Social Statistics Commons^™

Autism Spectrum Disorder In An Indian Context: Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On The Experiences Of Individuals With Asd And Their Families, Kendall Harman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that appears in comparable rates across social, ethnic and geographic groups, the quality and quantity of ASD-related resources and services is significantly lower in developing countries, including India. Moreover, sociocultural factors play a major role in the experiences of people with ASD. Yet, the bulk of ASD-related research has been conducted in developed countries. This study aimed to examine how social, cultural, political and economic factors impact the experiences of people with ASD living in India and their families. Seventeen parents of children with ASD were interviewed, and semi-structured observations of different …

River Health In Puyo, Ecuador The Use Of Macroinvertebrates As Bioindicators Of Water Quality And Alternatives To Chlorine For Whitening Clothes In The Puyo River Watershed, Allison Rowe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fresh water is an important resource in Puyo, Ecuador, a city named after the Kichwa word for ‘cloudy’ in reference to its overcast weather. However, the Puyo River watershed is the most contaminated in all of Pastaza Province. The objective of this investigation was first to evaluate the health of the Puyo River using macroinvertebrate analyses and measurements of chlorine concentrations, temperature, pH, turbidity, velocity, and flow rate. The second objective was to learn about practices used to whiten clothes in Puyo and perceptions of water quality in order to understand the magnitude of bleach pollution and the population’s awareness …

Not Just For Beginners - A Review Of Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide For Beginners, Gerald A. Craver

The Qualitative Report

In Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide for Beginners (2013), Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke present their method of thematic analysis as well as some strategies for successfully conducting qualitative research. The book is user-friendly and contains practical advice that may appeal to both novices and experienced researchers alike.

The Lived Experience Of Honduran And Usa Nursing Students Working Together In A Study Abroad Program, Lorinda J. Sealey, Donna Hathorn

The Qualitative Report

Nursing study abroad is one approach to preparing student nurses to work more effectively in international environments as well as at home with culturally diverse clients. These programs foster self-reflection by permitting students to spend considerable time immersed in different cultures, thus exposing them to clients with different health beliefs and values. The authors of this transformational phenomenological study examined the lived experience of American and Honduran nursing students working collaboratively during a nursing study abroad program. One-time audio-recorded semi structured interviews were conducted to gather data from American and Honduran students. Six themes emerged: Communication (i.e., language and communication …

Use Of Semi-Structured Interviews To Explore Competing Demands In A Prostate Cancer Prevention Intervention Clinical Trial (Pcpict), Theresa Crocker, Karen Besterman-Dahan, David Himmelgreen, Heide Castañeda, Clement K. Gwede, Nagi Kumar

The Qualitative Report

In this paper we report on findings from the first known study using qualitative methods to explore factors influencing physicians’ participation in an ongoing federally-funded prostate cancer chemoprevention clinical trial. We sought to identify ways to improve collaboration between researchers and physicians and enhance the success of future projects and employed purposive sampling to recruit physician/investigators who were involved or invited to participate in the trial. Using the data from open-ended semi-structured interviews, we examined patterns in their languaging and created themes. We found that individual and structural factors served as barriers and facilitators to participation. Willingness and desire to …

Qualitative Perspectives Toward Relational Connection In Pastoral Ministry, Jonathan W. Young, Michael W. Firmin

The Qualitative Report

We present the results of a phenomenological, qualitative research study in which 13 Southern Baptist (SB) pastors were administered in-depth interviews. The sample was selected from a total of 37 exemplars, identified in the quantitative component of a larger mixed-methods study, regarding the pastors’ perspectives toward relational connection in pastoral ministry. Three themes emerged from the data regarding relational connection in pastoral ministry. First, pastors indicated the need to be intentional about pastoral connection. Second, the pastors stressed the importance of being available to congregants who specifically desire pastoral connection. Finally, the participants related that pastors should give particular attention …

Using Ethnography To Understand Meaning: A Review Of Sam Ladner's Practical Ethnography: A Guide To Doing Ethnography In The Private Sector, Richard H. Rogers

