicit and different types of abuse must be assessed separately. Study samples should be as…

Three Reaction Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dominic, Joseph F.; And Others

1983-01-01

With regard to the preceding articles in this issue, Joseph F. Dominic identifies key ideas of the research on writing, Susan Florio-Ruane points out similarities and differences among the articles, and Nancy L. Stein discusses methodological and conceptual issues in writing research. (RH)

The intersubjective endeavor of psychopathology research: methodological reflections on a second-person perspective approach

PubMed Central

Galbusera, Laura; Fellin, Lisa

2014-01-01

Research in psychopathology may be considered as an intersubjective endeavor mainly concerned with understanding other minds. Thus, the way we conceive of social understanding influences how we do research in psychology in the first place. In this paper, we focus on psychopathology research as a paradigmatic case for this methodological issue, since the relation between the researcher and the object of study is characterized by a major component of “otherness.” We critically review different methodologies in psychopathology research, highlighting their relation to different social cognition theories (the third-, first-, and second-person approaches). Hence we outline the methodological implications arising from each theoretical stance. Firstly, we critically discuss the dominant paradigm in psychopathology research, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and on quantitative methodology, as an example of a third-person methodology. Secondly, we contrast this mainstream view with phenomenological psychopathology which—by rejecting the reductionist view exclusively focused on behavioral symptoms—takes consciousness as its main object of study: it therefore attempts to grasp patients’ first-person experience. But how can we speak about a first-person perspective in psychopathology if the problem at stake is the experience of the other? How is it possible to understand the experience from “within,” if the person who is having this experience is another? By addressing these issues, we critically explore the feasibility and usefulness of a second-person methodology in psychopathology research. Notwithstanding the importance of methodological pluralism, we argue that a second-person perspective should inform the epistemology and methods of research in psychopathology, as it recognizes the fundamental circular and intersubjective construction of knowledge. PMID:25368589

The intersubjective endeavor of psychopathology research: methodological reflections on a second-person perspective approach.

PubMed

Galbusera, Laura; Fellin, Lisa

2014-01-01

Research in psychopathology may be considered as an intersubjective endeavor mainly concerned with understanding other minds. Thus, the way we conceive of social understanding influences how we do research in psychology in the first place. In this paper, we focus on psychopathology research as a paradigmatic case for this methodological issue, since the relation between the researcher and the object of study is characterized by a major component of "otherness." We critically review different methodologies in psychopathology research, highlighting their relation to different social cognition theories (the third-, first-, and second-person approaches). Hence we outline the methodological implications arising from each theoretical stance. Firstly, we critically discuss the dominant paradigm in psychopathology research, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and on quantitative methodology, as an example of a third-person methodology. Secondly, we contrast this mainstream view with phenomenological psychopathology which-by rejecting the reductionist view exclusively focused on behavioral symptoms-takes consciousness as its main object of study: it therefore attempts to grasp patients' first-person experience. But how can we speak about a first-person perspective in psychopathology if the problem at stake is the experience of the other? How is it possible to understand the experience from "within," if the person who is having this experience is another? By addressing these issues, we critically explore the feasibility and usefulness of a second-person methodology in psychopathology research. Notwithstanding the importance of methodological pluralism, we argue that a second-person perspective should inform the epistemology and methods of research in psychopathology, as it recognizes the fundamental circular and intersubjective construction of knowledge.

Mixed Methods Research: What Are the Key Issues to Consider?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghosh, Rajashi

2016-01-01

Mixed methods research (MMR) is increasingly becoming a popular methodological approach in several fields due to the promise it holds for comprehensive understanding of complex problems being researched. However, researchers interested in MMR often lack reference to a guide that can explain the key issues pertaining to the paradigm wars…

Ethical Issues in the Use of Humans for Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bashaw, W. L.

The APA Ethical Principles, the University of Georgia policy, standard research texts, and research literature on specific methodologies, all in relation to ethical issues in human research, are discussed. The 10 APA principles state, in essence, that the investigator is responsible for what happens, that confidentiality and the protection of the…

Critical Issues in Conducting Research with Immigrant Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirova, Anna; Emme, Michael

2007-01-01

In this article, we explore critical issues in research with immigrant and refugee children. In particular, we examine the implications of various critiques of research methodologies, the ethical implications of researching children in the light of the United Nations (UN; 1989) "Convention on the Rights of the Child," and the new approach to…

[A Methodological Quality Assessment of South Korean Nursing Research using Structural Equation Modeling in South Korea].

PubMed

Kim, Jung-Hee; Shin, Sujin; Park, Jin-Hwa

2015-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the methodological quality of nursing studies using structural equation modeling in Korea. Databases of KISS, DBPIA, and National Assembly Library up to March 2014 were searched using the MeSH terms 'nursing', 'structure', 'model'. A total of 152 studies were screened. After removal of duplicates and non-relevant titles, 61 papers were read in full. Of the sixty-one articles retrieved, 14 studies were published between 1992 and 2000, 27, between 2001 and 2010, and 20, between 2011 and March 2014. The methodological quality of the review examined varied considerably. The findings of this study suggest that more rigorous research is necessary to address theoretical identification, two indicator rule, distribution of sample, treatment of missing values, mediator effect, discriminant validity, convergent validity, post hoc model modification, equivalent models issues, and alternative models issues should be undergone. Further research with robust consistent methodological study designs from model identification to model respecification is needed to improve the validity of the research.

Developing a methodology to assess the impact of research grant funding: a mixed methods approach.

PubMed

Bloch, Carter; Sørensen, Mads P; Graversen, Ebbe K; Schneider, Jesper W; Schmidt, Evanthia Kalpazidou; Aagaard, Kaare; Mejlgaard, Niels

2014-04-01

This paper discusses the development of a mixed methods approach to analyse research funding. Research policy has taken on an increasingly prominent role in the broader political scene, where research is seen as a critical factor in maintaining and improving growth, welfare and international competitiveness. This has motivated growing emphasis on the impacts of science funding, and how funding can best be designed to promote socio-economic progress. Meeting these demands for impact assessment involves a number of complex issues that are difficult to fully address in a single study or in the design of a single methodology. However, they point to some general principles that can be explored in methodological design. We draw on a recent evaluation of the impacts of research grant funding, discussing both key issues in developing a methodology for the analysis and subsequent results. The case of research grant funding, involving a complex mix of direct and intermediate effects that contribute to the overall impact of funding on research performance, illustrates the value of a mixed methods approach to provide a more robust and complete analysis of policy impacts. Reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology are used to examine refinements for future work. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On Modeling Research Work for Describing and Filtering Scientific Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sicilia, Miguel-Ángel

Existing models for Research Information Systems (RIS) properly address the description of people and organizations, projects, facilities and their outcomes, e.g. papers, reports or patents. While this is adequate for the recording and accountability of research investments, helping researchers in finding relevant people, organizations or results requires considering both the content of research work and also its context. The content is not only related to the domain area, but it requires modeling methodological issues as variables, instruments or scientific methods that can then be used as search criteria. The context of research work is determined by the ongoing projects or scientific interests of an individual or a group, and can be expressed using the same methodological concepts. However, modeling methodological issues is notably complex and dependent on the scientific discipline and research area. This paper sketches the main requirements for those models, providing some motivating examples that could serve as a point of departure for future attempts in developing an upper ontology for research methods and tools.

Evaluation of Adult Literacy Education in the United States: A Review of Methodological Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shi, Yan; Tsang, Mun C.

2008-01-01

This is a critical review of methodological issues in the evaluation of adult literacy education programs in the United States. It addresses the key research questions: What are the appropriate methods for evaluating these programs under given circumstances. It identifies 15 evaluation studies that are representative of a range of adult literacy…

Methodological Issues in Trials of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Interventions

PubMed Central

Sikorskii, Alla; Wyatt, Gwen; Victorson, David; Faulkner, Gwen; Rahbar, Mohammad Hossein

2010-01-01

Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is widespread among cancer patients. Information on safety and efficacy of CAM therapies is needed for both patients and health care providers. Well-designed randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of CAM therapy interventions can inform both clinical research and practice. Objectives To review important issues that affect the design of RCTs for CAM interventions. Methods Using the methods component of the Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials (CONSORT) as a guiding framework, and a National Cancer Institute-funded reflexology study as an exemplar, methodological issues related to participants, intervention, objectives, outcomes, sample size, randomization, blinding, and statistical methods were reviewed. Discussion Trials of CAM interventions designed and implemented according to appropriate methodological standards will facilitate the needed scientific rigor in CAM research. Interventions in CAM can be tested using proposed methodology, and the results of testing will inform nursing practice in providing safe and effective supportive care and improving the well-being of patients. PMID:19918155

Empirically Based Analysis of Methodological and Ethical Challenges in Research with Children as Participants: The Case of Bullying in Kindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lund, Ingrid; Helgeland, Anne; Kovac, Velibor Bobo

2016-01-01

When conducting research with children it is essential to consider not only the data, which have been produced as a result of the research, but also the research process itself. This article represents an attempt to contribute the accumulation of knowledge regarding methodological and ethical issues concerning research with children. The data in…

Action Research: A Spiral Inquiry for Valid and Useful Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moghaddam, Alireza

2007-01-01

This article discusses methodological and philosophical issues linked to action research. The concepts of subjectivity and objectivity--potential sources of bias that mislead researchers in dealing with these concepts--and how to cope with them are discussed. Controversial issues of truth in positivism, postpositivism, and other schools of…

A Framework for Evaluating and Enhancing Alignment in Self-Regulated Learning Research

PubMed Central

Dent, Amy L.; Hoyle, Rick H.

2015-01-01

We discuss the articles of this special issue with reference to an important yet previously only implicit dimension of study quality: alignment across the theoretical and methodological decisions that collectively define an approach to self-regulated learning. Integrating and extending work by leaders in the field, we propose a framework for evaluating alignment in the way self-regulated learning research is both conducted and reported. Within this framework, the special issue articles provide a springboard for discussing methodological promises and pitfalls of increasingly sophisticated research on the dynamic, contingent, and contextualized features of self-regulated learning. PMID:25825589

The Critical Period Concept: Research, Methodology, and Theoretical Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colombo, John

1982-01-01

Considers evidence on the criteria and characteristics of critical period phenomena with respect to endogenous and exogenous influences. Describes and evaluates methodology of critical period research and discusses past attempts at subclassification of the field and "recovery of function" as a refutation of the critical period…

Methodology in Bi- and Multilingual Studies: From Simplification to Complexity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aronin, Larissa; Jessner, Ulrike

2014-01-01

Research methodology is determined by theoretical approaches. This article discusses methods of multilingualism research in connection with theoretical developments in linguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and education. Taking a brief glance at the past, the article starts with a discussion of an issue underlying the choice of…

Culturally Sensitive Parent Education: A Critical Review of Quantitative Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorman, Jean Cheng; Balter, Lawrence

1997-01-01

Critically reviews the quantitative literature on culturally sensitive parent education programs, discussing issues of research methodology and program efficacy in producing change among ethnic minority parents and their children. Culturally sensitive programs for African American and Hispanic families are described in detail. Methodological flaws…

Maori responsiveness in health and medical research: key issues for researchers (part 1).

PubMed

Sporle, Andrew; Koea, Jonathan

2004-08-06

Application for contestable government-research funding and ethical approval requires researchers to outline how their intended research project contributes to Maori development or advancement. When formulating their research proposals, the key issues for researchers are research utility, defining Maori, informed consent, confidentiality, issues with human tissues and genetic material, participant remuneration and recognition (koha), intellectual property, and involvement of local Maori health or social services. The most common Maori responsiveness issues in research applications can be readily approached by researchers who address straightforward methodological concerns, by working through precedents established by peers and colleagues, as well as by working with end-users of their research.

Q Methodology for Post-Social-Turn Research in SLA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irie, Kay

2014-01-01

Q methodology, an approach to inquiry on the subjective views about a complex phenomenon/issue which has been increasingly employed in a wide range of social science fields has not yet been applied in language learning and teaching research. It is a unique approach that has characteristics of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The…

Psychosemantics of Management Strategy Notions by Comprehensive School Principals and Vice Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saparnis, Gintaras; Saparniene, Diana

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the research is to reveal the psychosemantics of the opinion of school principals and vice principals on the issues of the development of school management. Methodology: From the methodological point of view the research is based on the teaching of the empirical social research about qualitative and quantitative research…

Focus on Cultural Issues in Research: Developing and Implementing Native American Postcolonial Participatory Action Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Joseph B.

Indian country presents even the most seasoned and careful researcher with numerous methodological issues. Two of the most salient of these are appropriate understanding of postcolonial stress in tribal communities, and the use of participatory action research methods and models in a culturally sensitive manner. This paper explains postcolonial…

Selecting Research Areas and Research Design Approaches in Distance Education: Process Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Passi, B. K.; Mishra, Sudarshan

2004-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to study the process used for selecting research areas and methodological approaches in distance education in India. Experts from the field of distance education in India were interviewed at length, with the aim of collecting qualitative data on opinions on process-issues for selecting areas for research, research…

Qualitative Approaches to Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy: Issues and Challenges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeod, John

1996-01-01

Discusses key issues which address the distinctive dilemmas and challenges associated with qualitative approaches to evaluating counseling. Investigates such concerns as relationships with research participants, ethics, reflexivity, methodological choice, communicability, perspective, and obviousness. Makes some suggestions regarding the link…

Studying Perspectives on Kindergarten Mealtime: Methodological Reflections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Stine Rosenlund; Hansen, Mette Weinreich; Kristensen, Niels Heine

2016-01-01

Drawing on a recent doctoral research project that examined the everyday life perspectives during kindergarten mealtime, this paper discusses the methodological issues related to the concepts of child and adult perspectives during mealtime, and to the children's participation in research. Through the paper, we take part in a critical discussion of…

Qualitative Research in PBL in Health Sciences Education: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jin, Jun; Bridges, Susan

2016-01-01

Context: Qualitative methodologies are relatively new in health sciences education research, especially in the area of problem-based learning (PBL). A key advantage of qualitative approaches is the ability to gain in-depth, textured insights into educational phenomena. Key methodological issues arise, however, in terms of the strategies of…

Response to Ridgeway, Dunston, and Qian: On Methodological Rigor: Has Rigor Mortis Set In?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, R. Scott; Vaughn, Sharon

1993-01-01

Responds to an article in the same issue of the journal presenting a meta-analysis of reading research. Expresses concern that the authors' conclusions will promote a slavish adherence to a methodology and a rigidity of thought that reading researchers can ill afford. (RS)

Methodological and Ethical Considerations in a Life History Study of Teacher Thinking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muchmore, James A.

This paper discusses some of the methodological and ethical issues that one educational researcher encountered throughout his work, focusing on the importance of understanding teachers' thinking from their perspective (an insider looking out rather than an outsider looking in). It highlights a collaborative research relationship that the…

Mixed Method Designs: A Review of Strategies for Blending Quantitative and Qualitative Methodologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pole, Kathryn

2007-01-01

The historical debate surrounding quantitative and qualitative research paradigms has been at times rather passionate. Arguments for and against methodologies often have centered on the philosophical differences regarding issues such as generalizability, epistemology, and authentic representation of the phenomena under research. More recently,…

Methodological Issues in Mobile Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (mCSCL): What Methods, What to Measure and When to Measure?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Song, Yanjie

2014-01-01

This study aims to investigate (1) methods utilized in mobile computer-supported collaborative learning (mCSCL) research which focuses on studying, learning and collaboration mediated by mobile devices; (2) whether these methods have examined mCSCL effectively; (3) when the methods are administered; and (4) what methodological issues exist in…

How to write a surgical clinical research protocol: literature review and practical guide.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Rachel; Schäfer, Juliane; Briel, Matthias; Bucher, Heiner C; Oertli, Daniel; Dell-Kuster, Salome

2014-02-01

The study protocol is the core document of every clinical research project. Clinical research in studies involving surgical interventions presents some specific challenges, which need to be accounted for and described in the study protocol. The aim of this review is to provide a practical guide for developing a clinical study protocol for surgical interventions with a focus on methodologic issues. On the basis of an in-depth literature search of methodologic literature and on some cardinal published surgical trials and observational studies, the authors provides a 10-step guide for developing a clinical study protocol in surgery. This practical guide outlines key methodologic issues important when planning an ethically and scientifically sound research project involving surgical interventions, with the ultimate goal of providing high-level evidence relevant for health care decision making in surgery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization International Symposium on "Trends in Social Science Research on Children" (Austin, Texas, September 9-13, 1979). Final Report and Recommendations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Univ., Austin. Hogg Foundation for Mental Health.

The purpose of this report is to highlight common themes and issues expressed in papers presented at the International Symposium on "Trends in Social Science Research on Children." Issues fall into four general areas: children's needs, particular groups of children, child-rearing environments, and research methodology. Major issues and…

Mathematical and Numerical Studies of Nonstandard Difference Equation Models of Differential Equations

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

Mickens, Ronald E.

2008-12-22

This research examined the following items/issues: the NSFD methodology, technical achievements and applications, dissemination efforts and research related professional activities. Also a list of unresolved issues were identified that could form the basis for future research in the area of constructing and analyzing NSFD schemes for both ODE's and PDE's.

Historical Research in Comparative Education: A Discussion of Some Methodological Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Aisi

2013-01-01

In this article the author discusses some issues with conducting historical research, rooted in her own experiences. She focuses on four main points: minimising one's own biases, choosing a suitable research question, evaluating the quality of the sources and providing a balanced interpretation of events. She argues that using a historical…

Race and Ethnicity in Research Methods. Sage Focus Editions, Volume 157.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanfield, John H., II, Ed.; Dennis, Rutledge M., Ed.

The contributions in this volume examine the array of methods used in quantitative, qualitative, and comparative and historical research to show how research sensitive to ethnic issues can best be conducted. Rethinking and revising traditional methodologies and applying new ones can portray racial and ethnic issues as they really exist. The…

Educational Technology Research Journals: "International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning," 2006-2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howland, Shiloh M. J.; Martin, M. Troy; Bodily, Robert; Faulconer, Christian; West, Richard E.

2015-01-01

The authors analyzed all research articles from the first issue of the "International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning" in 2006 until the second issue of 2014. They determined the research methodologies, most frequently used author-supplied keywords as well as two- and three-word phrases, and most frequently published…

Methodological and Ethical Issues in Pediatric Medication Safety Research.

PubMed

Carpenter, Delesha; Gonzalez, Daniel; Retsch-Bogart, George; Sleath, Betsy; Wilfond, Benjamin

2017-09-01

In May 2016, the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill convened the PharmSci conference to address the topic of "methodological and ethical issues in pediatric medication safety research." A multidisciplinary group of experts representing a diverse array of perspectives, including those of the US Food and Drug Administration, children's hospitals, and academia, identified important considerations for pediatric medication safety research and opportunities to advance the field. This executive summary describes current challenges that clinicians and researchers encounter related to pediatric medication safety research and identifies innovative and ethically sound methodologies to address these challenges to improve children's health. This article addresses 5 areas: (1) pediatric drug development and drug trials; (2) conducting comparative effectiveness research in pediatric populations; (3) child and parent engagement on study teams; (4) improving communication with children and parents; and (5) assessing child-reported outcomes and adverse drug events. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Research methodology in recurrent pregnancy loss.

PubMed

Christiansen, Ole B

2014-03-01

The aim of this article is to highlight pitfalls in research methodology that may explain why studies in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) often provide very divergent results. It is hoped that insight into this issue may help clinicians decide which published studies are the most valid. It may help researchers to eliminate methodological flaws in future studies, which may hopefully come to some kind of agreement about the usefulness of diagnostic tests and treatments in RPL. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design strategies from sexual exploitation and sex work studies among women and girls: Methodological considerations in a hidden and vulnerable population.

PubMed

Gerassi, Lara; Edmond, Tonya; Nichols, Andrea

2017-06-01

The study of sex trafficking, prostitution, sex work, and sexual exploitation is associated with many methodological issues and challenges. Researchers' study designs must consider the many safety issues related to this vulnerable and hidden population. Community advisory boards and key stakeholder involvement are essential to study design to increase safety of participants, usefulness of study aims, and meaningfulness of conclusions. Nonrandomized sampling strategies are most often utilized when studying exploited women and girls, which have the capacity to provide rich data and require complex sampling and recruitment methods. This article reviews the current methodological issues when studying this marginalized population as well as strategies to address challenges while working with the community in order to bring about social change. The authors also discuss their own experiences in collaborating with community organizations to conduct research in this field.

Key statistical and analytical issues for evaluating treatment effects in periodontal research.

PubMed

Tu, Yu-Kang; Gilthorpe, Mark S

2012-06-01

Statistics is an indispensible tool for evaluating treatment effects in clinical research. Due to the complexities of periodontal disease progression and data collection, statistical analyses for periodontal research have been a great challenge for both clinicians and statisticians. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of several basic, but important, statistical issues related to the evaluation of treatment effects and to clarify some common statistical misconceptions. Some of these issues are general, concerning many disciplines, and some are unique to periodontal research. We first discuss several statistical concepts that have sometimes been overlooked or misunderstood by periodontal researchers. For instance, decisions about whether to use the t-test or analysis of covariance, or whether to use parametric tests such as the t-test or its non-parametric counterpart, the Mann-Whitney U-test, have perplexed many periodontal researchers. We also describe more advanced methodological issues that have sometimes been overlooked by researchers. For instance, the phenomenon of regression to the mean is a fundamental issue to be considered when evaluating treatment effects, and collinearity amongst covariates is a conundrum that must be resolved when explaining and predicting treatment effects. Quick and easy solutions to these methodological and analytical issues are not always available in the literature, and careful statistical thinking is paramount when conducting useful and meaningful research. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Considerations on Geospatial Big Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LIU, Zhen; GUO, Huadong; WANG, Changlin

2016-11-01

Geospatial data, as a significant portion of big data, has recently gained the full attention of researchers. However, few researchers focus on the evolution of geospatial data and its scientific research methodologies. When entering into the big data era, fully understanding the changing research paradigm associated with geospatial data will definitely benefit future research on big data. In this paper, we look deep into these issues by examining the components and features of geospatial big data, reviewing relevant scientific research methodologies, and examining the evolving pattern of geospatial data in the scope of the four ‘science paradigms’. This paper proposes that geospatial big data has significantly shifted the scientific research methodology from ‘hypothesis to data’ to ‘data to questions’ and it is important to explore the generality of growing geospatial data ‘from bottom to top’. Particularly, four research areas that mostly reflect data-driven geospatial research are proposed: spatial correlation, spatial analytics, spatial visualization, and scientific knowledge discovery. It is also pointed out that privacy and quality issues of geospatial data may require more attention in the future. Also, some challenges and thoughts are raised for future discussion.

The DOD-NASA Independent Research and Development Program: Issues and Methodology for an In-Depth Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

for the expenses of certain indep endently chosen R&D projects judged relevant to military needs. These "in- dependent R&D" (IR&D) expenses are...system’s features, from accounting procedures to the system’s fundamental propriety. The Committee on Indep - endent Research and Development Issues...Patent Policy • • • • • • • • • Accountability and Management A SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY FOR A STUDY OF THE ROLE OF IR&D IN DEFENSE AND SPACE

Does Case-Study Methodology Lack Rigour? The Need for Quality Criteria for Sound Case-Study Research, as Illustrated by a Recent Case in Secondary and Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyburz-Graber, Regula

2004-01-01

There is a tendency to use case-study research methodology for research issues aiming at simply describing a complex situation, and to draw conclusions with insufficient rigour. Sound case-study research, however, follows discriminate rules which can be described in all the dimensions of a full case-study research process. This paper examines…

Philosophy Pursued through Empirical Research: Introduction to the Special Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Terri S.; Santoro, Doris A.

2015-01-01

Many scholars have pursued philosophical inquiry through empirical research. These empirical projects have been shaped--to varying degrees and in different ways--by philosophical questions, traditions, frameworks and analytic approaches. This issue explores the methodological challenges and opportunities involved in these kinds of projects. In…

Methodological Issues and Practical Strategies in Research on Child Maltreatment Victims' Abilities and Experiences as Witnesses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chae, Yoojin; Goodman, Gail S.; Bederian-Gardner, Daniel; Lindsay, Adam

2011-01-01

Scientific studies of child maltreatment victims' memory abilities and court experiences have important legal, psychological, and clinical implications. However, state-of-the-art research on child witnesses is often hindered by methodological challenges. In this paper, we address specific problems investigators may encounter when attempting such…

Drug research methodology. Volume 4, Epidemiology in drugs and highway safety : the study of drug use among drivers and its role in traffic crashes

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-06-01

This report presents the findings of a workshop on epidemiology in drugs and highway safety. A cross-disciplinary panel of experts (1) identified methodological issues and constraints present in research to define the nature and magnitude of the drug...

Towards Zero Management Learning Organisations: A Honey-Bee Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Keeffe, Ted

2005-01-01

Purpose: This research paper is a distinctive element of an empirical study on learning organisations carried out between 1999 and 2002. It seeks to examine a whole range of issues that seem to permeate higher-performing organisations. Design/methodology/approach: The study design utilised both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.…

Methodological factors conducting research with incarcerated persons with diabetes.

PubMed

Reagan, Louise; Shelton, Deborah

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to describe methodological issues specific to conducting research with incarcerated vulnerable populations who have diabetes. Much has been written about the ethical and logistical challenges of conducting research with vulnerable incarcerated populations. However, conducting research with incarcerated persons with diabetes is associated with additional issues related to research design, measurement, sampling and recruitment, and data collection procedures. A cross-sectional study examining the relationships of diabetes knowledge, illness representation and self-care behaviors with glycemic control in 124 incarcerated persons was conducted and serves as the basis for describing methodological factors for the conduct of research with an incarcerated population with diabetes. Within this incarcerated population with diabetes, sampling bias due to gender inequity, recruitment of participants not using insulin, self-reported vision impairment, and a lack of standardized instruments especially for measuring diabetes self-care were methodological challenges. Clinical factors that serve as potential barriers for study conduct were identified as risk for hypoglycemia due to insulin timing and other activities. Conducting research with incarcerated persons diagnosed with diabetes requires attention to a set of methodological concerns above and beyond that of the ethical and legal regulations for protecting the rights of this vulnerable population. To increase opportunities for conducting rigorous as well as facility- and patient-friendly research, researchers need to blend their knowledge of diabetes with an understanding of prison rules and routines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploring and Understanding Gender in Education: A Qualitative Research Manual for Education Practitioners and Gender Focal Points

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernard, Anne; Armstrong, Greg; Attig, George

2005-01-01

A methodology is described for conducting qualitative research on gender issues in education. Qualitative research, a critical step for achieving the global Education For All (EFA) goals, will assist identifying the issues, analyzing the contents, and formulating viable policy. "Gender" refers to the social roles and responsibilities that belong…

Three "Moves" in Enactivist Research: A Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmt, Elaine; Kieren, Tom

2015-01-01

In this paper the authors reflect on the contents of this current issue of ZDM and ask why focus an entire issue on enactivism as a research methodology in mathematics education. In their synthesis of the papers they distinguish and explicate what they observe as three moves in the enactivist research discussed. The first move (and the one that…

A personal encounter with psychology (1937-2002).

PubMed

Kendler, H H

2002-02-01

An undergraduate assistantship with Abraham Maslow, research with Solomon Asch, and an indirect exposure to Ernest Nagel's philosophy of science encouraged Howard H. Kendler to become involved with methodological issues in psychology. Graduate training with Kenneth Spence led to an active research career that was initially immersed in the latent learning controversy and later, with the collaboration of his wife Tracy Kendler, in the extension of the Hull-Spence model of cognitive development. Methodological concerns from a variety of sources encouraged Kendler to express his ideas on the methodology and history of psychology as well as its role in ethical and social policy issues. A productive symbiotic relationship is created from the interaction of democracy, natural-science psychology, and moral pluralism.

Identities, Roles and Iterative Processes: Methodological Reflections from Research on Literacy among Gypsies and Travellers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaffery, Juliet

2014-01-01

In this article the author reflects on some of the methodological issues of conducting research in a local marginalised community in the UK. Her research was on attitudes to literacy in the Gypsy and Traveller community in southern England. This article describes some of the challenges and how she, as an outsider and not a member of their…

Methodological considerations for research on ethnopolitical violence.

PubMed

Little, Todd D

2017-02-01

The methodological and epistemological challenges that research on ethnopolitical violence faces are examined. This research area is fundamentally important for political reasons and for understanding, as well as subsequent interventions to ameliorate, youths' responses to ethnopolitical violence. Advances in methods are reviewed that can overcome the obstacles placed by the various challenges. These issues are discussed in the context of the articles that comprise this Special Section.

Risk Mechanisms in Development: Some Conceptual and Methodological Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Thomas G.; Rutter, Michael

1996-01-01

Comments on problems raised in this special issue, focusing on the distinctive aspects of the risk research reported. Highlights issues like sample characteristics, measurement strategies, specificity of risk factors, and risk mechanisms. Discusses the challenges of integrating alternative models of risk, with special references to research into…

Gender Differences and Similarities in Management Communication: A Meta-Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkins, Brenda M.; Andersen, Peter A.

1991-01-01

Presents a meta-analysis of 25 primary research studies of managerial gender communication issues. Addresses issues of behavioral differences and research methodologies. Concludes that communication differences between male and female managers are minimal and of little social importance. Suggests the use of an interactionist perspective in future…

Culturally competent social work research: methodological considerations for research with language minorities.

PubMed

Casado, Banghwa Lee; Negi, Nalini Junko; Hong, Michin

2012-01-01

Despite the growing number of language minorities, foreign-born individuals with limited English proficiency, this population has been largely left out of social work research, often due to methodological challenges involved in conducting research with this population. Whereas the professional standard calls for cultural competence, a discussion of how to implement strategies for culturally competent research with language minorities is regrettably limited in the social work literature. This article is, to the authors' knowledge, one of the first within the field of social work to tie together unique methodological issues that may arise throughout the research conceptualization, development, and implementation process with this population. Strategies for how to overcome such issues are provided by adapting and expanding on a conceptual framework by Meleis. The incorporation of such research practices with language minorities has the potential to enhance trust and, thus, improve the recruitment and retention of this hard-to-reach population. More important, studies that aim to include such culturally responsive criteria may produce results that have improved validity and, thus, contribute to the advancement of knowledge regarding this population.

Getting quality in qualitative research: a short introduction to feminist methodology and methods.

PubMed

Landman, Maeve

2006-11-01

The present paper reflects a practical activity undertaken by the Nutrition Society's qualitative research network in October 2005. It reflects the structure of that exercise. First, there is an introduction to feminist methodology and methods. The informing premise is that feminist methodology is of particular interest to practitioners (professional and/or academic) engaged in occupations numerically dominated by women, such as nutritionists. A critical argument is made for a place for feminist methodology in related areas of social research. The discussion points to the differences that exist between various feminist commentators, although the central aims of feminist research are broadly shared. The paper comprises an overview of organizing concepts, discussion and questions posed to stimulate discussion on the design and process of research informed by feminist methodology. Issues arising from that discussion are summarized.

"The Need to Know": 1994 Senior Researcher Award Acceptance Address.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlsen, James C.

1994-01-01

Discusses issues related to music education research. Presents three criteria to guide selection of research topics. Concludes that the challenge for music researchers is to avoid research that merely supports a "favored" methodology. (ACM)

Online Communication Settings and the Qualitative Research Process: Acclimating Students and Novice Researchers.

PubMed

Gregory, Katherine

2018-06-01

In the last 20 years, qualitative research scholars have begun to interrogate methodological and analytic issues concerning online research settings as both data sources and instruments for digital methods. This article examines the adaptation of parts of a qualitative research curriculum for understanding online communication settings. I propose methodological best practices for researchers and educators that I developed while teaching research methods to undergraduate and graduate students across disciplinary departments and discuss obstacles faced during my own research while gathering data from online sources. This article confronts issues concerning the disembodied aspects of applying what in practice should be rooted in a humanistic inquiry. Furthermore, as some approaches to online qualitative research as a digital method grow increasingly problematic with the development of new data mining technologies, I will also briefly touch upon borderline ethical practices involving data-scraping-based qualitative research.

Contemporary research on parenting: conceptual, methodological, and translational issues.

PubMed

Power, Thomas G; Sleddens, Ester F C; Berge, Jerica; Connell, Lauren; Govig, Bert; Hennessy, Erin; Liggett, Leanne; Mallan, Kimberley; Santa Maria, Diane; Odoms-Young, Angela; St George, Sara M

2013-08-01

Researchers over the last decade have documented the association between general parenting style and numerous factors related to childhood obesity (e.g., children's eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight status). Many recent childhood obesity prevention programs are family focused and designed to modify parenting behaviors thought to contribute to childhood obesity risk. This article presents a brief consideration of conceptual, methodological, and translational issues that can inform future research on the role of parenting in childhood obesity. They include: (1) General versus domain specific parenting styles and practices; (2) the role of ethnicity and culture; (3) assessing bidirectional influences; (4) broadening assessments beyond the immediate family; (5) novel approaches to parenting measurement; and (6) designing effective interventions. Numerous directions for future research are offered.

A Quasi Meta-Analysis of Youth and Career Research Methodologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernes, Kerry

A quasi meta-analysis approach was used to examine the research methodologies used to study issues related to youth (ages 13-25) and careers. Psychlit, ERIC, Dissertation Abstracts, and four journals were searched to identify articles for the study. A total of 67 articles from 18 different sources were analyzed. Eighty-seven percent were from…

An Examination of the State of Imitation Research in Children with Autism: Issues of Definition and Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sevlever, Melina; Gillis, Jennifer M.

2010-01-01

Several authors have suggested that children with autism are impaired in their ability to imitate others. However, diverse methodologies, contradictory findings, and varying theoretical explanations continue to exist in the literature despite decades of research. A comprehensive account of imitation in children with autism is hampered by the lack…

Theory and History, Questions and Methodology: Current and Future Issues in Research into ICT in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDougall, Anne; Jones, Anthony

2006-01-01

Serious criticisms of research in information and communications technology (ICT) in education have been published recently in both the UK and the USA. This paper addresses several issues raised in these commentaries: a lack of sound theoretical underpinnings to our research, persistent neglect of the history of our sub-discipline, the choice of…

The study of direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs.

