Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Illness-Disease Dynamic: Psychological Wellbeing In Type 2 Diabetes: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Claire Mckenzie, Kristina Bennert, David Kessler, Alan Montgomery

The Qualitative Report

Distress and depression often go unrecognised in people with diabetes. In this article, I present an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of the lived experience of people with Type 2 diabetes, based on individual in-depth interviews with 10 patients. The purpose of this research was to gain a deeper understanding of these psychological symptoms through a detailed examination of how patients interpret and respond to their experience of the condition. I propose a revised model for the connection between the disease of diabetes and patients’ lived experiences of illness, as one of embodied coexistence rather than relation. Through my analysis, I …

Sweeping Into The Interpretive Turn: Theory And Practice Expansion In Situational Analysis, Craig Whisker

The Qualitative Report

Between Adele Clarke’s 2005 ground-breaking book, Situational Analysis: Grounded Theory after the Postmodern Turn, and its second edition due for release next year under an expanded authorship and title, comes this effective practice-based taster. Here SA is situated within the interpretive turn, rather than the postmodern as previously, in a shift that might subtly be taking back some of the ground formerly given to Foucault at the expense of Strauss. Exemplars of SA studies, each with a reflective postscript by their authors, provide rich details on methods from a community of scholars, who along with the book’s editors, reproduce the …

Music As Medicine: An Evocative Bi-Autoethnography Of Surviving Divorce, Annabella Sok Kuan Fung

The Qualitative Report

As a musician-researcher of Chinese musicians’ journeys, I was confronted with stories that led me to interrogate my own worldviews. As my identity shifted in this experiential process, I became an autoethnographer by serendipity. Autoethnography is storytelling that blurs the boundaries between humanities and sciences, expressing lived experience in novel and literary forms, depicting stories and including authors’ critical reflection on their lives and writing process, with the purpose of transforming self and society. This evocative autoethnography explores the phenomenon of divorce, in reference to my personal experience and another musician’s lived experience interpreted through my understanding as a participant-researcher. …

Considering The Oneness: Reviewing Valerie J. Janesick’S Contemplative Qualitative Inquiry: Practicing The Zen Of Research Mindfully, Annette Willgens

The Qualitative Report

In Contemplative Qualitative Inquiry: Practicing the Zen of Research, Valerie Janesick offers an impressive, well-organized journey into the essence of what qualitative inquiry intends to offer the world. Janesick weaves Buddhist lessons throughout each chapter so that the reader feels both transformed and at home with the material. In 9 chapters and 8 appendices, Janesick builds a roadmap for the researcher, as only a mindful and fully centered approach can uncover another person’s experience and share it in a way that is heartfelt and real. This review introduces the term contemplative qualitative inquiry to begin a much needed conversation about …

Successful Enrichment And Recovery Of Whole Mitochondrial Genomes From Ancient Human Dental Calculus, Andrew T. Ozga, Maria A. Nieves-Colon, Tanvi P. Honap, Krithivasan Sankaranarayanan, Courtney A. Hofman, George R. Milner, Cecil M. Lewis Jr., Anne C. Stone, Christina Warinner

Biology Faculty Articles

Objectives

Archaeological dental calculus is a rich source of host‐associated biomolecules. Importantly, however, dental calculus is more accurately described as a calcified microbial biofilm than a host tissue. As such, concerns regarding destructive analysis of human remains may not apply as strongly to dental calculus, opening the possibility of obtaining human health and ancestry information from dental calculus in cases where destructive analysis of conventional skeletal remains is not permitted. Here we investigate the preservation of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in archaeological dental calculus and its potential for full mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) reconstruction in maternal lineage ancestry analysis.

Materials and …

Essentials Of A Qualitative Doctorate As Seen From Two Frames, Wayne Perry

The Qualitative Report

Immy Holloway and Lorraine Brown, the authors of Essentials of a Qualitative Doctorate, explicitly identify their intended audience as “doctoral candidates who write their dissertations in English….” This review looks at the book from two frames, a professor who mentors doctoral students, and, imaginatively, as a student who is trying to write my first qualitative dissertation. I found the book has a number of strengths, most especially its broader focus than solely on a US Ph.D. However, the broad focus left many important details in the background. Essentials of a Qualitative Doctorate is probably best seen as a helpful reminder …

Understanding The Employment Barriers And Support Needs Of People Living With Psychosis, Margaret Hampson, Richard Hicks, Bruce Watt

The Qualitative Report

This study investigated the employment barriers and support needs of people living with psychosis. A purposive community sample of 137 volunteers drawn from six key stakeholder groups were invited to participate in focus groups and semi-structured individual interviews to elicit their perceptions on the employment barriers and support needs of people living with psychosis. The stakeholder groups included in this study were people with lived experience of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, carers, health professionals, employers, employment service providers, and community members. Data obtained from 14 focus groups and 31 semi-structured individual interviews were transcribed, imported into NVivo 10, and coded …

“Bracketing” Foreign Policy From Domestic Affairs: A New Paradigm For International Negotiation And Decision-Making, Scott Gerschwer Ph.D.

Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science

This paper argues that geo-political negotiators must separate domestic issues from their calculations and consider only strategic goals and international concerns when working through issues with other global leaders. The impetus for this paper is a recent poll that shows that 52% of Americans want to bomb Iran, apparently without considering the consequences. I will give some history, present some recent cases and attempt to create a mechanism for separating international and domestic issues to relieve a source of pressure on negotiators.

Corporate Responsibility In Peace Building, Conflict Prevention And Development: The Role Of The Mining Sector In Ghana, Abdul Karim Issifu

Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science

This article seeks to explore the role of the mining sector in peace building, conflict prevention and community development in Ghana. After thoroughly reviewing secondary data, including articles, books, journals, newspapers, etc., via critical document review and qualitative research approaches the research found that, there is no legal document on CSR in Ghana, yet mining companies in a free will, have executed CSR programs laying down for peace, security and development in the country. More so, this article provides a theoretical support for the Integrative theory of CSR on the basis that, the socio-economic, political, cultural and environmental needs of …

Preparing For Interview Research: The Interview Protocol Refinement Framework, Milagros Castillo-Montoya

The Qualitative Report

This article presents the interview protocol refinement (IPR) framework comprised of a four-phase process for systematically developing and refining an interview protocol. The four-phase process includes: (1) ensuring interview questions align with research questions, (2) constructing an inquiry-based conversation, (3) receiving feedback on interview protocols, and (4) piloting the interview protocol. The IRP method can support efforts to strengthen the reliability of interview protocols used for qualitative research and thereby contribute to improving the quality of data obtained from research interviews.

Consciousness-Raising Or Unintentionally Oppressive?, Meagan Call-Cummings, Sylvia Martinez

The Qualitative Report

Photovoice is typically used in community and participatory research to allow people to document and interpret their everyday lived experiences. However, often photovoice is used as a research method without deep reflection on its underlying goals and epistemological commitments to critically empower its participants and spark reflective dialogue within a community. This article showcases selections from a photovoice exhibit and its accompanying survey of exhibit attendees to explore possible negative unintended consequences of this action-oriented approach to research if researchers are not appropriately reflexive in how photovoice is used. Drawing on a long-term participatory action research (PAR) project with a …

Using Symbols And Shapes For Analysis In Small Focus Group Research, Oladokun Omojola

The Qualitative Report

Substantial literature exists to support the growing importance of focus group research, having been around for decades. Its ubiquity under the scholarship radar is not in doubt while the analyses of findings commonly seen are scholarly and significantly sophisticated. However, these analyses have been found to be limited in scope for fresh adopters of the focus group method, non-literate beneficiaries of research findings and business people who are critically averse to lengthy textual statements about outcomes. This article introduces the use of symbols as a means of analyzing responses from small focus group discussions. It attempts to demonstrate that using …

Asking Questions In The Qualitative Research Context, Francislê Neri De Souza, Dayse Cristine Dantas De Souza Brito Neri, António Pedro Costa

The Qualitative Report

Research is based on a constant questioning process. All researchers should ask questions in every research phase, what is read, the research design definition, data analysed and the way they are discussed and how their conclusions are drawn. It is generally accepted that to start scientific research, irrespectively of the area of expertise, the starting point is the drafting of one or more research questions, ordinarily known as a research problem. However, for many, starting with a research programme, the idea of formulating one is always a challenge. Some do not know where to start and question whether the question …

Application Of Constructivist Grounded Theory In Nursing Research, Maria Da Graça O. Crossetti, Marta G. Goes, Crhis Netto De Brum

The Qualitative Report

Grounded Theory is a qualitative research method for collecting and analysing data and results into a substantive theory that is a theoretical interpretation of a delimited problem in a specific area of knowledge. In nursing, it allows to understand the process of social interaction and how the nursing team works in everyday situations. In this study we propose, based on the theoretical framework of Kathy Charmaz, to present the procedures for the application of the constructivist Grounded Theory in nursing research. Among these are the collection and analysis of concurrent data, constant comparison at all levels of analysis, initial, focused …

Methods Of Teaching Centered On Learning And Formative Assessment In Higher Education, Susana Emília Vaz Oliveira Sá, Maria Palmira Carlos Alves, António Pedro Costa