The Qualitative Report

Ethnography is a qualitative research methodology that explains the meaning of a culture within context. Ethnographers take the emic position, participants’ point of view, and try to understand their language, concepts, categories, and opinions that defines their research. The author, Sam Ladner, wrote a thorough text that bridges the research and the practical use of ethnography in the private or public sector. An experienced or new researcher could gain knowledge by reading this text and implementing the methods in his or her private or public sector job. If a client wants to understand why consumers make certain decisions, the methods …

Tailoring General Population Surveys To Address Participation And Measurement Challenges Of Surveying Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual People, Mathew Stange

Survey Research and Methodology (SRAM) Program: Dissertations and Theses

Being rare and stigmatized, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people are hard-to-survey. Gaining their participation, reducing concealment of LGB identity, and accurately measuring their marital status are challenging. In this dissertation, I examine the effects that LGB-inclusive tailoring—inclusive cover image design and “same-sex” and “opposite-sex” marital status categories—has on addressing these challenges; particularly, the effect on who responds to a survey and the answers that they provide, among LGB and non-LGB people. The experiments were embedded in the 2013 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey (NASIS), a general population mail survey of Nebraskans (n=1,608). I test how the LGB-inclusive cover design …

Cultural Proximity And Reflexivity In Interpreting Transnational Media Texts: The Case Of Malaysians Consuming Japanese Popular Culture, Eriko Yamato

The Qualitative Report

Television programs such as animation and drama series from Japan have become common transnational products in Malaysia. Since studies on Malaysians who consume Japanese popular culture are lacking even a decade after its substantial rise in popularity, this qualitative study was designed to explore the media consumption of Japanese popular culture in Malaysia. In this article I examined how Malaysians are interpreting their favorite media texts from Japan specifically revisiting the concepts of “cultural proximity” and “reflexivity” suggested in the other studies of Japanese popular culture and the audience. I conducted in-depth interviews with 12 participants who have been consuming …

Police Crime Arrests In The United States, 2011, Philip M. Stinson, Evin J. Carmack, Jacob M. Frankhouser, Mallorie A. Wilson

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to provide empirical data on cases of police crime arrests during the year 2011. The study identifies and describes incidents in which nonfederal sworn law enforcement officers were arrested for one or more criminal offenses. Research Design & Method – The study is a quantitative content analysis of news articles identified through the Google News search engine using 48 automated Google Alerts queries. The unit of analysis in this study is criminal arrest case (not individual arrested officer). Intercoder Reliability – The Krippendorf’s alpha coefficient is strong (Krippendorf’s α = .9153) across …

Police Crime Arrests In The United States, 2011, Philip M. Stinson, Evin J. Carmack, Jacob M. Frankhouser, Mallorie A. Wilson

Philip M Stinson

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to provide empirical data on cases of police crime arrests during the year 2011. The study identifies and describes incidents in which nonfederal sworn law enforcement officers were arrested for one or more criminal offenses.

Research Design & Method – The study is a quantitative content analysis of news articles identified through the Google News search engine using 48 automated Google Alerts queries. The unit of analysis in this study is criminal arrest case (not individual arrested officer).

Intercoder Reliability – The Krippendorf’s alpha coefficient is strong (Krippendorf’s α = .9153) across …

A Primer On Multivariate Analysis Of Variance (Manova) For Behavioral Scientists, Russell T. Warne

Russell T Warne

Fiction Strengthens Research: A Review Of Patricia Leavy's Fiction As Research Practice: Short Stories, Novellas, And Novels, Richard H. Rogers

The Qualitative Report

Arts-based research (ABR) is a form of qualitative research that includes genres such as poetry, music, theatrical scripts, visual art, novels, and short stories. Fiction-based research is one type of ABR that utilizes the strength of fiction to connect with readers and to portray real life and genuine human experiences. The author, Patricia Leavy, wrote a text that thoroughly explains the meaning and evaluation of fiction-based research. In addition, she provides exemplar pieces and uses her eight criteria to assess the research. Lastly, the text explains why fiction is an important pedagogy to use with students. Twenty-first century skills and …

Transition Experiences Out Of Intercollegiate Athletics: A Meta-Synthesis, Rhema D. Fuller

The Qualitative Report

Given the renewed focus as to the degree in which institutions of higher education are preparing their student-athletes for life after sports, this study used a qualitative meta-synthesis research method design to examine the transition experiences of college athletes out of intercollegiate sport. The researcher synthesized data from nine qualitative studies, leading to the identification of six themes characteristic of the transition experience: athletic identity, anticipation and preparation, branching out, satisfaction with athletic performance, loss of camaraderie and support systems. Finally, the manuscript discusses the results of the meta-synthesis in light of their theoretical and practical implications.