PubMed

Schommer, Jon C; Hansen, Richard A

2005-06-01

The objectives of this article are to (1) identify key methodological issues related to investigating the effects of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs, (2) highlight opportunities and challenges that these issues pose, and (3) provide suggestions to address these challenges and opportunities from a social and administrative pharmacy perspective. Through a review of existing literature and consultation with research colleagues, we identified 3 broad issues regarding the study of DTCA for prescription drugs: (1) the importance of problem formulation, (2) the role of health behavior and decision-making perspectives, and (3) data collection and data analysis challenges and opportunities. Based upon our findings, we developed recommendations for future research in this area. Clear problem formulation will be instructive for prioritizing research needs and for determining the role that health behavior and decision-making perspectives can serve in DTCA research. In addition, it appears that cluster bias, nonlinear relationships, mediating/moderating effects, time effects, acquiescent response, and case mix are particularly salient challenges for the DTCA research domain. We suggest that problem formulation, selection of sound theories upon which to base research, and data collection and data analysis challenges are key methodological issues related to investigating the effects of DTCA for prescription drugs.

Methodological aspects of shift-work research.

PubMed

Knutsson, Anders

2004-01-01

A major issue in shift-work research is to understand the possible ways in which shift work can impact performance and health. Nearly all body functions, from those of the cellular level to those of the entire body, are circadian rhythmic. Disturbances of these rhythms as well as the social consequences of odd work hours are of importance for the health and well-being of shift workers. This article reviews a number of common methodological issues which are of relevance to epidemiological studies in this area of research. It discusses conceptual problems regarding the use of the term "shift work," and it underscores the need to develop models that explain the mechanisms of disease in shift workers.

Current issues relating to psychosocial job strain and cardiovascular disease research.

PubMed

Theorell, T; Karasek, R A

1996-01-01

The authors comment on recent reviews of cardiovascular job strain research by P. L. Schnall and P. A. Landsbergis (1994), and by T. S. Kristensen (1995), which conclude that job strain as defined by the demand-control model (the combination of contributions of low job decision latitudes and high psychological job demands) is confirmed as a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in a large majority of studies. Lack of social support at work appears to further increase risk. Several still-unresolved research questions are examined in light of recent studies: (a) methodological issues related to use of occupational aggregate estimations and occupational career aggregate assessments, use of standard scales for job analysis and recall bias issues in self-reporting; (b) confounding factors and differential strengths of association by subgroups in job strain-cardiovascular disease analyses with respect to social class, gender, and working hours; and (c) review of results of monitoring job strain-blood pressure associations and associated methodological issues.

Conducting Clinical Research Using Crowdsourced Convenience Samples.

PubMed

Chandler, Jesse; Shapiro, Danielle

2016-01-01

Crowdsourcing has had a dramatic impact on the speed and scale at which scientific research can be conducted. Clinical scientists have particularly benefited from readily available research study participants and streamlined recruiting and payment systems afforded by Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), a popular labor market for crowdsourcing workers. MTurk has been used in this capacity for more than five years. The popularity and novelty of the platform have spurred numerous methodological investigations, making it the most studied nonprobability sample available to researchers. This article summarizes what is known about MTurk sample composition and data quality with an emphasis on findings relevant to clinical psychological research. It then addresses methodological issues with using MTurk--many of which are common to other nonprobability samples but unfamiliar to clinical science researchers--and suggests concrete steps to avoid these issues or minimize their impact.

Assessment of Adolescent Neurotoxicity: Rationale and Methodological Considerations

PubMed Central

Spear, Linda Patia

2007-01-01

This introduction to the special issue of Neurotoxicology and Teratology on “Risk of neurobehavioral toxicity in adolescence” begins by broadly considering the ontogeny and phylogeny of adolescence, and the potential value of animal models of adolescence. Major findings from the emerging neuroscience of adolescence are then highlighted to establish the importance of studies of adolescent neurotoxicity. A variety of methodological issues that are of particular relevance to adolescent exposures are then discussed. These include consideration of pharmacokinetic factors, inclusion of other-aged comparison group(s), and issues involving timing, route of administration, and exposure-induced alterations in growth rate. Despite such methodological challenges, research to determine whether adolescence is a time of increased vulnerability (or greater resiliency) to specific drugs and environmental toxicants is progressing rapidly, as exemplified by the work presented in the articles of this special issue. PMID:17222532

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children as a Result of Violence: A Review of Current Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karcher, Christopher Robb

This review of research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children resulting from human violence focuses on methodological issues, types of violence, treatment issues, and directions for future research. Literature reviewed is predominantly that published since 1986. An introduction offers background information and examines the…

Understanding seasonal home use: a recommended research agenda

Treesearch

Susan I. Stewart; Daniel J. Stynes

1995-01-01

Seasonal homes are a part of many people's recreation and tourism experiences, yet few studies address the choice, characteristics, use, or impacts of seasonal homes. Methodological issues associated with seasonal homes research are discussed, and a study underway in Michigan is described to show how some of these issues can be dealt with.

Feminist-informed participatory action research: a methodology of choice for examining critical nursing issues.

PubMed

Corbett, Andrea M; Francis, Karen; Chapman, Ysanne

2007-04-01

Identifying a methodology to guide a study that aims to enhance service delivery can be challenging. Participatory action research offers a solution to this challenge as it both informs and is informed by critical social theory. In addition, using a feminist lens helps acquiesce this approach as a suitable methodology for changing practice. This methodology embraces empowerment self-determination and the facilitation of agreed change as central tenets that guide the research process. Encouraged by the work of Foucault, Friere, Habermas, and Maguire, this paper explicates the philosophical assumptions underpinning critical social theory and outlines how feminist influences are complimentary in exploring the processes and applications of nursing research that seeks to embrace change.

Depressed Mothers as Informants on Child Behavior: Methodological Issues

PubMed Central

Ordway, Monica Roosa

2011-01-01

Mothers with depressive symptoms more frequently report behavioral problems among their children than non-depressed mothers leading to a debate regarding the accuracy of depressed mothers as informants of children’s behavior. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify methodological challenges in research related to the debate. Data were extracted from 43 papers (6 theoretical, 36 research reports, and 1 instrument scoring manual). The analysis focused on the methodologies considered when using depressed mothers as informants. Nine key themes were identified and I concluded that researchers should incorporate multiple informants, identify the characteristics of maternal depression, and incorporate advanced statistical methodology. The use of a conceptual framework to understand informant discrepancies within child behavior evaluations is suggested for future research. PMID:21964958

The research evidence published in high impact nursing journals between 2000 and 2006: a quantitative content analysis.

PubMed

Mantzoukas, Stefanos

2009-04-01

Evidence-based practice has become an imperative for efficient, effective and safe practice. Furthermore, evidences emerging from published research are considered as valid knowledge sources to guiding practice. The aim of this paper is to review all research articles published in the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006 to identify the methodologies used, the types of evidence these studies produced and the issues upon which they endeavored. Quantitative content analysis was implemented to study all published research papers of the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006. The top 10 general nursing journals were included in the study. The abstracts of all research articles were analysed with regards the methodologies of enquiry, the types of evidence produced and the issues of study they endeavored upon. Percentages were developed as to enable conclusions to be drawn. The results for the category methodologies used were 7% experimental, 6% quasi-experimental, 39% non-experimental, 2% ethnographical studies, 7% phenomenological, 4% grounded theory, 1% action research, 1% case study, 15% unspecified, 5.5% other, 0.5% meta-synthesis, 2% meta-analysis, 5% literature reviews and 3% secondary analysis. For the category types of evidence were 4% hypothesis/theory testing, 11% evaluative, 5% comparative, 2% correlational, 46% descriptive, 5% interpretative and 27% exploratory. For the category issues of study were 45% practice/clinical, 8% educational, 11% professional, 3% spiritual/ethical/metaphysical, 26% health promotion and 7% managerial/policy. Published studies can provide adequate evidences for practice if nursing journals conceptualise evidence emerging from non-experimental and qualitative studies as relevant types of evidences for practice and develop appropriate mechanisms for assessing their validity. Also, nursing journals need to increase and encourage the publication of studies that implement RCT methodology, systematic reviews, meta-synthesis and meta-analysis methodologies. Finally, nursing journals need to encourage more high quality research evidence that derive from interpretative, theory testing and evaluative types of studies that are practice relevant.

Methodological and Pedagogical Potential of Reflection in Development of Contemporary Didactics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chupina, Valentina A.; Pleshakova, Anastasiia Yu.; Konovalova, Maria E.

2016-01-01

Applicability of the issue under research is preconditioned by the need of practical pedagogics to expand methodological and methodical tools of contemporary didactics. The purpose of the article is to detect the methodological core of reflection as a form of thinking and to provide insight thereunto on the basis of systematic attributes of the…

My Story in a Profession of Stories: Auto Ethnography-- An Empowering Methodology for Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyson, Michael

2007-01-01

This paper highlights a distinctive way to research and present issues within education using metaphor and the qualitative narrative methodology known as auto ethnography. Auto ethnographic writing links the personal to the cultural and is recognised as a methodology that combines the method with the writing of the text, which in turn explicates…

ICT Expenditures and Education Outputs/Outcomes in Selected Developed Countries: An Assessment of Relative Efficiency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aristovnik, Aleksander

2013-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to review some previous researches examining ICT efficiency and the impact of ICT on educational output/outcome as well as different conceptual and methodological issues related to performance measurement. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a non-parametric methodology, i.e. data envelopment analysis…

Context Based Inferences in Research Methodology: The Role of Culture in Justifying Knowledge Claims

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evers, Colin W.; Mason, Mark

2011-01-01

Drawing on work in epistemology and the philosophy of science, this paper seeks to provide very general reasons for why a comparative perspective needs to be applied to the inferential procedures of research methodologies where these concern the issue of justifying knowledge claims. In particular, the paper explores the role of culture on a number…

How the Arrow of Feedback Links the Theories of Organisational Change: A Multi-Method Use of Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, M. R.; Ranjan, P.

2010-01-01

This paper shows the implementation of "5S"--a Japanese concept of housekeeping--through action research methodology. The organisational issue it tackles is the cultural inhibition among the Indian population against cleaning. It uses soft systems methodology (SSM), action science and Schein's idea of clinical enquiry to bring about an…

Theoretical and Methodological Considerations in Cross-Generational Research on Parenting and Child Aggressive Behavior

PubMed Central

Dubow, Eric F.; Huesmann, L. Rowell; Boxer, Paul

2015-01-01

The four studies in this special issue represent important advances in research on the intergenerational transmission of aggressive behavior. In this commentary, we review the key features and findings of these studies, as well as our own cross-generational study of aggression, the Columbia County Longitudinal Study. Next, we consider important theoretical issues (e.g., defining and operationalizing “aggression” and “parenting”; assessing reciprocal effects of parenting and child aggression; identifying the ages at which aggression should be assessed across generations; broadening the investigation of contextual and individual factors). We then discuss several methodological issues (e.g., determining the most informative measurement intervals for assessing prospective effects; sampling considerations; measuring potential moderating and mediating variables that might explain cross-generational continuities and discontinuities in parenting and aggression). Finally, we raise implications of cross-generational research for designing interventions targeting the reduction and prevention of child aggression. PMID:12735400

Ethical and methodological issues in academic mental health research in populations affected by disasters: the Oklahoma City experience relevant to September 11, 2001.

PubMed

North, Carol S; Pfefferbaum, Betty; Tucker, Phebe

2002-08-01

Empirical data from research studies are vital to guiding mental health interventions following disasters. However, few data are available for this purpose. Important advances in policy and procedures for the conduct of organized research emerged from the Oklahoma City bombing, yielding cooperative working relationships among researchers and culminating in the ethical attainment of informative research data. However, the academic community was again caught off guard after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Suggestions to surmount these obstacles include incorporating research infrastructures into disaster preparedness plans in advance; organizing the community of researchers; and working closely with major funding organizations. Methodological issues pertaining to measurement of psychopathology include the importance of obtaining diagnostic data; interpreting the meaning of symptoms in the absence of a psychiatric disorder; differentiating preexisting symptoms from those that emerged after the disaster, and optimal timing of postdisaster assessment.

Critical issues in clinical periodontal research.

PubMed

Preshaw, Philip M

2012-06-01

As periodontal researchers and clinicians, we are challenged every day to make decisions relating to the clinical management of our patients and about how best to conduct clinical periodontal research. This volume of Periodontology 2000 addresses some of the critical issues in contemporary clinical periodontics and periodontal research that are of direct relevance to clinicians, researchers, teachers and students. The 11 review articles in this volume of Periodontology 2000 focus on aspects of periodontal research methodology and clinical periodontology. In terms of research methodology, the articles aim to inform the reader on topics relating to randomized controlled trials in periodontal research, evidence-based dentistry, calibration of clinical examiners and statistics relevant to periodontal research. The clinical periodontology articles address issues relating to decisions on retaining periodontally compromised teeth or replacing them with implants, periodontal management in the patient with osteoporosis, surgical approaches for root coverage and the emerging science of advanced regenerative technologies, including the use of stem cells, for periodontal regeneration. It is hoped that these critical reviews will address many of the dilemmas that confront us on a regular basis and provide practical guidance to those engaged in both clinical periodontology and clinical periodontal research. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports.

PubMed

Hyett, Nerida; Kenny, Amanda; Dickson-Swift, Virginia

2014-01-01

Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12), social sciences and anthropology (n=7), or methods (n=15) case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners.

Whose Side Are We on and for Whom Do We Write? Notes on Issues and Challenges Facing Those Researching and Evaluating Public Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Jon; Garthwaite, Kayleigh

2015-01-01

Becker (1967) poses the question "Whose side are we on?," a question which has become an enduring part of discussions within social scientific methodology. This paper explores the key issues in Becker's argument and considers its relevance to researchers today, locating this within a consideration of evaluation-based research and policy.…

Methodological Issues in Economic Evaluations Submitted to the Pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR).

PubMed

Masucci, Lisa; Beca, Jaclyn; Sabharwal, Mona; Hoch, Jeffrey S

2017-12-01

Public drug plans are faced with increasingly difficult funding decisions. In Canada, the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) makes funding recommendations to the provincial and territorial drug plans responsible for cancer drugs. Assessments of the economic models submitted by pharmaceutical manufacturers are publicly reported. The main objective of this research was to identify recurring methodological issues in economic models submitted to pCODR for funding reviews. The secondary objective was to explore whether there exists any observed relationships between reported methodological issues and funding recommendations made by pCODR's expert review committee. Publicly available Economic Guidance Reports from July 2011 (inception) until June 2014 for drug reviews with a final funding recommendation (N = 34) were independently examined by two authors. Major methodological issues from each review were abstracted and grouped into nine main categories. Each issue was also categorized based on perception of the reviewer's actions to manage it. The most commonly reported issues involved costing (59% of reviews), time horizon (56%), and model structure (36%). Several types of issues were identified that usually could not be resolved, such as quality of clinical data or uncertainty with indirect comparisons. Issues with costing or choice of utility estimates could usually be addressed or explored by reviewers. No statistically significant relationship was found between any methodological issue and funding recommendations from the expert review committee. The findings provide insights that can be used by parties who submit or review economic evidence for continuous improvement and consistency in economic modeling, reporting, and decision making.

The Interpersonal Challenges of Instructional Leadership: Principals' Effectiveness in Conversations about Performance Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le Fevre, Deidre M.; Robinson, Viviane M. J.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Principals commonly struggle to have effective conversations about staff performance issues, tending to tolerate, protect, and work around such issues rather than effectively addressing them. This article evaluates principals' effectiveness in having "difficult" conversations with parents and with teachers. Research Methodology:…

Ensuring rigour and trustworthiness of qualitative research in clinical pharmacy.

PubMed

Hadi, Muhammad Abdul; José Closs, S

2016-06-01

The use of qualitative research methodology is well established for data generation within healthcare research generally and clinical pharmacy research specifically. In the past, qualitative research methodology has been criticized for lacking rigour, transparency, justification of data collection and analysis methods being used, and hence the integrity of findings. Demonstrating rigour in qualitative studies is essential so that the research findings have the "integrity" to make an impact on practice, policy or both. Unlike other healthcare disciplines, the issue of "quality" of qualitative research has not been discussed much in the clinical pharmacy discipline. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of rigour in qualitative research, present different philosophical standpoints on the issue of quality in qualitative research and to discuss briefly strategies to ensure rigour in qualitative research. Finally, a mini review of recent research is presented to illustrate the strategies reported by clinical pharmacy researchers to ensure rigour in their qualitative research studies.

Methodological issues and research recommendations for prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury: results of the International Collaboration on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Prognosis.

PubMed

Kristman, Vicki L; Borg, Jörgen; Godbolt, Alison K; Salmi, L Rachid; Cancelliere, Carol; Carroll, Linda J; Holm, Lena W; Nygren-de Boussard, Catharina; Hartvigsen, Jan; Abara, Uko; Donovan, James; Cassidy, J David

2014-03-01

The International Collaboration on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) Prognosis performed a comprehensive search and critical review of the literature from 2001 to 2012 to update the 2002 best-evidence synthesis conducted by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Neurotrauma, Prevention, Management and Rehabilitation Task Force on the prognosis of MTBI. Of 299 relevant studies, 101 were accepted as scientifically admissible. The methodological quality of the research literature on MTBI prognosis has not improved since the 2002 Task Force report. There are still many methodological concerns and knowledge gaps in the literature. Here we report and make recommendations on how to avoid methodological flaws found in prognostic studies of MTBI. Additionally, we discuss issues of MTBI definition and identify topic areas in need of further research to advance the understanding of prognosis after MTBI. Priority research areas include but are not limited to the use of confirmatory designs, studies of measurement validity, focus on the elderly, attention to litigation/compensation issues, the development of validated clinical prediction rules, the use of MTBI populations other than hospital admissions, continued research on the effects of repeated concussions, longer follow-up times with more measurement periods in longitudinal studies, an assessment of the differences between adults and children, and an account for reverse causality and differential recall bias. Well-conducted studies in these areas will aid our understanding of MTBI prognosis and assist clinicians in educating and treating their patients with MTBI. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contemporary Research on Parenting: Conceptual, Methodological, and Translational Issues

PubMed Central

Sleddens, Ester F. C.; Berge, Jerica; Connell, Lauren; Govig, Bert; Hennessy, Erin; Liggett, Leanne; Mallan, Kimberley; Santa Maria, Diane; Odoms-Young, Angela; St. George, Sara M.

2013-01-01

Abstract Researchers over the last decade have documented the association between general parenting style and numerous factors related to childhood obesity (e.g., children's eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight status). Many recent childhood obesity prevention programs are family focused and designed to modify parenting behaviors thought to contribute to childhood obesity risk. This article presents a brief consideration of conceptual, methodological, and translational issues that can inform future research on the role of parenting in childhood obesity. They include: (1) General versus domain specific parenting styles and practices; (2) the role of ethnicity and culture; (3) assessing bidirectional influences; (4) broadening assessments beyond the immediate family; (5) novel approaches to parenting measurement; and (6) designing effective interventions. Numerous directions for future research are offered. PMID:23944927

Substance use and risky sexual behavior for exposure to HIV: Issues in methodology, interpretation, and prevention

PubMed Central

Leigh, Barbara C.; Stall, Ron

2008-01-01

Recent reports have suggested that the use of alcohol or drugs is related to sexual behavior that is high-risk for HIV infection. If substance use leads to unsafe sexual activity, understanding the dynamics of this relationship can contribute to research, preventive and education efforts to contain the spread of AIDS. In this paper, we review research on the relationship between substance use and high-risk sexual behavior. We then consider the inherent limitations of the research designs used to study this relationship, outline some methodological concerns including measurement and sampling issues, and comment on causal interpretations of correlational research findings. We end with a consideration of potential avenues for avenues for future research and a discussion of implications of these findings for current AIDS prevention policies. PMID:8256876

Research in Counseling Psychology: Prospects and Recommendations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelso, Charles J.; And Others

1988-01-01

Presents summary of discussions on research from the Third National Conference for Counseling Psychology. Topics summarized include definition and image; methodological diversity in counseling research; multi- and cross-cultural issues; the connection of research to practice; and research training. Provides 15 recommendations for research in…

Engaging and Empowering Academic Staff to Promote Service-Learning Curriculum in Research-Intensive Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fang, Yahui

2016-01-01

Much of the literature on service-learning discusses issues related to faculty, students, and community partners. However, there is little research on issues related to academic staff. In this project, through a series of meetings and workshops, change lab methodology was used to analyze the barriers to staff members' involvement in…

Nursing and the ethnographic accomplishment.

PubMed

Patterson, Christopher; Procter, Nicholas; Toffoli, Luisa

2017-03-22

This issue of Nurse Researcher focuses on ethnographic research in nursing. The three themed papers provide an overview of the ethnographic accomplishment dealing with methodological issues in the conduct of ethnographic work and how nursing and nurses' work is represented. The authors take account of how contemporary approaches to ethnography are shaped by understandings of and approaches to nursing.

A Case Study of Issues of Strategy Implementation in Internationalization of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Nan; Carpenter, Victoria

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify and critically evaluate key issues faced by an institution in the quest to implement higher education internationalization. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research is conducted in a post-1992 UK university. A total of 20 interviewees from three key departments participated in this…

Advancing Prevention Research on Child Abuse, Youth Violence, and Domestic Violence: Emerging Strategies and Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guterman, Neil B.

2004-01-01

Prevention research on the related problems of child abuse, youth violence, and domestic violence has grown at an accelerating pace in recent years. In this context, a set of shared methodological issues has emerged as investigators seek to advance the interpersonal violence prevention knowledge base. This article considers some of the persistent…

Methodological standards and patient-centeredness in comparative effectiveness research: the PCORI perspective.

PubMed

2012-04-18

Rigorous methodological standards help to ensure that medical research produces information that is valid and generalizable, and are essential in patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). Patient-centeredness refers to the extent to which the preferences, decision-making needs, and characteristics of patients are addressed, and is the key characteristic differentiating PCOR from comparative effectiveness research. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law in 2010 created the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), which includes an independent, federally appointed Methodology Committee. The Methodology Committee is charged to develop methodological standards for PCOR. The 4 general areas identified by the committee in which standards will be developed are (1) prioritizing research questions, (2) using appropriate study designs and analyses, (3) incorporating patient perspectives throughout the research continuum, and (4) fostering efficient dissemination and implementation of results. A Congressionally mandated PCORI methodology report (to be issued in its first iteration in May 2012) will begin to provide standards in each of these areas, and will inform future PCORI funding announcements and review criteria. The work of the Methodology Committee is intended to enable generation of information that is relevant and trustworthy for patients, and to enable decisions that improve patient-centered outcomes.

Ethical and methodological issues in qualitative health research involving children: A systematic review.

PubMed

Huang, Xiaoyan; O'Connor, Margaret; Ke, Li-Shan; Lee, Susan

2016-05-01

The right of children to have their voice heard has been accepted by researchers, and there are increasing numbers of qualitative health studies involving children. The ethical and methodological issues of including children in research have caused worldwide concerns, and many researchers have published articles sharing their own experiences. To systematically review and synthesise experts' opinions and experiences about ethical and methodological issues of including children in research, as well as related solution strategies. The research design was a systematic review of opinion-based evidence, based on the guidelines by Joanna Briggs Institute. A search of five computerised databases has been conducted in April 2014 and 2271 articles were found. After screening the titles, abstracts, full texts and appraising the quality, 30 articles were finally included in the review. A meta-aggregative approach was applied in the data analysis and synthesis process. Ethical approval is not needed as it is a systematic review of published literature. Six themes were identified, including evaluating potential risks and benefits, gaining access, obtaining informed consent/assent, protecting confidentiality and privacy, building rapport and collecting rich data. The similarities and differences between research involving children and that involving adults were indicated. All potential incentives should be justified when designing the study. Further studies need to research how to evaluate individual capacity of children and how to balance protecting children's right to participate and their interests in the research. Cultural differences related to researching children in different regions should also be studied. © The Author(s) 2014.

Event-related brain potentials and the study of reward processing: Methodological considerations.

PubMed

Krigolson, Olave E

2017-11-14

There is growing interest in using electroencephalography and specifically the event-related brain potential (ERP) methodology to study human reward processing. Since the discovery of the feedback related negativity (Miltner et al., 1997) and the development of theories associating the feedback related negativity and more recently the reward positivity with reinforcement learning, midbrain dopamine function, and the anterior cingulate cortex (i.e., Holroyd and Coles, 2002) researchers have used the ERP methodology to probe the neural basis of reward learning in humans. However, examination of the feedback related negativity and the reward positivity cannot be done without an understanding of some key methodological issues that must be taken into account when using ERPs and examining these ERP components. For example, even the component name - the feedback related negativity - is a source of debate within the research community as some now strongly feel that the component should be named the reward positivity (Proudfit, 2015). Here, ten key methodological issues are discussed - confusion in component naming, the reward positivity, component identification, peak quantification and the use of difference waveforms, frequency (the N200) and component contamination (the P300), the impact of feedback timing, action, and task learnability, and how learning results in changes in the amplitude of the feedback-related negativity/reward positivity. The hope here is to not provide a definitive approach for examining the feedback related negativity/reward positivity, but instead to outline the key issues that must be taken into account when examining this component to assist researchers in their study of human reward processing with the ERP methodology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Muscle dysmorphia: methodological issues, implications for research.

PubMed

Suffolk, Mark T; Dovey, Terence M; Goodwin, Huw; Meyer, Caroline

2013-01-01

Muscle dysmorphia is a male-dominated, body image-related psychological condition. Despite continued investigation, contention surrounds the nosological status of this disorder. The aim of this article was to review the literature on muscle dysmorphia to provide a qualitative account of methodological issues that may inhibit our understanding. Key areas relating to non-standardized participant groups, measuring instruments, and terminology were identified as potentially inhibiting symptom coherence and diagnostic reliability. New measuring instruments validated with clinical samples and carefully described participant groups, standardized terminology, and a greater emphasis on prospective longitudinal research with specific sub groups of the weight training community would be of interest to the field.

Cortisol as a Biomarker of Stress in Term Human Labor: Physiological and Methodological Issues

PubMed Central

Newton, Edward R.; Tanner, Charles J.; Heitkemper, Margaret M.

2013-01-01

Literature on the use of plasma cortisol to quantify psychophysiological stress in humans is extensive. However, in parturition at term gestation the use of cortisol as a biomarker of stress is particularly complex. Plasma cortisol levels increase as labor progresses. This increase seems to be important for maintenance of maternal/fetal wellbeing and facilitation of normal labor progress. Unique physiological and methodological issues involved in the use of cortisol as a biomarker of stress in labor present challenges for researchers. This review examines these issues, suggests mixed methods and within-subject repeated measures designs, and offers recommendations for assay procedures for parturient sampling. Documentation of clinical interventions and delivery outcomes may elucidate relationships among psychophysiological stressors, cortisol and normal labor progress. With attention to these methodological issues, analysis of plasma cortisol may lead to clinical interventions that support normal labor physiology. PMID:23338011

Family learning research in museums: An emerging disciplinary matrix?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellenbogen, Kirsten M.; Luke, Jessica J.; Dierking, Lynn D.

2004-07-01

Thomas Kuhn's notion of a disciplinary matrix provides a useful framework for investigating the growth of research on family learning in and from museums over the last decade. To track the emergence of this disciplinary matrix we consider three issues. First are shifting theoretical perspectives that result in new shared language, beliefs, values, understandings, and assumptions about what counts as family learning. Second are realigning methodologies, driven by underlying disciplinary assumptions about how research in this arena is best conducted, what questions should be addressed, and criteria for valid and reliable evidence. Third is resituating the focus of our research to make the family central to what we study, reflecting a more holistic understanding of the family as an educational institution within larger learning infrastructure. We discuss research that exemplifies these three issues and demonstrates the ways in which shifting theoretical perspectives, realigning methodologies, and resituating research foci signal the existence of a nascent disciplinary matrix.

Secondary analysis of national survey datasets.

PubMed

Boo, Sunjoo; Froelicher, Erika Sivarajan

2013-06-01

This paper describes the methodological issues associated with secondary analysis of large national survey datasets. Issues about survey sampling, data collection, and non-response and missing data in terms of methodological validity and reliability are discussed. Although reanalyzing large national survey datasets is an expedient and cost-efficient way of producing nursing knowledge, successful investigations require a methodological consideration of the intrinsic limitations of secondary survey analysis. Nursing researchers using existing national survey datasets should understand potential sources of error associated with survey sampling, data collection, and non-response and missing data. Although it is impossible to eliminate all potential errors, researchers using existing national survey datasets must be aware of the possible influence of errors on the results of the analyses. © 2012 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2012 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Social Network Analysis: A New Methodology for Counseling Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koehly, Laura M.; Shivy, Victoria A.

1998-01-01

Social network analysis (SNA) uses indices of relatedness among individuals to produce representations of social structures and positions inherent in dyads or groups. SNA methods provide quantitative representations of ongoing transactional patterns in a given social environment. Methodological issues, applications and resources are discussed…

Methodological strategies in using home sleep apnea testing in research and practice.

PubMed

Miller, Jennifer N; Schulz, Paula; Pozehl, Bunny; Fiedler, Douglas; Fial, Alissa; Berger, Ann M

2017-11-14

Home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) has increased due to improvements in technology, accessibility, and changes in third party reimbursement requirements. Research studies using HSAT have not consistently reported procedures and methodological challenges. This paper had two objectives: (1) summarize the literature on use of HSAT in research of adults and (2) identify methodological strategies to use in research and practice to standardize HSAT procedures and information. Search strategy included studies of participants undergoing sleep testing for OSA using HSAT. MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase with the following search terms: "polysomnography," "home," "level III," "obstructive sleep apnea," and "out of center testing." Research articles that met inclusion criteria (n = 34) inconsistently reported methods and methodological challenges in terms of: (a) participant sampling; (b) instrumentation issues; (c) clinical variables; (d) data processing; and (e) patient acceptability. Ten methodological strategies were identified for adoption when using HSAT in research and practice. Future studies need to address the methodological challenges summarized in this paper as well as identify and report consistent HSAT procedures and information.

Manualized treatment programs for FSD: research challenges and recommendations.

PubMed

Hucker, Alice; McCabe, Marita P

2012-02-01

The use of manualized treatment programs offers a useful research framework for assessing psychotherapeutic interventions for female sexual dysfunctions (FSDs), but it does not address all issues related to methodological rigor and replication, and raises new research issues in need of discussion. The goals of this manuscript are to review the literature on treatment trials utilizing manualized psychotherapy treatments for FSD and to explore the benefits and research issues associated with the flexible use of treatment manuals. The method used was the review of the relevant literature. While the use of manualized treatments for FSDs can address certain methodological issues inherent in psychotherapy research, flexibility in manual administration is necessary in order to allow tailoring for individual needs that can be beneficial to both the participant and the research. The flexible use of manuals, as opposed to strict manual adherence, may also be more relevant for clinical utility. In order to administer manualized treatments for FSDs with appropriate flexibility, while also maximizing internal validity and replicability, the authors recommend that predetermined decision rules be utilized to guide individual tailoring, that potential gaps in the manual be identified and addressed, and that differing levels of motivation and readiness for treatment be taken into consideration in the treatment protocol. © 2011 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

A researcher's journey: Exploring a sensitive topic with vulnerable women.

PubMed

Marsh, Christine A; Browne, Jenny; Taylor, Jan; Davis, Deborah

2017-02-01

The conduct of research regardless of the subject or methods employed brings responsibilities and challenges. These are greater when dealing with sensitive topics and vulnerable groups and therefore researchers must navigate a range of complex issues and make choices in relation to practical, ethical and philosophical concerns. While literature dealing with research methodologies and research design may assist to some degree, it cannot provide a clear pathway or template as each research project must respond to a unique set of circumstances. We can however, also learn from sharing our stories and critical reflections on our research processes. The purpose of this article is to highlight the practical and methodological issues arising from researching a sensitive topic with vulnerable women experiencing an Assumption of Care. Research involving topics that are deeply personal and private combined with a vulnerable population can be complex and challenging for the researcher. Although some issues were anticipated from the literature, others encountered in this study were unexpected. Special considerations and prerequisites were necessary to build mutual trust and share power with women who had experienced an Assumption of Care at birth. Narrative Inquiry was a good methodological fit for this study as it privileged the voices of women and insisted that their experiences be considered within the context of their lives. Although Narrative Inquiry is a suitable choice for researching sensitive topics with vulnerable women specific considerations are still required to ensure the benefits of this research for both participants and researchers. Family and Community Service (FACS) have now replaced the formerly known Department of Community Services (DoCS) and in consideration of the timing of this study this article uses the terminology as DoCS. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methodological Challenges in Cross-Language Qualitative Research: A Research Review

PubMed Central

Squires, Allison

2009-01-01

Objectives Cross-language qualitative research occurs when a language barrier is present between researchers and participants. The language barrier is frequently mediated through the use of a translator or interpreter. The purpose of this critical review of cross-language qualitative research was three fold: 1) review the methods literature addressing cross language research; 2) synthesize the methodological recommendations from the literature into a list of criteria that could evaluate how researchers methodologically managed translators and interpreters in their qualitative studies; and 3) test these criteria on published cross-language qualitative studies. Data sources A group of 40 purposively selected cross-language qualitative studies found in nursing and health sciences journals. Review methods The synthesis of the cross-language methods literature produced 14 criteria to evaluate how qualitative researchers managed the language barrier between themselves and their study participants. To test the criteria, the researcher conducted a summative content analysis framed by discourse analysis techniques of the 40 cross-language studies. Results The evaluation showed that only 6 out of 40 studies met all the criteria recommended by the cross-language methods literature for the production of trustworthy results in cross-language qualitative studies. Multiple inconsistencies, reflecting disadvantageous methodological choices by cross-language researchers, appeared in the remaining 33 studies. To name a few, these included rendering the translator or interpreter as an invisible part of the research process, failure to pilot test interview questions in the participant’s language, no description of translator or interpreter credentials, failure to acknowledge translation as a limitation of the study, and inappropriate methodological frameworks for cross-language research. Conclusions The finding about researchers making the role of the translator or interpreter invisible during the research process supports studies completed by other authors examining this issue. The analysis demonstrated that the criteria produced by this study may provide useful guidelines for evaluating cross-language research and for novice cross-language researchers designing their first studies. Finally, the study also indicates that researchers attempting cross-language studies need to address the methodological issues surrounding language barriers between researchers and participants more systematically. PMID:18789799

Methodological challenges in cross-language qualitative research: a research review.

