Digital Commons Network^™

Implementing A Literary Text Extensive Reading Program Through Learning Logs, Elih Sutisna Yanto, Hilmansyah Saefullah, Deny Arnos Kwary

The Qualitative Report

This article reports the findings of action research on the implementation of extensive reading to literary text (henceforth ER) with learning logs (henceforth LL). The research question was: In what ways do the students engage in comprehending literary texts through ER with learning logs? And what are students’ reactions to these activities? The research was conducted in the English Language Education Study Program English Education Department of a state university in Indonesia in which twenty six students voluntarily participated in this study. The data of the research were collected from students’ reflective journals and semi-structured interviews. The empirical findings show …

Recovering From Doing Research As A Survivor-Researcher, Dee E. Michell Dr

The Qualitative Report

In this paper I explore the research process I undertook to recover from research. For three years from 2013 I was involved in a research project exploring the history of foster care in Australia. At the end I was exhausted and suffering trauma symptoms I initially attributed to the difficulties of juggling a major research project while teaching and undertaking key administrative tasks. Reluctance to write up the research findings, however, made me reconsider this attribution and at the end of 2016 I set out to make sense of what had happened to make me feel so bad while undertaking …

Multiple Sclerosis And Maternity: A Psychological Explorative Qualitative Research, Maria Carlino, Roberta Lanzillo, Alessandro Chiodi, Roberto Vitelli, Luigi Lavorgna, Vincenzo Brescia Morra, Giorgia Margherita

The Qualitative Report

Considering women living with multiple sclerosis (MS), motherhood may represent a complicated event. Our aim in this study is to explore the personal meanings related to maternity and illness in women living with this disease. We have involved twenty women suffering from MS and we have administered an open interview introduced by a trigger question as a prompt aimed to elicit a narrative of their experience of illness, wishes, doubts, fears and life-projects with regard to motherhood. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim in order to carry out an analysis of the textual corpus. We have performed the textual …

Expanding Qualitative Research Interviewing Strategies: Zoom Video Communications, Lisa M. Gray, Gina Wong-Wylie, Gwen R. Rempel, Karen Cook

The Qualitative Report

The proliferation of new video conferencing tools offers unique data generation opportunities for qualitative researchers. While in-person interviews were the mainstay of data generation in qualitative studies, video conferencing programs, such as Zoom Video Communications Inc. (Zoom), provide researchers with a cost-effective and convenient alternative to in-person interviews. The uses and advantages of face-to-face interviewing are well documented; however, utilizing video conferencing as a method of data generation has not been well examined. The purpose of this paper is to examine the specific attributes of Zoom that contribute to high quality and in-depth qualitative interviews when in person interviewing is …

The Invisible Professional: Visual Culture Of Successful Black Women, Sophonie Gaspard

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Black women in the United States have been arguably the most underrepresented, stereotyped, and hypersexualized groups in society; their contributions in the workplace often reduced in significance. Similarly, the perceived values of the white majority have historically dictated the images of minorities in the media. In their research on visual culture, Keifer-Boyd, Amburgy & Knight (2007) suggest that those with social, political, and economic power define how groups without power are represented and stereotyped, illuminating the privileges of having visible positive portrayals. As contemporary American society shifts towards greater inclusion and participation from black women, the media is encouraged to …

"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken": Ontological Insecurity In "Game Of Thrones" And Other Fantastic Transmedial Storyworlds, Nicole I. Chavannes

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Both rhetoric and composition and transmedia studies contain ongoing examinations of the complexity of author-audience relationships. This thesis utilizes the transmedial concept of ontological security in post-object fandom to examine the various ways "authors" of popular storyworlds and franchises affect narrative stability, and by extension fan and fandom stability, in an increasingly circulated and commercially-driven media landscape. To better understand disruptions in viewers' ontological security, I use HBO's Game of Thrones as a case study, examining the varied ways in which audiences respond to transmediated science fiction and fantasy storyworlds, and the ways in which authors attempt to anticipate or …

