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Comparative Philosophy

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Rethinking Methodological Frameworks In Qualitative Comparative Migration Policy Research, Afag Javadova

The Qualitative Report

Capturing the nuanced dynamics of sub-national migration policy requires methodological frameworks that integrate multiple sources of evidence while remaining attentive to context-specific processes. Such approaches are well-suited to tracing interactions among policy actors and institutions within evolving, locally embedded systems of comparative policymaking. This study examines why municipalities operating under similar macro-level conditions pursue divergent policy trajectories in migration governance and demonstrates the analytical rigor and explanatory power of qualitative thematic analysis in accounting for this variation. Drawing on policy documents, archival records, and media sources from Toronto, San Francisco, and Wellington, it employs a hybrid inductive–deductive coding approach to …

Generation X’Sperspectives On Indonesian National Pride: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis, Rizal Kurniawan, Sartana Sartana, Avin Fadhila Helmi

The Qualitative Report

Having a sense of national pride is crucial for the well-being and progress of a country. It plays a vital role in the overall development of a nation and its people. Generation X (individuals born between 1960 and 1980) in Indonesia have experienced many national events and these events influence how they feel about being part of Indonesia. However, empirical research has not shown which events are sources of pride for them. Our study identifies sources of national pride for Generation X in Indonesia. The research data was collected using an open questionnaire and analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis …

Translating English‑Language Cosmetic Catalogues Into Persian: A Thematic And Content Analysis Of Health Information And Product Marketing Across Cultural Contexts, Afshin Soori, Laleh Khojasteh, Sanaz Mojarrad, Sedigheh Shakib Kotamjani

The Qualitative Report

The translation of English-to-Persian cosmetic catalogues presents unique challenges due to their hybrid nature, combining health communication with marketing language. These challenges, including linguistic inaccuracies, cultural misalignment, and functional inadequacies, can compromise consumer safety and trust. This study investigates the root causes of these issues and proposes strategies to enhance translation practices. A qualitative design was employed, analyzing 100 English-to-Persian cosmetic catalogue translations and incorporating feedback from 10 experts in TESL, translation studies, and health communication. The analysis revealed recurring issues such as misinterpretations of technical terms, omissions of safety warnings, and inconsistent terminology use. These issues were primarily attributed …

Interviewing Elite-Experts: When The Few Matter More Than The Many, Jo B. Helgetun, Thibault Coppe

The Qualitative Report

In this methodological essay, we discuss the ontology and epistemology of research interviews. We anchor our methodological reflection in our experiences interviewing elite-experts. Our goal is to highlight the strengths of research interviews, particularly elite-expert interviews, as well as the importance of using a qualitative rather than quantitative logic when conducting and analyzing such interviews. In discussing this case, we reflect on qualitative research and take a critical stance toward practices that undermine the field of qualitative research. Specifically, we reflect on the process of analyzing interviews—what we refer to as “the quantification of qualitative research”—and how it has become …

History Repeats Itself – A Discourse Analysis Exploring The Voices Of School Shooting Survivors, Public Perception, And Governmental Response For The Sake Of A Shooting-Free, Nicolette Tran, Frank Gorritz

The Qualitative Report

School and public shootings have been an increasing epidemic in the United States over the last 20 years. We used discourse analysis to provide insights into the conversations, attitudes, and perceptions of public shootings through the analysis of news coverage, magazines, and social media. We found themes associated with growing public despair around governmental lack of response and inevitability of gun violence everywhere, racial and gender disparities of gun violence, and the widespread impact of trauma to gun violence. The results of this discourse analysis indicate how problematic discourse still perpetuates gun violence and trauma in the United States. Implications …

Formalization Of Nomenclatural Acts Proposed In Tang (2026) (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Scorpiopidae), Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Several nomenclatural, taxonomic, and faunistic decisions put forth in Tang (2026) are formalized herein: (1) four nomina dubia, Chaerilus tessellatus Qi et al., 2005, Scorpiops langxian Qi et al., 2005, S. pococki Qi et al., 2005, and Isometrus (Reddyanus) wenjieae Huang et al., 2025; (2) two junior subjective synonyms, Scorpiops langxian = S. pococki = S. tibetanus Hirst, 1911 syn. n.; (3) one new “aspidonym”, Scorpiops obluda Tang, 2026 sp. indet. nomen nudum; and (4) removal of Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) and S. petersii Pocock, 1893 from the Chinese scorpiofauna. Reddyanus tibetanus (Lourenço & Zhu, 2008) is maintained …