PubMed

Squires, Allison

2009-02-01

Cross-language qualitative research occurs when a language barrier is present between researchers and participants. The language barrier is frequently mediated through the use of a translator or interpreter. The purpose of this analysis of cross-language qualitative research was threefold: (1) review the methods literature addressing cross-language research; (2) synthesize the methodological recommendations from the literature into a list of criteria that could evaluate how researchers methodologically managed translators and interpreters in their qualitative studies; (3) test these criteria on published cross-language qualitative studies. A group of 40 purposively selected cross-language qualitative studies found in nursing and health sciences journals. The synthesis of the cross-language methods literature produced 14 criteria to evaluate how qualitative researchers managed the language barrier between themselves and their study participants. To test the criteria, the researcher conducted a summative content analysis framed by discourse analysis techniques of the 40 cross-language studies. The evaluation showed that only 6 out of 40 studies met all the criteria recommended by the cross-language methods literature for the production of trustworthy results in cross-language qualitative studies. Multiple inconsistencies, reflecting disadvantageous methodological choices by cross-language researchers, appeared in the remaining 33 studies. To name a few, these included rendering the translator or interpreter as an invisible part of the research process, failure to pilot test interview questions in the participant's language, no description of translator or interpreter credentials, failure to acknowledge translation as a limitation of the study, and inappropriate methodological frameworks for cross-language research. The finding about researchers making the role of the translator or interpreter invisible during the research process supports studies completed by other authors examining this issue. The analysis demonstrated that the criteria produced by this study may provide useful guidelines for evaluating cross-language research and for novice cross-language researchers designing their first studies. Finally, the study also indicates that researchers attempting cross-language studies need to address the methodological issues surrounding language barriers between researchers and participants more systematically.

Gender Issues in Psychology: A Content Analysis of Introductory Psychology Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connor-Greene, Patti; And Others

This paper assesses the attention given to gender issues in 17 psychology textbooks published between 1985 and 1987 and used in college undergraduate introductory courses. The methodology used was the analysis of content and research citations. Specific issues that were examined included: (1) the explanation of the distinction between gender and…

Considerations for preparing collaborative international research: a Ugandan experience.

PubMed

Musil, Carol M; Mutabaazi, Jemimah; Walusimbi, Mariam; Okonsky, Jennifer G; Biribonwa, Yedidah; Eagan, Sabrina; Dimarco, Marguerite A; Mbaballi, Speciosa; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

2004-08-01

This article describes issues to consider when planning and conducting international research projects. Key considerations include building collaboration, developing a comprehensive and feasible research plan, funding and budgets, addressing human subjects concerns, and analyzing and disseminating project findings. These considerations and related methodological issues are discussed in the context of a replication pilot project conducted outside Kampala, Uganda. Ongoing dialog, flexibility, and collaboration, in addition to good science, are critical to developing successful international research projects.

Collaboration challenges in systematic reviews: a survey of health sciences librarians

PubMed Central

Nicholson, Joey; McCrillis, Aileen; Williams, Jeff D.

2017-01-01

Objective: While many librarians have been asked to participate in systematic reviews with researchers, often these researchers are not familiar with the systematic review process or the appropriate role for librarians. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and barriers that librarians face when collaborating on systematic reviews. To take a wider view of the whole process of collaborating on systematic reviews, the authors deliberately focused on interpersonal and methodological issues other than searching itself. Methods: To characterize the biggest challenges that librarians face while collaborating on systematic review projects, we used a web-based survey. The thirteen-item survey included seventeen challenges grouped into two categories: methodological and interpersonal. Participants were required to indicate the frequency and difficulty of the challenges listed. Open-ended questions allowed survey participants to describe challenges not listed in the survey and to describe strategies used to overcome challenges. Results: Of the 17 challenges listed in the survey, 8 were reported as common by over 40% of respondents. These included methodological issues around having too broad or narrow research questions, lacking eligibility criteria, having unclear research questions, and not following established methods. The remaining challenges were interpersonal, including issues around student-led projects and the size of the research team. Of the top 8 most frequent challenges, 5 were also ranked as most difficult to handle. Open-ended responses underscored many of the challenges included in the survey and revealed several additional challenges. Conclusions: These results suggest that the most frequent and challenging issues relate to development of the research question and general communication with team members. Clear protocols for collaboration on systematic reviews, as well as a culture of mentorship, can help librarians prevent and address these challenges. PMID:28983202

Collaboration challenges in systematic reviews: a survey of health sciences librarians.

PubMed

Nicholson, Joey; McCrillis, Aileen; Williams, Jeff D

2017-10-01

While many librarians have been asked to participate in systematic reviews with researchers, often these researchers are not familiar with the systematic review process or the appropriate role for librarians. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and barriers that librarians face when collaborating on systematic reviews. To take a wider view of the whole process of collaborating on systematic reviews, the authors deliberately focused on interpersonal and methodological issues other than searching itself. To characterize the biggest challenges that librarians face while collaborating on systematic review projects, we used a web-based survey. The thirteen-item survey included seventeen challenges grouped into two categories: methodological and interpersonal. Participants were required to indicate the frequency and difficulty of the challenges listed. Open-ended questions allowed survey participants to describe challenges not listed in the survey and to describe strategies used to overcome challenges. Of the 17 challenges listed in the survey, 8 were reported as common by over 40% of respondents. These included methodological issues around having too broad or narrow research questions, lacking eligibility criteria, having unclear research questions, and not following established methods. The remaining challenges were interpersonal, including issues around student-led projects and the size of the research team. Of the top 8 most frequent challenges, 5 were also ranked as most difficult to handle. Open-ended responses underscored many of the challenges included in the survey and revealed several additional challenges. These results suggest that the most frequent and challenging issues relate to development of the research question and general communication with team members. Clear protocols for collaboration on systematic reviews, as well as a culture of mentorship, can help librarians prevent and address these challenges.

Delivering successful randomized controlled trials in surgery: Methods to optimize collaboration and study design.

PubMed

Blencowe, Natalie S; Cook, Jonathan A; Pinkney, Thomas; Rogers, Chris; Reeves, Barnaby C; Blazeby, Jane M

2017-04-01

Randomized controlled trials in surgery are notoriously difficult to design and conduct due to numerous methodological and cultural challenges. Over the last 5 years, several UK-based surgical trial-related initiatives have been funded to address these issues. These include the development of Surgical Trials Centers and Surgical Specialty Leads (individual surgeons responsible for championing randomized controlled trials in their specialist fields), both funded by the Royal College of Surgeons of England; networks of research-active surgeons in training; and investment in methodological research relating to surgical randomized controlled trials (to address issues such as recruitment, blinding, and the selection and standardization of interventions). This article discusses these initiatives more in detail and provides exemplar cases to illustrate how the methodological challenges have been tackled. The initiatives have surpassed expectations, resulting in a renaissance in surgical research throughout the United Kingdom, such that the number of patients entering surgical randomized controlled trials has doubled.

Communicating Qualitative Research Study Designs to Research Ethics Review Boards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ells, Carolyn

2011-01-01

Researchers using qualitative methodologies appear to be particularly prone to having their study designs called into question by research ethics or funding agency review committees. In this paper, the author considers the issue of communicating qualitative research study designs in the context of institutional research ethics review and offers…

The Value of Action Research in Middle Grades Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caskey, Micki M.

2006-01-01

Action research is one of the relevant methodologies for addressing research questions and issues in middle grades education. Accounting for nearly 20% of published middle grades research studies (Hough, 2003), action research has emerged as an important and appropriate research method. In addition to reviewing the historical context, this article…

When Does Decisional Impairment Become Decisional Incompetence? Ethical and Methodological Issues in Capacity Research in Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Kim, Scott Y H

2006-01-01

Most decision-making capacity (DMC) research has focused on measuring the decision-making abilities of patients, rather than on how such persons may be categorized as competent or incompetent. However, research ethics policies and practices either assume that we can differentiate or attempt to guide the differentiation of the competent from the incompetent. Thus there is a need to build on the recent advances in capacity research by conceptualizing and studying DMC as a categorical concept. This review discusses why there is a need for such research and addresses challenges and obstacles, both practical and theoretical. After a discussion of the potential obstacles and suggesting ways to overcome them, it discusses why clinicians with expertise in capacity assessments may be the best source of a provisional “gold standard” for criterion validation of categorical capacity status. The review provides discussions of selected key methodological issues in conducting research that treats DMC as a categorical concept, such as the issue of the optimal number of expert judges needed to generate a criterion standard and the kinds of information presented to the experts in obtaining their judgments. Future research needs are outlined. PMID:16177276

Issues and Advances in the Systematic Review of Single-Case Research: A Commentary on the Exemplars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manolov, Rumen; Guilera, Georgina; Solanas, Antonio

2017-01-01

The current text comments on three systematic reviews published in the special section "Issues and Advances in the Systematic Review of Single-Case Research: An Update and Exemplars." The commentary is provided in relation to the need to combine the assessment of the methodological quality of the studies included in systematic reviews,…

Analytic Issues in the Assessment of Student Achievement. Proceedings from a Research Seminar (Washington, DC, November 1998).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grissmer, David W., Ed.; Ross, J. Michael, Ed.

In November 1998 a group of researchers and scholars gathered to explore methodological issues related to the measurement of student achievement, with a more specific focus on the sharing of perspectives on the black-white test score gap. Papers from this conference are: (1) "Introduction: Toward Heuristic Models of Student Outcomes and More…

Current thinking in qualitative research: evidence-based practice, moral philosophies, and political struggle.

PubMed

Papadimitriou, Christina; Magasi, Susan; Frank, Gelya

2012-01-01

In this introduction to the special issue on current thinking in qualitative research and occupational therapy and science, the authors focus on the importance of rigorous qualitative research to inform occupational therapy practice. The authors chosen for this special issue reflect a "second generation of qualitative researchers" who are critical, theoretically sophisticated, methodologically productive, and politically relevant to show that working with disabled clients is political work. Three themes emerged across the articles included in this special issue: (1) recognizing and addressing social justice issues; (2) learning from clients' experiences; and (3) critically reframing occupational therapy's role. These themes can inform occupational therapy practice, research, and education to reflect a more client-centered and politically engaging approach. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

Building a Better Canine Warrior

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-12

without adversely affecting pe r formance and to develop technical methodology that would dissipate metabolic heat without the expense o f body water...technical methodology that would dissipate metabolic heat without the expense of body water. Neither an increase in dietary salt nor decrease in...from a methodological aspect as well as emerging regulatory issues related to research in working dogs. Data suggested that the effect of high

Voice Therapy: A Need for Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Charles G.

1980-01-01

Conceptual and methodological guidelines for voice therapy research are presented, and suggestions are offered for selecting experimental designs. Divergent terminology, philosophy, and issues of voice therapy are examined to serve as an overview and as a basis for research direction. (Author/DLS)

The integrative review: updated methodology.

PubMed

Whittemore, Robin; Knafl, Kathleen

2005-12-01

The aim of this paper is to distinguish the integrative review method from other review methods and to propose methodological strategies specific to the integrative review method to enhance the rigour of the process. Recent evidence-based practice initiatives have increased the need for and the production of all types of reviews of the literature (integrative reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and qualitative reviews). The integrative review method is the only approach that allows for the combination of diverse methodologies (for example, experimental and non-experimental research), and has the potential to play a greater role in evidence-based practice for nursing. With respect to the integrative review method, strategies to enhance data collection and extraction have been developed; however, methods of analysis, synthesis, and conclusion drawing remain poorly formulated. A modified framework for research reviews is presented to address issues specific to the integrative review method. Issues related to specifying the review purpose, searching the literature, evaluating data from primary sources, analysing data, and presenting the results are discussed. Data analysis methods of qualitative research are proposed as strategies that enhance the rigour of combining diverse methodologies as well as empirical and theoretical sources in an integrative review. An updated integrative review method has the potential to allow for diverse primary research methods to become a greater part of evidence-based practice initiatives.

Exploring gender, age, time and space in research with older Pakistani Muslims in the United Kingdom: formalised research 'ethics' and performances of the public/private divide in 'the field'.

PubMed

Zubair, Maria; Victor, Christina

2015-05-01

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in researching ageing ethnic minority populations in the West. However, older people from such minority communities have received comparatively little attention in wide-ranging discussions on appropriate research methodologies. By a process of critically reflecting on our experiences of undertaking fieldwork for our Economic and Social Research Council New Dynamics of Ageing study of 'Families and Caring in South Asian Communities', this paper maps out the key methodological and ethical challenges we faced and, in the process, highlights the importance of developing socially appropriate research methodologies and ethical frameworks for research with such populations. With a reflexive approach, we specifically explore the significance of gender, age, time and space to the fieldwork processes and the 'field' relationships formed at various stages of the research process. In particular, we explore three key emergent issues which conflicted with our formal research protocols and presented particular challenges for us and our older Pakistani Muslim participants: (a) structuring of time in daily life; (b) gendered use of public and private spaces; and (c) orality of informal social contexts and relationships. Using illustrations from our fieldwork which reveal the particular significance of these issues to our fieldwork experiences and performativities of public/private identities, we highlight important tensions between formalised ethical and methodological dimensions of conducting funded research and the realities of being in 'the field'. We conclude the paper by emphasising the need to explore further not only the ways in which researchers can adopt more socially and culturally sensitive data collection processes and methodologies at the micro level of their interactions with research participants, but also contextualising the particular challenges experienced by researchers and their participants in terms of the wider research frameworks and agendas as well as the broader social contexts within which they live and work.

Journal of Business and Training Education, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redmann, Donna H., Ed.

2000-01-01

This ninth issue contains seven articles dealing with research, theory, trends and issues, curriculum, teaching methodology, technology, and personal/professional development. "Attitudes of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) Students toward Traditional Business Values and the American Economic System" (Inder P. Nijihawan, Richard…

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports

PubMed Central

Hyett, Nerida; Kenny, Amanda; Dickson-Swift, Virginia

2014-01-01

Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12), social sciences and anthropology (n=7), or methods (n=15) case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners. PMID:24809980

Health Insurance Dynamics: Methodological Considerations and a Comparison of Estimates from Two Surveys.

PubMed

Graves, John A; Mishra, Pranita

2016-10-01

To highlight key methodological issues in studying insurance dynamics and to compare estimates across two commonly used surveys. Nonelderly uninsured adults and children sampled between 2001 and 2011 in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation. We utilized nonparametric Kaplan-Meier methods to estimate quantiles (25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles) in the distribution of uninsured spells. We compared estimates obtained across surveys and across different methodological approaches to address issues like attrition, seam bias, censoring and truncation, and survey weighting method. All data were drawn from publicly available household surveys. Estimated uninsured spell durations in the MEPS were longer than those observed in the SIPP. There were few changes in spell durations between 2001 and 2011, with median durations of 14 months among adults and 5-7 months among children in the MEPS, and 8 months (adults) and 4 months (children) in the SIPP. The use of panel survey data to study insurance dynamics presents a unique set of methodological challenges. Researchers should consider key analytic and survey design trade-offs when choosing which survey can best suit their research goals. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

The decade 1989-1998 in Spanish psychology: an analysis of research in statistics, methodology, and psychometric theory.

PubMed

García-Pérez, M A

2001-11-01

This paper presents an analysis of research published in the decade 1989-1998 by Spanish faculty members in the areas of statistical methods, research methodology, and psychometric theory. Database search and direct correspondence with faculty members in Departments of Methodology across Spain rendered a list of 193 papers published in these broad areas by 82 faculty members. These and other faculty members had actually published 931 papers over the decade of analysis, but 738 of them addressed topics not appropriate for description in this report. Classification and analysis of these 193 papers revealed topics that have attracted the most interest (psychophysics, item response theory, analysis of variance, sequential analysis, and meta-analysis) as well as other topics that have received less attention (scaling, factor analysis, time series, and structural models). A significant number of papers also dealt with various methodological issues (software, algorithms, instrumentation, and techniques). A substantial part of this report is devoted to describing the issues addressed across these 193 papers--most of which are written in the Spanish language and published in Spanish journals--and some representative references are given.

Fieldwork in nursing research: positionality, practicalities and predicaments.

PubMed

Borbasi, Sally; Jackson, Debra; Wilkes, Lesley

2005-09-01

This paper draws on the literature to explore some of the issues of concern to nurses undertaking fieldwork in contemporary healthcare settings. The emergence of poststructuralist and postmodern perspectives has raised questions about ethnographic approaches, and problematized the role of researchers in the construction of plausible and credible ethnographic accounts. As a practice discipline, nursing needs to negotiate a thorny path between methodological purity and practical application, with nurse researchers required to take account of both philosophical and pragmatic concerns. There is general agreement that researching with an individual or group rather than researching on an individual or group is the more effective way to approach fieldwork. Feminist writers appear to have dealt with this issue best, advocating intimacy, self-disclosure, and reciprocity in encounters with research participants. The duality of the nurse researcher role; power and politics and the moral implications of fieldwork are acknowledged as factors influencing nurses in the planning and conduct of fieldwork. Nurses as researchers may be better equipped than other social researchers to deal with contingencies in the field. Laying the epistemological ground for the participant observer role during fieldwork and understanding its impact on the resultant ethnographic account is essential to methodological rigour in field research. Consideration of some of the practicalities and predicaments experienced by nurses as researchers when conducting fieldwork prior to going out into the field is an important research strategy and will facilitate methodological potency.

Research with Children: The Same or Different from Research with Adults?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Punch, Samantha

2002-01-01

Explores seven methodological issues illustrating aspects of the research process posing dilemmas for adult researchers working with children. Argues that research with children differs from that with adults primarily because of adult perceptions of children and children's marginalized position in adult society. Details advantages and…

Qualitative research.

PubMed

Gelling, Leslie

2015-03-25

Qualitative research has an important role in helping nurses and other healthcare professionals understand patient experiences of health and illness. Qualitative researchers have a large number of methodological options and therefore should take care in planning and conducting their research. This article offers a brief overview of some of the key issues qualitative researchers should consider.

Developing longitudinal qualitative designs: lessons learned and recommendations for health services research.

PubMed

Calman, Lynn; Brunton, Lisa; Molassiotis, Alex

2013-02-06

Longitudinal qualitative methods are becoming increasingly used in the health service research, but the method and challenges particular to health care settings are not well described in the literature.We reflect on the strategies used in a longitudinal qualitative study to explore the experience of symptoms in cancer patients and their carers, following participants from diagnosis for twelve months; we highlight ethical, practical, theoretical and methodological issues that need to be considered and addressed from the outset of a longitudinal qualitative study. Key considerations in undertaking longitudinal qualitative projects in health research, include the use of theory, utilizing multiple methods of analysis and giving consideration to the practical and ethical issues at an early stage. These can include issues of time and timing; data collection processes; changing the topic guide over time; recruitment considerations; retention of staff; issues around confidentiality; effects of project on staff and patients, and analyzing data within and across time. As longitudinal qualitative methods are becoming increasingly used in health services research, the methodological and practical challenges particular to health care settings need more robust approaches and conceptual improvement. We provide recommendations for the use of such designs. We have a particular focus on cancer patients, so this paper will have particular relevance for researchers interested in chronic and life limiting conditions.

Researching Street Children: Methodological and Ethical Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutz, Claudio S.; And Others

This paper describes the ethical and methodological problems associated with studying prosocial moral reasoning of street children and children of low and high SES living with their families, and problems associated with studying sexual attitudes and behavior of street children and their knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases, especially AIDS.…

The Impact of E-Skills on the Settlement of Iranian Refugees in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shariati, Saeed; Armarego, Jocelyn; Sudweeks, Fay

2017-01-01

Aim/Purpose: The research investigates the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Iranian refugees' settlement in Australia. Background: The study identifies the issues of settlement, such as language, cultural and social differences. Methodology: The Multi-Sited Ethnography (MSE), which is a qualitative methodology, has…

A Cross-Sectional Investigation of the Effects of Regional Labor Market Conditions on the Reenlistment Decisions of Air Force Enlistees

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

Baldwin, Robert H. and Thomas V. Daula. "Army Recruit Attrition and Force Manning Costs: Methodology and Analysis," Research in Labor Economics , ed. Ronald...Methodological Issues and a Proposed Specification," Research in Labor Economics , ed. Ronald Ehrenberg, 7:339-363 (1985b). Baldwin, Robert H. et al. "Military...Manpower Research: An Introduction," Research in Labor Economics , ed. Ronald Ehrenberg, L:257-260 (1985). Dalton, Dan R. et al. "Turnover Overstated: The

Research Methodologies Represented (or Not) in "AJEE"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gough, Noel

2014-01-01

As one of the contributors to the first issue of the "Australian Journal of Environmental Education" (AJEE) in 1984 (and to a further seven issues between 1991 and 2009), and as a sometime member of its editorial board (1991-1994) and the editorial collective that edited four issues (1999-2002), Noel Gough has been privileged to witness…

Phenomenological Research and Adolescent Female Sexuality: Discoveries and Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrissey, Gabrielle; Higgs, Joy

2006-01-01

This paper presents research in female first sexual intercourse in Australia. Previous research in adolescent sexual behavior, particularly issues around first sexual intercourse behavior, has mainly utilized quantitative methodology. Our research adopted a qualitative approach to provide unique insight into adolescent sexual behavior, attitudes,…

A General Survey of Qualitative Research Methodology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cary, Rick

Current definitions and philosophical foundations of qualitative research are presented; and designs, evaluation methods, and issues in application of qualitative research to education are discussed. The effects of positivism and the post-positivist era on qualitative research are outlined, and naturalist and positivist approaches are contrasted.…

Developing a Research Agenda for Assisted Living

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Rosalie A.; Wilson, Keren Brown; Spector, William

2007-01-01

Purpose: We describe an approach to identifying knowledge gaps, research questions, and methodological issues for assisted living (AL) research. Design and Methods: We undertook an inventory of AL literature and research in progress and commissioned background papers critiquing knowledge on selected subtopics. With an advisory committee, we…

Conceptual and methodological issues in research on mindfulness and meditation.

PubMed

Davidson, Richard J; Kaszniak, Alfred W

2015-10-01

Both basic science and clinical research on mindfulness, meditation, and related constructs have dramatically increased in recent years. However, interpretation of these research results has been challenging. The present article addresses unique conceptual and methodological problems posed by research in this area. Included among the key topics is the role of first-person experience and how it can be best studied, the challenges posed by intervention research designs in which true double-blinding is not possible, the nature of control and comparison conditions for research that includes mindfulness or other meditation-based interventions, issues in the adequate description of mindfulness and related trainings and interventions, the question of how mindfulness can be measured, questions regarding what can and cannot be inferred from self-report measures, and considerations regarding the structure of study design and data analyses. Most of these topics are germane to both basic and clinical research studies and have important bearing on the future scientific understanding of mindfulness and meditation. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Research on Mindfulness and Meditation

PubMed Central

Davidson, Richard J.; Kaszniak, Alfred W.

2015-01-01

Both basic science and clinical research on mindfulness, meditation, and related constructs has dramatically increased in recent years. However, interpretation of these research results has been challenging. The present article addresses unique conceptual and methodological problems posed by research in this area. Included among the key topics is the role of first person experience and how it can be best studied; the challenges posed by intervention research designs in which true double-blinding is not possible; the nature of control and comparison conditions for research that includes mindfulness or other meditation-based interventions; issues in the adequate description of mindfulness and related trainings and interventions; the question of how mindfulness can be measured; questions regarding what can and cannot be inferred from self-report measures; and considerations regarding the structure of study design and data analyses. Most of these topics are germane to both basic and clinical research studies and have important bearing on the future scientific understanding of mindfulness and meditation. PMID:26436310

Methodological issues in the study of violence against women

PubMed Central

Ruiz‐Pérez, Isabel; Plazaola‐Castaño, Juncal; Vives‐Cases, Carmen

2007-01-01

The objective of this paper is to review the methodological issues that arise when studying violence against women as a public health problem, focusing on intimate partner violence (IPV), since this is the form of violence that has the greatest consequences at a social and political level. The paper focuses first on the problems of defining what is meant by IPV. Secondly, the paper describes the difficulties in assessing the magnitude of the problem. Obtaining reliable data on this type of violence is a complex task, because of the methodological issues derived from the very nature of the phenomenon, such as the private, intimate context in which this violence often takes place, which means the problem cannot be directly observed. Finally, the paper examines the limitations and bias in research on violence, including the lack of consensus with regard to measuring events that may or may not represent a risk factor for violence against women or the methodological problem related to the type of sampling used in both aetiological and prevalence studies. PMID:18000113

Primary care research conducted in networks: getting down to business.

PubMed

Mold, James W

2012-01-01

This seventh annual practice-based research theme issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine highlights primary care research conducted in practice-based research networks (PBRNs). The issue includes discussion of (1) theoretical and methodological research, (2) health care research (studies addressing primary care processes), (3) clinical research (studies addressing the impact of primary care on patients), and (4) health systems research (studies of health system issues impacting primary care including the quality improvement process). We had a noticeable increase in submissions from PBRN collaborations, that is, studies that involved multiple networks. As PBRNs cooperate to recruit larger and more diverse patient samples, greater generalizability and applicability of findings lead to improved primary care processes.

Using social media for health research: Methodological and ethical considerations for recruitment and intervention delivery.

PubMed

Arigo, Danielle; Pagoto, Sherry; Carter-Harris, Lisa; Lillie, Sarah E; Nebeker, Camille

2018-01-01

As the popularity and diversity of social media platforms increases so does their utility for health research. Using social media for recruitment into clinical studies and/or delivering health behavior interventions may increase reach to a broader audience. However, evidence supporting the efficacy of these approaches is limited, and key questions remain with respect to optimal benchmarks, intervention development and methodology, participant engagement, informed consent, privacy, and data management. Little methodological guidance is available to researchers interested in using social media for health research. In this Tutorial, we summarize the content of the 2017 Society for Behavioral Medicine Pre-Conference Course entitled 'Using Social Media for Research,' at which the authors presented their experiences with methodological and ethical issues relating to social media-enabled research recruitment and intervention delivery. We identify common pitfalls and provide recommendations for recruitment and intervention via social media. We also discuss the ethical and responsible conduct of research using social media for each of these purposes.

Using social media for health research: Methodological and ethical considerations for recruitment and intervention delivery

PubMed Central

Pagoto, Sherry; Carter-Harris, Lisa; Lillie, Sarah E; Nebeker, Camille

2018-01-01

As the popularity and diversity of social media platforms increases so does their utility for health research. Using social media for recruitment into clinical studies and/or delivering health behavior interventions may increase reach to a broader audience. However, evidence supporting the efficacy of these approaches is limited, and key questions remain with respect to optimal benchmarks, intervention development and methodology, participant engagement, informed consent, privacy, and data management. Little methodological guidance is available to researchers interested in using social media for health research. In this Tutorial, we summarize the content of the 2017 Society for Behavioral Medicine Pre-Conference Course entitled ‘Using Social Media for Research,’ at which the authors presented their experiences with methodological and ethical issues relating to social media-enabled research recruitment and intervention delivery. We identify common pitfalls and provide recommendations for recruitment and intervention via social media. We also discuss the ethical and responsible conduct of research using social media for each of these purposes. PMID:29942634

Forward progress of scientific inquiry into the early father-child relationship: introduction to the special issue on very young children and their fathers.

PubMed

Bocknek, Erika L; Hossain, Ziarat; Roggman, Lori

2014-01-01

Research on fathering and the father-child relationship has made substantial progress in the most recent 15 years since the last special issue of the Infant Mental Health Journal on fathers and young children. This special issue on fathers and young children contains a series of papers exemplifying this progress, including advances in methodology-more direct assessment and more observational measures-in addition to the increasing dynamic complexity of the conceptual models used to study fathers, the diversity of fathers studied, and the growth of programs to support early father involvement. In assessing the current state of the field, special attention is given to contributions made by the papers contained in this special issue, and two critical areas for continued progress are addressed: (1) methodological and measurement development that specifically address fathers and fathering relationships and (2) cross-cultural and ecologically valid research examining the diversity of models of fathering. © 2014 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Solar energy program evaluation: an introduction

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

deLeon, P.

The Program Evaluation Methodology provides an overview of the practice and methodology of program evaluation and defines more precisely the evaluation techniques and methodologies that would be most appropriate to government organizations which are actively involved in the research, development, and commercialization of solar energy systems. Formal evaluation cannot be treated as a single methodological approach for assessing a program. There are four basic types of evaluation designs - the pre-experimental design; the quasi-experimental design based on time series; the quasi-experimental design based on comparison groups; and the true experimental design. This report is organized to first introduce the rolemore » and issues of evaluation. This is to provide a set of issues to organize the subsequent sections detailing the national solar energy programs. Then, these two themes are integrated by examining the evaluation strategies and methodologies tailored to fit the particular needs of the various individual solar energy programs. (MCW)« less

Internet research in an international context.

PubMed

Baernholdt, Marianne; Clarke, Sean P

2006-02-01

Computers and the Internet provide researchers with new options in surveying. When using electronic surveys, several practical and methodological issues need to be considered such as whether the majority of the surveyed population has Internet access and whether an e-mail or a Web-based survey is most appropriate. Other important considerations relate to Internet security issues and, in international research, the possibility of language barriers. Despite these challenges, electronic surveys offer a promising alternative to conventional mail surveys.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Domestic Dog: Research, Methodology, and Conceptual Issues

PubMed Central

Thompkins, Andie M.; Deshpande, Gopikrishna; Waggoner, Paul; Katz, Jeffrey S.

2017-01-01

Neuroimaging of the domestic dog is a rapidly expanding research topic in terms of the cognitive domains being investigated. Because dogs have shared both a physical and social world with humans for thousands of years, they provide a unique and socially relevant means of investigating a variety of shared human and canine psychological phenomena. Additionally, their trainability allows for neuroimaging to be carried out noninvasively in an awake and unrestrained state. In this review, a brief overview of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is followed by an analysis of recent research with dogs using fMRI. Methodological and conceptual concerns found across multiple studies are raised, and solutions to these issues are suggested. With the research capabilities brought by canine functional imaging, findings may improve our understanding of canine cognitive processes, identify neural correlates of behavioral traits, and provide early-life selection measures for dogs in working roles. PMID:29456781

Sample size in psychological research over the past 30 years.

PubMed

Marszalek, Jacob M; Barber, Carolyn; Kohlhart, Julie; Holmes, Cooper B

2011-04-01

The American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Statistical Inference was formed in 1996 in response to a growing body of research demonstrating methodological issues that threatened the credibility of psychological research, and made recommendations to address them. One issue was the small, even dramatically inadequate, size of samples used in studies published by leading journals. The present study assessed the progress made since the Task Force's final report in 1999. Sample sizes reported in four leading APA journals in 1955, 1977, 1995, and 2006 were compared using nonparametric statistics, while data from the last two waves were fit to a hierarchical generalized linear growth model for more in-depth analysis. Overall, results indicate that the recommendations for increasing sample sizes have not been integrated in core psychological research, although results slightly vary by field. This and other implications are discussed in the context of current methodological critique and practice.

Substance abuse prevention intervention research with Hispanic populations.

PubMed

Castro, Felipe González; Barrera, Manuel; Pantin, Hilda; Martinez, Charles; Felix-Ortiz, Maria; Rios, Rebeca; Lopez, Vera A; Lopez, Cristy

2006-09-01

Selected studies with specific relevance to substance abuse prevention interventions with Hispanic youth and families were examined to identify prior findings and emerging issues that may guide the design of future substance abuse prevention intervention research and its implementation with Hispanic populations. The origins of prevention research and role of risk and protective factors are examined, including culturally-specific risk and protective factors for Hispanic populations. Correlational studies, non-experimental interventions, and randomized controlled trials were examined for the period of 1974-2003. The literature search yielded 15 articles selected for this review that exhibited adequate methodological rigor. An added search for more recent studies identified three additional articles, for a total of 18 prevention intervention articles that were reviewed. Theoretical and methodological issues and recommendations are presented for future research aimed at improving the efficacy and effectiveness of future prevention intervention studies and their cultural relevance for Hispanic populations.

Research on Women of Color: From Ignorance to Awareness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Pamela Trotman; Kelly, Elizabeth

1994-01-01

Discusses the issue that women of color are dealt with as anomalies in psychological research, noting that research paradigms are actually focused on White, middle-class populations. It examines the methodological and theoretical transformations that have occurred in the literature and evaluates the extent to which researchers have successfully…

Involving People in the Analysis: Listening, Reflecting, Discounting Nothing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richardson, Malcolm

2002-01-01

This article explores methodological issues arising from a research project that involved six people with learning difficulties in researching aspects of their own lives. These included how participants were included in data analysis and the researcher's role. It stresses the importance of the researcher listening to participants, taking time to…

Depression Prevention Research: Design, Implementation, and Analysis of Randomized Trials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz, Ricardo F.; And Others

This document contains three papers concerned with prevention intervention research, a new area of depression research which has shown great promise for contributing new knowledge to the understanding of depression. The first paper, "Clinical Trials vs. Prevention Trials: Methodological Issues in Depression Research" (Ricardo F. Munoz), emphasizes…

Skepticism and Qualitative Research: A View from Inside.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Richard

1980-01-01

Discusses the tendency to formalize qualitative research methodologies in order to clarify basic issues inherent in contemplating ethnographic research. Presents a critique of social phenomenological positions in educational research and suggests two alternative qualitative approaches, one conceived by A.W. Imershein and the other by J.W. Knight.…

Framing and Exposing Community Issues through Video Participatory Research: An Emerging Approach for Adult Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathews, Sarah A.; Lovett, Maria K.

2017-01-01

Video participatory research (VPR) is an emergent methodology that bridges visual methods with the epistemology of participatory research. This approach is motivated by the "crisis of representation" or "reflective turn" (Gubrium & Harper, 2013) that promotes research conducted with or by participants, conceptualizing…

Recycling Piaget: Posthumanism and Making Children's Knowledge Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aslanian, Teresa K.

2018-01-01

A growing body of research incorporates children's perspectives into the research process. If we are to take children's perspectives seriously in education research, research methodologies must be capable of addressing issues that matter to children. This article engages in a theoretical discussion that considers how a posthuman research…

Power relations in qualitative research.