The Qualitative Report

We analyse the importance of meaningful learning and the use of a formative assessment strategy, promoted by peer learning methods centred on the students, in a curricular unit (CU) pertaining to a degree in Exact Sciences, in a Higher Education Institution. Five students from the CU were questioned, through a focus group; the teacher was interviewed. Data of 12 hours of lessons was analysed and categorised using webQDA. We conclude that emphasising the students’ engagement in teaching, learning, and evaluation, has the power to drive the methodological teaching options to incline towards active methods that involve students in activities that …

Introduction: Qualitative Analysis: Quantifying Quality And Qualifying Quantity, António Moreira, António Pedro Costa

The Qualitative Report

As part of a partnership between The Qualitative Report (TQR) and Comissão Organizadora/Comité Organizador do CIAIQ2015 e do 6ºSIMEDUC (http://www.ciaiq.org), António Moreira and António Pedro Costa had edited a selection of papers from the conference to create a special issue for TQR.

Gathering Information Based On Focus Groups: Consumer’S Involvement In The Use Of Vending Machines, Telma Santos Fernandes, Ângela Silva, Raquel Reis, Celina Leão

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of the present study is to describe the use of two focus groups to identify and refine a set of questionnaire items. They were also used to provide descriptions of lived experiences and to realize the importance, or not, of the use of Vending Machines in the university context. Vending Machines consumer students from different areas of knowledge participated on a voluntary basis (economics and management areas define the fist group, and engineering and marketing the second group). Based on the data collection and analysis it was possible to identify the attributes of vending machines that are important …

Performing A Thematic Analysis: An Exploratory Study About Managers’ Perceptions On Gender Equality, Carlos Costa, Zélia Breda, Isabel Pinho, Fiona Bakas, Marília Durão

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this paper is to present results from an exploratory study that aims to investigate why gender role alterations in leadership positions is slow. The tourism managers’ perceptions of gender equality, within the workplace, were obtained resorting to focus groups. We chose thematic analysis to identify themes and patterns. This thematic analysis enables a methodological systematization of data. Data were coded using webQDA, a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software that speeds up the team process of analysis. The systematization of information helped overcome the difficulties to synthesize the various interpretations; thus it was possible to generate more ideas …

Post-Traumatic Growth In Cancer Survivors: Narrative Markers And Functions Of The Experience's Transformation, Maria Luisa Martino, Maria Francesca Freda

The Qualitative Report

The concept that a traumatic experience, such as a cancer, can lead to a positive change and transformation of self, life and relationships was named as post-traumatic growth (PTG). A large amount of research measured PTG in cancer survivors arguing an interpretation of the construct as an outcome. Recently, qualitative research shows different types of narrative of PTG, but the narrative markers and their functions of transformation remain still unclear. Within a mixed-method, we aim to highlight the narrative markers and their transformative functions, underlying the PTG, within 12 cancer survivors’ narratives with medium/high and medium/low level of PTG. A …

Fostering Transformative Learning In An Online Esl Professional Development Program For K-12 Teachers, Karin Sprow Forte, David Blouin

The Qualitative Report

This qualitative study examines evidence of transformative learning surrounding sociocultural issues in the K-12 classroom of in-service teachers, while participating in an online English as a Second Language (ESL) professional development program. Using inductive data analysis, precursors and catalysts to transformative learning were identified to understand the ways in which 24 purposefully sampled participants experienced learning. Areas explored included ways in which the candidates participated in critical reflection of their own perspectives, ways in which this process affected their meaning making of their experiences, potential for action in changing their practice as ESL educators, and transformative learning features present throughout …

Beyond Theoretical Sensitivity: The Benefits Of Cultural Intuition Within Qualitative Research And Freirean Generative Themes: Four Unique Perspectives, Janet Rocha, Lluliana Alonso, Michaela J. López Mares-Tamayo, Elexia Reyes Mcgovern

The Qualitative Report

To address the benefits of cultural intuition on qualitative inquiry, we highlight four qualitative studies and examine how we, as Chicana scholars, embrace the role cultural intuition plays in our individual studies. In this article, we illustrate how cultural intuition informs our use of Freirean generative themes within our methodological approach. For an in-depth illustration, we each highlight one of the four tenets of cultural intuition and explain how that tenet advises our methodological tools - such as family photographs as archive, student-generated photographs, teacher-generated artifacts, and community archival sources - to create Freirean generative themes with our participants and …

15th Annual Undergraduate Student Symposium, Farquhar Honors College

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Undergraduate Student Symposium, sponsored by the Farquhar Honors College, presents student projects through presentations, papers, films, and poster displays. The event serves as a “showcase” demonstrating the outstanding scholarship of undergraduate students at NSU. The symposium is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. Projects cover areas of student scholarship ranging from the experimental and the applied to the computational, theoretical, artistic, and literary. They are taken from class assignments and independent projects. Project presentations can represent any stage in a concept’s evolution, from proposal and literature review to fully completed and realized scholarly work. As in past symposia, …