Using Creativity Tools To Improve Perception Of Mental Health Resource Access On A College Campus, Laura Reindl

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This paper outlines the planning and implementation processes for executing a Creative Problem Solving (CPS) session at Binghamton University, with the goal of developing new ways to communicate accurate information about mental health resources available to students on campus and refuting common misconceptions. Led by communications and marketing staff in the Division of Student Affairs, the process included staff from Health and Counseling Services, staff involved in delivering health promotion and prevention services, and students with an interest in health and wellness. The project focused on the ideation and development stages of CPS and offered ideas for future implementation.

Reframing Soil Freezing As An Unsaturated Process, Antai Dong, Xiong Zhang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Soil freezing and frost heave are inherently unsaturated soil phenomena. However, most existing numerical models are based on saturated soil mechanics or assume full saturation. This simplification introduces conceptual inconsistencies, requires modifications that violate fundamentals in soil mechanics and fluid mechanics, and often leads to the use of self-conflicting soil properties. To overcome these limitations, this study develops a physically consistent, fully coupled thermohydraulic model for soil freezing grounded in modern unsaturated soil mechanics. A soil freezing characteristic surface (SFCS) is introduced to represent unfrozen water content in partially frozen soils as a function of both suction and temperature. Recognizing …

Disrupting The Bonded Economy Of Sex Buying, Sex Trafficking, And Organised Crime Through Policy Change, Dellene Clark

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Emerging criminological research underscores how the economic drivers of trafficking for sexual exploitation reinforce organised criminal markets while reproducing the structural vulnerabilities of those in prostitution. Using South Africa as a case study, this article argues that evidence-based legislative reform is necessary to confront the systemic conditions that enable exploitation. It contends that achieving substantive equality requires recognising the criminogenic role of sex‑buyer demand in sustaining trafficking pipelines and criminal profitability. The Swedish/Nordic demand‑reduction model illustrates how asymmetrical criminalisation can suppress demand, reduce reliance on trafficked persons, and diminish the financial incentives that underpin organised crime. Such an approach reorients …

Impunity: A Case Study Of Sex Trafficking In Nevada Brothel Prostitution, Christen Price

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

It is well-documented that legalization and other forms of official protection for prostitution lead to an increase in sex trafficking, including by encouraging demand for prostitution. This paper will consider the relationship between official protection, organized crime, and sex trafficking in pro-prostitution legal regimes, both historical and contemporary. Prostitution is legal in rural counties in Nevada that have fewer than 700,000 residents, if prostitution occurs within a brothel. There is significant overlap between sex trafficking and legal brothel prostitution in Nevada, as well as a nexus to corruption and organized crime, illustrating the normalization of coercion that occurs within legalized …

Disrupting The Demand For Commercial Sex To Combat Sex Trafficking And Destabilise Organised Crime Networks, Johan Van Graan

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Sex trafficking persists as a lucrative form of organised crime, sustained by ongoing demand for commercial sex. Using Rational Choice Theory, this article reframes sex buyers as active perpetrators and financial drivers of trafficking networks rather than peripheral actors. The article examines how buyers weigh risks and benefits when purchasing sex, especially in contexts with weak law enforcement. By analysing 53 active trafficking cases from 2021 and 36 prosecuted cases in South Africa (2007–2022), the research identifies clear patterns in buyer behaviour, network operations, and law‑enforcement responses. A central finding is the near-total absence of buyers in prosecutions, which reinforces …

Leveraging Technology To Measure The Strength Of Demand For Commercial And Trafficked Sex, Michael D. Shively, Bob Rodgers, Courtney Furlong, Brooke Ruffin