"I'D Rather Dance Outside": A Phenomenological Examination Of Youth Experiences In Outdoor, Noncompetitive Physical Activity, Richard W. Christiana, Marsha Davis, Melissa Freeman

The Qualitative Report

Research has shown that youth with low levels of fitness or little interest in organized sports and traditional physical education are more likely to participate in noncompetitive outdoor physical activity. However, little is known about what influences youths’ decisions to participate in these activities. This study examined rural young adolescents’ experiences of participating in noncompetitive outdoor physical activity. In depth qualitative interviews were conducted with young adolescents aged 11-13 years (N = 24) from one rural middle school to elicit detailed descriptions of experiences of participation in outdoor physical activities. Interview transcripts were analyzed inductively and emergent themes related to …

Opinion: Too Many Veterans With Children Are Still Homeless, Christopher R. Fee, Joshua L. Stewart

English Faculty Publications

Don’t ignore homeless veterans.

As we pause this Veterans Day to reflect on those who have sacrificed in the service of our country, let us not neglect to address the plight of those who have returned to a civilian life with far less promise than they have every right to expect. [excerpt]

Out Of Our Comfort Zones: Reflections About Teaching Qualitative Research At A Distance, Cheyl A. Hunter, Debora Hinderliter Ortloff, Rachelle Winkle-Wagner

The Qualitative Report

How does an increase in distance technology alter the teaching of qualitative research? This article uses a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (McKinney, 2007) framework in which each author collected data in the form of personal narrative essays about teaching qualitative research from a distance, course products, teaching evaluations, and student comments. Individually we created a narrative reflection on the teaching and learning of qualitative methodology; particularly comparing our individual experiences with both distance and in-person teaching formats. Through these reflective essays, we provide ideas about our teaching of qualitative research via distance technology as a conceptual conversation about the …

An Exploration Of Collective Meaning-Making Among Migrant Workers, Patturaja Selvaraj

The Qualitative Report

I engaged with workers in India who have migrated from rural districts in the southern state of Karnataka to work in the mess of an academic institute located in a western state of India. These workers faced significant challenges and vulnerabilities due to being part of the unorganised sector. The primary question for my inquiry was to understand how migrant workers negotiated these vulnerabilities and whether they could succeed in processes of informal collectivisation based on shared bonds of language and ethnicity. I interviewed six migrant workers to understand their experiences and difficulties they face. I analysed the data by …

Water And Sanitation In Mumbai's Slums: Education Through Inquiry Based Learning In Social Work, Ronald Yesudhas, Patil Lalit, Antony Josy, Shenoy Impana

The Qualitative Report

Water and sanitation are the most important services necessary for life and dignity of citizens. But slum dwellers are excluded from these services, resulting in environmental degradation, marginalization and poor health. Through inquiry based learning, the first author has attempted to give his students an first hand and innovative learning experience by helping them to explore water and sanitation issues in the Ambujwadi slum of Mumbai (India) on their own. The paper highlights the pedagogical approach and by the way of illustrations helps the reader to understand its usefulness in teaching students of social work.

A Sensitive Question: Asking About Race In A Research Interview, Laura O'Hare

The Qualitative Report

Conversations are significant, but often overlooked cultural sites where attitudes, beliefs, and values about race are both reified and challenged. As such, these sites deserve increased scholarly attention (Allen, 2007). We employed Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory as a framework to examine the discursive strategies used by 11 interviewers in a research context as they asked 115 patient participants (taking part in a larger study of patients at a community-based family medicine residency clinic) to identify their race, as well as to identify the discursive strategies used by patient participants who answered this question. Our analysis revealed that in their …