PubMed

Karnieli-Miller, Orit; Strier, Roni; Pessach, Liat

2009-02-01

This article focuses on the tensions between the commitment to power redistribution of the qualitative paradigm and the ethical and methodological complexity inherent in clinical research. Qualitative inquiry, in general, though there are significant variations between its different paradigms and traditions, proposes to reduce power differences and encourages disclosure and authenticity between researchers and participants. It clearly departs from the traditional conception of quantitative research, whereby the researcher is the ultimate source of authority and promotes the participants' equal participation in the research process. But it is precisely this admirable desire to democratize the research process, and the tendency to question traditional role boundaries, that raises multiple ethical dilemmas and serious methodological challenges. In this article, we offer a conceptual frame for addressing questions of power distribution in qualitative research through a developmental analysis of power relations across the different stages of the research process. We discuss ethical and methodological issues.

End-of Life Issues in the Context of Alzheimer’s Disease

PubMed Central

Allen, Rebecca S.; Kwak, Jung; Lokken, Kristine L.; Haley, William E.

2009-01-01

This article presents an overview of end-of-life care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and their family caregivers. We define end-stage AD, and review neuropsychological and behavioral characteristics along with concomitant issues in therapeutic assessment. We then review the literature regarding programs and treatments for end-stage AD, the need for advance care planning and family participation in medical decision-making, familial caregiving stress, and issues associated with palliative care and bereavement outcomes. Methodological issues in the extant research literature are addressed, including issues of treatment implementation, validity, and clinical significance. Translational research and demonstration projects are encouraged. PMID:19997523

Conducting research with communities of color

Treesearch

Leo McAvoy; Patricia L. Winter; Corliss W. Outley; Dan McDonald; Deborah J. Chavez

2000-01-01

This article presents the major challenges facing those who want to address the issues of race and ethnicity through research with communities of color; general methodological recommendations appropriate to many communities of color; and, specific research method recommendations for African American, American Indian, and Hispanic American communities.

Research on Internet-Supported Learning: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekele, Teklu Abate; Menchaca, Michael Paul

2008-01-01

How did the Internet affect learning in higher education? What methodological and theoretical issues characterized research on Internet-Supported Learning (ISL)? What implications existed for future research? A constant comparative, qualitative analysis of 29 studies indicated grade achievement was the prime measure of effectiveness in ISL…

The Development of Sport Expertise: Mapping the Tactical Domain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPherson, Sue L.

1994-01-01

Explores issues and research relevant to sport tactical knowledge development and expertise. The paper discusses controversies concerning methodological tools, possible levels of analysis in sport research, sport tactical knowledge and expertise, a protocol structure model for sport, and expert-novice sport research. (SM)

How to Conduct Ethnographic Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sangasubana, Nisaratana

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of conducting ethnographic research. Methodology definition and key characteristics are given. The stages of the research process are described including preparation, data gathering and recording, and analysis. Important issues such as reliability and validity are also discussed.

Validity in Mixed Methods Research in Education: The Application of Habermas' Critical Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Haiying

2017-01-01

Mixed methods approach has developed into the third methodological movement in educational research. Validity in mixed methods research as an important issue, however, has not been examined as extensively as that of quantitative and qualitative research. Additionally, the previous discussions of validity in mixed methods research focus on research…

Methodological Complications of Matching Designs under Real World Constraints: Lessons from a Study of Deeper Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeiser, Kristina; Rickles, Jordan; Garet, Michael S.

2014-01-01

To help researchers understand potential issues one can encounter when conducting propensity matching studies in complex settings, this paper describes methodological complications faced when studying schools using deeper learning practices to improve college and career readiness. The study uses data from high schools located in six districts…

Designing Evaluations. 2012 Revision. Applied Research and Methods. GAO-12-208G

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Government Accountability Office, 2012

2012-01-01

GAO assists congressional decision makers in their deliberations by furnishing them with analytical information on issues and options. Many diverse methodologies are needed to develop sound and timely answers to the questions the Congress asks. To provide GAO evaluators with basic information about the more commonly used methodologies, GAO's…

Perspectives Do Matter: "Joint Screen", a Promising Methodology for Multimodal Interaction Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arend, Béatrice; Sunnen, Patrick; Fixmer, Pierre; Sujbert, Monika

2014-01-01

This paper discusses theoretical and methodological issues arising from a video-based research design and the emergent tool "Joint Screen'"when grasping joint activity. We share our reflections regarding the combined reading of four synchronised camera perspectives combined in one screen. By these means we reconstruct and analyse…

The Interplay between Methodologies, Tasks and Visualisation Formats in the Study of Visual Expertise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boucheix, Jean-Michel

2017-01-01

This article introduces this special issue of "Frontline Learning Research." The first paper offers a methodological guide using Ericsson & Smith's (1991) "expert performance approach." This is followed by three papers that analyze the use of eye tracking in visual expertise models, and a paper reviewing the use of methods…

Measuring College Students' Alcohol Consumption in Natural Drinking Environments: Field Methodologies for Bars and Parties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clapp, John D.; Holmes, Megan R.; Reed, Mark B.; Shillington, Audrey M.; Freisthler, Bridget; Lange, James E.

2007-01-01

In recent years researchers have paid substantial attention to the issue of college students' alcohol use. One limitation to the current literature is an over reliance on retrospective, self-report survey data. This article presents field methodologies for measuring college students' alcohol consumption in natural drinking environments.…

Toward a Learning Behavior Tracking Methodology for CA-for-SLA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markee, Numa

2008-01-01

This paper is principally about methodology. It first summarizes five issues in the emerging research agenda of conversation analysis-for-second language acquisition (CA-for-SLA), and develops empirically based analyses of classroom talk that occurs over several days and months to illustrate how a longitudinal learning behavior tracking (LBT)…

Researching Education Policy in a Globalized World: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lingard, Bob

2009-01-01

This paper shows how globalization has given rise to a number of new theoretical and methodological issues for doing education policy analysis linked to globalization's impact within critical social science. Critical policy analysis has always required critical "reflexivity" and awareness of the "positionality" of the policy analyst. However, as…

Mixed-Methods Design in Biology Education Research: Approach and Uses

PubMed Central

Warfa, Abdi-Rizak M.

2016-01-01

Educational research often requires mixing different research methodologies to strengthen findings, better contextualize or explain results, or minimize the weaknesses of a single method. This article provides practical guidelines on how to conduct such research in biology education, with a focus on mixed-methods research (MMR) that uses both quantitative and qualitative inquiries. Specifically, the paper provides an overview of mixed-methods design typologies most relevant in biology education research. It also discusses common methodological issues that may arise in mixed-methods studies and ways to address them. The paper concludes with recommendations on how to report and write about MMR. PMID:27856556

Methodological issues in oral health research: intervention studies.

PubMed

O'Mullane, Denis; James, Patrice; Whelton, Helen; Parnell, Carmel

2012-02-01

To provide a broad overview of methodological issues in the design and evaluation of intervention studies in dental public health, with particular emphasis on explanatory trials, pragmatic trials and complex interventions. We present a narrative summary of selected publications from the literature outlining both historical and recent challenges in the design and evaluation of intervention studies and describe some recent tools that may help researchers to address these challenges. It is now recognised that few intervention studies in dental public health are purely explanatory or pragmatic. We describe the PRECIS tool which can be used by trialists to assess and display the position of their trial on a continuum between the extremes of explanatory and pragmatic trials. The tool aims to help trialists make design decisions that are in line with their stated aims. The increasingly complex nature of dental public health interventions presents particular design and evaluation challenges. The revised Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance for the development and evaluation of complex interventions which emphasises the importance of planning and process evaluation is a welcome development. We briefly describe the MRC guidance and outline some examples of complex interventions in the field of oral health. The role of observational studies in monitoring public health interventions when the conduct of RCTs is not appropriate or feasible is acknowledged. We describe the STROBE statement and outline the implications of the STROBE guidelines for dental public health. The methodological challenges in the design, conduct and reporting of intervention studies in oral health are considerable. The need to provide reliable evidence to support innovative new strategies in oral health policy is a major impetus in these fields. No doubt the 'Methodological Issues in Oral Health Research' group will have further opportunities to highlight this work. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Nursing research: can a feminist perspective make any contribution?

PubMed

Ehlers, V

1999-03-01

As more than 90% of the RSA's nurses are women and as at least 50% of the health care clients are also women, nursing research can definitely benefit by incorporating feminist research approaches. Specific feminist research issues which could be relevant to nursing research include: inherent themes in feminist research feminist research methodology gender stereotypes and nursing research gender-based stereotypes of researchers potential benefits of incorporating feminist research approaches in nursing research. Most formal models of nursing, and thus also most nursing research based on these models, ignore gender issues. Thus they ignore part of the social reality of nursing and might provide distorted images of nursing. A feminist approach to nursing research could enhance the reality-based gender issues relevant to nursing specifically, and health care generally, and contribute towards rendering effective health care within a multidisciplinary health care context.

Untold stories: biases and selection effects in research with victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

PubMed

Brunovskis, Anette; Surtees, Rebecca

2010-01-01

Recent discussions of trafficking research have included calls for more innovative studies and new methodologies in order to move beyond the current trafficking narrative, which is often based on unrepresentative samples and overly simplified images. While new methods can potentially play a role in expanding the knowledge base on trafficking, this article argues that the solution is not entirely about applying new methods, but as much about using current methods to greater effect and with careful attention to their limitations and ethical constraints. Drawing on the authors' experience in researching trafficking issues in a number of projects over the past decade, the article outlines and exemplifies some of the methodological and ethical issues to be considered and accommodated when conducting research with trafficked persons -- including unrepresentative samples; access to respondents; selection biases by "gatekeepers" and self selection by potential respondents. Such considerations should inform not only how research is undertaken but also how this information is read and understood. Moreover, many of these considerations equally apply when considering the application of new methods within this field. The article maintains that a better understanding of how these issues come into play and inform trafficking research will translate into tools for conducting improved research in this field and, by implication, new perspectives on human trafficking.

Design strategies from sexual exploitation and sex work studies among women and girls: Methodological considerations in a hidden and vulnerable population

PubMed Central

Gerassi, Lara; Edmond, Tonya; Nichols, Andrea

2016-01-01

The study of sex trafficking, prostitution, sex work, and sexual exploitation is associated with many methodological issues and challenges. Researchers’ study designs must consider the many safety issues related to this vulnerable and hidden population. Community advisory boards and key stakeholder involvement are essential to study design to increase safety of participants, usefulness of study aims, and meaningfulness of conclusions. Nonrandomized sampling strategies are most often utilized when studying exploited women and girls, which have the capacity to provide rich data and require complex sampling and recruitment methods. This article reviews the current methodological issues when studying this marginalized population as well as strategies to address challenges while working with the community in order to bring about social change. The authors also discuss their own experiences in collaborating with community organizations to conduct research in this field. PMID:28824337

Beyond Practice: A Postmodern Feminist Perspective on Art Therapy Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burt, Helene

1996-01-01

Discusses the failure of art therapy, as a profession, to integrate feminism and gender issues into art therapy literature and research. Examines whether there are research methodologies that are less gender biased than others and which methods are best suited to art therapy. (SNR)

Critical Frames in Educational Research: Feminist and Post-structural Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lather, Patti

1992-01-01

Explores how qualitative and feminist inquiry are reconfiguring educational research, focusing on methodological issues involved in moving it into the postpositivist era. The article examines contributions of the transdisciplinary movements of feminism and poststructuralism in the development of critical frames in educational research. (SM)

Reviews of Functional MRI: The Ethical Dimensions of Methodological Critique

PubMed Central

Anderson, James; Mizgalewicz, Ania; Illes, Judy

2012-01-01

Neuroimaging studies involving human subjects raise a range of ethics issues. Many of these issues are heightened in the context of neuroimaging research involving persons with mental health disorders. There has been growing interest in these issues among legal scholars, philosophers, social scientists, and as well as neuroimagers over the last decade. Less clear, however, is the extent to which members of the neuroimaging community are engaged with these issues when they undertake their research and report results. In this study, we analyze the peer-reviewed review literature involving fMRI as applied to the study of mental health disorders. Our hypothesis is that, due to the critical orientation of reviews, and the vulnerability of mental health population, the penetrance of neuroethics will be higher in the review literature in this area than it is in the primary fMRI research literature more generally. We find that while authors of reviews do focus a great deal of attention on the methodological limitations of the studies they discussed, contrary to our hypothesis, they do not frame concerns in ethical terms despite their ethical significance. We argue that an ethics lens on such discussion would increase the knowledge-value of this scholarly work. PMID:22952615

Gender Roles in Marriage and the Family: A Critique and Some Proposals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkinson, Jean

1987-01-01

Argues that the ambiguous evidence regarding gender differences in empirical research can be traced to conceptual and methodological issues such as construct definitions, measurement techniques, sampling, and inattention to historical context. Focuses on division of household labor to illustrate how attention to these issues promotes understanding…

Exploring Intercultural Interactions in Multicultural Contexts: Proposal and Research Suggestions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Jung-huel Becky

A discussion examines the importance of communication between non-native speakers (NNS/NNS), reviews relevant theories and issues in intercultural interactions and NNS/NNS interactions, and explores methodological issues in interpreting linguistic and interactional data. The intent is to explore features of communication between NNSs from…

Career Concerns for People Living with HIV/AIDS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Brandon; Jaques, Jodi; Niles, Spencer G.; Wierzalis, Edward

2003-01-01

Study seeks to identify the career concerns of people living with HIV/AIDS. Used qualitative research methodology to ask participants to discuss the impact their diagnosis has had on their career development concerns and their career goals. Responses classified participants' concerns as relating to career or workplace issues, medical issues, or…

Adulthood and Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jeanne L.

This textbook is designed to introduce undergraduates to the scientific study of aging in adults. Among the topics covered in the book's 15 chapters are: approaches to the study of adult development and aging (research methodology and related issues, a life-span perspective, ethical issues); theories in the study of adult development (models of…

Issues in Longitudinal Research on Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoel, Reinoud D.; Roeleveld, Jaap; Peetsma, Thea; van den Wittenboer, Godfried; Hox, Joop

2006-01-01

This paper discusses two methodological issues regarding the analysis of longitudinal data using structural equation modeling that emerged during the reconsideration of the analysis of a recent study on the relationship between academic motivation and language achievement in elementary education [Stoel R.D., Peetsma, T.T.D. and Roeleveld, J.…

Overview of qualitative research.

PubMed

Grossoehme, Daniel H

2014-01-01

Qualitative research methods are a robust tool for chaplaincy research questions. Similar to much of chaplaincy clinical care, qualitative research generally works with written texts, often transcriptions of individual interviews or focus group conversations and seeks to understand the meaning of experience in a study sample. This article describes three common methodologies: ethnography, grounded theory, and phenomenology. Issues to consider relating to the study sample, design, and analysis are discussed. Enhancing the validity of the data, as well reliability and ethical issues in qualitative research are described. Qualitative research is an accessible way for chaplains to contribute new knowledge about the sacred dimension of people's lived experience.

[Ethical considerations about research with women in situations of violence].

PubMed

Rafael, Ricardo de Mattos Russo; Soares de Moura, Anna Tereza Miranda

2013-01-01

This essay aims at reflecting on the ethical and methodological principles involved in research with women in situation of violence. The text raises the discussion of the application of the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence during researches involving this issue, pointing to recommendations towards privacy, autonomy and immediate contributions for volunteers. Then, taking as theoretical reference the principles of justice and equity, the authors propose a debate on methodological aspects involved in protection of respondents, with a view at improving the quality of the data obtained and possible social contributions.

Methodological and ethical issues in research using social media: a metamethod of Human Papillomavirus vaccine studies.

PubMed

Gustafson, Diana L; Woodworth, Claire F

2014-12-02

Online content is a primary source of healthcare information for internet-using adults and a rich resource for health researchers. This paper explores the methodological and ethical issues of engaging in health research using social media. A metamethod was performed on systematically selected studies that used social media as a data source for exploring public awareness and beliefs about Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) and HPV vaccination. Seven electronic databases were searched using a variety of search terms identified for each of three concepts: social media, HPV vaccine, and research method. Abstracts were assessed for eligibility of inclusion; six studies met the eligibility criteria and were subjected to content analysis. A 10-item coding scheme was developed to assess the clarity, congruence and transparency of research design, epistemological and methodological underpinnings and ethical considerations. The designs of the six selected studies were sound, although most studies could have been more transparent about how they built in rigor to ensure the trustworthiness and credibility of findings. Statistical analysis that intended to measure trends and patterns did so without the benefit of randomized sampling and other design elements for ensuring generalizability or reproducibility of findings beyond the specified virtual community. Most researchers did not sufficiently engage virtual users in the research process or consider the risk of privacy incursion. Most studies did not seek ethical approval from an institutional research board or permission from host websites or web service providers. The metamethod exposed missed opportunities for using the dialogical character of social media as well as a lack of attention to the unique ethical issues inherent in operating in a virtual community where social boundaries and issues of public and private are ambiguous. This suggests the need for more self-conscious and ethical research practices when using social media as a data source. Given the relative newness of virtual communities, researchers and ethics review boards must work together to develop expertise in evaluating the design of studies undertaken with virtual communities. We recommend that the principles of concern for welfare, respect for person, and justice to be applied in research using social media.

[Methodology for clinical research in Orthodontics, the assets of the beOrtho website].

PubMed

Ruiz, Martial; Thibult, François

2014-06-01

The rules applying to the "evidence-based" methodology strongly influenced the clinical research in orthodontics. However, the implementation of clinical studies requires rigour, important statistical and methodological knowledge, as well as a reliable environment in order to compile and store the data obtained from research. We developed the project "beOrtho.com" (based on orthodontic evidence) in order to fill up the gap between our desire to drive clinical research and the necessity of methodological rigour in the exploitation of its results. BeOrtho website was created to answer the issue of sample recruitment, data compilation and storage, while providing help for the methodological design of clinical studies. It allows the development and monitoring of clinical studies, as well as the creation of databases. On the other hand, we designed an evaluation grid for clinical studies which helps developing systematic reviews. In order to illustrate our point, we tested a research protocol evaluating the interest of the mandibular advancement in the framework of Class II treatment. © EDP Sciences, SFODF, 2014.

Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research. Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smart, John C., Ed.

Theory and research on the effectiveness of college operations are covered in 12 chapters. Current research on each topic is reviewed, with attention to conceptual and methodological issues, and an agenda for future research is offered. Chapter titles and authors are as follows: "Transformational Leadership in Colleges and Universities" (Kim S.…

Reconciling the Rigor-Relevance Dilemma in Intellectual Capital Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andriessen, Daniel

2004-01-01

This paper raises the issue of research methodology for intellectual capital and other types of management research by focusing on the dilemma of rigour versus relevance. The more traditional explanatory approach to research often leads to rigorous results that are not of much help to solve practical problems. This paper describes an alternative…

Shaping Social Work Science: What Should Quantitative Researchers Do?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guo, Shenyang

2015-01-01

Based on a review of economists' debates on mathematical economics, this article discusses a key issue for shaping the science of social work--research methodology. The article describes three important tasks quantitative researchers need to fulfill in order to enhance the scientific rigor of social work research. First, to test theories using…

Using Qualitative Research Strategies in Cross-National Projects: The English-Finnish Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vulliamy, Graham; Webb, Rosemary

2009-01-01

Some methodological issues are discussed that arise from our comparative research conducted since the early 1990s into primary schooling in Finland and England. This research has been identified as part of a "new" comparative education that uses qualitative research strategies and which prioritises sensitivity to cultural context in data…

Video Recording and the Research Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Constant; Hawkins, Margaret R.

2011-01-01

This is a two-part discussion. Part 1 is entitled "English Language Learning in Subject Lessons", and Part 2 is titled "Video as a Research Tool/Counterpoint". Working with different research concerns, the authors attempt to draw attention to a set of methodological and theoretical issues that have emerged in the research process using video data.…

Varieties of second modernity: the cosmopolitan turn in social and political theory and research.

PubMed

Beck, Ulrich; Grande, Edgar

2010-09-01

The theme of this special issue is the necessity of a cosmopolitan turn in social and political theory. The question at the heart of this introductory chapter takes the challenge of 'methodological cosmopolitanism', already addressed in a Special Issue on Cosmopolitan Sociology in this journal (Beck and Sznaider 2006), an important step further: How can social and political theory be opened up, theoretically as well as methodologically and normatively, to a historically new, entangled Modernity which threatens its own foundations? How can it account for the fundamental fragility, the mutability of societal dynamics (of unintended side effects, domination and power), shaped by the globalization of capital and risks at the beginning of the twenty-first century? What theoretical and methodological problems arise and how can they be addressed in empirical research? In the following, we will develop this 'cosmopolitan turn' in four steps: firstly, we present the major conceptual tools for a theory of cosmopolitan modernities; secondly, we de-construct Western modernity by using examples taken from research on individualization and risk; thirdly, we address the key problem of methodological cosmopolitanism, namely the problem of defining the appropriate unit of analysis; and finally,we discuss normative questions, perspectives, and dilemmas of a theory of cosmopolitan modernities, in particular problems of political agency and prospects of political realization.

Children's Eye Movements in Reading: A Commentary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rayner, Keith; Ardoin, Scott P.; Binder, Katherine S.

2013-01-01

are discussed. Specifically, the following topics are addressed: (1) basic methodological issues, (2) prior research findings on children's reading, (3) research that is missing in the literature regarding children's eye movements during reading, (4) applied…

Proceedings of the 2000 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium

Treesearch

Gerard Kyle

2001-01-01

Contains articles presented at the 2000 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Contents cover management and planning, economics of outdoor recreation and tourism, tourism, characteristics of outdoor recreationists, ethnicity and culture, methodological issues, and marketing and management in outdoor recreation and tourism.

Commentary on Reading as a Monitor in Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Christine J.

1987-01-01

Evaluates Heather Hemming's research project, "Reading as a Monitor in Writing" (this issue). Emphasizes the contribution this project makes to research methodology. Stresses Hemming's conclusion that the type of monitoring strategy used is not important, providing it is effective. (MM)

Modelling of Command and Control Agility

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

in the system (Janlert & Stolterman 2010, Reiman & Oedewald 2007, Lintern 2012, Bahill & Gissing 1998). 4 The causes of C2 system complexity...Research Methodology for Information Systems Research. Journal of Management Information Systems, Vol. 24, Issue 3: 45-77. Reiman , T. & Oedewald, P

Socially Just Research for Social Justice: Negotiating Consent and Safety in a Participatory Action Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DePalma, Renee

2010-01-01

This contribution explores what it means to pursue equality and social justice through equitable and just collaborative research methodologies, with a particular focus on two issues: the creation of safe spaces for research participants in the context of a "dangerous" research topic, and the generation of ethically viable research…

Engaging High School Students as Co-Researchers in Qualitative Research: Logistical, Methodological and Ethical Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Dana L.; McVea, Kristine L. S. P.; Creswell, John W.; Harter, Lynn; Mickelson, William; McEntarffer, Rob

This paper explores six phases of a research project designed specifically to engage high school students as co-researchers in a multisite qualitative study exploring perceptions of tobacco use among high school students in four schools. It describes how university researchers collaborated with the high school students and summarizes seven major…

Rethinking What Is Entrepreneurship Education: A Macro Integrative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Hongyun; Gu, Jibao

2017-01-01

Research on entrepreneurship education (EE) has encountered confusing ontological and methodological issues, such as definitional controversy, gaps between research and practice, and lack of theoretical foundations. These are factors holding back the further development of the research and practice in this field. This paper presents a whole…

Development Research of a Teachers' Educational Performance Support System: The Practices of Design, Development, and Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hung, Wei-Chen; Smith, Thomas J.; Harris, Marian S.; Lockard, James

2010-01-01

This study adopted design and development research methodology (Richey & Klein, "Design and development research: Methods, strategies, and issues," 2007) to systematically investigate the process of applying instructional design principles, human-computer interaction, and software engineering to a performance support system (PSS) for behavior…

The Trade Practices Act, Competitive Neutrality and Research Costing: Issues for Australian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bezzobs, Tania

2009-01-01

Increasingly universities are becoming commercial enterprises and their core activities of teaching and research subject to business imperatives. This paper reviews the research costing methodologies of 17 Australian universities. Tension between Competition Law and Competitive Neutrality exists which could be resolved through improved costing and…

Handbook of Reading Research. Volume III.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamil, Michael L., Ed.; Mosenthal, Peter B., Ed.; Pearson, P. David, Ed.; Barr, Rebecca, Ed.

A comprehensive overview of important contemporary issues in the field of reading research, this book presents 47 essays that examine literacy through a variety of lenses--some permitting microscopic views and others panoramic views. Essays in the book cover current methodology as well as cumulative research-based knowledge. Essays in Part I…

On Research Methodology in Applied Linguistics in 2002-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martynychev, Andrey

2010-01-01

This dissertation examined the status of data-based research in applied linguistics through an analysis of published research studies in nine peer-reviewed applied linguistics journals ("Applied Language Learning, The Canadian Modern Language Review / La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes, Current Issues in Language Planning, Dialog on Language…

Developmental Factors Associated with the Formation of the Antisocial Personality: A Literature Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cannon, Kent Wesley

Research on factors which contribute to the development of antisocial personality disorder is reviewed. Methodological issues are critiqued, including major assessment instruments and frequently used research designs. Factors which current research indicates might lead to the continuation of antisocial behavior from childhood into adulthood are…

Emergy Synthesis 8 ~ Emergy and environmental accounting: Theories, applications, and methodologies

EPA Science Inventory

With the assembly and review of the 12 research papers for this Special Issue of Ecological Modelling, our goal was to continue working with the journal to bring a strong group of papers, indicative of the forefront of emergy research, to the global energy research community and ...

Textual Enhancement of Input: Issues and Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, ZhaoHong; Park, Eun Sung; Combs, Charles

2008-01-01

The input enhancement hypothesis proposed by Sharwood Smith (1991, 1993) has stimulated considerable research over the last 15 years. This article reviews the research on textual enhancement of input (TE), an area where the majority of input enhancement studies have aggregated. Methodological idiosyncrasies are the norm of this body of research.…

Two (Very) Different Worlds: The Cultures of Policymaking and Qualitative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donmoyer, Robert

2012-01-01

This article brackets assumptions embedded in the framing of this special issue on "problematizing methodological simplicity in qualitative research" in a effort to understand why policymakers put pressure on all types of researchers, including those who use qualitative methods, to provide relatively simple, even somewhat mechanistic portrayals of…

Methodological and ethical issues related to qualitative telephone interviews on sensitive topics.

PubMed

Mealer, Meredith; Jones Rn, Jacqueline

2014-03-01

To explore the methodological and ethical issues of conducting qualitative telephone interviews about personal or professional trauma with critical care nurses. The most common method for conducting interviews is face-to-face. However, there is evidence to support telephone interviewing on a variety of sensitive topics including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Qualitative telephone interviews can limit emotional distress because of the comfort experienced through virtual communication. Critical care nurses are at increased risk of developing PTSD due to the cumulative exposure to work-related stress in the intensive care unit. We explored the methodological and ethical issues of conducting qualitative telephone interviews, drawing on our experiences communicating with a group of critical care nurses. Qualitative research interviews with 27 critical care nurses. Fourteen of the nurses met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD; 13 did not and had scores consistent with high levels of resilience. This is a methodology paper on the authors' experiences of interviewing critical care nurses on sensitive topics via the telephone. The authors found that establishing rapport and connections with the participants and the therapeutic use of non-verbal communication were essential, and fostered trust and compassion. The ethical issues of this mode of communication include protecting the privacy and confidentiality associated with the disclosure of sensitive information, and minimising the risk of psychological harm to the researcher and participants. Qualitative telephone interviews are a valuable method of collecting information on sensitive topics. This paper explores a method of interviewing in the workplace. It will help inform interventions to promote healthy adaptation following trauma exposure in the intensive care unit.

An end-users oriented methodology for enhancing the integration of knowledge on soil-water-sediment systems in River Basin Management: an illustration from the AquaTerra project.

PubMed

Merly, Corinne; Chapman, Antony; Mouvet, Christophe

2012-01-01

Research results in environmental and socio-economic sciences are often under-used by stakeholders involved in the management of natural resources. To minimise this gap, the FP6 EU interdisciplinary project AquaTerra (AT) developed an end-users' integration methodology in order to ensure that the data, knowledge and tools related to the soil-water-sediment system that were generated by the project were delivered in a meaningful way for end-users, thus improving their uptake. The methodology and examples of its application are presented in this paper. From the 408 project deliverables, 96 key findings were identified, 53 related to data and knowledge, and 43 describing advanced tools. River Basin Management (RBM) stakeholders workshops identified 8 main RBM issues and 25 specific stakeholders' questions related to RBM which were classified into seven groups of cross-cutting issues, namely scale, climate change, non-climatic change, the need for systemic approaches, communication and participation, international and inter-basin coordination and collaboration, and the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The integration methodology enabled an assessment of how AT key findings meet stakeholders' demands, and for each main RBM issue and for each specific question, described the added-value of the AT project in terms of knowledge and tools generated, key parameters to consider, and recommendations that can be made to stakeholders and the wider scientific community. Added value and limitations of the integration methodology and its outcomes are discussed and recommendations are provided to further improve integration methodology and bridge the gaps between scientific research data and their potential uptake by end-users.

Nominating under Constraints: A Systematic Comparison of Unlimited and Limited Peer Nomination Methodologies in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gommans, Rob; Cillessen, Antonius H. N.

2015-01-01

Children's peer relationships are frequently assessed with peer nominations. An important methodological issue is whether to collect unlimited or limited nominations. Some researchers have argued that the psychometric differences between both methods are negligible, while others have claimed that one is superior over the other. The current study…

Examining Approaches to Research on Self-Regulated Learning: Conceptual and Methodological Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karabenick, Stuart A.; Zusho, Akane

2015-01-01

We provide a conceptual commentary on the articles in this special issue, first by describing the unique features of each study, focusing on what we consider to be their theoretical and methodological contributions, and then by highlighting significant crosscutting themes and future directions in the study of SRL. Specifically, we define SRL to be…

Perspectives on Learning: Methodologies for Exploring Learning Processes and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Susan R.

2014-01-01

The papers in this Special Issue were initially prepared for an EARLI 2013 Symposium that was designed to examine methodologies in use by researchers from two sister communities, Learning and Instruction and Learning Sciences. The four papers reflect a common ground in advances in conceptions of learning since the early days of the "cognitive…

Paradigms Lost and Pragmatism Regained: Methodological Implications of Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, David L.

2007-01-01

This article examines several methodological issues associated with combining qualitative and quantitative methods by comparing the increasing interest in this topic with the earlier renewal of interest in qualitative research during the 1980s. The first section argues for the value of Kuhn's concept of paradigm shifts as a tool for examining…

Differential Item Functioning of a Family Affluence Scale: Validation Study on Data from HBSC 2001/02

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schnohr, C. W.; Kreiner, S.; Due, E. P.; Currie, C.; Boyce, W.; Diderichsen, F.

2008-01-01

Methodology for making cross-national comparisons is an area of increasing interest in social and public health related research. When studying socio-economic differences in health outcomes cross-nationally, there are several methodological issues of concern, especially when data is derived from self-reported questionnaires. Health Behaviour in…

Analyzing Media: Metaphors as Methodologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyrowitz, Joshua

Students have little intuitive insight into the process of thinking and structuring ideas. The image of metaphor for a phenomenon acts as a kind of methodology for the study of the phenomenon by (1) defining the key issues or problems; (2) shaping the type of research questions that are asked; (3) defining the type of data that are searched out;…

Developing Applications of Artificial Intelligence Technology To Provide Consultative Support in the Use of Research Methodology by Practitioners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitale, Michael R.; Romance, Nancy

Adopting perspectives based on applications of artificial intelligence proven in industry, this paper discusses methodological strategies and issues that underlie the development of such software environments. The general concept of an expert system is discussed in the context of its relevance to the problem of increasing the accessibility of…

Broadening the Study of Participation in the Life Sciences: How Critical Theoretical and Mixed-Methodological Approaches Can Enhance Efforts to Broaden Participation

PubMed Central

Metcalf, Heather

2016-01-01

This research methods Essay details the usefulness of critical theoretical frameworks and critical mixed-methodological approaches for life sciences education research on broadening participation in the life sciences. First, I draw on multidisciplinary research to discuss critical theory and methodologies. Then, I demonstrate the benefits of these approaches for researchers who study diversity and inclusion issues in the life sciences through examples from two critical mixed-methods studies of prominent issues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) participation and recognition. The first study pairs critical discourse analysis of the STEM workforce literature, data, and underlying surveys with quantitative analyses of STEM pathways into the workforce. This example illustrates the necessity of questioning popular models of retention. It also demonstrates the importance of intersecting demographic categories to reveal patterns of experience both within and between groups whose access to and participation in STEM we aim to improve. The second study’s critical approach applies research on inequities in prizes awarded by STEM professional societies toward organizational change. This example uses data from the life sciences professional societies to show the importance of placing data within context to broaden participation and understand challenges in creating sustainable change. PMID:27521238

Experiences of Structured Elicitation for Model-Based Cost-Effectiveness Analyses.

PubMed

Soares, Marta O; Sharples, Linda; Morton, Alec; Claxton, Karl; Bojke, Laura

2018-06-01

Empirical evidence supporting the cost-effectiveness estimates of particular health care technologies may be limited, or it may even be missing entirely. In these situations, additional information, often in the form of expert judgments, is needed to reach a decision. There are formal methods to quantify experts' beliefs, termed as structured expert elicitation (SEE), but only limited research is available in support of methodological choices. Perhaps as a consequence, the use of SEE in the context of cost-effectiveness modelling is limited. This article reviews applications of SEE in cost-effectiveness modelling with the aim of summarizing the basis for methodological choices made in each application and recording the difficulties and challenges reported by the authors in the design, conduct, and analyses. The methods used in each application were extracted along with the criteria used to support methodological and practical choices and any issues or challenges discussed in the text. Issues and challenges were extracted using an open field, and then categorised and grouped for reporting. The review demonstrates considerable heterogeneity in methods used, and authors acknowledge great methodological uncertainty in justifying their choices. Specificities of the context area emerging as potentially important in determining further methodological research in elicitation are between- expert variation and its interpretation, the fact that substantive experts in the area may not be trained in quantitative subjects, that judgments are often needed on various parameter types, the need for some form of assessment of validity, and the need for more integration with behavioural research to devise relevant debiasing strategies. This review of experiences of SEE highlights a number of specificities/constraints that can shape the development of guidance and target future research efforts in this area. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality and Diversity in VET [Vocational Education and Training] Research. Proceedings of the National Conference of the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) (2nd, Melbourne, Australia, February 11-12, 1999).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association, Alexandria.