Factors Affecting Ict Integration During Teaching Practices: A Multiple Case Study Of Three Indonesian Universities, Akhmad Habibi, Rafiza Abdul Razak, Farrah Dina Yusop, Amirul Mukminin, Lalu N. Yaqin

The Qualitative Report

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a strong force for economic, social, political, and educational reforms happening throughout the world including in developing countries. In this qualitative inquiry, we aimed at elaborating factors affecting ICT integration during teaching practices in pre-service teacher training programs (PTTPs) of three Indonesian universities from the perspectives of fifty-five pre-service teachers. The thematic analysis of this study revealed two major themes, barriers and enablers, which affected the integration of ICT during teaching practices. Based on the themes, this study led to the development of a conceptual model of factors affecting the ICT integration. Recommendations are …

The Sourcing Of Stories On Sugar And The Supermarket Industry In The British Press, Martina Topić Dr

The Qualitative Report

This paper looked at the nature of sourcing stories in the press coverage of the anti-sugar debate and the supermarket industry in the UK. The research design was a mixed-method study founded in an interpretivist epistemology. Content analysis has been conducted on 454 articles from national and regional press and this analysis provided an answer on who influences the news agenda. Qualitative interviews with journalists explored what sources journalists use when selecting and sourcing stories. The findings show that NGOs are regularly used as a source for stories in the British press, while the news agenda is largely driven by …

Creative Pedagogy And Praxis With Social Media: Applications In And Out Of The Qualitative Research Classroom, Anna Cohenmiller, Nurlygul Smat, Aisulu Yenikeyeva, Kuralay Yassinova

The Qualitative Report

Research methods courses can provide essential opportunities for graduate students to develop themselves as researchers. This article offers insights into the application of creative pedagogy and praxis for a graduate-level qualitative research methods class. Students learned and applied the innovative research method—gender audit as process and method—to understand the gendered nature of University social media accounts. Applying principles of collaborative learning and hands-on practice, students gained confidence in themselves as researchers while examining a contemporary issue affecting higher education institutions.

Getting Graphic: Depictions Of Single Stories In Non-Fiction Graphic Novels About Israelis And Palestinians, Matt Reingold

Peace and Conflict Studies

Six recent non-fiction graphic novels about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are analyzed in order to understand how narratives are constructed and presented about each community. What emerges when considered together is that while complex narratives that challenge hegemonic stereotypes are depicted about the community that the authors favour, their depiction of 'the other' often relies on either stereotypes or omissions and these depictions present single stories of entire communities. I argue how the inclusion of alternative narratives within graphic novels can enhance the text, provide opportunities for readers to gain deeper knowledge about the conflict, and begin to appreciate and recognize …

Loose Coupling In Curriculum Reforms: Rural Teachers´ Perceptions Of Peace Education In Post-Conflict Colombia, Pedro Pineda, Markus D. Meier

Peace and Conflict Studies

Previous research has shown how peace education (PE) mutates according to socio-political and curricular/didactic traditions, but we still need to know how PE disseminates at the school level. We surveyed teachers from 12 rural schools of the violent Amazon region of Colombia where a national Law made PE mandatory in schools and universities. Teachers working on schools affected by the armed conflict have high expectations about PE. Respondents identified PE with 21 didactic elements: (a) Approaches: values education, citizenship education, critical pedagogy; (b) Pedagogical principles: diversity and pluralism. (c) Learning processes: peaceful conflict resolution, promotion of a “life project”, political …

Fostering Community In An Online Basic Writing Course: Best Practices For Teaching Online Basic Writing At A Four-Year Institution, Nikki Chasteen

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Fostering community in online basic writing (OBW) classes can be difficult with a student population who often lacks confidence in their writing. By implementing collaborative activities in OBW courses, instructors can facilitate students making connections with each other resulting in increased confidence in their writing. This thesis provides four best practices—make meaningful connections early on in the course, listen to students, provide meaningful feedback, and provide opportunities for collaboration— for instructors teaching OBW, which help students feel connected to and supported by their writing community. The four best practices were informed by research on basic writing, online writing instruction, Community …

Al-Shabaab And Boko Haram: Recruitment Strategies, J. Tochukwu Omenma, Cheryl Hendricks, Nnamdi C. Ajaebili