Exploring The Lived Experience Of People With Dementia Through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Helen F. Johnson

The Qualitative Report

Dementia is arguably one of the biggest challenges facing society today, impacting millions of people worldwide. Nonetheless, there is only a relatively small body of research exploring what it is like to live with dementia from the perspectives of people who have this condition. This is partly because of the (implicit or explicit) belief that people with dementia lack insight into their condition and cannot talk about their experiences clearly. In this article, I argue that such beliefs are typically both erroneous and unhelpful, and that there is great value in seeking to illuminate the lived experiences of people with …

The Components Of Attentiveness In Oncology Care, Klaartje Klaver, Andries Baart

The Qualitative Report

This article presents the first findings of a qualitative empirical study of caregivers' attentiveness in hospital oncology care. It takes a care ethical perspective, in which attentiveness is considered an indispensable element of good care. The data are derived from participant observation at the oncology department of a general hospital in the Netherlands. The analysis shows a descriptive exploratory model of attentiveness, which comprises a coherent set of the clusters perception (A), object finding (B), and space for attentiveness (C). The methodological output of this article is an important one: the presented descriptive model of attentiveness promotes further research into …

Pregnancy And Childbirth Practices Among Immigrant Women From India: “Have A Healthy Baby”, Rama Cousik, M. Gail Hickey

The Qualitative Report

In India, practices relating to pregnancy, childbirth and child development have been rooted in cultural beliefs and traditions that are based on knowledge contained in ancient Indian texts. Many Indians residing across the globe continue to observe these practices. Some may find it challenging to do so when they are residing abroad, away from familiar surroundings and separated from their extended families. A small body of research exists that shows that migrant Indian women do observe traditional maternal practices based on cultural beliefs, but there is a need to learn more about how this knowledge is acquired, disseminated and preserved. …

The Erasmus Teaching Staff Mobility: The Perspectives And Experiences Of Turkish Elt Academics, Enisa Mede, Filiz Tuzun

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perspectives and experiences of the Turkish ELT academics about joining ERASMUS Teaching Staff Mobility Program. Under the light of former studies and literature, this study attempts to investigate the preferences of the ELT academics for participating in the ERASMUS Teaching Staff Mobility, to examine the contribution of the enrollment in this program to their professional development and home institution, and finally, to learn about the problems they faced during the mobility period(s). Purposive sample method was used to select seventeen Turkish ELT academics to participate in this study. The data were …

Walking On Eggshells: The Lived Experience Of Partners Of Veterans With Ptsd, Tiffany A. Beks

The Qualitative Report

This phenomenological study examined the descriptions of lived experience among female partners of veteran men with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) via internet discussion forums. Personal, self-initiated written accounts of 30 partners were analyzed with respect to meaning, challenges, coping responses, and role in veterans’ healing and rehabilitation. Following data analysis, five descriptive themes emerged: all-consuming effect of the illness, walking on eggshells, ambiguous loss, alone, and facing PTSD as a unit. The central meaning of these themes describes the widespread priority of the veterans’ illness, and the resulting isolation, grief, and apprehension experienced by intimate partners as they assume …

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Using Anecdotal Data And Photographic Evidence To Obtain Baseline Data For Southeast Florida Reefs, Catherine Brady

HCNSO Student Capstones

By using first-hand accounts, interviews, and photographs from fishermen throughout the region (Martin, Palm Beach and Broward counties), this paper will provide evidence of changes in recreational fish catches. It will also identify a shift in commonly caught fish species, factors that affect the head boat business, environmental changes and suggestions for management. Head boat fishing is a favorable activity for tourists and regular anglers in the state as well as the region. Upon returning from their day trip, companies often provide photo opportunities to display the day’s catch, as part of the fishing experience. Companies that have been around …

The Lli Chronicle Volume 7 Number 2, Nova Southeastern University

Lifelong Learning Institute Newsletters

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Cultural Values On Chinese Students In American Higher Education:, Min Wang

The Qualitative Report

Chinese students who pursue their higher education in America benefit from the high quality of education in this country, which includes a richness and diversity of subjects, facility of research resources, and high academic standards. At the same time, they are under pressure, which results from culture shock and includes fear of failing, the language barrier, lack of class participation, homesickness, and isolation from their host culture, resulting in mental problems such as depression, frustration, and students dropping out. This study reveals the negative influence of Chinese cultural values on these students in American higher education by making use of …