These proceedings consist of 43 presentations clustered into these key areas: position, strategy, contribution, and future issues; diversity of participation and contexts; issues in the workplace and learning settings; question of practitioners work; and questions of knowledge and methodology--all related to the themes of quality and diversity.…

Publication Bias in Methodological Computational Research.

PubMed

Boulesteix, Anne-Laure; Stierle, Veronika; Hapfelmeier, Alexander

2015-01-01

The problem of publication bias has long been discussed in research fields such as medicine. There is a consensus that publication bias is a reality and that solutions should be found to reduce it. In methodological computational research, including cancer informatics, publication bias may also be at work. The publication of negative research findings is certainly also a relevant issue, but has attracted very little attention to date. The present paper aims at providing a new formal framework to describe the notion of publication bias in the context of methodological computational research, facilitate and stimulate discussions on this topic, and increase awareness in the scientific community. We report an exemplary pilot study that aims at gaining experiences with the collection and analysis of information on unpublished research efforts with respect to publication bias, and we outline the encountered problems. Based on these experiences, we try to formalize the notion of publication bias.

Heart Rate Variability and Cardiac Vagal Tone in Psychophysiological Research – Recommendations for Experiment Planning, Data Analysis, and Data Reporting

PubMed Central

Laborde, Sylvain; Mosley, Emma; Thayer, Julian F.

2017-01-01

Psychophysiological research integrating heart rate variability (HRV) has increased during the last two decades, particularly given the fact that HRV is able to index cardiac vagal tone. Cardiac vagal tone, which represents the contribution of the parasympathetic nervous system to cardiac regulation, is acknowledged to be linked with many phenomena relevant for psychophysiological research, including self-regulation at the cognitive, emotional, social, and health levels. The ease of HRV collection and measurement coupled with the fact it is relatively affordable, non-invasive and pain free makes it widely accessible to many researchers. This ease of access should not obscure the difficulty of interpretation of HRV findings that can be easily misconstrued, however, this can be controlled to some extent through correct methodological processes. Standards of measurement were developed two decades ago by a Task Force within HRV research, and recent reviews updated several aspects of the Task Force paper. However, many methodological aspects related to HRV in psychophysiological research have to be considered if one aims to be able to draw sound conclusions, which makes it difficult to interpret findings and to compare results across laboratories. Those methodological issues have mainly been discussed in separate outlets, making difficult to get a grasp on them, and thus this paper aims to address this issue. It will help to provide psychophysiological researchers with recommendations and practical advice concerning experimental designs, data analysis, and data reporting. This will ensure that researchers starting a project with HRV and cardiac vagal tone are well informed regarding methodological considerations in order for their findings to contribute to knowledge advancement in their field. PMID:28265249

Water-energy-food nexus: concepts, questions and methodologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Chen, X.; Ding, W.; Zhang, C.; Fu, G.

2017-12-01

The term of water-energy -food nexus has gained increasing attention in the research and policy making communities as the security of water, energy and food becomes severe under changing environment. Ignorance of their closely interlinkages accompanied by their availability and service may result in unforeseeable, adverse consequences. This paper comprehensively reviews the state-of-the-art in the field of water-energy-food, with a focus on concepts, research questions and methodologies. First, two types of nexus definition are compared and discussed to understand the essence of nexus research issues. Then, three kinds of nexus research questions are presented, including internal relationship analysis, external impact analysis, and evaluation of the nexus system. Five nexus modelling approaches are discussed in terms of their advantages, disadvantages and application, with an aim to identify research gaps in current nexus methods. Finally, future research areas and challenges are discussed, including system boundary, data uncertainty and modelling, underlying mechanism of nexus issues and system performance evaluation. This study helps bring research efforts together to address the challenging questions in the nexus and develop the consensus on building resilient water, energy and food systems.

Why undertake a pilot in a qualitative PhD study? Lessons learned to promote success.

PubMed

Wray, Jane; Archibong, Uduak; Walton, Sean

2017-01-23

Background Pilot studies can play an important role in qualitative studies. Methodological and practical issues can be shaped and refined by undertaking pilots. Personal development and researchers' competence are enhanced and lessons learned can inform the development and quality of the main study. However, pilot studies are rarely published, despite their potential to improve knowledge and understanding of the research. Aim To present the main lessons learned from undertaking a pilot in a qualitative PhD study. Discussion This paper draws together lessons learned when undertaking a pilot as part of a qualitative research project. Important methodological and practical issues identified during the pilot study are discussed including access, recruitment, data collection and the personal development of the researcher. The resulting changes to the final study are also highlighted. Conclusion Sharing experiences of and lessons learned in a pilot study enhances personal development, improves researchers' confidence and competence, and contributes to the understanding of research. Implications for practice Pilots can be used effectively in qualitative studies to refine the final design, and provide the researcher with practical experience to enhance confidence and competence.

Twilight of dawn or of evening? A century of research methods in the Journal of Applied Psychology.

PubMed

Cortina, Jose M; Aguinis, Herman; DeShon, Richard P

2017-03-01

We offer a critical review and synthesis of research methods in the first century of the Journal of Applied Psychology. We divide the chronology into 6 periods. The first emphasizes the first few issues of the journal, which, in many ways, set us on a methodological course that we sail to this day, and then takes us through the mid-1920s. The second is the period through World War II, in which we see the roots of modern methodological concepts and techniques, including a transition from a discovery orientation to a hypotheticodeductive model orientation. The third takes us through roughly 1970, a period in which many of our modern-day practices were formed, such as reliance on null hypothesis significance testing. The fourth, from 1970 through 1989, sees an emphasis on the development of measures of critical constructs. The fifth takes us into the present, which is marked by greater plurality regarding data-analytic approaches. Finally, we offer a glimpse of possible and, from our perspective, desirable futures regarding research methods. Specifically, we highlight the need to conduct replications; study the exceptional and not just the average; improve the quality of the review process, particularly regarding methodological issues; emphasize design and measurement issues; and build and test more specific theories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Methodological considerations in the use of audio diaries in work psychology: Adding to the qualitative toolkit.

PubMed

Crozier, Sarah E; Cassell, Catherine M

2016-06-01

The use of longitudinal methodology as a means of capturing the intricacies in complex organizational phenomena is well documented, and many different research strategies for longitudinal designs have been put forward from both a qualitative and quantitative stance. This study explores a specific emergent qualitative methodology, audio diaries, and assesses their utility for work psychology research drawing on the findings from a four-stage study addressing transient working patterns and stress in UK temporary workers. Specifically, we explore some important methodological, analytical and technical issues for practitioners and researchers who seek to use these methods and explain how this type of methodology has much to offer when studying stress and affective experiences at work. We provide support for the need to implement pluralistic and complementary methodological approaches in unearthing the depth in sense-making and assert their capacity to further illuminate the process orientation of stress. This study illustrates the importance of verbalization in documenting stress and affective experience as a mechanism for accessing cognitive processes in making sense of such experience.This study compares audio diaries with more traditional qualitative methods to assess applicability to different research contexts.This study provides practical guidance and a methodological framework for the design of audio diary research and design, taking into account challenges and solutions for researchers and practitioners.

Beyond integrating social sciences: Reflecting on the place of life sciences in empirical bioethics methodologies.

PubMed

Mertz, Marcel; Schildmann, Jan

2018-06-01

Empirical bioethics is commonly understood as integrating empirical research with normative-ethical research in order to address an ethical issue. Methodological analyses in empirical bioethics mainly focus on the integration of socio-empirical sciences (e.g. sociology or psychology) and normative ethics. But while there are numerous multidisciplinary research projects combining life sciences and normative ethics, there is few explicit methodological reflection on how to integrate both fields, or about the goals and rationales of such interdisciplinary cooperation. In this paper we will review some drivers for the tendency of empirical bioethics methodologies to focus on the collaboration of normative ethics with particularly social sciences. Subsequently, we argue that the ends of empirical bioethics, not the empirical methods, are decisive for the question of which empirical disciplines can contribute to empirical bioethics in a meaningful way. Using already existing types of research integration as a springboard, five possible types of research which encompass life sciences and normative analysis will illustrate how such cooperation can be conceptualized from a methodological perspective within empirical bioethics. We will conclude with a reflection on the limitations and challenges of empirical bioethics research that integrates life sciences.

Proceedings of the 2005 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium

Treesearch

John G. Peden; Rudy M., comps., eds. Schuster; Rudy M. Schuster

2006-01-01

Contains articles presented at the 2005 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium. Contents cover tourism planning, roundtable discussion, perceptions and preferences, impact monitoring, management presentations, founder?s forum, poster session, methodology, environmentalism and ethics, crowding and carrying capacity, management issues, constraints, urban park and...

Contemporary HRD Research: A Triarchy of Theoretical Perspectives and Their Prescriptions for HRD.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garavan, Thomas N.; Gunnigle, Patrick; Morley, Michael

2000-01-01

Presents key debates in human resource development. One table outlines the research focus and methodology of articles in this special issue. Another table compares three theoretical perspectives: capability driven, psychological contract, and learning organization. Contains 253 references. (SK)

Investigating Creativity in Youth: Research and Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fishkin, Anne S., Ed.; Cramond, Bonnie, Ed.; Olszewski-Kubilius, Paula, Ed.

This book explores the conceptual and historical bases for examining creativity, cognitive functioning and creativity, cultural influences on creativity, research methodologies for examining creativity, assessment of creativity, and effectiveness of major creativity training models. Chapters include: (1) "Issues in Studying Creativity in Youth"…

The Evolution of Family Studies Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Beth C.; Lloyd, Sally A.

2001-01-01

This review of methodological, theoretical, and topical trends in family studies research covers changes in definitions of family and in marriage, parent-child relationships, and family social ecology. Issues discussed include marital satisfaction, violence, social construction of gender, family-work relationship, parenting roles, socialization,…

The Relationships of Intergroup Ideologies to Ethnic Prejudice: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Whitley, Bernard E; Webster, Gregory D

2018-04-01

This meta-analysis summarizes the results of research on the relationships of majority group members' endorsement of assimilation, colorblindness, multiculturalism, and the relative relationships of colorblindness and multiculturalism to ethnic prejudice. Random effects analyses found that assimilation was positively related to explicit prejudice ( g. = 0.80), multiculturalism was negatively related to both explicit ( g. = -0.26) and implicit prejudice ( g. = -0.19), and colorblindness was negatively related to explicit prejudice ( g. = -0.07). Multiculturalism was more closely associated with low prejudice than colorblindness ( g. = 0.15). Effect sizes varied as a function of methodology (experimental vs. correlational), country in which research was conducted (United States vs. other countries), and, in experimental studies of multiculturalism, type of prime used (abstract vs. concrete). Discussion points include methodological issues, groups used as targets of prejudice, national diversity norms, additional issues raised in the studies reviewed, and directions for future research.

Research Project Evaluation-Learnings from the PATHWAYS Project Experience.

PubMed

Galas, Aleksander; Pilat, Aleksandra; Leonardi, Matilde; Tobiasz-Adamczyk, Beata

2018-05-25

Every research project faces challenges regarding how to achieve its goals in a timely and effective manner. The purpose of this paper is to present a project evaluation methodology gathered during the implementation of the Participation to Healthy Workplaces and Inclusive Strategies in the Work Sector (the EU PATHWAYS Project). The PATHWAYS project involved multiple countries and multi-cultural aspects of re/integrating chronically ill patients into labor markets in different countries. This paper describes key project's evaluation issues including: (1) purposes, (2) advisability, (3) tools, (4) implementation, and (5) possible benefits and presents the advantages of a continuous monitoring. Project evaluation tool to assess structure and resources, process, management and communication, achievements, and outcomes. The project used a mixed evaluation approach and included Strengths (S), Weaknesses (W), Opportunities (O), and Threats (SWOT) analysis. A methodology for longitudinal EU projects' evaluation is described. The evaluation process allowed to highlight strengths and weaknesses and highlighted good coordination and communication between project partners as well as some key issues such as: the need for a shared glossary covering areas investigated by the project, problematic issues related to the involvement of stakeholders from outside the project, and issues with timing. Numerical SWOT analysis showed improvement in project performance over time. The proportion of participating project partners in the evaluation varied from 100% to 83.3%. There is a need for the implementation of a structured evaluation process in multidisciplinary projects involving different stakeholders in diverse socio-environmental and political conditions. Based on the PATHWAYS experience, a clear monitoring methodology is suggested as essential in every multidisciplinary research projects.

Public Involvement Processes and Methodologies: An Analysis

Treesearch

Ernst Valfer; Stephen Laner; Daina Dravnieks

1977-01-01

This report explor'es some sensitive or critical areas in public involvement.. A 1972 RF&D workshop on public involvement identified a series of issues requiring research and analysis. A subsequent PNW study "Public Involvement and the Forest Service", (Hendee 1973) addressed many of these issues. This study assignment by the Chief's Office was...

Evaluating How the Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Community Fosters Critical Reflective Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Ada W.W.

2013-01-01

In recent research, little attention has been paid to issues of methodology and analysis methods to evaluate the quality of the collaborative learning community. To address such issues, an attempt is made to adopt the Activity System Model as an analytical framework to examine the relationship between computer supported collaborative learning…

Key Challenges of Using Video When Investigating Social Practices in Education: Contextualization, Magnification, and Representation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blikstad-Balas, Marte

2017-01-01

Audio- and video-recordings are increasingly popular data sources in contemporary qualitative research, making discussions about methodological implications of such recordings timelier than ever. This article goes beyond discussing practical issues and issues of "camera effect" and reactivity to identify three major challenges of using…

How to Conduct a Good Meta-Analysis in Gifted Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steenbergen-Hu, Saiying; Olszewski-Kubilius, Paula

2016-01-01

This methodological brief introduces basic procedures and issues for conducting a high-quality meta-analysis in gifted education. Specifically, we discuss issues such as how to select a topic and formulate research problems, search for and identify qualified studies, code studies and extract data, choose and calculate effect sizes, analyze data,…

School Openness, Parent Participation and Satisfaction: An Exploration of Causal Models.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spivak, Harriet

This case study in policy research was prompted by: (1) concern about a methodological issue: how useful are cross-sectional, non-experimental data for answering policy questions?--and, (2) interest in some policy issues raised by the school decentralization/community control controversies and participatory reforms of the 1960s--are participatory…

Afterword: School Documentaries, Childhood and New Cinema History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biltereyst, Daniel

2011-01-01

This paper was written as a response to the six main articles that appear in the special issue "Education in Motion: Producing Methodologies for Researching Documentary Film on Education." The afterword first tries to locate the special issue in a wider debate on the reassessment of the relationship between film, children and education. The…

To Succeed or Not to Succeed: A Critical Review of Issues in Learned Helplessness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mark, Sandra Fay

1983-01-01

A critical analysis of theoretical and methodological issues in research on learned helplessness is presented. As studied in achievement settings using achievement tasks, learned helplessness is perceived as maladaptive behavior. It has not been studied as an adaptive response to situational demands. New directions and educational implications are…

[Types of medical registries - definitions, methodological aspects and quality of the scientific work with registries].

PubMed

Mathis-Edenhofer, Stefan; Piso, Brigitte

2011-12-01

This work presents a comprehensive list of registry definitions including broader and narrower definitions. Compared to each other different methodological issues can be identified. Some of these issues are common for all registry types; some can be assigned more easily to a specific registry type. Instruments for evaluating the quality of registers reflect many of the mentioned aspects. Generally, and especially at registers with a descriptive or exploratory research dimension it is important to consider their intended purpose and in about it was achieved. This includes, for instance, whether the purpose and the methodology are coordinated. From the start of registration an initiator should be - based on the purpose - aware of the methodological dimension of the registry. This helps to apply the correct type of the registry, the appropriate guidance and, ultimately, the arguments for the effort (cost-benefit ratio).

Methodologic ramifications of paying attention to sex and gender differences in clinical research.

PubMed

Prins, Martin H; Smits, Kim M; Smits, Luc J

2007-01-01

Methodologic standards for studies on sex and gender differences should be developed to improve reporting of studies and facilitate their inclusion in systematic reviews. The essence of these studies lies within the concept of effect modification. This article reviews important methodologic issues in the design and reporting of pharmacogenetic studies. Differences in effect based on sex or gender should preferably be expressed in absolute terms (risk differences) to facilitate clinical decisions on treatment. Information on the distribution of potential effect modifiers or prognostic factors should be available to prevent a biased comparison of differences in effect between genotypes. Other considerations included the possibility of selective nonavailability of biomaterial and the choice of a statistical model to study effect modification. To ensure high study quality, additional methodologic issues should be taken into account when designing and reporting studies on sex and gender differences.

Methodological issues in medical workforce analysis: implications for regional Australia.

PubMed

Hays, R B; Veitch, P C; Franklin, L; Crossland, L

1998-02-01

Medical workforce data have a profound impact on health policy formulation, but derived doctor population ratios (DPR) are often more relevant to plotting national trends than providing a detailed regional or local workforce perspective. Regional workforce data may be more useful if national approaches are augmented by local information. In developing a detailed workforce analysis for one region of Australia, the authors encountered several challenging methodological issues, including the accuracy of medical workforce databases, clarity of definition of community boundaries, interpretation of workforce definitions and the difficulty accounting for local community needs. This paper discusses the implications for regional workforce research.

It's We, the Researchers, Who Are in Need of Renovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekerman, Zvi

2006-01-01

The author has been teaching qualitative research in education at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem for some years now. He has a sense that dealing with the issues of research methodology is of importance if researchers do indeed consider anthropology and qualitative methods to have something to contribute to improve the world in which they live.…

Human Reactions to Psychological Stress.

DTIC Science & Technology

Theoretical issues relating stress, self -concept and attitude change are discussed. Differential effects of communicator credibility under high and... low stress are described. Methodological problems in stress research are explained. (Author)

Applying Lakatos' Theory to the Theory of Mathematical Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunokawa, Kazuhiko

1996-01-01

The relation between Lakatos' theory and issues in mathematics education, especially mathematical problem solving, is investigated by examining Lakatos' methodology of a scientific research program. (AIM)

Symbiotic empirical ethics: a practical methodology.

PubMed

Frith, Lucy

2012-05-01

Like any discipline, bioethics is a developing field of academic inquiry; and recent trends in scholarship have been towards more engagement with empirical research. This 'empirical turn' has provoked extensive debate over how such 'descriptive' research carried out in the social sciences contributes to the distinctively normative aspect of bioethics. This paper will address this issue by developing a practical research methodology for the inclusion of data from social science studies into ethical deliberation. This methodology will be based on a naturalistic conception of ethical theory that sees practice as informing theory just as theory informs practice - the two are symbiotically related. From this engagement with practice, the ways that such theories need to be extended and developed can be determined. This is a practical methodology for integrating theory and practice that can be used in empirical studies, one that uses ethical theory both to explore the data and to draw normative conclusions. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Assessment of (Computer-Supported) Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strijbos, J. -W.

2011-01-01

Within the (Computer-Supported) Collaborative Learning (CS)CL research community, there has been an extensive dialogue on theories and perspectives on learning from collaboration, approaches to scaffold (script) the collaborative process, and most recently research methodology. In contrast, the issue of assessment of collaborative learning has…

Microcomputer Technology in Schools: Issues for Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Janet H.; And Others

This exploratory, multi-disciplinary study, which was undertaken to identify a research agenda for the educational implementation and impact of microprocessing technology, used case study methodology to explore the relationship between the social contexts and the microcomputer innovation. Three geographically distinct school districts with a…

State Politics and Education: An Examination of Selected Multiple-State Case Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burlingame, Martin; Geske, Terry G.

1979-01-01

Reviews the multiple-state case study literature, highlights some findings, discusses several methodological issues, and concludes with suggestions for possible research agendas. Urges students and researchers to be more actively critical of the assumptions and findings of these studies. (Author/IRT)

Emerging Methodologies in Pediatric Palliative Care Research: Six Case Studies

PubMed Central

Nelson, Katherine E.; Gerhardt, Cynthia A.; Rosenberg, Abby R.; Widger, Kimberley; Faerber, Jennifer A.; Feudtner, Chris

2018-01-01

Given the broad focus of pediatric palliative care (PPC) on the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children with potentially life-limiting illnesses and their families, PPC research requires creative methodological approaches. This manuscript, written by experienced PPC researchers, describes issues encountered in our own areas of research and the novel methods we have identified to target them. Specifically, we discuss potential approaches to: assessing symptoms among nonverbal children, evaluating medical interventions, identifying and treating problems related to polypharmacy, addressing missing data in longitudinal studies, evaluating longer-term efficacy of PPC interventions, and monitoring for inequities in PPC service delivery. PMID:29495384

Integrating Geospatial Technologies, Action Research, and Curriculum Theory to Promote Ecological Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agnello, Mary Frances; Carpenter, Penny

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine and report on the impact of integrating geospatial technology and ecological literacy into an educational leadership Master's class block comprised of action research and curriculum theory. Design/methodology/approach: Action and teacher research informed by environmental issues framed an action…

Eye Tracking: A Brief Guide for Developmental Researchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feng, Gary

2011-01-01

Eye tracking offers a powerful research tool for developmental scientists. In this brief article, the author introduces the methodology and issues associated with its applications in developmental research, beginning with an overview of eye movements and eye-tracking technologies, followed by examples of how it is used to study the developing mind…

77 FR 23485 - Food and Drug Administration Patient Network Annual Meeting; Input Into Food and Drug...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-19

... specific disease area during its meetings with patients? For example, who should serve as representatives of patients? (2) What methodological and practical issues should FDA consider as it develops its... Research and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Efforts Center for Drug Evaluation and Research...

"Comments on Coulter and Smith": Relational Ontological Commitments in Narrative Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clandinin, D. Jean; Murphy, M. Shaun

2009-01-01

In this comment article on Coulter and Smith (2009), the authors raise concerns that focusing exclusively on issues of representation may lead readers to misunderstandings about narrative research. The authors argue that narrative ways of thinking about the phenomena under study are interwoven with narrative research methodologies. Drawing on…

The Spacing Effect and Its Relevance to Second Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, John

2017-01-01

This commentary discusses some theoretical and methodological issues related to research on the spacing effect in second language acquisition research (SLA). There has been a growing interest in SLA in how the temporal distribution of input might impact language development. SLA research in this area has frequently drawn upon the rich field of…

Learning "about" and "from" Variation in Program Impacts Using Multisite Trials. MDRC Working Papers on Research Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raudenbush, Stephen W.; Bloom, Howard S.

2015-01-01

The present paper, which is intended for a diverse audience of evaluation researchers, applied social scientists, and research funders, provides a broad overview of the conceptual and statistical issues involved in using multisite randomized trials to learn "about" and "from" variation in program effects across…

Understanding, Embracing and Reflecting upon the Messiness of Doctoral Fieldwork

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naveed, Arif; Sakata, Nozomi; Kefallinou, Anthoula; Young, Sara; Anand, Kusha

2017-01-01

This Forum issue discusses the centrality of the fieldwork in doctoral research. The inevitability of researchers' influence and of their values apparent during and after their fieldwork calls for a high degree of reflexivity. Since the standard methodology textbooks do not sufficiently guide on addressing such challenges, doctoral researchers go…

Practice as Research: A Fine Art Contextual Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Suze

2014-01-01

This paper examines the dynamic interplay between practice and theory in practice-led research in the visual arts. Building on recent debate around the issue and following appropriately rigorous models, the importance of locating a suitable methodology to adequately reflect the integrated process of research practice in written as well as visual…

A Political Multi-Layered Approach to Researching Children's Digital Literacy Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koutsogiannis, Dimitris

2007-01-01

This paper attempts to present a theoretical framework for researching the out-of-school digital literacy practices of Greek adolescents. The broader aim, however, is to discuss the theoretical and methodological issues concerning research designs to investigate literacy practices in the globalisation era. Based on data representing local and…

Psychoneuroimmunology and cancer: A decade of discovery, paradigm shifts, and methodological innovations

PubMed Central

McDonald, Paige Green; O’Connell, Mary; Lutgendorf, Susan K.

2013-01-01

This article introduces the supplemental issue of “Cancer, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity” and outlines important discoveries, paradigm shifts, and methodological innovations that have emerged in the past decade to advance mechanistic and translational understanding of biobehavioral influences on tumor biology, cancer treatment-related sequelae, and cancer outcomes. We offer a heuristic framework for research on biobehavioral pathways in cancer. The shifting survivorship landscape is highlighted and we propose that the changing demographics suggest prudent adoption of a life course perspective of cancer and cancer survivorship. We note opportunities for psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) research to ameliorate the long-term, unintended consequences of aggressive curative intent and call attention to the critical role of reciprocal translational pathways between animal and human studies. Lastly, we briefly summarize the articles included in this compilation and offer our perspectives on future research directions. HighlightsThis article introduces the National Cancer Institute sponsored special issue Cancer, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity and highlights the last decade of PNI-cancer research. PMID:23333846

An overview of prevention research: issues, answers, and new agendas.

PubMed Central

Howard, J; Taylor, J A; Ganikos, M L; Holder, H D; Godwin, D F; Taylor, E D

1988-01-01

Efforts to curtail alcohol abuse and alcoholism can be divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Primary prevention attempts to stop a problem or illness from occurring in the first place. Secondary prevention identifies persons in the early stages of problematic or illness behavior and refers them for counseling or treatment, which is considered tertiary prevention. Five research areas concerned with primary and secondary prevention are selected for discussion: youth, the mass media, the worksite, blacks and Hispanics, and alcohol-related behavior that increases the risk of AIDS. Several of these themes have been in the forefront of alcohol prevention research; others such as AIDS are emergent areas of injury. The discussion to follow briefly summarizes research approaches, key findings, methodological shortcomings, and suggested issues for future investigation. Although scientifically solid prevention studies have been conducted, more rigorous, more comprehensive, and more innovative research is needed. Given the dynamic sociocultural and economic systems in which prevention occurs, research techniques that can address this complexity are required. A range of appropriate methodologies is described. PMID:3141964

Sexual dysfunctions in non-heterosexual men - literature review.

PubMed

Grabski, Bartosz; Kasparek, Krzysztof

2017-02-26

The paper aims to present results and discuss methodology of research conducted so far on sexual dysfunction in non-heterosexual men, as well as to form suggestions for future research and clinical practice. The present paper is a continuation of our earlier paper, which discussed the specific context of the issue connected with the characteristics of gay sexual orientation and the social situation those men face. There is little research on dysfunctions and sexual problems in non-heterosexual men, and none has been conducted in Poland. The research that has been done is characterized by inconsistent methodology that is far from perfect, and varied results which cannot be compared. There are still many unanswered questions in the field. The issues connected with research that require attention include the choice of samples and their representativeness, and the accuracy of the methods used for identifying sexual dysfunctions. It is also still not clear whether sexual problems occur more often in non-heterosexual than heterosexual men, how non-heterosexual men deal with those problems, and how the problems influence their functioning. Another issue that requires a deeper understanding is the connections between sexual dysfunctions in this group and various aspects of the so-called minority stress, such as internalized homophobia and experiencing discrimination, psychoactive substance abuse, HIV infection, and the sexual and partnership lifestyle.

Considering the Role of Self-Study of Teaching and Teacher Education Practices Research in Transforming Urban Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Mary Lynn; Pinnegar, Stefinee

2015-01-01

We explore the first four articles in this Special Issue of "Studying Teacher Education" to identify challenges to the self-study of teaching and teacher education practices (S-STEP) methodology, and how this methodology supports the work of teachers and teacher educators working in urban settings. We respond to these articles by…

In Defense of the Randomized Controlled Trial for Health Promotion Research

PubMed Central

Rosen, Laura; Manor, Orly; Engelhard, Dan; Zucker, David

2006-01-01

The overwhelming evidence about the role lifestyle plays in mortality, morbidity, and quality of life has pushed the young field of modern health promotion to center stage. The field is beset with intense debate about appropriate evaluation methodologies. Increasingly, randomized designs are considered inappropriate for health promotion research. We have reviewed criticisms against randomized trials that raise philosophical and practical issues, and we will show how most of these criticisms can be overcome with minor design modifications. By providing rebuttal to arguments against randomized trials, our work contributes to building a sound methodological base for health promotion research. PMID:16735622

Qualitative research: comments and controversies.

PubMed

Schutz, R W

1989-03-01

Larry Locke's timely and well-written introduction to qualitative research procedures will undoubtedly serve its purpose. It makes us reassess our traditional beliefs and practices, educates us on the rudiments of qualitative methodology, and, hopefully, makes us more tolerant and appreciative of alternate ways of conducting research. Although Locke focuses his paper on pedagogical research issues, it is important to realize that many other sub-disciplines within the general field of physical education also utilize qualitative procedures. For example, 10 years ago Martens (1979) called for a paradigm shift in sport psychology by appealing to researchers to abandon their labs and to embark on naturalistic field studies. While North American sport psychologists, and psychologists in general, have been slow to formalize qualitative techniques, the European psychology community has been much more active (e.g., Ashworth, Giorgi, & de Koning, 1986). Perhaps Locke's article will encourage researchers in all our sub-disciplines to consider the utility of qualitative research. Hopefully, readers will treat Locke's article as an introduction to the broad area of qualitative research and not as a rigorous set of procedures for conducting participant observation research in school physical education studies. Additionally, it must be recognized that there are other approaches and other applications, that the area has its critics and its unresolved methodological problems, and that qualitative research does not necessarily exclude the application of formalized data analyses. Keeping these issues in mind, the addition of qualitative approaches to our repetoire of research methodologies can only enhance the quality of research in physical education and exercise and sport science.

A primer on systematic reviews in toxicology.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Sebastian; de Vries, Rob B M; Stephens, Martin L; Beck, Nancy B; Dirven, Hubert A A M; Fowle, John R; Goodman, Julie E; Hartung, Thomas; Kimber, Ian; Lalu, Manoj M; Thayer, Kristina; Whaley, Paul; Wikoff, Daniele; Tsaioun, Katya

2017-07-01

Systematic reviews, pioneered in the clinical field, provide a transparent, methodologically rigorous and reproducible means of summarizing the available evidence on a precisely framed research question. Having matured to a well-established approach in many research fields, systematic reviews are receiving increasing attention as a potential tool for answering toxicological questions. In the larger framework of evidence-based toxicology, the advantages and obstacles of, as well as the approaches for, adapting and adopting systematic reviews to toxicology are still being explored. To provide the toxicology community with a starting point for conducting or understanding systematic reviews, we herein summarized available guidance documents from various fields of application. We have elaborated on the systematic review process by breaking it down into ten steps, starting with planning the project, framing the question, and writing and publishing the protocol, and concluding with interpretation and reporting. In addition, we have identified the specific methodological challenges of toxicological questions and have summarized how these can be addressed. Ultimately, this primer is intended to stimulate scientific discussions of the identified issues to fuel the development of toxicology-specific methodology and to encourage the application of systematic review methodology to toxicological issues.

Measurement error and outcome distributions: Methodological issues in regression analyses of behavioral coding data.

PubMed

Holsclaw, Tracy; Hallgren, Kevin A; Steyvers, Mark; Smyth, Padhraic; Atkins, David C

2015-12-01

Behavioral coding is increasingly used for studying mechanisms of change in psychosocial treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs). However, behavioral coding data typically include features that can be problematic in regression analyses, including measurement error in independent variables, non normal distributions of count outcome variables, and conflation of predictor and outcome variables with third variables, such as session length. Methodological research in econometrics has shown that these issues can lead to biased parameter estimates, inaccurate standard errors, and increased Type I and Type II error rates, yet these statistical issues are not widely known within SUD treatment research, or more generally, within psychotherapy coding research. Using minimally technical language intended for a broad audience of SUD treatment researchers, the present paper illustrates the nature in which these data issues are problematic. We draw on real-world data and simulation-based examples to illustrate how these data features can bias estimation of parameters and interpretation of models. A weighted negative binomial regression is introduced as an alternative to ordinary linear regression that appropriately addresses the data characteristics common to SUD treatment behavioral coding data. We conclude by demonstrating how to use and interpret these models with data from a study of motivational interviewing. SPSS and R syntax for weighted negative binomial regression models is included in online supplemental materials. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Measurement error and outcome distributions: Methodological issues in regression analyses of behavioral coding data

PubMed Central

Holsclaw, Tracy; Hallgren, Kevin A.; Steyvers, Mark; Smyth, Padhraic; Atkins, David C.

2015-01-01

Behavioral coding is increasingly used for studying mechanisms of change in psychosocial treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs). However, behavioral coding data typically include features that can be problematic in regression analyses, including measurement error in independent variables, non-normal distributions of count outcome variables, and conflation of predictor and outcome variables with third variables, such as session length. Methodological research in econometrics has shown that these issues can lead to biased parameter estimates, inaccurate standard errors, and increased type-I and type-II error rates, yet these statistical issues are not widely known within SUD treatment research, or more generally, within psychotherapy coding research. Using minimally-technical language intended for a broad audience of SUD treatment researchers, the present paper illustrates the nature in which these data issues are problematic. We draw on real-world data and simulation-based examples to illustrate how these data features can bias estimation of parameters and interpretation of models. A weighted negative binomial regression is introduced as an alternative to ordinary linear regression that appropriately addresses the data characteristics common to SUD treatment behavioral coding data. We conclude by demonstrating how to use and interpret these models with data from a study of motivational interviewing. SPSS and R syntax for weighted negative binomial regression models is included in supplementary materials. PMID:26098126

Issues and special features of animal health research

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

In the rapidly changing context of research on animal health, INRA launched a collective discussion on the challenges facing the field, its distinguishing features, and synergies with biomedical research. As has been declared forcibly by the heads of WHO, FAO and OIE, the challenges facing animal health, beyond diseases transmissible to humans, are critically important and involve food security, agriculture economics, and the ensemble of economic activities associated with agriculture. There are in addition issues related to public health (zoonoses, xenobiotics, antimicrobial resistance), the environment, and animal welfare. Animal health research is distinguished by particular methodologies and scientific questions that stem from the specific biological features of domestic species and from animal husbandry practices. It generally does not explore the same scientific questions as research on human biology, even when the same pathogens are being studied, and the discipline is rooted in a very specific agricultural and economic context. Generic and methodological synergies nevertheless exist with biomedical research, particularly with regard to tools and biological models. Certain domestic species furthermore present more functional similarities with humans than laboratory rodents. The singularity of animal health research in relation to biomedical research should be taken into account in the organization, evaluation, and funding of the field through a policy that clearly recognizes the specific issues at stake. At the same time, the One Health approach should facilitate closer collaboration between biomedical and animal health research at the level of research teams and programmes. PMID:21864344

Issues and special features of animal health research.