Peace and Conflict Studies

This paper is an examination of the membership recruitment strategies of two violent extremist organizations (VEOs), namely al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. The majority of the literature on VEOs concentrates on the conceptualization of terrorism, motivations for terrorism and counter-terrorism strategies, as well as a focus on the frequency of VEO attacks, number of fatalities and funding sources. The literature tends to portray poverty as the main driver of recruitment. The focus on recruitment strategies has been relatively recent. There is therefore still a lack of in-depth analyses on the processes of recruitment of specific extremist groups, and this impacts on …

Estranged Political Relationships: Demystifying The Root Causes Of Violent Conflicts In South Sudan, Sam A. Onapa

Peace and Conflict Studies

Abstract

The breaking of peace agreements and the subsequent perpetuation of civil war in South Sudan are sustained by the failure to adopt broad interventions addressing the many layers of the conflict. An understanding of the multiple causes of the conflict can form the basis for a successful and durable peace agreement. To investigate why violent conflict persists, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 29 major stakeholders, including conflict parties, mediators, eminent South Sudanese personalities, scholars and civil society leaders. The responses were grouped into five major themes: historical conflicts, estranged political relationships, power struggles, resource control and ethnic violence …

Hair: How Naturals Are Using Social Media To Reshape The Narrative And Visual Rhetoric Of Black Hair, Shari E. Drumond

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Black women’s natural hair has been subject to both praise and scrutiny, though the latter is more common despite the steps taken towards inclusion and diversity. In the age of social media, members of the natural hair community have been able to voice and communicate ideas and issues that are specific to their discourse community. This study explores how the natural hair community uses social media, more specifically Instagram, to discuss the complex issues that surround natural hair including historicization, workplace bias, colorism, and social justice. Additionally, this study argues that natural hair is a form of visual rhetoric as …

Digital Urban Ethnography: A Book Review Of The Digital Street, Katherine L. Walters, Enid Truong

The Qualitative Report

Jeffery Lane explores the social worlds of youth in Harlem during the digital era through his unique approach, digital urban ethnography. Researchers use this ethnographic method to understand how social lives and meanings are co-constructed within digital and physical spaces. The digital and physical do not neatly represent each other but each provides specific ways to engage that both shape and are shaped by youth’s social lives. As novice researchers, we read this work with an eye towards methodological choices and techniques. In particular, we hoped this work would provide us with an understanding of how to conduct research with …

“Qualitative Research As A Public Good”: A Review Of Patricia Leavy’S The Oxford Handbook Of Qualitative Research, Izhar Oplatka

The Qualitative Report

The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research offers both a retrospective and prospective view of the field. Its 34 chapters provide a wide variety of philosophical/theoretical approaches, research strategies and methodological tools in qualitative research and provide insight into the history of the field, ethics, and innovative streams of thoughts and methods. In this review, several chapters are reviewed to illustrate the wealth and depth of this handbook and its contribution to the field is discussed.

Fighting For Affirmation: A Review Of Patricia Leavy’S The Oxford Handbook Of Methods For Public Scholarship, Alexandra Ch Nowakowski

The Qualitative Report

With The Oxford Handbook of Methods for Public Scholarship, editor Patricia Leavy and a diverse array of contributing authors fight for affirmation of the value of public scholarship in mainstream academic consciousness. The result is an impressively expansive and phenomenally detailed volume that handily demonstrates not only the scientific rigor of public scholarship, but also the irreplaceable value of such work. This handbook both orients readers to the conceptual contributions of various forms of public scholarship and instructs us in concrete skills for practicing these approaches in our own work.