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The article examines Transaction Intercept (TI), an artificial‑intelligence platform designed to reduce sex trafficking by disrupting the revenue streams that draw organized crime into the market. Transaction Intercept deploys decoy online ads that appear to offer commercial sexual exploitation or prostitution. Automated "decoy" personas connect to individuals who click on these ads and engage them in text conversations. These exchanges can remain fully automated, ending with deterrence messages, or be transferred to police for potential enforcement action or to trained volunteers who attempt to discourage further attempts to buy sex. Transaction Intercept generates extensive, real‑time data on local demand for …

Through Their Lens: Co-Teachers’ Effective Strategies That Support Ells And Swds In Mathematics Inclusion Classrooms, Cheryl A. Bentham

Dissertations

Abstract

The current dialogue surrounding minoritized students in mathematics classrooms often focuses on deficit-based narratives that compare their competency to unrealistic norms. Such continuous negative narratives only serve to add another layer of marginalization to students who are already underserved, notably Black and Hispanic students, and subgroups comprising ELLs and SWDs. This qualitative case study explored the research-based strategies utilized by three co-teacher pairs to support ELLs and SWDs in Algebra inclusion classrooms. Vygotsky's (1978) social constructivist theory guided the study, which posits that learning occurs through social interactions, environmental influences, and support from more knowledgeable others. The data were …

Teacher Experience And Perception Of Feedback Literacy In The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Carla B. Mills

Dissertations

Writing instruction in schools remains a significant area of concern even after decades of awareness that students are not performing at proficient levels upon high-school graduation. This phenomenographic case study investigated teacher feedback literacy at the secondary level through interviews with teachers of writing-intensive International Baccalaureate Diploma Program courses and document analysis. Areas of feedback literacy strength included teacher awareness of designing positive class environments, attending to the socio-emotional needs of their learners, extensive use of both rubrics and exemplars, and frequent provision of verbal feedback. Document analysis revealed the presence of explicit instruction in written feedback, rubric use, and …

A Post-Incarceration Syndrome And Its Impact On Formerly Incarcerated Individuals: A Quantitative Examination Of In-Prison Services And Community Reentry Resources In New York City, Jorge Antonio Diaz

Education Doctoral

The United States incarcerates more individuals than any other nation, yet the effects ofincarceration remain underexamined in quantitative research. Although qualitative research has documented the traumatic sequelae of confinement, including post-incarceration syndrome (PICS), limited work has assessed the perceived adequacy of services available during incarceration, community reentry, and parole supervision. This study addresses that gap through a non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive quantitative design. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 31 formerly incarcerated adults using a 40-item researcher-developed tool, the Post-Incarceration Services Assessment Survey (PISAS), which examined perceived adequacy of in-prison coping services, community-based reentry resources, and parole officer support. …

Standardized Training Methodologies For Medical Laboratory Science Students And Their Importance For Student Success, Maria Simpson

Medical Laboratory Science Independent Study Projects

Clinical education is a critical component of Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) programs, serving as the primary bridge between academic instruction and professional practice. However, traditional clinical rotation training models often struggle to keep pace with rapid advancements in laboratory technology, expanding professional responsibilities, workforce shortages, and heightened patient safety expectations. The purpose of this capstone project is to examine the key factors driving the need to update training methodologies in MLS clinical rotations and to evaluate contemporary educational approaches that better prepare students for entry-level practice. This project addresses systemic challenges faced by clinical laboratories, such as staffing constraints, heavy …

Tailoring The Stereotype Of Asian Femininity: Nancy Kwan, The Qipao, And 1960s Hollywood, Jing Yang

Film and Media Studies (MA) Theses

This article asks the following questions: First, whether or not Kwan, and her qipaos, created new stereotypes of Asian women, or whether they, in fact, customarily represented within restricted versions of Asian femininity already available within mainstream, dominant Western culture of early 1960s Hollywood films. That is, this article seeks to investigate why Kwan, and her qipaos, in fact, became so culturally productive at that moment of historical time. Second, this article further seeks to explore the ways in which the qipao continued to enable Nancy Kwan to represent to mainstream Western, Hollywood-based audiences, uniquely, greatly, or importantly different versions …

Extending Legal Privilege To In-House Counsel In India, L Viswanathan, Animesh Bisht