PubMed

Ducrot, Christian; Bed'hom, Bertrand; Béringue, Vincent; Coulon, Jean-Baptiste; Fourichon, Christine; Guérin, Jean-Luc; Krebs, Stéphane; Rainard, Pascal; Schwartz-Cornil, Isabelle; Torny, Didier; Vayssier-Taussat, Muriel; Zientara, Stephan; Zundel, Etienne; Pineau, Thierry

2011-08-24

In the rapidly changing context of research on animal health, INRA launched a collective discussion on the challenges facing the field, its distinguishing features, and synergies with biomedical research. As has been declared forcibly by the heads of WHO, FAO and OIE, the challenges facing animal health, beyond diseases transmissible to humans, are critically important and involve food security, agriculture economics, and the ensemble of economic activities associated with agriculture. There are in addition issues related to public health (zoonoses, xenobiotics, antimicrobial resistance), the environment, and animal welfare.Animal health research is distinguished by particular methodologies and scientific questions that stem from the specific biological features of domestic species and from animal husbandry practices. It generally does not explore the same scientific questions as research on human biology, even when the same pathogens are being studied, and the discipline is rooted in a very specific agricultural and economic context.Generic and methodological synergies nevertheless exist with biomedical research, particularly with regard to tools and biological models. Certain domestic species furthermore present more functional similarities with humans than laboratory rodents.The singularity of animal health research in relation to biomedical research should be taken into account in the organization, evaluation, and funding of the field through a policy that clearly recognizes the specific issues at stake. At the same time, the One Health approach should facilitate closer collaboration between biomedical and animal health research at the level of research teams and programmes.

Towards a Model of Technology Adoption: A Conceptual Model Proposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costello, Pat; Moreton, Rob

A conceptual model for Information Communication Technology (ICT) adoption by Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is proposed. The research uses several ICT adoption models as its basis with theoretical underpinning provided by the Diffusion of Innovation theory and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Taking an exploratory research approach the model was investigated amongst 200 SMEs whose core business is ICT. Evidence from this study demonstrates that these SMEs face the same issues as all other industry sectors. This work points out weaknesses in SMEs environments regarding ICT adoption and suggests what they may need to do to increase the success rate of any proposed adoption. The methodology for development of the framework is described and recommendations made for improved Government-led ICT adoption initiatives. Application of the general methodology has resulted in new opportunities to embed the ethos and culture surrounding the issues into the framework of new projects developed as a result of Government intervention. A conceptual model is proposed that may lead to a deeper understanding of the issues under consideration.

Understanding health systems, health economies and globalization: the need for social science perspectives.

PubMed

Murray, Susan F; Bisht, Ramila; Baru, Rama; Pitchforth, Emma

2012-08-31

The complex relationship between globalization and health calls for research from many disciplinary and methodological perspectives. This editorial gives an overview of the content trajectory of the interdisciplinary journal 'Globalization and Health' over the first six years of production, 2005 to 2010. The findings show that bio-medical and population health perspectives have been dominant but that social science perspectives have become more evident in recent years. The types of paper published have also changed, with a growing proportion of empirical studies. A special issue on 'Health systems, health economies and globalization: social science perspectives' is introduced, a collection of contributions written from the vantage points of economics, political science, psychology, sociology, business studies, social policy and research policy. The papers concern a range of issues pertaining to the globalization of healthcare markets and governance and regulation issues. They highlight the important contribution that can be made by the social sciences to this field, and also the practical and methodological challenges implicit in the study of globalization and health.

Handbook of Research Methods in Social and Personality Psychology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reis, Harry T.; Judd, Charles M.

2000-03-01

This volume provides an overview of research methods in contemporary social psychology. Coverage includes conceptual issues in research design, methods of research, and statistical approaches. Because the range of research methods available for social psychology have expanded extensively in the past decade, both traditional and innovative methods are presented. The goal is to introduce new and established researchers alike to new methodological developments in the field.

Realising consilience: How better communication between archaeologists, historians and natural scientists can transform the study of past climate change in the Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izdebski, Adam; Holmgren, Karin; Weiberg, Erika; Stocker, Sharon R.; Büntgen, Ulf; Florenzano, Assunta; Gogou, Alexandra; Leroy, Suzanne A. G.; Luterbacher, Jürg; Martrat, Belen; Masi, Alessia; Mercuri, Anna Maria; Montagna, Paolo; Sadori, Laura; Schneider, Adam; Sicre, Marie-Alexandrine; Triantaphyllou, Maria; Xoplaki, Elena

2016-03-01

This paper reviews the methodological and practical issues relevant to the ways in which natural scientists, historians and archaeologists may collaborate in the study of past climatic changes in the Mediterranean basin. We begin by discussing the methodologies of these three disciplines in the context of the consilience debate, that is, attempts to unify different research methodologies that address similar problems. We demonstrate that there are a number of similarities in the fundamental methodology between history, archaeology, and the natural sciences that deal with the past ("palaeoenvironmental sciences"), due to their common interest in studying societal and environmental phenomena that no longer exist. The three research traditions, for instance, employ specific narrative structures as a means of communicating research results. We thus present and compare the narratives characteristic of each discipline; in order to engage in fruitful interdisciplinary exchange, we must first understand how each deals with the societal impacts of climatic change. In the second part of the paper, we focus our discussion on the four major practical issues that hinder communication between the three disciplines. These include terminological misunderstandings, problems relevant to project design, divergences in publication cultures, and differing views on the impact of research. Among other recommendations, we suggest that scholars from the three disciplines should aim to create a joint publication culture, which should also appeal to a wider public, both inside and outside of academia.

Genetic Influences on Peer and Family Relationships Across Adolescent Development: Introduction to the Special Issue.

PubMed

Mullineaux, Paula Y; DiLalla, Lisabeth Fisher

2015-07-01

Nearly all aspects of human development are influenced by genetic and environmental factors, which conjointly shape development through several gene-environment interplay mechanisms. More recently, researchers have begun to examine the influence of genetic factors on peer and family relationships across the pre-adolescent and adolescent time periods. This article introduces the special issue by providing a critical overview of behavior genetic methodology and existing research demonstrating gene-environment processes operating on the link between peer and family relationships and adolescent adjustment. The overview is followed by a summary of new research studies, which use genetically informed samples to examine how peer and family environment work together with genetic factors to influence behavioral outcomes across adolescence. The studies in this special issue provide further evidence of gene-environment interplay through innovative behavior genetic methodological approaches across international samples. Results from the quantitative models indicate environmental moderation of genetic risk for coercive adolescent-parent relationships and deviant peer affiliation. The molecular genetics studies provide support for a gene-environment interaction differential susceptibility model for dopamine regulation genes across positive and negative peer and family environments. Overall, the findings from the studies in this special issue demonstrate the importance of considering how genes and environments work in concert to shape developmental outcomes during adolescence.

Methodological triangulation: an approach to understanding data.

PubMed

Bekhet, Abir K; Zauszniewski, Jaclene A

2012-01-01

To describe the use of methodological triangulation in a study of how people who had moved to retirement communities were adjusting. Methodological triangulation involves using more than one kind of method to study a phenomenon. It has been found to be beneficial in providing confirmation of findings, more comprehensive data, increased validity and enhanced understanding of studied phenomena. While many researchers have used this well-established technique, there are few published examples of its use. The authors used methodological triangulation in their study of people who had moved to retirement communities in Ohio, US. A blended qualitative and quantitative approach was used. The collected qualitative data complemented and clarified the quantitative findings by helping to identify common themes. Qualitative data also helped in understanding interventions for promoting 'pulling' factors and for overcoming 'pushing' factors of participants. The authors used focused research questions to reflect the research's purpose and four evaluative criteria--'truth value', 'applicability', 'consistency' and 'neutrality'--to ensure rigour. This paper provides an example of how methodological triangulation can be used in nursing research. It identifies challenges associated with methodological triangulation, recommends strategies for overcoming them, provides a rationale for using triangulation and explains how to maintain rigour. Methodological triangulation can be used to enhance the analysis and the interpretation of findings. As data are drawn from multiple sources, it broadens the researcher's insight into the different issues underlying the phenomena being studied.

77 FR 65358 - Committee on Rulemaking

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-26

... outline for a project examining policy and legal issues implicated by agency use of social media to... the scope of the project and the research methodology. Further information about the Social Media...

Chicano Aging and Mental Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miranda, Manuel, Ed.; Ruiz, Rene A., Ed.

Focusing on the direction future research on the Chicano elderly should take, the 10 papers address theory development, methodological approach, social policy and problems, mental health service delivery, and issues of mental illness. The first seven papers discuss: the theoretical perspectives of research pertaining to mental health and the…

Methods of Microcomputer Research in Early Childhood Special Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fujiura, Glenn; Johnson, Lawrence J.

1986-01-01

The review of some recent studies on use of microcomputers in early childhood special education highlights methodological issues including the qualitative quantitative distinction and the interdependence of research design and interpretation. Imbedding qualitative methods into quasi- or true-experimental designs can provide more information than…

100 Years of Curriculum History, Theory, and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoenfeld, Alan H.

2016-01-01

This article reviews a collection of papers written by the American Educational Research Association's first 50 presidents that deal specifically with curricular issues. It characterizes the ways in which curricula were conceptualized, implemented, and assessed, with an eye toward the epistemological and methodological framings that the authors…

Encounters and Places: Project Negotiations in Galessa, Ethiopia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habermann, Birgit; Felt, Ulrike; Vogl, Christian R.; Bekele, Kassahun; Mekonnen, Kindu

2012-01-01

Purpose: Reflections on negotiation processes between farmers and scientists in research projects provide insights into issues of participation, power and equity. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how actors chose places to meet, negotiate and represent technologies. Design/methodology/approach: The research involved semi-structured…

Developing Leadership: Exploring Childhoods of Women University Presidents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madsen, Susan R.

2007-01-01

Purpose: Researchers argue that much of who we are is developed during childhood. Yet, little exploratory research has been conducted regarding the childhood experiences, activities, personalities, and perceptions of successful leaders. This paper aims to address this issue. Design/methodology/approach: In-depth, qualitative interviews were…

Power, Pedagogy and Participation: Ethics and Pragmatics in Research with Young People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkey, Hugh; Akar, Bassel; Jerome, Lee

2014-01-01

This article addresses issues of methodology and ethical reflexivity when attempting to investigate the opinions of young people. Drawing specifically on three studies of young people's understandings of citizenship and their views on topical issues, two from England and one from Lebanon, the authors present ways in which the ethical and practical…

Conceptually and Methodologically Vexing Issues in Teacher Knowledge Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reutzel, D. Ray; Dole, Janice A.; Read, Sylvia; Fawson, Parker; Herman, Kerry; Jones, Cindy D.; Sudweeks, Richard; Fargo, Jamison

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the vexing issues that arise as researchers try to define and assess the knowledge teachers need to teach reading and writing effectively in the primary grades. Over the past several years, the authors of this article have developed and tested an assessment system of teacher knowledge under a grant titled…

Theoretical and methodological approaches in discourse analysis.

PubMed

Stevenson, Chris

2004-01-01

Discourse analysis (DA) embodies two main approaches: Foucauldian DA and radical social constructionist DA. Both are underpinned by social constructionism to a lesser or greater extent. Social constructionism has contested areas in relation to power, embodiment, and materialism, although Foucauldian DA does focus on the issue of power Embodiment and materialism may be especially relevant for researchers of nursing where the physical body is prominent. However, the contested nature of social constructionism allows a fusion of theoretical and methodological approaches tailored to a specific research interest. In this paper, Chris Stevenson suggests a framework for working out and declaring the DA approach to be taken in relation to a research area, as well as to aid anticipating methodological critique. Method, validity, reliability and scholarship are discussed from within a discourse analytic frame of reference.

Theoretical and methodological approaches in discourse analysis.

PubMed

Stevenson, Chris

2004-10-01

Discourse analysis (DA) embodies two main approaches: Foucauldian DA and radical social constructionist DA. Both are underpinned by social constructionism to a lesser or greater extent. Social constructionism has contested areas in relation to power, embodiment, and materialism, although Foucauldian DA does focus on the issue of power. Embodiment and materialism may be especially relevant for researchers of nursing where the physical body is prominent. However, the contested nature of social constructionism allows a fusion of theoretical and methodological approaches tailored to a specific research interest. In this paper, Chris Stevenson suggests a frame- work for working out and declaring the DA approach to be taken in relation to a research area, as well as to aid anticipating methodological critique. Method, validity, reliability and scholarship are discussed from within a discourse analytic frame of reference.

Managing the integration and harmonization of national airspace for unmanned and manned systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mumm, Hans

This dissertation examines the leadership challenge created by the requirement to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the national airspace system (NAS). The lack of UAV-related federal rules and regulations is a primary factor prolonging this integration. This effort focuses primarily on the leadership portion of the solution and not the technological requirements. The research explores an adaptation of the complexity theory that offers a potential leadership framework for the government, industry, and academia to use for achieving the full integration of UAVs into the NAS. Due to the large number of stakeholders and the multitude of interrelated issues, a complexity-theory-leadership methodology was created and examined as a potential way to help the FAA accelerate their rule-making efforts. This dissertation focuses on United States UAV issues. The United States is one of the leaders in the unmanned systems arena, to include the first significant use of recoverable autonomous weaponized systems in combat. Issues such as airspace, airworthiness, social issues, privacy issues, regulations, and the lack of policies, procedures, or governance are universal for all countries that are active in this technology area. This qualitative dissertation makes use of the grounded theory methodology as it combines a literature review and research along with interviews with subject matter experts, and information gained from attending UAV related gatherings/discussions. The investigation uncovered significant FAA process impediments as well as some possible break through concepts that could work well with the complexity-theory-leadership methodology. Keywords: Complexity theory, leadership, change management, UAV, unmanned aerial vehicle, National Airspace, NAS, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration.

Psycho-Socio-Economic Issues Challenging Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis Patients: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Thomas, Beena Elizabeth; Shanmugam, Poonguzhali; Malaisamy, Muniyandi; Ovung, Senthanro; Suresh, Chandra; Subbaraman, Ramnath; Adinarayanan, Srividya; Nagarajan, Karikalan

2016-01-01

Background Limited treatment options, long duration of treatment and associated toxicity adversely impact the physical and mental well-being of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients. Despite research advances in the microbiological and clinical aspects of MDR-TB, research on the psychosocial context of MDR-TB is limited and less understood. Methodology We searched the databases of PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase and Google Scholar to retrieve all published articles. The final manuscripts included in the review were those with a primary focus on psychosocial issues of MDR-TB patients. These were assessed and the information was thematically extracted on the study objective, methodology used, key findings, and their implications. Intervention studies were evaluated using components of the methodological and quality rating scale. Due to the limited number of studies and the multiple methodologies employed in the observational studies, we summarized these studies using a narrative approach, rather than conducting a formal meta-analysis. We used ‘thematic synthesis’ method for extracting qualitative evidences and systematically organised to broader descriptive themes. Results A total of 282 published articles were retrieved, of which 15 articles were chosen for full text review based on the inclusion criteria. Six were qualitative studies; one was a mixed methods study; and eight were quantitative studies. The included studies were divided into the following issues affecting MDR-TB patients: a) psychological issues b) social issues and economic issues c) psychosocial interventions. It was found that all studies have documented range of psychosocial and economic challenges experienced by MDR-TB patients. Depression, stigma, discrimination, side effects of the drugs causing psychological distress, and the financial constraints due to MDR-TB were some of the common issues reported in the studies. There were few intervention studies which addressed these psychosocial issues most of which were small pilot studies. There is dearth of large scale randomized psychosocial intervention studies that can be scaled up to strengthen management of MDR-TB patients which is crucial for the TB control programme. Conclusion This review has captured the psychosocial and economic issues challenging MDR patients. However there is urgent need for feasible, innovative psychosocial and economic intervention studies that help to equip MDR-TB patients cope with their illness, improve treatment adherence, treatment outcomes and the overall quality of life of MDR-TB patients. PMID:26807933

On Developing Independent Critical Thinking: What We Can Learn from Studies of the Research Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stotsky, Sandra

1991-01-01

Examines studies of what students do as they select and narrow a topic, locate sources, sift through these sources, and develop a central research question or thesis statement. Notes limitations of a related body of research focusing on other kinds of academic writing. Raises conceptual and methodological issues for researchers to address in…

Figures in a Landscape: Some Methodological Issues in Adult ESOL Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Celia

2006-01-01

This article begins by arguing for some bridge building in ESOL research between what is often seen as a quantitative/qualitative dichotomy. Instead of taking up a position on one side or the other, the differences are construed as different ways of seeing, depending upon the nature of the research questions asked. As a qualitative researcher by…

The Methodological Illumination of a Blind Spot: Information and Communication Technology and International Research Team Dynamics in a Higher Education Research Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, David M.; Blasi, Brigida; Culum, Bojana; Dragšic, Žarko; Ewen, Amy; Horta, Hugo; Nokkala, Terhi; Rios-Aguilar, Cecilia

2014-01-01

This "self-ethnography" complements the other articles in this special issue by spotlighting a set of key challenges facing international research teams. The study is focused on the relationship between information and communication technology (ICT)-based collaboration and research team dynamics. Our diverse team, drawn from researchers…

Towards a Re-Conceptualization of Teachers' Self-Efficacy Beliefs: Tackling Enduring Problems with the Quantitative Research and Moving On

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyatt, Mark

2014-01-01

Various commentators have argued for years that the study of teachers' self-efficacy (TSE) beliefs, largely dominated by quantitative research methodologies, has been confused. Contentious issues include the very conceptualization of these beliefs, how they are defined and accessed through research and how the research is used. One of the…

Introduction: the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative.

PubMed

Naylor, Mary D; Lustig, Adam; Kelley, Heather J; Volpe, Ellen M; Melichar, Lori; Pauly, Mark V

2013-04-01

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative (INQRI) program in 2005 to generate, disseminate, and translate research to understand how nurses contribute to and can improve patient care quality. This special edition of Medical Care provides an overview of the program's strategy, goals, and impact, highlighting cross-cutting issues addressed by the initiative. INQRI's leadership and select grantees discuss the implications of a collection of studies on the following: advances in the science of nursing's contribution to quality, measurement of quality, interdisciplinary collaboration, implementation methodology, dissemination and translation of findings, and the business case for nursing. A comprehensive review of the scholarly literature published in 2004 and 2009 found that the evidence linking nursing to quality of care has grown. The second paper discusses INQRI's work on measurement of quality of care, revealing the need for additional comprehensive measures. The third paper examines INQRI's focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, finding that it can enhance methodological approaches and result in substantive changes in health delivery systems. The fourth paper presents methodological challenges faced in health care implementation, emphasizing the need for standardized terms and research designs. The fifth paper addresses INQRI's commitment to translating research into practice, illustrating dissemination strategies and lessons learned. The final paper discusses how the INQRI program has contributed to the current evidence regarding the business case for nursing. This supplement describes the accomplishments of the INQRI program, discusses current issues in research design and implementation, and places INQRI research within the larger context regarding advances in nursing science.

Video observations of sensitive caregiving "off the beaten track": introduction to the special issue.

PubMed

Mesman, Judi

2018-03-22

This introduction to the special issue on video observations of sensitive caregiving in different cultural communities provides a general theoretical and methodological framework for the seven empirical studies that are at the heart of this special issue. It highlights the cross-cultural potential of the sensitivity construct, the importance of research on sensitivity "off the beaten track," the advantages and potential challenges of the use of video in diverse cultural contexts, and the benefits of forming research teams that include local scholars. The paper concludes with an overview of the seven empirical studies of sensitivity in this special issue with video observations from Brazil, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Peru, South Africa, and Yemen.

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

Heat stress intervention research in construction: gaps and recommendations.

PubMed

Yang, Yang; Chan, Albert Ping-Chuen

2017-06-08

Developing heat stress interventions for construction workers has received mounting concerns in recent years. However, limited efforts have been exerted to elaborate the rationale, methodology, and practicality of heat stress intervention in the construction industry. This study aims to review previous heat stress intervention research in construction, to identify the major research gaps in methodological issues, and to offer detailed recommendations for future studies. A total of 35 peer-reviewed journal papers have been identified to develop administrative, environmental or personal engineering interventions to safeguard construction workers. It was found that methodological limitations, such as arbitrary sampling methods and unreliable instruments, could be the major obstacle in undertaking heat stress intervention research. To bridge the identified research gaps, this study then refined a research framework for conducting heat stress intervention studies in the construction industry. The proposed research strategy provides researchers and practitioners with fresh insights into expanding multidisciplinary research areas and solving practical problems in the management of heat stress. The proposed research framework may foster the development of heat stress intervention research in construction, which further aids researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in formulating proper intervention strategies.

New technology and regional studies in human ecology: A Papua New Guinea example

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morren, George E. B., Jr.

1991-01-01

Two key issues in using technologies such as digital image processing and geographic information systems are a conceptually and methodologically valid research design and the exploitation of varied sources of data. With this realized, the new technologies offer anthropologists the opportunity to test hypotheses about spatial and temporal variations in the features of interest within a regionally coherent mosaic of social groups and landscapes. Current research on the Mountain OK of Papua New Guinea is described with reference to these issues.

Are health-based payments a feasible tool for addressing risk segmentation?

PubMed

Rogal, D L; Gauthier, A K

1998-01-01

As they attempt to increase health insurance coverage and improve the efficiency of the market, researchers, policymakers, and health plan representatives have been addressing the issue of risk segmentation. Many risk assessment tools and risk-adjusted payment methodologies have been developed and demonstrated for a variety of populations and payers experiencing various market constraints. The evidence shows that risk-adjusted payments are feasible for most populations receiving acute care, while technical obstacles, political issues, and some research gaps remain.

[AVIATION MEDICINE: THEORETICAL CONCEPTS AND FOCAL FUNDAMENTAL AND PRACTICAL ISSUES (for the 80th anniversary of the Research Test Center of Aerospace Medicine and Military Ergonomics)].

PubMed

Zhdanko, I M; Pisarev, A A; Vorona, A A; Lapa, V V; Khomenko, M N

2015-01-01

The article discloses postulates of theoretical concepts that make the methodological basis for addressing the real-world aviation medicine challenges of humanizing aviator's environment, labor content and means, and health and performance maintenance. Under consideration are focal fundamental and practical issues arising with the technological progress in aviation and dealt with at the AF CRI Research Test Center of Aerospace Medicine and Military Ergonomics.

Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Design Research: Introduction to the Special Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Matthew K.

2012-01-01

Single-case design (SCD) research focuses on finding powerful effects, but the influence of this methodology on the evidence-based practice (EBP) movement is questionable. Meta-analytic procedures may help facilitate the role of SCD research in the EBP movement, but meta-analyses of SCDs are controversial. The current article provides an…

Bifurcation and Hysteresis Effects in Student Performance: The Signature of Complexity and Chaos in Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stamovlasis, Dimitrios

2014-01-01

This paper addresses some methodological issues concerning traditional linear approaches and shows the need for a paradigm shift in education research towards the Complexity and Nonlinear Dynamical Systems (NDS) framework. It presents a quantitative piece of research aiming to test the nonlinear dynamical hypothesis in education. It applies…

Toward Understanding Through Hermeneutic Letterwriting.

PubMed

Nyholm, Linda; Nyström, Lisbet; Lindström, Unni Å

2018-04-01

The authors present letterwriting as a hermeneutic research method in that it contributes to the methodological development within the hermeneutical research tradition in caring science. The hermeneutic methodology is inspired by Hans-Georg Gadamer. Hermeneutic letterwriting in accordance with Gadamer's thought is a form of dialogue in writing, where what is truthful about the thing itself is unveiled with the help of the language. Hermeneutic letterwriting is presented in five steps. As a method, hermeneutic letterwriting is appropriate for complex caring science issues, and it offers new opportunities for attaining a deeper understanding of the world of caring.

En-Gendering the Material in Environmental Education Research: Reassembling Otherwise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Catherine

2017-01-01

In this article, I attempt to explore new and emerging possibilities for conceptualizing qualitative research that might be appropriate for questions those interested in gender issues in environmental education might have. Using two examples, I suggest the application of concepts, framed theoretically and methodologically. Concepts of…

Review of Research on Mobile Language Learning in Authentic Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shadiev, Rustam; Hwang, Wu-Yuin; Huang, Yueh-Min

2017-01-01

We reviewed literature from 2007 to 2016 (March) on mobile language learning in authentic environments. We aimed to understand publications' trend, research focus, technology used, methodology, and current issues. Our results showed that there was increasing trend in the publications. Students' perceptions towards mobile learning technologies and…

Applying Organizational Commitment and Human Capital Theories to Emigration Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verkhohlyad, Olga; McLean, Gary N.

2012-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to bring some additional insight into the issue of emigration by establishing a relationship between emigration and psychic return of citizens to their human capital investment in the country. Design/methodology/approach: The article adopts a quantitative research strategy. It applies organizational commitment and human…

Socio-Cultural Imbalances in AIED Research: Investigations, Implications and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanchard, Emmanuel G.

2015-01-01

This paper investigates international representations in the Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) research field. Its methodological and theoretical groundings are inspired by Arnett (2008) and Henrich et al. (2010a) who addressed the same issue in psychology, and respectively a) discovered massive imbalances in representation in top-tier…

Transdisciplinary, Multilevel Action Research to Enhance Ecological and Psychopolitical Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christens, Brian; Perkins, Douglas D.

2008-01-01

The authors explore the implications of recent proposals for a focus on power and social change in community psychology research and add needed contextual and methodological specificity. An expanded model of psychopolitical validity is presented that merges Isaac Prilleltensky's (this issue, pp. 116-136) domains, or stages of empowerment…

Discussion from a Mathematics Education Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, Douglas; Sarama, Julie

2015-01-01

In a review of the special issue, we conclude that the articles are research gems in the domain of preschool mathematics education. Most share several features, such as their perspective on research methodology and their view of mathematics thinking and learning. They address the cognitive architecture and processes and the developmental levels…

Indigenous Autoethnography: Formulating Our Knowledge, Our Way

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houston, Jennifer

2007-01-01

This paper seeks to engage the cultural interface where Indigenous knowledge meets Western academia, by questioning the validity of traditional research methods. Firstly, it is a response to the challenges facing Indigenous people confronted with the ethical and methodological issues arising from academic research. Secondly, it is a journey "into"…

A Scholar-Practitioner Perspective to Promoting Minority Success in STEM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Covington, Megan; Chavis, Terry; Perry, April

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this conceptual paper is to present the existing research on already effective programmatic efforts designed to increase diversity in STEM fields and to subsequently encourage researchers and practitioners to more intentionally build upon and design effective interventions around this issue. Design/methodology/approach:…

Host Societies and the Reception of Immigrants: Research Themes, Emerging Theories and Methodological Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reitz, Jeffrey G.

2002-01-01

Introduces six papers reflecting a research emphasis on four interrelated features of host societies pre-existing ethnic and race relations; labor markets and related institutions; government policies and programs for both immigration and broader institutional regulation; and the changing nature of international boundaries, (related to…

The Use of Multiple Theories of Inquiry in Educational Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Short, Edmund C.

This paper explores how various perspectives influence inquiry in education. Normative perspectives function as implicit theories of inquiry as a researcher undertakes formal inquiry, and such theories should be acknowledged. Epistemological as well as methodological issues raised by conceiving of such theories as normative rather than merely…

Researching "With", Not "On": Engaging Marginalised Learners in the Research Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkins, Liz

2013-01-01

This paper discusses practical and methodological issues arising from a case study exploring the hopes, aspirations and learning identities of three groups of students undertaking low-level broad vocational programmes in two English general further education colleges. Working within a social justice theoretical framework the paper outlines the…

Designing a grounded theory study: some practicalities.

PubMed

McCallin, Antoinette M

2003-01-01

Grounded theory is an interpretative research methodology frequently used by social science researchers seeking to discover the underlying social processes shaping interaction. The methodology is useful to create knowledge about the behavioural patterns of a group. The aim of this paper was to discuss some practical issues that the prospective grounded theory researcher planning a small-scale project may consider. Discussion focuses on the basic premises, choosing a version of grounded theory, the research problem, the purpose of study, the research question and the place of the literature in a study. The specific skills required of the grounded theory researcher are considered and some cautions are exercised. The paper may assist student researchers in a critical care setting and may be of interest to their supervisors and experienced. grounded theory researchers.

Combining GPS, GIS, and accelerometry: methodological issues in the assessment of location and intensity of travel behaviors.

PubMed

Oliver, Melody; Badland, Hannah; Mavoa, Suzanne; Duncan, Mitch J; Duncan, Scott

2010-01-01

Global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), and accelerometers are powerful tools to explain activity within a built environment, yet little integration of these tools has taken place. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of combining GPS, GIS, and accelerometry to understand transport-related physical activity (TPA) in adults. Forty adults wore an accelerometer and portable GPS unit over 7 consecutive days and completed a demographics questionnaire and 7-day travel log. Accelerometer and GPS data were extracted for commutes to/from workplace and integrated into a GIS database. GIS maps were generated to visually explore physical activity intensity, GPS speeds and routes traveled. GPS, accelerometer, and survey data were collected for 37 participants. Loss of GPS data was substantial due to a range of methodological issues, such as low battery life, signal drop out, and participant noncompliance. Nonetheless, greater travel distances and significantly higher speeds were observed for motorized trips when compared with TPA. Pragmatic issues of using GPS monitoring to understand TPA behaviors and methodological recommendations for future research were identified. Although methodologically challenging, the combination of GPS monitoring, accelerometry and GIS technologies holds promise for understanding TPA within the built environment.

African Primary Care Research: Participatory action research

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Abstract This article is part of the series on African primary care research and focuses on participatory action research. The article gives an overview of the emancipatory-critical research paradigm, the key characteristics and different types of participatory action research. Following this it describes in detail the methodological issues involved in professional participatory action research and running a cooperative inquiry group. The article is intended to help students with writing their research proposal. PMID:26245439

Feminist research or humanistic research? Experiences of studying prostatectomy.

PubMed

Pateman, B

2000-03-01

This paper highlights issues related to men's health research arising from a small-scale study, carried out by a male researcher, to identify the experience of men following transuretheral resection of prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The intention of this paper is to stimulate methodological debate rather than to be a research report. For the study, an informal interview approach was used within a phenomenological framework, and interview experiences raised issues which have been previously discussed under the rubric of feminist research. The conclusion drawn is that a style of research which attempts to gain a holistic view of patients' experiences is better termed 'humanistic research' because the term 'feminist research' clearly cannot be applied to men studying men's health-related experiences.

Autism genetics: Methodological issues and experimental design.

PubMed

Sacco, Roberto; Lintas, Carla; Persico, Antonio M

2015-10-01

Autism is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder of developmental origin, where multiple genetic and environmental factors likely interact resulting in a clinical continuum between "affected" and "unaffected" individuals in the general population. During the last two decades, relevant progress has been made in identifying chromosomal regions and genes in linkage or association with autism, but no single gene has emerged as a major cause of disease in a large number of patients. The purpose of this paper is to discuss specific methodological issues and experimental strategies in autism genetic research, based on fourteen years of experience in patient recruitment and association studies of autism spectrum disorder in Italy.

Psychosocial development in racially and ethnically diverse youth: conceptual and methodological challenges in the 21st century.

PubMed

Swanson, Dena Phillips; Spencer, Margaret Beale; Harpalani, Vinay; Dupree, Davido; Noll, Elizabeth; Ginzburg, Sofia; Seaton, Gregory

2003-01-01

As the US population becomes more diverse in the 21st century, researchers face many conceptual and methodological challenges in working with diverse populations. We discuss these issues for racially and ethnically diverse youth, using Spencer's phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST) as a guiding framework. We present a brief historical background and discuss recurring conceptual flaws in research on diverse youth, presenting PVEST as a corrective to these flaws. We highlight the interaction of race, culture, socioeconomic status, and various contexts of development with identity formation and other salient developmental processes. Challenges in research design and interpretation of data are also covered with regard to both assessment of contexts and developmental processes. We draw upon examples from neighborhood assessments, ethnic identity development, and attachment research to illustrate conceptual and methodological challenges, and we discuss strategies to address these challenges. The policy implications of our analysis are also considered.

Reflections on Recent Research Into Animal-Assisted Interventions in the Military and Beyond.

PubMed

Rumayor, Christina B; Thrasher, Amy M

2017-11-25

The purpose of the present review was threefold: to address the current state of Animal-Assisted Interactions (AAI) within the military; to summarize recent literature (within the past three years) in the field of AAI; and to discuss trends in AAI research since 2014. With regard to AAI within the military, several canine interaction programs have been utilized to assist service members in coping with various issues. Therapy dogs have been deployed with Combat-Operational Stress Control units; they have been integrated into medical clinics and behavioral health treatment programs in garrison; and policy has been developed to address the use of therapy animals in military treatment facilities. General research in AAI has demonstrated efficacy for certain presenting issues (stress management, trauma, autism spectrum disorder) and specific populations (children, the elderly, acute care patients). Overall trends in research include calls for increased consideration for animal welfare in AAI and increased rigor in research methodology. Current research supports the structured use of therapy dogs in the treatment of various disorders and with specific populations, including military service members and veterans; however, the need for additional research with rigorous methodology remains.

Theoretical and methodological issues with testing the SCCT and RIASEC models: Comment on Lent, Sheu, and Brown (2010) and Lubinski (2010).