Transforming Difficulties Into Possibilities: Family Training As An Action For Educational Success In Contexts Of Poverty, Blas Segovia-Aguilar, M. Del Mar García-Cabrera, Eva F. Hinojosa-Pareja

The Qualitative Report

This research focuses on the implementation of a series of actions and training workshops with families of a school located in a socially excluded area in the city of Cordoba, Spain. The study explores how the participants perceived the experience and the educational and social benefits of this formative process. The research methodology was based on a participatory action research approach, which involved successive cycles of research and action in different phases: planning and analysis of the problem, action, observation and reflection. Five key informants, selected according to the criterion of structural heterogeneity, participated in the research. Semi-structured interviews and …

Art As Meditation: A Mindful Inquiry Into Educator Well-Being, Rachael Crowder, Jennifer Lock, Evelyn Hickey, Mairi Mcdermott, Marlon Simmons, Katrina Wilson, Rebecca Leong, Noeleen De Silva

The Qualitative Report

Being prepared for the intensity and complexities that educators face in their work means building strategies for managing well-being. This qualitative study explored educators’ conceptualizations about their well-being using an arts-based, community-based participatory research (AB-CBPR) methodology. After a brief mindfulness meditation and contemplation of prompting questions, educators were invited to participate in drawing and writing reflections. The artifacts were coded to determine themes. Themes suggested the importance of human connectedness and interconnection, self care and nurturance, the healing qualities of the natural word, and the recognition that institutions need to provide space and resources to support educator well-being. The mindfulness-based …

Reasonable Accommodation For Workers Who Are Deaf: Differences In Ada Knowledge Between Supervisors And Advocates, Hayley Stokar

JADARA

Despite the existence of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), workers who are deaf still struggle with reasonable accommodations in the workplace. The challenges relate, in part, to knowledge and training deficits among hearing supervisors. In order to understand the difference between supervisor knowledge and advocate knowledge around reasonable accommodation, focus groups were conducted with two populations: (1) supervisors in retail and food service who were all hearing, and (2) advocates engaged in training and education around deaf accommodation needs, who were either deaf or hearing. Findings identify similarities and disparities between the groups, highlighting that, while specific legal knowledge …

Teaming Together To Care For Our Deaf Patients: Insights From The Deaf Health Clinic, Kate Panzer, Junghyun Park, Leslie Pertz, Michael M. Mckee

JADARA

Deaf patients often struggle with accessing culturally competent care. Poor communication and inaccessible health information negatively impact Deaf individuals, resulting in poorer health outcomes and inappropriate health care use. To address this problem, the Family Medicine Department established the Deaf Health Clinic in 2015 through the efforts of healthcare providers fluent in American Sign Language. After that, the clinic faced several management issues, and implemented strategies to address them. The paper discusses lessons learned and suggests potential and tested solutions to reduce gaps in health care for Deaf individuals.

Recommendations For Secondary Analysis Of Qualitative Data, Sheryl L. Chatfield

The Qualitative Report

Publications and presentations resulting from secondary analysis of qualitative research are less common than similar efforts using quantitative secondary analysis, although online availability of high-quality qualitative data continues to increase. Advantages of secondary qualitative analysis include access to sometimes hard to reach participants; challenges include identifying data that are sufficient to respond to purposes beyond those the data were initially gathered to address. In this paper I offer an overview of secondary qualitative analysis processes and provide general recommendations for researchers to consider in planning and conducting qualitative secondary analysis. I also include a select list of data sources. Well-planned …

Impact Of Indian Demonetization On Working And Non-Working Married Women: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Naved Iqbal, Imtiyaz A. Dar, Irum Khan

The Qualitative Report

The sudden announcement of demonetization in India caused an immediate financial crisis that cascaded throughout the whole country and consequently caused suffering in the lives of many people, one such group being married women. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore and understand how married women were impacted by the demonetization policy. A total of 20 working and non-working women were selected from New Delhi and a qualitative research design based on interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed. The present study identified three themes (i.e., problems due to demonetization, coping with demonetization, and diverse experiences associated with hidden money) and …

A Research Tapestry: Stories Woven Into Stories, Laura Colket

The Qualitative Report

This autoethnography highlights the subjective nature of narrative research and illustrates the ways in which both micro and macro forces impact the research process. Through this article, I present a research tapestry in which the experiences, perspectives and stories of the participants weave together with my own experiences, perspectives and stories. I draw from my dissertation research, a narrative inquiry focused on the experiences of Haitian educational leaders working to create systemic change after the 2010 earthquake.