National Law School of India Review

Client-attorney privilege is a cornerstone of the rule of law, yet its extension to in-house counsel in India remains fraught with uncertainty. The Supreme Court’s recent decision in In re: Summoning Advocates who give legal opinion or represent parties during investigation of cases and related issues, Suo Moto Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 2 of 2025, reinforced a status-based exclusion, holding that in-house counsel fall outside the definition of “Advocate” under the Advocates Act, 1961 and the Bar Council of India Rules, and therefore cannot claim privilege under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. This paper examines the Indian statutory framework and …

A Qualitative Study Of Immigration Trauma, Posttraumatic Growth, And The College Experience Among Mena Immigrant Students, Braa A. Elkhidir

Dissertations

Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrant students who are seeking to earn a higher education in the United States have to navigate acculturative stressors and systemic barriers. Prior research has focused primarily on the challenges MENA immigrant students experience without deeply exploring how these students adapt and grow. The focus in this qualitative study was to understand how MENA immigrant college students experience and make meaning of their academic journeys. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the academic experiences of seven MENA immigrant college students in the United States and assess how acculturative stressors, personal strengths, coping strategies, and …

Telling Their Intensive Stories: Black/African American Intensive Care Unit Nurses And Their Perceived Encounters With Icu Workplace Racism, Sharon M. Butler

Theses & Dissertations

The 2022 American Nurses Association (ANA) study on racism and racial inequality within the nursing profession both acknowledges the presence of racism in nursing and provides evidence of the diverse negative social and psychological effects of racism on minority nurses. Although the 2022 ANA study sets a precedent and shows evidence of racism’s effects across the broader professional nursing workforce, there is limited nursing research literature that offers a focused presentation and understanding of the lived experiences of minority nurses and their personal perceptions of workplace racism. There is also limited nursing research on how workplace racism impacts cultural and …

Adolescentes En Afrique De L’Ouest Et Du Centre : Trajectoires, Risques Et Leviers De Changement, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, Karen Austrian

Adolescents and Young People

La série « L’avenir des filles en point de mire : données probantes d’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre » examine les défis auxquels sont confrontées les adolescentes de la région et met en lumière des approches fondées sur des données probantes pour améliorer leur quotidien. Cette note de synthèse examine leur éducation, leur autonomisation économique, leur santé mentale, leur santé sexuelle et reproductive, leur accès au numérique et leurs usages technologiques, ainsi que leurs besoins face au changement climatique et dans des contextes humanitaires. En s’appuyant sur des données issues des pays prioritaires du GIRL Center, elle identifie les …

Baseline Nutrition Knowledge And Feasibility Of A Whatsapp-Delivered Nutrition Education Intervention Among California Wildland-Urban Interface Firefighters, Lauren E. Anderson

Master's Theses

Wildland firefighters perform physically demanding work under challenging environmental conditions that place substantial demands on nutritional health and occupational performance. Despite the importance of nutrition in supporting physical performance, recovery, and long-term health, limited research has examined nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviors among California wildland firefighters or evaluated the feasibility of remotely delivered nutrition education interventions within this occupational population. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to assess baseline nutrition knowledge, nutrition self-efficacy, and dietary behaviors while evaluating the feasibility of a 12-week WhatsApp-delivered nutrition education intervention among California wildland firefighters.

Twenty-four firefighters completed the baseline assessment and …

Development Of Reduced Conflict U-Turn (Rcut) Guidance In Kentucky, Travis Thompson, Duane Thomas, Jill Asher, Jeff Jasper

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

A reduced conflict U-turn (RCUT) intersection eliminates left-turn and through movements from the minor road. Instead, drivers must turn right onto the main road and complete a U-turn at a downstream median opening. Recognized by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as a proven safety countermeasure, RCUT intersections have reduced fatal and injury crashes 22 – 63%. Despite more than 35 RCUT intersections in operation across Kentucky, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) lacked specific guidance for their planning, design, construction, and operation.

This project, conducted by the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) in cooperation with KYTC, addressed this gap through a comprehensive …

Mir155, Triplicated In Down Syndrome, Regulates The Development Of Neural Stem Cells And Gabaergic Interneurons In Alzheimer's Disease Mouse And Human Ipsc Models., Xiaodong Zhu, Jean-Vianney Haure-Mirande, Mesude Bicak, Pengfei Dong, Ilya Kruglikov, Aiqun Li, Aisha Al-Subaie, Valentina Fossati, Scott Noggle, Sam Gandy, Michelle E Ehrlich

Faculty Research 2026

INTRODUCTION: Dysfunctional microRNAs and GABAergic interneurons are features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The role of neuronal microRNA155 (miR155), elevated in both AD and Down syndrome (DS), remains unknown.