PubMed

Armstrong, Patrick Ian; Vogel, David L

2010-04-01

The current article replies to comments made by Lent, Sheu, and Brown (2010) and Lubinski (2010) regarding the study "Interpreting the Interest-Efficacy Association From a RIASEC Perspective" (Armstrong & Vogel, 2009). The comments made by Lent et al. and Lubinski highlight a number of important theoretical and methodological issues, including the process of defining and differentiating between constructs, the assumptions underlying Holland's (1959, 1997) RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional types) model and interrelations among constructs specified in social cognitive career theory (SCCT), the importance of incremental validity for evaluating constructs, and methodological considerations when quantifying interest-efficacy correlations and for comparing models using multivariate statistical methods. On the basis of these comments and previous research on the SCCT and Holland models, we highlight the importance of considering multiple theoretical perspectives in vocational research and practice. Alternative structural models are outlined for examining the role of interests, self-efficacy, learning experiences, outcome expectations, personality, and cognitive abilities in the career choice and development process. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Family history of anxiety and mood disorders in anorexia nervosa: review of the literature.

PubMed

Perdereau, F; Faucher, S; Wallier, J; Vibert, S; Godart, N

2008-03-01

To provide a critical review of the research on mood and anxiety disorders in relatives of individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN). In the first section, we explore methodological issues with these studies. In the second section, we present results. A Medline search identified studies published on family history of mood and anxiety disorders in AN, and was complemented by a manual search. Only studies from 1980 to 2006 using strict diagnostic criteria for the disorders were included [Feighner and Halmi criteria for AN, Reasearch Diagnostic Criteria (RDC), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Third Edition - Revised (DSM-III-R) or DSM - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) for anorexia and other disorders]. A review of the research methods used in the studies revealed a number of methodological problems. Therefore, we provide only a description of the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in relatives of individuals with AN. In the light of the methodological issues uncovered, the value of the results of these studies and their implications for further study are considered.

Parental Choice of Schooling, Learning Processes and Inter-Ethnic Friendship Patterns: The Case of Malay Students in Chinese Primary Schools in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sua, Tan Yao; Ngah, Kamarudin; Darit, Sezali Md.

2013-01-01

This study surveys 200 Malay students enrolled in three Chinese primary schools in relation to three issues, i.e., parental choice of schooling, learning processes and inter-ethnic friendship patterns. The three issues are explored through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Parental expectations for their…

The Development of a Socioscientific Issues-Based Curriculum Unit for Middle School Students: Global Warming Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atabey, Nejla; Topçu, Mustafa Sami

2017-01-01

In this study, we aimed at developing "Human and Environment" unit around SSI based instruction. We followed action research methodology in development and implementation of the unit. The participants of this study were 24 seventh graders students and the instruction was extended to eight and a half weeks, taking four hours in a week.…

To What Extent Does a Regional Dialect and Accent Impact on the Development of Reading and Writing Skills?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snell, Julia; Andrews, Richard

2017-01-01

The issue of whether a regional accent and/or dialect impact(s) on the development of literacy skills remains current in the UK. For decades the issue has dogged debate concerning education outcomes, portable skills and employability. This article summarises research on the topic using systematic review methodology. A scoping review was undertaken…

Using Media as the Basis for a Social Issues Approach to Promoting Moral Literacy in University Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Normore, Anthony H.; Doscher, Stephanie Paul

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the use of media as the basis for a social issues approach to promoting moral literacy and effective teaching in educational leadership programs. Design/methodology/approach: Through a review of relevant literature, mass media sources, and observations, the authors use Starratt's framework of…

Internet-Based Delphi Research: Case Based Discussion

PubMed Central

Donohoe, Holly M.; Stellefson, Michael L.

2013-01-01

The interactive capacity of the Internet offers benefits that are intimately linked with contemporary research innovation in the natural resource and environmental studies domains. However, e-research methodologies, such as the e-Delphi technique, have yet to undergo critical review. This study advances methodological discourse on the e-Delphi technique by critically assessing an e-Delphi case study. The analysis suggests that the benefits of using e-Delphi are noteworthy but the authors acknowledge that researchers are likely to face challenges that could potentially compromise research validity and reliability. To ensure that these issues are sufficiently considered when planning and designing an e-Delphi, important facets of the technique are discussed and recommendations are offered to help the environmental researcher avoid potential pitfalls associated with coordinating e-Delphi research. PMID:23288149

Introduction to the special issue: message design in health communication research.

PubMed

Harrington, Nancy Grant

2015-01-01

Message design is one of the most complex and vibrant research areas in the communication discipline. Based on the preconference of the 2014 Kentucky Conference on Health Communication, this special issue of Health Communication is focused on a broad range of message design concerns. It features 10 original articles addressing topics ranging from fundamental questions related to theory and method to questions of message adaptation for translation and dissemination. Together, these articles reflect the rich variety of health behaviors addressed by health communication researchers and the breadth and depth of theoretical, methodological, and practical approaches to be considered in message design research.

The Theory Question in Research Capacity Building in Education: Towards an Agenda for Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biesta, Gert; Allan, Julie; Edwards, Richard

2011-01-01

The question of capacity building in education has predominantly been approached with regard to the methods and methodologies of educational research. Far less attention has been given to capacity building in relation to theory. In many ways the latter is as pressing an issue as the former, given that good research depends on a combination of high…

Methodological Considerations in Researching Community Services in the Northeast. A Northeast Regional Community Services Study. New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 836, September 1975.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Derr, Donn A., Ed.; And Others

Documenting several elements relative to regional research on community services in 10 northeastern states as experienced in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Regional Research Project NE-77 (1971), this monograph represents the NE-77 technical committee's effort to identify basic research issues re: the delivery of community services in rural…

Conducting multinational, cross-cultural research in the functional gastrointestinal disorders: issues and recommendations. A Rome Foundation working team report.

PubMed

Sperber, A D; Gwee, K A; Hungin, A P; Corazziari, E; Fukudo, S; Gerson, C; Ghoshal, U C; Kang, J-Y; Levy, R L; Schmulson, M; Dumitrascu, D; Gerson, M-J; Chen, M; Myung, S-J; Quigley, E M M; Whorwell, P J; Zarzar, K; Whitehead, W E

2014-11-01

Cross-cultural, multinational research can advance the field of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Cross-cultural comparative research can make a significant contribution in areas such as epidemiology, genetics, psychosocial modulators, symptom reporting and interpretation, extra-intestinal co-morbidity, diagnosis and treatment, determinants of disease severity, health care utilisation, and health-related quality of life, all issues that can be affected by geographical region, culture, ethnicity and race. To identify methodological challenges for cross-cultural, multinational research, and suggest possible solutions. This report, which summarises the full report of a working team established by the Rome Foundation that is available on the Internet, reflects an effort by an international committee of FGID clinicians and researchers. It is based on comprehensive literature reviews and expert opinion. Cross-cultural, multinational research is important and feasible, but has barriers to successful implementation. This report contains recommendations for future research relating to study design, subject recruitment, availability of appropriate study instruments, translation and validation of study instruments, documenting confounders, statistical analyses and reporting of results. Advances in study design and methodology, as well as cross-cultural research competence, have not matched technological advancements. The development of multinational research networks and cross-cultural research collaboration is still in its early stages. This report is intended to be aspirational rather than prescriptive, so we present recommendations, not guidelines. We aim to raise awareness of these issues and to pose higher standards, but not to discourage investigators from doing what is feasible in any particular setting. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Methodological issues in the design and analyses of neonatal research studies: Experience of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network.

PubMed

Das, Abhik; Tyson, Jon; Pedroza, Claudia; Schmidt, Barbara; Gantz, Marie; Wallace, Dennis; Truog, William E; Higgins, Rosemary D

2016-10-01

Impressive advances in neonatology have occurred over the 30 years of life of The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network (NRN). However, substantial room for improvement remains in investigating and further developing the evidence base for improving outcomes among the extremely premature. We discuss some of the specific methodological challenges in the statistical design and analysis of randomized trials and observational studies in this population. Challenges faced by the NRN include designing trials for unusual or rare outcomes, accounting for and explaining center variations, identifying other subgroup differences, and balancing safety and efficacy concerns between short-term hospital outcomes and longer-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. In conclusion, the constellation of unique patient characteristics in neonates calls for broad understanding and careful consideration of the issues identified in this article for conducting rigorous studies in this population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetics in child and adolescent psychiatry: methodological advances and conceptual issues.

PubMed

Hohmann, Sarah; Adamo, Nicoletta; Lahey, Benjamin B; Faraone, Stephen V; Banaschewski, Tobias

2015-06-01

Discovering the genetic basis of early-onset psychiatric disorders has been the aim of intensive research during the last decade. We will first selectively summarize results of genetic research in child and adolescent psychiatry by using examples from different disorders and discuss methodological issues, emerging questions and future directions. In the second part of this review, we will focus on how to link genetic causes of disorders with physiological pathways, discuss the impact of genetic findings on diagnostic systems, prevention and therapeutic interventions. Finally we will highlight some ethical aspects connected to genetic research in child and adolescent psychiatry. Advances in molecular genetic methods have led to insights into the genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders, but not yet provided definite pathways to pathophysiology. If replicated, promising findings from genetic studies might in some cases lead to personalized treatments. On the one hand, knowledge of the genetic basis of disorders may influence diagnostic categories. On the other hand, models also suggest studying the genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders across diagnoses and clinical groups.

Teaching clinical research methodology to the academic medical community: a fifteen-year retrospective of a comprehensive curriculum.

PubMed

Supino, Phyllis G; Borer, Jeffrey S

2007-05-01

Due to inadequate preparation, many medical professionals are unable to critically evaluate published research articles or properly design, execute and present their own research. To increase exposure among physicians, medical students, and allied health professionals to diverse methodological issues involved in performing research. A comprehensive course on research methodology was newly designed for physicians and other members of an academic medical community, and has been successfully implemented beginning 1991. The role of the study hypothesis is highlighted; interactive pedagogical techniques are employed to promote audience engagement. Participants complete an annual evaluation to assess course quality and perceived outcomes. Outcomes also are assessed qualitatively by faculty. More than 500 physicians/other professionals have participated. Ratings have been consistently high. Topics deemed most valuable are investigational planning, hypothesis construction and study designs. An enhancement of capacity to define hypotheses and apply methodological concepts in the criticism of scientific papers and development of protocols/manuscripts has been observed. Participants and faculty believe the course improves critical appraisal skills and ability to conduct research. Our experience shows it is feasible to accomplish these objectives, with a high level of satisfaction, through a didactic program targeted to the general academic community.

Resource-use measurement based on patient recall: issues and challenges for economic evaluation.

PubMed

Thorn, Joanna C; Coast, Joanna; Cohen, David; Hollingworth, William; Knapp, Martin; Noble, Sian M; Ridyard, Colin; Wordsworth, Sarah; Hughes, Dyfrig

2013-06-01

Accurate resource-use measurement is challenging within an economic evaluation, but is a fundamental requirement for estimating efficiency. Considerable research effort has been concentrated on the appropriate measurement of outcomes and the policy implications of economic evaluation, while methods for resource-use measurement have been relatively neglected. Recently, the Database of Instruments for Resource Use Measurement (DIRUM) was set up at http://www.dirum.org to provide a repository where researchers can share resource-use measures and methods. A workshop to discuss the issues was held at the University of Birmingham in October 2011. Based on material presented at the workshop, this article highlights the state of the art of UK instruments for resource-use data collection based on patient recall. We consider methodological issues in the design and analysis of resource-use instruments, and the challenges associated with designing new questionnaires. We suggest a method of developing a good practice guideline, and identify some areas for future research. Consensus amongst health economists has yet to be reached on many aspects of resource-use measurement. We argue that researchers should now afford costing methodologies the same attention as outcome measurement, and we hope that this Current Opinion article will stimulate a debate on methods of resource-use data collection and establish a research agenda to improve the precision and accuracy of resource-use estimates.

Research performance evaluation: the experience of an independent medical research institute.

PubMed

Schapper, Catherine C; Dwyer, Terence; Tregear, Geoffrey W; Aitken, MaryAnne; Clay, Moira A

2012-05-01

Evaluation of the social and economic outcomes of health research funding is an area of intense interest and debate. Typically, approaches have sought to assess the impact of research funding by medical charities or regional government bodies. Independent research institutes have a similar need for accountability in investment decisions but have different objectives and funding, thus the existing approaches are not appropriate. An evaluation methodology using eight indicators was developed to assess research performance across three broad categories: knowledge creation; inputs to research; and commercial, clinical and public health outcomes. The evaluation approach was designed to provide a balanced assessment across laboratory, clinical and public health research. With a diverse research agenda supported by a large number of researchers, the Research Performance Evaluation process at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute has, by necessity, been iterative and responsive to the needs of the Institute and its staff. Since its inception 5 years ago, data collection systems have been refined, the methodology has been adjusted to capture appropriate data, staff awareness and participation has increased, and issues regarding the methodology and scoring have been resolved. The Research Performance Evaluation methodology described here provides a fair and transparent means of disbursing internal funding. It is also a powerful tool for evaluating the Institute's progress towards achieving its strategic goals, and is therefore a key driver for research excellence.

Does Metformin Reduce Cancer Risks? Methodologic Considerations.

PubMed

Golozar, Asieh; Liu, Shuiqing; Lin, Joeseph A; Peairs, Kimberly; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh

2016-01-01

The substantial burden of cancer and diabetes and the association between the two conditions has been a motivation for researchers to look for targeted strategies that can simultaneously affect both diseases and reduce their overlapping burden. In the absence of randomized clinical trials, researchers have taken advantage of the availability and richness of administrative databases and electronic medical records to investigate the effects of drugs on cancer risk among diabetic individuals. The majority of these studies suggest that metformin could potentially reduce cancer risk. However, the validity of this purported reduction in cancer risk is limited by several methodological flaws either in the study design or in the analysis. Whether metformin use decreases cancer risk relies heavily on the availability of valid data sources with complete information on confounders, accurate assessment of drug use, appropriate study design, and robust analytical techniques. The majority of the observational studies assessing the association between metformin and cancer risk suffer from methodological shortcomings and efforts to address these issues have been incomplete. Future investigations on the association between metformin and cancer risk should clearly address the methodological issues due to confounding by indication, prevalent user bias, and time-related biases. Although the proposed strategies do not guarantee a bias-free estimate for the association between metformin and cancer, they will reduce synthesis of and reporting of erroneous results.

A Review of Agile and Lean Manufacturing as Issues in Selected International and National Research and Development Programs and Roadmaps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Helio; Putnik, Goran D.; Shah, Vaibhav

2012-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to analyze international and national research and development (R&D) programs and roadmaps for the manufacturing sector, presenting how agile and lean manufacturing models are addressed in these programs. Design/methodology/approach: In this review, several manufacturing research and development programs and…

Elevating the Role of Race in Ethnographic Research: Navigating Race Relations in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Keffrelyn D.

2011-01-01

Little work in the social sciences or in the field of education has fully explored the methodological issues related to the study of race and racism, yet qualitative researchers acknowledge that race plays (and should play) a role in the research process. Indeed, race frames and informs the context, practices and perspectives of everyday lived…

Conceptualising Food Research in Higher Education as a Matter of Social Justice: Philosophical, Methodological and Ethical Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dominguez-Whitehead, Yasmine

2017-01-01

Globally, food concerns in higher education have emerged as an issue of critical importance. Food acquisition struggles and high rates of food insecurity among students have been documented, yet food within higher education continues to be an under-researched area of study. This paper calls for advancing research that critically engages with food…

Sociotechnical approaches to workplace safety: Research needs and opportunities.

PubMed

Robertson, Michelle M; Hettinger, Lawrence J; Waterson, Patrick E; Noy, Y Ian; Dainoff, Marvin J; Leveson, Nancy G; Carayon, Pascale; Courtney, Theodore K

2015-01-01

The sociotechnical systems perspective offers intriguing and potentially valuable insights into problems associated with workplace safety. While formal sociotechnical systems thinking originated in the 1950s, its application to the analysis and design of sustainable, safe working environments has not been fully developed. To that end, a Hopkinton Conference was organised to review and summarise the state of knowledge in the area and to identify research priorities. A group of 26 international experts produced collaborative articles for this special issue of Ergonomics, and each focused on examining a key conceptual, methodological and/or theoretical issue associated with sociotechnical systems and safety. In this concluding paper, we describe the major conference themes and recommendations. These are organised into six topic areas: (1) Concepts, definitions and frameworks, (2) defining research methodologies, (3) modelling and simulation, (4) communications and decision-making, (5) sociotechnical attributes of safe and unsafe systems and (6) potential future research directions for sociotechnical systems research. Sociotechnical complexity, a characteristic of many contemporary work environments, presents potential safety risks that traditional approaches to workplace safety may not adequately address. In this paper, we summarise the investigations of a group of international researchers into questions associated with the application of sociotechnical systems thinking to improve worker safety.

How to apply for research grants in allergology.

PubMed

Guillen-Grima, Francisco; Annan, James W; Alvarez, José María Negro; Gómez, José Miguel Sáez; Ontoso, Enrique Aguinaga

2009-01-01

This is a guide for grant application for researchers seeking research grants in the field of allergy and related diseases for the first time. It outlines how to organize proposals and the potential issues to be considered in order to fulfil the criteria of the funding bodies and thus improve chances of obtaining the desired funding when applying for a research grant. We will use this paper as an example of a grant proposal to be presented to the FIS "Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria" (Health Research Fund) of Spain. The general framework can be used for a research proposal to any funding agency. The main research designs are reviewed. Other topics such as hypothesis, objectives, methodology, ethics and legal issues, and budget are presented.

Research on Natural Settings: Observing Adolescent Mothers and Infants throughout the First Postpartum Year.

PubMed

Diniz, Eva; Koller, Silvia H

2018-03-01

This manuscript aims to present and discuss challenges regarding naturalistic observation of adolescent mothers and their infants throughout the first postpartum year. Case illustrations were the object to discuss methodological options and issues faced during an observational and longitudinal research. The participants live in vulnerability in a metropolitan area in Southern Brazil. Data collection challenges led to reflections about naturalistic observation and methodological procedures, which were affected by setting characteristics and by the need of adapting to them. Most methodological difficulties were linked to naturalistic observations of mothers and their infants. Personal and contextual aspects of these settings must be taken into account in order to enhance result reliability and the knowledge about cultural idiosyncrasies.

Physiology of motion sickness symptoms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harm, Deborah L.

1990-01-01

Motion sickness research is reviewed with the emphasis placed on theories developed to explain its symptomatology. A general review of central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, and neuroendocrine system involvement in the syndrome. Particular attention is given to signs, symptoms, and physiological correlates, methodological issues, and directions for future research based on a dynamic interactive systems model.

What Can Be Learned from a Laboratory Model of Conceptual Change? Descriptive Findings and Methodological Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohlsson, Stellan; Cosejo, David G.

2014-01-01

The problem of how people process novel and unexpected information--"deep learning" (Ohlsson in "Deep learning: how the mind overrides experience." Cambridge University Press, New York, 2011)--is central to several fields of research, including creativity, belief revision, and conceptual change. Researchers have not converged…

Methodological Issues in Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kypri, Kypros

2007-01-01

The research literature on screening and brief intervention (SBI) for unhealthy alcohol use is large and diverse. More than 50 clinical trials and 9 systematic reviews have been published on SBI in a range of healthcare settings, and via a variety of delivery approaches, in general practice, hospital wards, emergency departments, addiction…

Theorizing and Studying the Language-Teaching Mind: Mapping Research on Language Teacher Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Anne; Freeman, Donald; Edwards, Emily

2015-01-01

The overarching project of the conceptual and empirical contributions in this special issue is to redraw boundaries for language teacher cognition research. Our aim in this final article is to complement the foregoing collection of articles by conceptualizing ontologically and methodologically past and current trajectories in language teacher…

Does Adolescent Bullying Distinguish between Male Offending Trajectories in Late Middle Age?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piquero, Alex R.; Connell, Nadine M.; Piquero, Nicole Leeper; Farrington, David P.; Jennings, Wesley G.

2013-01-01

The perpetration of bullying is a significant issue among researchers, policymakers, and the general public. Although researchers have examined the link between bullying and subsequent antisocial behavior, data and methodological limitations have hampered firm conclusions. This study uses longitudinal data from 411 males in the Cambridge Study in…

A Content Analysis of LGBTQ Qualitative Research in Counseling: A Ten-Year Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Anneliese A.; Shelton, Kimber

2011-01-01

This content analysis examines the qualitative methodology used in counseling research with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) issues published over the last 10 years (1998-2008) in 4 counseling and counseling psychology journals ("Journal of Counseling & Development," "Journal of Counseling Psychology," "Journal of LGBT Issues…

Applying Generalizability Theory To Evaluate Treatment Effect in Single-Subject Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lefebvre, Daniel J.; Suen, Hoi K.

An empirical investigation of methodological issues associated with evaluating treatment effect in single-subject research (SSR) designs is presented. This investigation: (1) conducted a generalizability (G) study to identify the sources of systematic and random measurement error (SRME); (2) used an analytic approach based on G theory to integrate…

Assessing Student Achievement in Large-Scale Educational Programs Using Hierarchical Propensity Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, Angela L.; Lalonde, Trent L.; Jenkins-Guarnieri, Michael A.

2014-01-01

Many researchers assessing the efficacy of educational programs face challenges due to issues with non-randomization and the likelihood of dependence between nested subjects. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate a rigorous research methodology using a hierarchical propensity score matching method that can be utilized in contexts where…

Navigating a Divided Society: Educational Research Strategies for Post-Conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Komatsu, Taro

2012-01-01

This article discusses methodological issues associated with education research in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and describes strategies taken to address them. Within a case study, mixed methods allowed the author to examine school leaders' perceptions multi-dimensionally. Multi-level analysis was essential to the understanding of policy-making…

Research on Libraries and Distance Education: An Analysis of Articles Published 1999-2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herring, Susan Davis

2010-01-01

This article reports on a content analysis of research articles focusing on library services in distance education published between 1999 and 2009. The study identified 472 articles on the topic and analyzed the citations, abstracts, and indexing to determine major topics, issues, and trends discussed; methodologies used; and major journals…

The Past as More than Prologue: A Call for Historical Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horsford, Sonya Douglass; D'Amico, Diana

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to argue that historical research methods offer an innovative and powerful way to examine, frame, explain, and disrupt the study of contemporary issues in educational leadership. More specifically, the authors examine how historical methodology might recast some of the questions educational leadership…

The Ethical Behavior of Counselors: New Directions in Ethical Behavior Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paradise, Louis V.

The ethical behavior of counselors is an issue of current importance to those in the profession. This paper briefly examines the literature in this area. While considerable descriptive research on ethical behavior exists, the conspicuous absence of any experimental methodologies and theoretically-based investigations were noted. The need for new…

Advancing Sexuality Studies: A Short Course on Sexuality Theory and Research Methodologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Gillian; Dowsett, Gary W.; Duncan, Duane; Slavin, Sean; Corboz, Julienne

2013-01-01

Critical Sexuality Studies is an emerging field of academic enquiry linked to an international network of advocacy agencies, activists, and political issues. This paper reports on the development of an advanced short course in sexuality theory and research, drawing on Critical Sexuality Studies and aiming directly at academics in developing…

Assessing the Impact of Planned Social Change. Occasional Paper Series, #8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Donald T.

Program impact methodology--usually referred to as evaluation research--is described as it is developing in the United States. Several problems face the field of evaluation research. First, those issues grouped as "meta-scientific" include: (1) the distinction between qualitative and quantitative studies; (2) the separation of implementation and…

Representing Refugee Youth in Qualitative Research: Questions of Ethics, Language and Authenticity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thorstensson Dávila, Liv

2014-01-01

This article speaks conceptually and methodologically about the ethics and politics of doing research with newcomer refugee youth and issues of representation. Feminist poststructuralist paradigms across a variety of fields have critically examined notions of experience, agency, and identity to in order to encompass more fluid understandings of…

The Social Stress Model of Substance Abuse among Childbearing-Age Women: A Review of the Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindenberg, Cathy Strachan; And Others

1994-01-01

This article synthesizes current empirical evidence for the interaction between stress level, stress modification, and drug abuse. The authors analyze 13 research studies of women; and they profile consistencies and inconsistencies in the findings, provide critiques of key methodological issues, and examine implications for future research,…

The Landscape of Noncredit Workforce Education: State Polices and Community College Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Noy, Michelle; Jacobs, James; Korey, Suzanne; Bailey, Thomas; Hughes, Katherine L.

2008-01-01

This report describes a study conducted by the Community College Research Center (CC RC) that explores the overarching issues affecting community college noncredit workforce education. Following an introduction, the next section explains the methodology of the study, presenting the research questions, the data collection methods, and the analytic…

Ranking Accounting Authors and Departments in Accounting Education: Different Methodologies--Significantly Different Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernardi, Richard A.; Zamojcin, Kimberly A.; Delande, Taylor L.

2016-01-01

This research tests whether Holderness Jr., D. K., Myers, N., Summers, S. L., & Wood, D. A. [(2014). "Accounting education research: Ranking institutions and individual scholars." "Issues in Accounting Education," 29(1), 87-115] accounting-education rankings are sensitive to a change in the set of journals used. It provides…

The Methodological Benefits of Social Media: "Studying Up" in Brazil in the Facebook Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straubhaar, Rolf

2015-01-01

While conducting research on the organizational cultures of elite nonprofit organizations in Rio de Janeiro, the author encountered many access issues identified in the current literature: in particular, difficulty in encountering research subjects due to the transitional nature of educational nonprofits and the role of secretaries and…

Methodological Issues in Researching Teacher Education in Developing Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharpes, Donald K.

Social science concepts have an impact on the study of teacher education in developing countries, and teacher education is a primary social force woven throughout the study of national development. A recommended approach to research on teacher education combines a study of how education influences, and in turn is influenced by, other developmental…

Response Bias in Research on Religion, Spirituality and Mental Health: A Critical Review of the Literature and Methodological Recommendations.

PubMed

de Oliveira Maraldi, Everton

2018-05-16

Although a significant body of research supports the psychological benefits of religion and spirituality, more investigations are needed to understand the mechanisms by which they impact mental health. While some studies suggest a causal direct influence, the findings may still be subject to unmeasured factors and confounders. Despite compelling empirical support for the dangers of response bias, this has been a widely neglected topic in mental health research. The aim of this essay is to critically examine the literature addressing the role of response bias in the relationship between religion, spirituality and mental health. A survey of the diverse types of bias in this research area is presented, and methodological and theoretical issues are outlined. The validity and generalizability of the evidence are discussed, as well as the implications for mental health practice. A list of methodological remedies to reduce bias is suggested. The article is then concluded with a summary of the studies reviewed and directions for future research.

Conditions, interventions, and outcomes in nursing research: a comparative analysis of North American and European/International journals. (1981-1990).

PubMed

Abraham, I L; Chalifoux, Z L; Evers, G C; De Geest, S

1995-04-01

This study compared the conceptual foci and methodological characteristics of research projects which tested the effects of nursing interventions, published in four general nursing research journals with predominantly North American, and two with predominantly European/International authorship and readership. Dimensions and variables of comparison included: nature of subjects, design issues, statistical methodology, statistical power, and types of interventions and outcomes. Although some differences emerged, the most striking and consistent finding was that there were no statistically significant differences (and thus similarities) in the content foci and methodological parameters of the intervention studies published in both groups of journals. We conclude that European/International and North American nursing intervention studies, as reported in major general nursing research journals, are highly similar in the parameters studied, yet in need of overall improvement. Certainly, there is no empirical support for the common (explicit or implicit) ethnocentric American bias that leadership in nursing intervention research resides with and in the United States of America.

Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagan, Margaret Stanley

1992-01-01

Discusses the research methodology of the longitudinal study that makes up this monograph issue. Discusses (1) subjects; (2) experimental procedure; (3) assessment measures of demographic factors, children's adjustment, adult depression, marital relationship, parent-child relationship, sibling relationship, and family interactions; and (5)…

A Meta-analysis Method to Advance Design of Technology-Based Learning Tool: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Research to Understand Learning in Relation to Different Technology Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lin

2014-02-01

Educators design and create various technology tools to scaffold students' learning. As more and more technology designs are incorporated into learning, growing attention has been paid to the study of technology-based learning tool. This paper discusses the emerging issues, such as how can learning effectiveness be understood in relation to different technology features? And how can pieces of qualitative and quantitative results be integrated to achieve a broader understanding of technology designs? To address these issues, this paper proposes a meta-analysis method. Detailed explanations about the structure of the methodology and its scientific mechanism are provided for discussions and suggestions. This paper ends with an in-depth discussion on the concerns and questions that educational researchers might raise, such as how this methodology takes care of learning contexts.

Citizen science as seen by scientists: Methodological, epistemological and ethical dimensions.

PubMed

Riesch, Hauke; Potter, Clive

2014-01-01

Citizen science as a way of communicating science and doing public engagement has over the past decade become the focus of considerable hopes and expectations. It can be seen as a win-win situation, where scientists get help from the public and the participants get a public engagement experience that involves them in real and meaningful scientific research. In this paper we present the results of a series of qualitative interviews with scientists who participated in the 'OPAL' portfolio of citizen science projects that has been running in England since 2007: What were their experiences of participating in citizen science? We highlight two particular sets of issues that our participants have voiced, methodological/epistemological and ethical issues. While we share the general enthusiasm over citizen science, we hope that the research in this paper opens up more debate over the potential pitfalls of citizen science as seen by the scientists themselves.

Social survey findings on en route noise annoyance issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fields, James M.

1990-01-01

Most surveys of residents' reactions to aircraft noise were conducted in the vicinity of airports. The findings in those surveys have supported planning and regulatory actions for the airport noise environment. Now, however, aircraft noise planning and regulations are being considered for a new environment, the en route environment. As policy makers search for bases for public policy in these new noise environments, it is appropriate to ask whether the same scientific evidence which supports airport noise policy can also support en route noise policy. Several aspects of that question are considered. An introduction establishes the scope of the present study and examines alternative study methodologies. Next, the selected study methodology is described and important assumptions are listed. The body of the paper then consists of the findings on en route issues. The final section presents findings on relevant research methods and considers priorities for further research.

Methodological developments in qualitative longitudinal research: the advantages and challenges of regular telephone contact with participants in a qualitative longitudinal interview study.

PubMed

Carduff, Emma; Murray, Scott A; Kendall, Marilyn

2015-04-11

Qualitative longitudinal research is an evolving methodology, particularly within health care research. It facilitates a nuanced understanding of how phenomena change over time and is ripe for innovative approaches. However, methodological reflections which are tailored to health care research are scarce. This article provides a synthesised and practical account of the advantages and challenges of maintaining regular telephone contact between interviews with participants in a qualitative longitudinal study. Participants with metastatic colorectal cancer were interviewed at 3 time points over the course of a year. Half the group also received monthly telephone calls to explore the added value and the feasibility of capturing change as close to when it was occurring as possible. The data gathered from the telephone calls added context to the participants' overall narrative and informed subsequent interviews. The telephone calls meant we were able to capture change close to when it happened and there was a more evolved, and involved, relationship between the researcher and the participants who were called on a monthly basis. However, ethical challenges were amplified, boundaries of the participant/researcher relationship questioned, and there was the added analytical burden. The telephone calls facilitated a more nuanced understanding of the illness experience to emerge, when compared with the interview only group. The findings suggest that intensive telephone contact may be justified if retention is an issue, when the phenomena being studied is unpredictable and when participants feel disempowered or lack control. These are potential issues for research involving participants with long-term illness.

Understanding health systems, health economies and globalization: the need for social science perspectives

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The complex relationship between globalization and health calls for research from many disciplinary and methodological perspectives. This editorial gives an overview of the content trajectory of the interdisciplinary journal ‘Globalization and Health’ over the first six years of production, 2005 to 2010. The findings show that bio-medical and population health perspectives have been dominant but that social science perspectives have become more evident in recent years. The types of paper published have also changed, with a growing proportion of empirical studies. A special issue on ‘Health systems, health economies and globalization: social science perspectives’ is introduced, a collection of contributions written from the vantage points of economics, political science, psychology, sociology, business studies, social policy and research policy. The papers concern a range of issues pertaining to the globalization of healthcare markets and governance and regulation issues. They highlight the important contribution that can be made by the social sciences to this field, and also the practical and methodological challenges implicit in the study of globalization and health. PMID:22938504

Methodological, technical, and ethical issues of a computerized data system.

PubMed

Rice, C A; Godkin, M A; Catlin, R J

1980-06-01

This report examines some methodological, technical, and ethical issues which need to be addressed in designing and implementing a valid and reliable computerized clinical data base. The report focuses on the data collection system used by four residency based family health centers, affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. It is suggested that data reliability and validity can be maximized by: (1) standardizing encounter forms at affiliated health centers to eliminate recording biases and ensure data comparability; (2) using forms with a diagnosis checklist to reduce coding errors and increase the number of diagnoses recorded per encounter; (3) developing uniform diagnostic criteria; (4) identifying sources of error, including discrepancies of clinical data as recorded in medical records, encounter forms, and the computer; and (5) improving provider cooperation in recording data by distributing data summaries which reinforce the data's applicability to service provision. Potential applications of the data for research purposes are restricted by personnel and computer costs, confidentiality considerations, programming related issues, and, most importantly, health center priorities, largely focused on patient care, not research.

"In the Too Hard Basket": Issues Faced by 20 Rural Australian Teachers When Students with Disabilities Are Included in Their Secondary Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhl, Susan; Pagliano, Paul; Boon, Helen

2015-01-01

Given the urban dominance of inclusion literature, it is germane to explore issues pertaining to including students with disability in the rural school. As such, this paper uses a qualitative research methodology to examine how 20 teachers experience including students with disabilities in their rural secondary classrooms. As a mother of an adult…

Global Learning in a Geography Course Using the Mystery Method as an Approach to Complex Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Applis, Stefan

2014-01-01

In the study which is the foundation of this essay, the question is examined of whether the complexity of global issues can be solved at the level of teaching methodology. In this context, the first qualitative and constructive study was carried out which researches the Mystery Method using the Thinking-Through-Geography approach (David Leat,…

Technology 2.0: A Commentary on Progress, Challenges, and Next Steps.

PubMed

Jones, Deborah J

2017-11-01

This commentary highlights the importance and promise of the innovative strategies described in the Child Maltreatment special issue on "Technology 2.0: A Focus on the Newest Technological Advances in Child Maltreatment Research." The commentary first highlights the collective advancements reflected in the articles in the special issue, with a primary focus on how the authors' work addresses a general challenge in services research that is perhaps nowhere more problematic than in the field of maltreatment. Next, the commentary extends the discussion of these articles to raise remaining gaps in our knowledge, theory, and methodology, which must be the focus of ongoing research if the true potential of technology as a service delivery vehicle is to be realized. Finally, the commentary concludes with a call for subsequent research which will be inspired by the articles in this special issue.

