Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons^™

Using An Adversary Hearing To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of A Military Program, Richard L. Miller, Jeanne Butler

The Qualitative Report

This study describes the design and implementation of an adversary hearing used to evaluate professional development initiatives in a military environment. The adversary hearing model used in the evaluation was developed to meet the requirements of an environment that differs from other environments in which adversary hearings have been used. The evaluation was conducted to determine whether a professional development program of the U. S. Army, Europe, actually enhanced soldier development and demonstrated consideration by leaders for their followers. Several key issues relate d to program effectiveness were discovered in the process of the adversary hearing that were not evident …

Ethical Challenges In Participant Observation: A Reflection On Ethnographic Fieldwork, Jun Li

The Qualitative Report

In this essay I reflect on the ethical challenges of ethnographic fieldwork I personally experienced in a female gambling study. By assuming a covert research role, I was able to observe natural occurrences of female gambling activities but unable to make peace with disturbing feelings of my research concealment. By making my study overt, I was able to fulfill ethical obligations as a researcher but unable to get female gamblers to speak their minds. I responded to such ethical dilemmas by adjusting the level of involvement, participating in female gambling culture as an insider and observing it as an outsider. …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Pre-Service English As A Foreign Language (Efl) Teacher Opinions, Leyla Tercanlioglu

The Qualitative Report

Pre-service English teacher education students’ perceptions of their education experience provide greater insight into developing an effective teaching strategy in English teacher education. The objectives for the study were: (1) to identify issues of interest or concern to the department and (2) to determine satisfaction levels concerning departmental issues. Data were drawn from focus group interviews involving 5 student- teachers in each of 5 groups. The findings showed that the English teacher education department students thought that the department was not fulfilling many of its purposes, although there were some strengths. Identifying what students think can help to open English …

Drinkers And Bettors: Investigating The Complementarity Of Alcohol Consumption And Problem Gambling, Michael T. French, Johanna C. Maclean, Susan L. Ettner

Sociology Faculty Articles and Papers

Regulated gambling is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States with greater than 100% increases in revenue over the past decade. Along with this rise in gambling popularity and gaming options comes an increased risk of addiction and the associated social costs. This paper focuses on the effect of alcohol use on gambling-related problems. Variables correlated with both alcohol use and gambling may be difficult to observe, and the inability to include these items in empirical models may bias coefficient estimates. After addressing the endogeneity of alcohol use when appropriate, we find strong evidence that problematic gambling and alcohol …

Cumulating Evidence About The Social Animal: Meta-Analysis In Social-Personality Psychology, Blair T. Johnson Dr., Marcella H. Boynton Dr.

CHIP Documents

Like most scientific fields, social-personality psychology has experienced an

explosion of research related to such central topics as aggression, attraction, gender,

group processes, motivation, personality, and persuasion, to name a few. The

proliferation of research can be a monster unless it is tamed with the scientific

review strategy of meta-analysis, literally analyses of past analyses that produce

a quantitative and empirical history of research on a particular phenomenon. The

purpose of this article is to outline the basic process and statistics of meta-analysis,

as they pertain to social-personality psychology. Meta-analysis involves: (i) defining

the problem under review; (ii) gathering qualified …

Informed Consent In Hiv Prevention Trials: Highlights From An International Workshop, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Brief adapted from the report of a workshop co-hosted by the Population Council and Family Health International in May 2005. The brief focuses specifically on tools and strategies presented at the workshop that are being used in HIV-prevention trials to facilitate informed consent, explain difficult concepts, and assess comprehension among trial participants. Illustrative examples from completed and ongoing trials are highlighted. This brief will be useful for an audience of local researchers, advocates, and clinical trial staff.

Consentement Éclairé Dans Les Essais De Prévention Du Vih: Points Saillants D'Un Atelier International, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Résumé adapté du rapport de l'atelier co-organisé par le Population Council et Family Health International en mai 2005. Le résumé se concentre spécifiquement sur les outils et stratégies présentés lors de l'atelier qui sont utilisés dans les essais de prévention du VIH pour faciliter le consentement éclairé, expliquer concepts difficiles et évaluer la compréhension parmi les participants à l'essai. Des exemples illustratifs d'essais achevés et en cours sont mis en évidence. Ce résumé sera utile à un public de chercheurs locaux, d'avocats et de membres du personnel des essais cliniques.

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Brief adapted from the report of a workshop co-hosted …

Consentimiento Informado En Ensayos De Prevención Del Vih: Aspectos Destacados De Un Taller Internacional, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Resumen adaptado del informe del taller organizado conjuntamente por el Population Council y Family Health International en mayo de 2005. El resumen se centra específicamente en las herramientas y estrategias presentadas en el taller que se están usando en ensayos de prevención del VIH para facilitar el consentimiento informado, explicar conceptos difíciles, y evaluar la comprensión entre los participantes del ensayo. Se destacan ejemplos ilustrativos de ensayos concluidos y en curso. Este resumen será útil para una audiencia de investigadores locales, defensores y personal de ensayos clínicos.