METHODS: We utilized in silico analyses of published databases, MIR155-deleted and -overexpressing human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cells, cortical organoids, and amyloid beta precursor protein (APP)/PS1-miR155 knockout mouse.

RESULTS: MIR155HG (miR155 host gene) colocalizes with APP in a neuron-specific, topologically associated domain (TAD) in chromosome 21. In human neural stem cells (NSCs), neurons, and cortical organoids, MIR155 deletion enhanced NSC proliferation and GABAergic interneuron generation. MIR155 overexpression inhibited NSC marker expression …

Educator Experiences Of Schoolwide Pbis Discipline Implementation: Exploring School Culture In Private Pk–12 Schools, Jessica L. Guarneri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore educators’ lived experiences implementing schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) discipline systems and to understand how those experiences influenced school culture in private PK–12 schools. Historically, PBIS focused on specific outcomes, such as reductions in discipline referrals, suspensions, and behavioral incidents. Though these indicators are critical, they do not consider in what way educators experience disciplinary systems, nor how their lived experiences affect routine interactions with students. Educators play a key role in implementing PBIS; their experiences foster consistency, trust, and sustainability. The participants included certified educators and administrators employed …

A Qualitative Examination Of Tennessee Secondary Stem Teachers’ Perceptions On Professional Development Needs, Amber W. Ogle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to research secondary STEM educators’ perceptions of PD needs. This study focused on the lived experiences of educators actively teaching in STEM subject disciplines in grades nine through 12. The essential question for this research study was: How do Tennessee secondary STEM teachers perceive the relevance, applicability, and impact of PD opportunities? The research was rooted in Knowles’ (1984) theory of adult learning, Andragogy, and Learning Forward’s (2022) Standards for Professional Learning.

Data were collected through 15 semi-structured, one-on-one online interviews. The transcripts of these interviews were analyzed, and frequently used language …

Personalization And Generalization In Machine Learning For Affective Ai, Rajesh Titung

Theses

Human emotional communication involves subtle, low-intensity, and context-dependent expressions influenced by sociocultural and interpersonal factors. Their inherent ambiguity and variability create heterogeneous data distributions, making affective phenomena difficult to model in naturalistic settings where expressions differ from exaggerated affect behaviors in acted environments. Affective AI faces the fundamental challenge of balancing personalization, which captures individual nuances, with generalization, which ensures robustness of affective AI systems across individuals. Traditional centralized models emphasizing generalization often fail to capture fine-grained expressive heterogeneity, while fully personalized models improve system performance for individuals but lack transferability and robustness. The central task is thus to develop …

Comparing Initial Data For Binary Neutron Star Mergers With Different Equations Of State, Aarati Nandre

Theses

Binary neutron star (BNS) mergers are an important tool for studying nuclear matter at extreme densities inaccessible to laboratory experiments. The equation of state (EOS) of this nuclear matter affects the inspiral dynamics, remnant properties, and the resulting gravitational-wave signal, but remains only weakly constrained at supranuclear densities. The observation of  GW170817 provided observational constraints on the EOS and established multimessenger astrophysics as a probe of dense matter. Simulating BNS mergers across a range of EOSs and comparing the resulting observables against detections helps narrowing this uncertainty further, and is the broader motivation for this thesis. General relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations …

Cartel Del Noreste And Human Smuggling: Understanding Modern Tactics: A React Case Study, Anjun Dhillon, Isaac J. Moelter

Reports, Projects, and Research

On August 23, 2026, three members of Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) attempted to smuggle three people across the U.S. southern border in Laredo, Texas. Francisco Suarez, age 20, along with Luis Daniel Segura Guzman, age 26, prepared to transport the group from Mexico to the United States. The cartel members used Facebook to advertise their transportation services and to recruit aliens who needed help. A third CDN member, Bernardo Aniceto Garza, age 27, was placed in charge of driving the vehicle.