Clinical Studies of Biofield Therapies: Summary, Methodological Challenges, and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Hammerschlag, Richard; Mills, Paul; Cohen, Lorenzo; Krieger, Richard; Vieten, Cassandra; Lutgendorf, Susan

2015-01-01

Biofield therapies are noninvasive therapies in which the practitioner explicitly works with a client's biofield (interacting fields of energy and information that surround living systems) to stimulate healing responses in patients. While the practice of biofield therapies has existed in Eastern and Western cultures for thousands of years, empirical research on the effectiveness of biofield therapies is still relatively nascent. In this article, we provide a summary of the state of the evidence for biofield therapies for a number of different clinical conditions. We note specific methodological issues for research in biofield therapies that need to be addressed (including practitioner-based, outcomes-based, and research design considerations), as well as provide a list of suggested next steps for biofield researchers to consider. PMID:26665043

Clinical Studies of Biofield Therapies: Summary, Methodological Challenges, and Recommendations.

PubMed

Jain, Shamini; Hammerschlag, Richard; Mills, Paul; Cohen, Lorenzo; Krieger, Richard; Vieten, Cassandra; Lutgendorf, Susan

2015-11-01

Biofield therapies are noninvasive therapies in which the practitioner explicitly works with a client's biofield (interacting fields of energy and information that surround living systems) to stimulate healing responses in patients. While the practice of biofield therapies has existed in Eastern and Western cultures for thousands of years, empirical research on the effectiveness of biofield therapies is still relatively nascent. In this article, we provide a summary of the state of the evidence for biofield therapies for a number of different clinical conditions. We note specific methodological issues for research in biofield therapies that need to be addressed (including practitioner-based, outcomes-based, and research design considerations), as well as provide a list of suggested next steps for biofield researchers to consider.

Navigating political minefields: partnerships in organizational case study research.

PubMed

Moll, Sandra

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine key challenges associated with conducting politically sensitive research within a workplace setting, and to highlight strategic partnerships that can be developed to address these challenges. The author's research on employee mental health issues within a large healthcare facility serves as the foundation for identification and description of "political minefields" that investigators may encounter when conducting organizational case study research. Key methodological principles from the literature on qualitative case study research will frame discussion of how to understand and address political sensitivities in the research process. The benefits of conducting organizational case study research will be outlined, followed by discussion of methodological challenges that can emerge in negotiating entry, collecting data (gatekeepers, researcher reflexivity, participant authenticity and non-maleficence), and communicating research findings. Courage, collaboration and clear communication with stakeholders at all levels of the organization are critical to the success of workplace based case study research.

Reflections on the researcher-participant relationship and the ethics of dialogue.

PubMed

Yassour-Borochowitz, Dalit

2004-01-01

Research concerned with human beings is always an interference of some kind, thus posing ethical dilemmas that need justification of procedures and methodologies. It is especially true in social work when facing mostly sensitive populations and sensitive issues. In the process of conducting a research on the emotional life histories of Israeli men who batter their partners, some serious ethical questions were evoked such as (a) Did the participants really give their consent? (b) What are the limits of the researcher-participants relationship and who decides them? (c) For whom is the study beneficial? and (d) To what degree did the methodology fit with the participants? In this article, I discuss the Socratic idea of truth revealed through dialogue and the idea of reciprocity that was developed in Buber's (1949) ethics of dialogue and Habermas' (1990) communicative ethics. The 3 essential conclusions drawn from the ethical questions raised and the discussion of the thinkers that are mentioned previously are (a) dialogical methodology is ethically justified; (b) dynamic interactions give a more holistic perspective of the human nature, thus enriching the field; and (c) through dialogical methodology both researcher and participant profit from growth of knowledge, which is a key for empowerment and change.

Concept mapping methodology and community-engaged research: A perfect pairing.

PubMed

Vaughn, Lisa M; Jones, Jennifer R; Booth, Emily; Burke, Jessica G

2017-02-01

Concept mapping methodology as refined by Trochim et al. is uniquely suited to engage communities in all aspects of research from project set-up to data collection to interpreting results to dissemination of results, and an increasing number of research studies have utilized the methodology for exploring complex health issues in communities. In the current manuscript, we present the results of a literature search of peer-reviewed articles in health-related research where concept mapping was used in collaboration with the community. A total of 103 articles met the inclusion criteria. We first address how community engagement was defined in the articles and then focus on the articles describing high community engagement and the associated community outcomes/benefits and methodological challenges. A majority (61%; n=63) of the articles were classified as low to moderate community engagement and participation while 38% (n=39) of the articles were classified as high community engagement and participation. The results of this literature review enhance our understanding of how concept mapping can be used in direct collaboration with communities and highlights the many potential benefits for both researchers and communities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting Causes of Data Quality Issues in a Clinical Data Research Network.

PubMed

Khare, Ritu; Ruth, Byron J; Miller, Matthew; Tucker, Joshua; Utidjian, Levon H; Razzaghi, Hanieh; Patibandla, Nandan; Burrows, Evanette K; Bailey, L Charles

2018-01-01

Clinical data research networks (CDRNs) invest substantially in identifying and investigating data quality problems. While identification is largely automated, the investigation and resolution are carried out manually at individual institutions. In the PEDSnet CDRN, we found that only approximately 35% of the identified data quality issues are resolvable as they are caused by errors in the extract-transform-load (ETL) code. Nonetheless, with no prior knowledge of issue causes, partner institutions end up spending significant time investigating issues that represent either inherent data characteristics or false alarms. This work investigates whether the causes (ETL, Characteristic, or False alarm) can be predicted before spending time investigating issues. We trained a classifier on the metadata from 10,281 real-world data quality issues, and achieved a cause prediction F1-measure of up to 90%. While initially tested on PEDSnet, the proposed methodology is applicable to other CDRNs facing similar bottlenecks in handling data quality results.

[Controversial issues in economic evaluation (I): perspective and costs of Health Care interventions].

PubMed

Oliva, Juan; Brosa, Max; Espín, Jaime; Figueras, Montserrat; Trapero, Marta

2015-01-01

Economic evaluation of health care interventions has experienced a strong growth over the past decade and is increasingly present as a support tool in the decisions making process on public funding of health services and pricing in European countries. A necessary element using them is that agents that perform economic evaluations have minimum rules with agreement on methodological aspects. Although there are methodological issues in which there is a high degree of consensus, there are others in which there is no such degree of agreement being closest to the normative field or have experienced significant methodological advances in recent years. In this first article of a series of three, we will discuss on the perspective of analysis and assessment of costs in economic evaluation of health interventions using the technique Metaplan. Finally, research lines are proposed to overcome the identified discrepancies.

Medical device procurement in low- and middle-income settings: protocol for a systematic review.

PubMed

Diaconu, Karin; Chen, Yen-Fu; Manaseki-Holland, Semira; Cummins, Carole; Lilford, Richard

2014-10-21

Medical device procurement processes for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are a poorly understood and researched topic. To support LMIC policy formulation in this area, international public health organizations and research institutions issue a large body of predominantly grey literature including guidelines, manuals and recommendations. We propose to undertake a systematic review to identify and explore the medical device procurement methodologies suggested within this and further literature. Procurement facilitators and barriers will be identified, and methodologies for medical device prioritization under resource constraints will be discussed. Searches of both bibliographic and grey literature will be conducted to identify documents relating to the procurement of medical devices in LMICs. Data will be extracted according to protocol on a number of pre-specified issues and variables. First, data relating to the specific settings described within the literature will be noted. Second, information relating to medical device procurement methodologies will be extracted, including prioritization of procurement under resource constraints, the use of evidence (e.g. cost-effectiveness evaluations, burden of disease data) as well as stakeholders participating in procurement processes. Information relating to prioritization methodologies will be extracted in the form of quotes or keywords, and analysis will include qualitative meta-summary. Narrative synthesis will be employed to analyse data otherwise extracted. The PRISMA guidelines for reporting will be followed. The current review will identify recommended medical device procurement methodologies for LMICs. Prioritization methods for medical device acquisition will be explored. Relevant stakeholders, facilitators and barriers will be discussed. The review is aimed at both LMIC decision makers and the international research community and hopes to offer a first holistic conceptualization of this topic.

Medical device procurement in low- and middle-income settings: protocol for a systematic review

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Medical device procurement processes for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are a poorly understood and researched topic. To support LMIC policy formulation in this area, international public health organizations and research institutions issue a large body of predominantly grey literature including guidelines, manuals and recommendations. We propose to undertake a systematic review to identify and explore the medical device procurement methodologies suggested within this and further literature. Procurement facilitators and barriers will be identified, and methodologies for medical device prioritization under resource constraints will be discussed. Methods/design Searches of both bibliographic and grey literature will be conducted to identify documents relating to the procurement of medical devices in LMICs. Data will be extracted according to protocol on a number of pre-specified issues and variables. First, data relating to the specific settings described within the literature will be noted. Second, information relating to medical device procurement methodologies will be extracted, including prioritization of procurement under resource constraints, the use of evidence (e.g. cost-effectiveness evaluations, burden of disease data) as well as stakeholders participating in procurement processes. Information relating to prioritization methodologies will be extracted in the form of quotes or keywords, and analysis will include qualitative meta-summary. Narrative synthesis will be employed to analyse data otherwise extracted. The PRISMA guidelines for reporting will be followed. Discussion The current review will identify recommended medical device procurement methodologies for LMICs. Prioritization methods for medical device acquisition will be explored. Relevant stakeholders, facilitators and barriers will be discussed. The review is aimed at both LMIC decision makers and the international research community and hopes to offer a first holistic conceptualization of this topic. PMID:25336161

Assessing Campus Climates for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Students: Methodological and Political Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Robert D.; Gortmaker, Valerie J.

2009-01-01

Methodological and political issues arise during the designing, conducting, and reporting of campus-climate studies for LGBT students. These issues interact; making a decision about a methodological issue (e.g., sample size) has an impact on a political issue (e.g., how well the findings will be received). Ten key questions that must be addressed…

Preliminary analysis of an integrated logistics system for OSSA payloads. Volume 4: Supportability analysis of the 1.8m centrifuge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palguta, T.; Bradley, W.; Stockton, T.

1988-01-01

Supportability issues for the 1.8 meter centrifuge in the Life Science Research Facility are addressed. The analysis focuses on reliability and maintainability and the potential impact on supportability and affordability. Standard logistics engineering methodologies that will be applied to all Office of Space Science and Applications' (OSSA) payload programs are outlined. These methodologies are applied to the 1.8 meter centrifuge.

Genes, race, and psychology in the genome era: an introduction.

PubMed

Anderson, Norman B; Nickerson, Kim J

2005-01-01

The mapping of the human genome has reawakened interest in the topic of race and genetics, especially the use of genetic technology to examine racial differences in complex outcomes such as health and intelligence. Advances in genomic research challenge psychology to address the myriad conceptual, methodological, and analytical issues associated with research on genetics and race. In addition, the field needs to understand the numerous social, ethical, legal, clinical, and policy implications of research in this arena. Addressing these issues should not only benefit psychology but could also serve to guide such thought in other fields, including molecular biology. The purpose of this special issue is to begin a discussion of this issue of race and genetics within the field of psychology. Several scholars who work in the fields of genetics, race, or related areas were invited to write (or had previously submitted) articles sharing their perspectives. (c) 2005 APA

Schematic representation of case study research designs.

PubMed

Rosenberg, John P; Yates, Patsy M

2007-11-01

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

Conducting qualitative research in audiology: a tutorial.

PubMed

Knudsen, Line V; Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane; Jones, Lesley; Preminger, Jill E; Nielsen, Claus; Lunner, Thomas; Hickson, Louise; Naylor, Graham; Kramer, Sophia E

2012-02-01

Qualitative research methodologies are being used more frequently in audiology as it allows for a better understanding of the perspectives of people with hearing impairment. This article describes why and how international interdisciplinary qualitative research can be conducted. This paper is based on a literature review and our recent experience with the conduction of an international interdisciplinary qualitative study in audiology. We describe some available qualitative methods for sampling, data collection, and analysis and we discuss the rationale for choosing particular methods. The focus is on four approaches which have all previously been applied to audiologic research: grounded theory, interpretative phenomenological analysis, conversational analysis, and qualitative content analysis. This article provides a review of methodological issues useful for those designing qualitative research projects in audiology or needing assistance in the interpretation of qualitative literature.

1991 Annual Selected Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Omatsu, Glenn, Ed.

1991-01-01

Presents a bibliography containing 1,269 Asian-American studies in the following categories: research issues, bibliographies, and methodology; contemporary politics and social movements; culture, literature, and folklore; demography and geography; education; family relations; health and medicine; historical studies; identity and assimilation;…

Standards of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crain, Robert L.; Hawley, Willis D.

1982-01-01

Criticizes James Coleman's study, "Public and Private Schools," and points out methodological weaknesses in sampling, testing, data reliability, and statistical methods. Questions assumptions which have led to conclusions justifying federal support, especially tuition tax credits, to private schools. Raises the issue of ethical standards…

The Return of the Native: The Blurred Boundaries of Insider/Outsider Research in an English Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perryman, Jane

2011-01-01

This paper outlines the methodological issues I faced during my research as a "returning native" in an English secondary school. The empirical research took the form of a three-year case study and used some ethnographic methods, as it comprised interviews carried out over a period of three academic years in the school in which I was once…

Reconsidering 'ethics' and 'quality' in healthcare research: the case for an iterative ethical paradigm.

PubMed

Stevenson, Fiona A; Gibson, William; Pelletier, Caroline; Chrysikou, Vasiliki; Park, Sophie

2015-05-08

UK-based research conducted within a healthcare setting generally requires approval from the National Research Ethics Service. Research ethics committees are required to assess a vast range of proposals, differing in both their topic and methodology. We argue the methodological benchmarks with which research ethics committees are generally familiar and which form the basis of assessments of quality do not fit with the aims and objectives of many forms of qualitative inquiry and their more iterative goals of describing social processes/mechanisms and making visible the complexities of social practices. We review current debates in the literature related to ethical review and social research, and illustrate the importance of re-visiting the notion of ethics in healthcare research. We present an analysis of two contrasting paradigms of ethics. We argue that the first of these is characteristic of the ways that NHS ethics boards currently tend to operate, and the second is an alternative paradigm, that we have labelled the 'iterative' paradigm, which draws explicitly on methodological issues in qualitative research to produce an alternative vision of ethics. We suggest that there is an urgent need to re-think the ways that ethical issues are conceptualised in NHS ethical procedures. In particular, we argue that embedded in the current paradigm is a restricted notion of 'quality', which frames how ethics are developed and worked through. Specific, pre-defined outcome measures are generally seen as the traditional marker of quality, which means that research questions that focus on processes rather than on 'outcomes' may be regarded as problematic. We show that the alternative 'iterative' paradigm offers a useful starting point for moving beyond these limited views. We conclude that a 'one size fits all' standardisation of ethical procedures and approach to ethical review acts against the production of knowledge about healthcare and dramatically restricts what can be known about the social practices and conditions of healthcare. Our central argument is that assessment of ethical implications is important, but that the current paradigm does not facilitate an adequate understanding of the very issues it aims to invigilate.

Pretesting Qualitative Data Collection Procedures to Facilitate Methodological Adherence and Team Building in Nigeria.

PubMed

Hurst, Samantha; Arulogun, Oyedunni S; Owolabi, Ayowa O; Akinyemi, Rufus; Uvere, Ezinne; Warth, Stephanie; Ovbiagele, Bruce

Qualitative methods are becoming widely used and increasingly accepted in biomedical research involving teams formed by experts from developing and developed practice environments. Resources are rare in offering guidance on how to surmount challenges of team integration and resolution of complicated logistical issues in a global setting. In this article we present a critical reflection of lessons learned and necessary steps taken to achieve methodological coherence and international team synergy. A series of 10 pretest interviews were conducted to assess instrumentation rigor and formulate measures to address any limitations or threats to bias and management procedures before carrying out the formal phase of qualitative research, contributing to an evidence-based stroke-preventive care clinical trial study. The experience of pretesting notably helped to identify obstacles and thus increase the methodological and social reliability central to conducting credible qualitative research, while also ensuring both personal and professional fulfillment of our team members.

Choosing phenomenology as a guiding philosophy for nursing research.

PubMed

Matua, Gerald Amandu

2015-03-01

To provide an overview of important methodological considerations that nurse researchers need to adhere to when choosing phenomenology as a guiding philosophy and research method. Phenomenology is a major philosophy and research method in the humanities, human sciences and arts disciplines with a central goal of describing people's experiences. However, many nurse researchers continue to grapple with methodological issues related to their choice of phenomenological method. The author conducted online and manual searches of relevant research books and electronic databases. Using an integrative method, peer-reviewed research and discussion papers published between January 1990 and December 2011 and listed in the CINAHL, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar databases were reviewed. In addition, textbooks that addressed research methodologies such as phenomenology were used. Although phenomenology is widely used today to broaden understanding of human phenomena relevant to nursing practice, nurse researchers often fail to adhere to acceptable scientific and phenomenological standards. Cognisant of these challenges, researchers are expected to indicate in their work the focus of their investigations, designs, and approaches to collecting and analysing data. They are also expected to present their findings in an evocative and expressive manner. Choosing phenomenology requires researchers to understand it as a philosophy, including basic assumptions and tenets of phenomenology as a research method. This awareness enables researchers, especially novices, to make important methodological decisions, particularly those necessary to indicate the study's scientific rigour and phenomenological validity. This paper adds to the discussion of phenomenology as a guiding philosophy for nursing research. It aims to guide new researchers on important methodological decisions they need to make to safeguard their study's scientific rigour and phenomenological validity.

The forest behind the bar charts: bridging quantitative and qualitative research on Roma/Tigani in contemporary Romania.

PubMed

Rughiniş, Cosima

2010-01-01

Rughiniş discusses three controversial issues with regard to surveys of the Romani population: ethnonym use, self-identification versus hetero-attribution of Romani ethnicity, and the use of variables in reference to Romani settlements. She uses data sets from ten surveys of Romanian Roma between 2000 and 2008 as well as the 2002 Romanian Census to compare two types of samples, and to explore the consequences of several research choices for the quality of the data. In addition to specific methodological issues, Rughiniş addresses the relevance to such surveys of qualitative research in Romani communities.

Implications of behavioral pharmacology research for applied behavior analyses: JEAB's special issue celebrating the contributions of Joseph V. Brady (March 1994).

PubMed Central

Kirby, K C; Bickel, W K

1995-01-01

We review four articles from JEAB's March 1994 issue celebrating the contributions of Joseph V. Brady. These articles have implications for studying private events and for studying multiple operants. We suggest that regularly including self-reports about private events in behavioral pharmacological research has resulted in an accumulated knowledge that has facilitated examination of interesting relations among self-reports, environmental factors, and other observable behaviors. Methodological lessons that behavioral pharmacologists have learned regarding the study of multiple operants are also relayed. We provide examples of how these lessons could be useful to applied behavior analysts studying nonpharmacological issues. PMID:7706145

Emerging Topics and Innovative Methodologies in Cannabis Research

PubMed Central

Albright, Victoria A; Johnson, Eric Otto

2018-01-01

Aims And Scope: Cannabis use is ascendant in our society, affecting the health of our citizens, our social norms and social structures, and our economies. This special issue brings together a diverse set of research manuscripts that push the borders of our understanding of burgeoning cannabis use and displays innovative methods developed to study these phenomena. PMID:29795983

Commentary on Sexual Orientation: Research and Social Policy Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baumrind, Diana

1995-01-01

Evaluates the methodology and conclusions reached in the 12 research articles in this issue as they pertain to 3 questions: (1) is homosexuality a choice?; (2) what psychological risks are unique to the mental health and well-being of lesbian and gay youths?; and (3) what are the effects of being raised by homosexual parents? (MDM)

Writing Educational Biography: Explorations in Qualitative Research. Critical Education Practice; Volume 13. Garland Reference Library of Social Science, Volume 1098.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kridel, Craig, Ed.

This collection examines many influences of biographical inquiry in education and discusses methodological issues from the perspectives of veteran and novice biographers. The section on qualitative research and educational biography contains the following chapters: "Musings on Life Writing: Biography and Case Studies in Teacher Education" (Robert…

Age and Skin Tone as Predictors of Positive and Negative Racial Attitudes in Hispanic Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stokes-Guinan, Katie

2011-01-01

Past research suggests that both White children and minority children, including Hispanics, hold pro-White biases. Although doll studies have been a popular way of assessing racial attitudes among children, several methodological issues have made it challenging to interpret the results from these studies. Furthermore, past research has failed to…

Nation-Level Indicators of Gender Equity in Psychological Research: Theoretical and Methodological Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyde, Janet Shibley

2012-01-01

Power and inequality are central concepts in feminist theory and practice. Yet, with a few notable exceptions, there is relatively little empirical research on gender and power within feminist psychology. A search of PsycINFO for articles published in "Psychology of Women Quarterly" for the years 2000-2011 yielded only 14 empirical articles with…

Improving Middle School Parental Engagement in Transition to Common Core State Standards: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harla, Donna K.

2014-01-01

Parental involvement in schools is an important potential contributor to improving American education and making the U.S. more globally competitive. This qualitative and quantitative mixed-methodology action research study probed the viability of engaging parents around issues of educational improvement by inviting them to participate in training…

Some Conceptual and Methodological Issues in Understanding Ability-Performance Relationships. Research Report No. 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Benjamin, Ed.

This technical report contains the text of papers presented at a conference on personnel selection research. The conference brought together scholars to share their ideas regarding ways in which their own special interests help shed light on ability-performance relationships observed in personnel selection studies. The contributions can be divided…

Movement Variability in the Golf Swing: Theoretical, Methodological, and Practical Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glazier, Paul

2011-01-01

Movement variability in the golf swing has recently been identified as a priority for future research in golf science. Although this ubiquitous aspect of golf performance has featured in previous empirical investigations of the golf swing, it has tended to be subordinate and studied as an adjunct to other more conventional research questions.…

Conducting Evaluation and Research with and for Disaffected Students: Practical and Methodological Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wellington, Jerry; Cole, Pam

2004-01-01

In the late 1990s, the Department for Education and Employment in England set out to motivate and engage teenage students who were said to be 'disaffected' with the traditional school curriculum. Jerry Wellington, Professor of Education at the University of Sheffield, and Pam Cole, research fellow in the University of Sheffield School of…

Moving beyond the Deep and Surface Dichotomy; Using Q Methodology to Explore Students' Approaches to Studying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godor, Brian P.

2016-01-01

Student learning approaches research has been built upon the notions of deep and surface learning. Despite its status as part of the educational research canon, the dichotomy of deep/surface has been critiqued as constraining the debate surrounding student learning. Additionally, issues of content validity have been expressed concerning…

A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Qualitative Research. Very Short, Fairly Interesting & Reasonably Cheap Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverman, David

2007-01-01

In this book, the author shows how good research can be methodologically inventive, empirically rigorous, theoretically-alive and practically relevant. Using materials ranging from photographs to novels and newspaper stories this book demonstrates that getting to grips with these issues means asking fundamental questions about how we are…

The Frustrations of Reader Generalizability and Grounded Theory: Alternative Considerations for Transferability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Misco, Thomas

2007-01-01

In this paper I convey a recurring problem and possible solution that arose during my doctoral research on the topic of cross-cultural Holocaust curriculum development for Latvian schools. Specifically, as I devised the methodology for my research, I experienced a number of frustrations concerning the issue of transferability and the limitations…

Adapting Evidence-Based Mental Health Treatments in Community Settings: Preliminary Results from a Partnership Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southam-Gerow, Michael A.; Hourigan, Shannon E.; Allin, Robert B., Jr.

2009-01-01

This article describes the application of a university-community partnership model to the problem of adapting evidence-based treatment approaches in a community mental health setting. Background on partnership research is presented, with consideration of methodological and practical issues related to this kind of research. Then, a rationale for…

After Six Decades: Applying the U-Curve Hypothesis to the Adjustment of International Postgraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chien, Yu-Yi Grace

2016-01-01

The research described in this article concludes that the widely cited U-curve hypothesis is no longer supported by research data because the adjustment of international postgraduate students is a complex phenomenon that does not fit easily with attempts to define and categorize it. Methodological issues, different internal and external factors,…

Symbolic Interactionism and Library Research: Using a Qualitative Methodology To Understand Library Interchange.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fidishun, Dolores

2002-01-01

Explains symbolic interactionism as a theory for analyzing research based on a qualitative interpretive process that can help librarians to understand the way in which the library staff and users view services, training, policy, and other issues. The theory focuses on the symbolic meaning of objects, such as books, and events as they are…

Use of Digital Repositories by Chemistry Researchers: Results of a Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polydoratou, Panayiota

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present findings from a survey that aimed to identify the issues around the use and linkage of source and output repositories and the chemistry researchers' expectations about their use. Design/methodology/approach: This survey was performed by means of an online questionnaire and structured interviews with academic and…

A Review on Studies of Phrasal Verb Constructions in ESL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jahedi, Maryam; Mukundan, Jayakaran

2015-01-01

This paper aims to give an overview of studies on phrasal verbs in three decades to present the theoretical and methodological issues, as well as the findings of research. Moreover, this review reveals the developments and paradigm shifts occurred in this area. Previous studies have shown that the research findings have not been incorporated into…

High Variability Phonetic Training as a Bridge from Research to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barriuso, Taylor Anne; Hayes-Harb, Rachel

2018-01-01

This review of high variability phonetic training (HVPT) research begins by situating HVPT in its historical context and as a methodology for studying second language (L2) pronunciation. Next we identify and discuss issues in HVPT that are of particular relevance to real-world L2 learning and teaching settings, including the generalizability of…

Career Management in Transition: HRD Themes from the Estonian Civil Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rees, Christopher J.; Jarvalt, Jane; Metcalfe, Beverley

2005-01-01

Purpose: To explore, through a case study, some of the key career-related HRD issues that senior managers are currently facing in the Estonian civil service. Design/methodology/approach: Presents primary empirical research into career management in the Estonian civil service since 1991, that is, in the post-Soviet era. The research involved…

Misunderstood Statistical Assumptions Undermine Criticism of the National Early Literacy Panel's Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schatschneider, Christopher; Lonigan, Christopher J.

2010-01-01

Many of the methodological criticisms of the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) report presented in this special issue of "Educational Researcher" are not specific to the NELP report but are in fact broad criticisms of much of the quantitative research on early literacy. This rejoinder demonstrates that these criticisms are off target and are…

"You Could See It on Their Faces...": The Importance of Provoking Smiles in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Jonathan

2005-01-01

Purpose: Current research in both cognitive neuroscience and what has been called "positive psychology" point to the need for wholesale reappraisal of what happens in schools, especially with regard to the wellbeing of children. Seeks to examine this issue. Design/methodology/approach: Reviews and discussion of research by the World…

Religiousness, Spirituality, and Social Support: How Are They Related to Underage Drinking among College Students?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tamara L.; Salsman, John M.; Brechting, Emily H.; Carlson, Charles R.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Surgeon General has declared underage drinking among college students a major health issue for the nation, making it imperative that researchers delineate factors which predict and protect against it. Research suggests religiousness and spirituality might be protective factors, but methodological limitations make it difficult to know for…

Power and environmental assessment: Introduction to the special issue

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

Cashmore, Matthew, E-mail: cashmore@plan.aau.dk; Richardson, Tim

2013-02-15

The significance of politics and power dynamics has long been recognised in environmental assessment (EA) research, but there has not been sustained attention to power, either theoretically or empirically. The aim of this special issue is to encourage the EA community to engage more consistently with the issue of power. The introduction represents a ground-clearing exercise intended to clarify the terms of the debate about power in the EA field, and to contribute to the development of a research agenda. Research trends in the field are outlined, and potential analytic and normative lines of inquiry are identified. The contributions tomore » this special issue represent contrasting conceptual and methodological approaches that navigate the analytical and normative terrain of power dynamics in EA. Together, they demonstrate that power cannot be removed from EA policy or practices, and is a necessary research focus for the development of the field. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Introduces the themed section on power Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Provides an overview of the papers in the themed section Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Identifies research trends and directions for future research.« less

Promoting excellence in care.

PubMed

2004-07-01

Welcome to Nurse Researcher. This year's annual RCN International Nursing Research Conference was held recently in Cambridge, UK. The event, which attracted over 500 delegates from a range of diverse and academic settings across the world, brought together nurses and other healthcare professionals to promote and develop nursing knowledge. Over 200 papers and poster presentations covered a wide range of topics in nursing and healthcare research, including: issues in research methodology; education; theoretical perspectives; transcultural nursing; evidence-based practice; employment issues; and research governance. In addition to concurrent sessions and posters, many symposia, workshops and other fringe and networking events offered opportunities for sharing good practice and research collaboration. Next year's conference will be held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK from Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 March 2005. For more information visit: www.man.ac.uk/rcn/research2005.

Research capacity building: a US–South African partnership

PubMed Central

Airhihenbuwa, Collins O.; Shisana, Olive; Zungu, Nompumelelo; BeLue, Rhonda; Makofani, Daisy M.; Shefer, Tammy; Smith, Edward; Simbayi, Leickness

2012-01-01

Research capacity building engenders assets that allow communities (and, in this case, student fellows) to respond adequately to health issues and problems that are contextual, cultural and historical in nature. In this paper, we present a US–South African partnership that led to research training for 30 postgraduate students at two South African universities. We begin by exploring the nature of research capacity building in a partnership research project designed to promote HIV and AIDS-related stigma reduction. We examine methodological issues and their relevance to training of postgraduate students in South Africa. We conclude with recommendations for a successful model of partnership for building capacity of health researchers in Africa with the goal of developing research that informs policies and helps to bridge the health inequity gap globally. PMID:21596937

Cross-cultural adaptation and translation of a quality of life tool for new mothers: a methodological and experiential account from six countries.

PubMed

Symon, Andrew; Nagpal, Jitender; Maniecka-Bryła, Irena; Nowakowska-Głąb, Agata; Rashidian, Arash; Khabiri, Roghayeh; Mendes, Isabel; Pinheiro, Ana Karina Bezerra; de Oliveira, Mirna Fontenele; Wu, Liping

2013-04-01

To examine the challenges and solutions encountered in the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of an English language quality of life tool in India, China, Iran, Portugal, Brazil, and Poland. Those embarking on research involving translation and cross-cultural adaptation must address certain practical and conceptual issues. These include instrument choice, linguistic factors, and cultural or philosophical differences, which may render an instrument inappropriate, even when expertly translated. Publication bias arises when studies encountering difficulties do not admit to these, or are not published at all. As an educative guide to the potential pitfalls involved in the cross-cultural adaptation process, this article reports the conceptual, linguistic, and methodological experiences of researchers in six countries, who translated and adapted the Mother-Generated Index, a quality of life tool originally developed in English. Principal investigator experience from six stand-alone studies (two published) ranging from postgraduate research to citywide surveys. DISCUSSION/IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: This analysis of a series of stand-alone cross-cultural studies provides lessons about how conceptual issues, such as the uniqueness of perceived quality of life and the experience of new motherhood, can be addressed. This original international approach highlights practical lessons relating to instrument choice, and the resources available to researchers with different levels of experience. Although researchers may be confident of effective translation, conceptual and practical difficulties may be more problematic. Instrument choice is crucial. Researchers must negotiate adequate resources for cross-cultural research, including time, translation facilities, and expert advice about conceptual issues. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Prison health service directors' views on research priorities and organizational issues in conducting research in prison: outcomes of a national deliberative roundtable.

PubMed

Simpson, Paul Leslie; Guthrie, Jill; Butler, Tony

2017-06-12

Purpose Given that prisoners have significant health needs across most areas, the paucity of prisoner health research, and the difficulties involved in the conduct of research in this setting, there is a need to develop research priorities that align with key stakeholder groups. One such group are those responsible for health service provision in prisons - prison health service directors. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Prison health service directors in each Australian state and territory were invited to participate in a national (deliberative) roundtable where the consensus building nominal group technique was utilized. This involved the identification of research priorities and organizational issues in conducting research with prisoners, and ranking research priorities. A thematic analysis was conducted on organizational issues. Findings In total, 13 participants attended the roundtable. Participants identified 28 research priorities and 12 organizational issues. Top ranked research priorities were mental health, cognitive and intellectual disability, post-release health maintenance, ageing prisoners, chronic health conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Themes identified from the organizational issues included prisoner access to research participation, health and research literacy of custodial staff, and institutional protectionism in response to research that may discover negative information about the custodial setting. Research limitations/implications These findings should inform future efforts to improve research infrastructures to undertake research to improve the health of people in Australian prisons, and help to align researchers' efforts with those of a key organizational stakeholder. Originality/value This is the first paper to determine the research priorities and organizational issues in conducting research in prisons of prison health service directors.

Putting the methodological brakes on claims to measure national happiness through Twitter: Methodological limitations in social media analytics.

PubMed

Jensen, Eric Allen

2017-01-01

With the rapid global proliferation of social media, there has been growing interest in using this existing source of easily accessible 'big data' to develop social science knowledge. However, amidst the big data gold rush, it is important that long-established principles of good social research are not ignored. This article critically evaluates Mitchell et al.'s (2013) study, 'The Geography of Happiness: Connecting Twitter Sentiment and Expression, Demographics, and Objective Characteristics of Place', demonstrating the importance of attending to key methodological issues associated with secondary data analysis.

Digital Methodology to implement the ECOUTER engagement process.

PubMed

Wilson, Rebecca C; Butters, Oliver W; Clark, Tom; Minion, Joel; Turner, Andrew; Murtagh, Madeleine J

2016-01-01

ECOUTER ( E mploying CO ncept u al schema for policy and T ranslation E  in R esearch - French for 'to listen' - is a new stakeholder engagement method incorporating existing evidence to help participants draw upon their own knowledge of cognate issues and interact on a topic of shared concern. The results of an ECOUTER can form the basis of recommendations for research, governance, practice and/or policy. This paper describes the development of a digital methodology for the ECOUTER engagement process based on currently available mind mapping freeware software. The implementation of an ECOUTER process tailored to applications within health studies are outlined for both online and face-to-face scenarios. Limitations of the present digital methodology are discussed, highlighting the requirement of a purpose built software for ECOUTER research purposes.