A Qualitative Study: Military Veterans And Franchise Ownership, Martin J. Mcdermott 4384520, Jason Jackson

The Qualitative Report

This study focuses on the military experience and motivation to become a franchise business owner. Previous research indicated franchisees who were military veterans had a significantly higher level of job satisfaction in owning and operating a franchise compared to franchisees with no military background.This study attempts to provide answers to important research questions like how and why military experience influences satisfaction in owning a franchise.Seven franchise business owners who served in the military participated in this qualitative study using a process of surveying, coding, and thematizing to answer this research inquiry. The findings of this follow-on study indicated veterans had …

What Factors Influence Chinese Students To Choose Master Program In Jmc: A Phenomenological Study, Zhiwei Wang Dr., Zhenbiao He Prof., Zhengke Fu Dr.

The Qualitative Report

The number of Chinese postgraduates in JMC has steadily increased with the growing number of JCC master’s programs in in China. Little is known about key factors that influence Chinese students’ decisions in choosing which program attend. In order to fill a gap in the academic field, a qualitative phenomenological approach was applied to examine the experiences of seven Chinese master’s students in JMC from three different universities in Zhejiang province, China. Three important themes have been created including (1) geographical advantages; (2) recommendation of peers and professors; and (3) course design and curriculum. These findings have important implications for …

The Dynamic Of Performing Social Relations Amongst Managers And Supervisors: A Thematic Analysis, Tri Astuti, Avin Fadilla Helmi, Aniq Hudiyah Bil Haq, Mohamad Dziqie Aulia Al Farauqi

The Qualitative Report

This study investigated the factors, dimensions, and dynamic flow of the manager-supervisor social relationship in a company with family values. This research was a qualitative study with a thematic analysis approach based on the six-step thematic analysis from Braun and Clarke (2006). The authors used open-ended questionnaires and interviews as data gathering tools. This study found that the three factors that influence four interrelated dimensions can result in group cohesiveness, target achievement, and performance improvement. The results of this study can be used in policy-making by considering the social relationship between employees as a supporting factor in achieving organizational goals. …

How To Access Elites When Textbook Methods Fail? Challenges Of Purposive Sampling And Advantages Of Using Interviewees As “Fixers”, Esra Bakkalbasioglu

The Qualitative Report

Social science methods literature identifies gaining access as one of the main challenges of conducting elite interview research. However, the existing literature mostly fails to provide access strategies other than the “textbook” methods of sending email, letters, faxes, or making phone calls. Many researchers, especially the ones who conduct purposive sampling-based in elite interview research encounter various obstacles when they try to gain access to the potential interviewees. Especially in challenging research environments, textbook methods either fail the researchers using purposive sampling or considerably increase the time and energy spent to gain access to elite respondents. Drawing on the author’s …

Incorporation Of Agouti-Related Protein (Agrp) Human Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (Snps) In The Agrp-Derived Macrocyclic Scaffold C[Pro-Arg-Phe-Phe-Asn-Ala-Phe-Dpro] Decreases Melanocortin-4 Receptor Antagonist Potency And Results In The Discovery Of Melanocortin-5 Receptor Antagonists, Zoe M. Koerperich, Mark D. Ericson, Katie T. Freeman, Robert C. Speth, Irina D. Pogozheva, Henry I. Mosberg, Carrie Haskell-Luevano

HPD Articles

While the melanocortin receptors (MCRs) are known to be involved in numerous biological pathways, the potential roles of the MC5R have not been clearly elucidated in humans. Agouti-related protein (AgRP), an MC3R/MC4R antagonist and MC4R inverse agonist, contains an exposed β-hairpin loop composed of six residues (Arg-Phe-Phe-Asn-Ala-Phe) that is imperative for binding and function. Within this active loop of AgRP, four human missense polymorphisms were deposited into the NIH Variation Viewer database. These polymorphisms, Arg111Cys, Arg111His, Phe112Tyr, and Ala115Val (AgRP full-length numbering), were incorporated into the peptide macrocycles c[Pro-Arg-Phe-Phe-Xaa-Ala-Phe-dPro], where Xaa was Dap or Asn, to explore the functional effects …