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Brief adapted from the report of a workshop co-hosted by the Population …

Consentimento Informado Nos Ensaios De Prevenção Do Hiv: Pontos Altos Dum Workshop Internacional, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Resumo adaptado do relatório do workshop organizado pelo Population Council e Family Health International em maio de 2005. O resumo se concentra especificamente nas ferramentas e estratégias apresentadas no workshop que estão sendo usadas em testes de prevenção do HIV para facilitar o consentimento informado, explicar conceitos difíceis e avaliar a compreensão entre os participantes do estudo. Exemplos ilustrativos de ensaios concluídos e em andamento são destacados. Este resumo será útil para um público de investigadores locais, advogados e equipe de ensaios clínicos.

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Brief adapted from the report of a workshop co-hosted by the Population Council and Family Health …

How To Escape Modernity?: An Actor-Network Theory Take On Organizational Forming, Paul Donnelly

Conference papers

The topic of organizational form has been gaining increased attention. Often portrayed as ‘new times’ driving the need for new forms, what is more evident in the literature is that the need for new ways of looking at form has yet to be addressed. The problem that “new organizational form” presents is precisely located in the inability of the field to think in other than “form” itself. By problematizing the focus on “form,” I take issue with the largely ahistorical and aprocessual character of much organizational theorizing and with the privilege obtained by modernist paradigmatic approaches in such theorizing. With …

The Research Practices And Needs Of Non-Profit Organizations In An Urban Center, Randy Stoecker

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

How do nonprofit organizations use data and research? What challenges do they face in conducting research and managing data? In spring of 2004, 80 nonprofit organizations in Toledo, Ohio returned a survey on their research and data needs and practices. The survey found that nonprofits collect data on a wide variety of topics, but do not use much of the data that they collect, and do not collect much data that could be useful for other groups, particularly neighborhood organizations. The average nonprofit in the survey has five employees and four volunteers who, together, spend 56 hours per week collecting, …

Making Meaning Of Graduate Students’ And Preservice Teachers’ E-Mail Communication In A Community Of Practice, Janet C. Richards, Susan V. Bennett, Kim T. Shea

The Qualitative Report

This inquiry examined graduate students ’ and preservice teachers’ e-mail communication as they made decisions about supporting the instructional needs of children at-risk in a community of practice summer literacy camp. The correspondence gradually evolved from impersonal to interpersonal communication over a ten-week time span, and influenced the preservice teachers’ responses. S even themes were identified in the graduate students’ messages that ranged from questioning and complaining to promoting collaboration. The study illuminates the developmental stages of interpersonal relationships and demonstrates the reciprocal nature of interactive dialogue through the medium of e-mail communication. Conclusions are that long-term e-mail exchanges can …

Minority Students’ Perspectives On Chemistry In An Alternative High School, Renee Peterson-Beeton

The Qualitative Report

Latinas/os form the largest minority group in the U.S. and they are growing more rapidly than any other ethnic group in this country. However, the number of Latinas/os in chemistry is not proportional to their population; they are noticeably absent from the physical science fields. Little research has explored the circumstances that Latino students encounter in high school chemistry. In this exploratory study, four Mexican American students and one Native American student were interviewed and observed in a physical science class at an alternative school that enrolled predominantly Latino students. Five underlying themes were found: negative perceptions of science, benefits …

Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall, Brad Howey

The Qualitative Report

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Study Of Letters To President Kennedy From Persons With Mental Illness And Their Families: Using The Research Poem In Policy Oriented Research, Rich Furman, Allison Shukraft

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Using the research poem as a tool of data representation, this paper presentsfindingsfrom an analysis of letters sent to President John F. Kennedy regarding the formulation of mental health policy during the early 1960s. The article presents the experiences of consumers of mental health services and their families-shapers and receivers of mentalhealthprovisionsth atareinfrequentlygivenv oice. Traditional thematic analysis was conducted, and data subsequently were represented in three poetic forms:free verse, the pantoum, and the tanka.

Letting Go Of Data In Aboriginal Australia: Ethnography On “Rubber Time", Sara Stevens Zur

The Qualitative Report

While attempting to investigate modes of musical transmission among the Yol ŋ u People in Northeast Arnhem Land Australia, questions regarding the meaning of the word “research” led to the decisive abandonment of data collection. Specifically, the processes of observation, recording, and other typical Western means of genera ting data seemed to be in direct opposition to the way knowledge was traditionally shared. The author critically examines her multiple attempts at conducting this research, and discusses why eventually giving up on the research led to a more profound understanding.

“I Just See All Children As Children”: Teachers’ Perceptions About Inclusion, Jane M. Leatherman

The Qualitative Report

This narrative study examined teachers’ perceptions of their inclusive classrooms. Eight early childhood teachers responded to open-ended interview questions about their experiences teaching children with and without disabilities in the same classroom environment. The social constructivist view of teaching and learning is highlighted as the teachers construct their knowledge of inclusion and how it meets the needs of children with disabilities in the inclusive environment. The following themes emerged from interview analysis: the inclusive classroom is a great place for children, the teacher needs additional education, the teacher needs support from administrators and to be included in decisions about the …

Entre La Ra Ź On Y La Pasión: La Intimidad Sexual En Parejas Heterosexuales Ante La Empresa Preventiva Del Vih/Sida, Domingo J. Marqués Reyes, Sheilla Rodríguez Madera, Leida Matías Carrelo

The Qualitative Report

This article establishes heterosexual relationships as spaces out of control and, from Foucault’s view of power, positions them as answer to the discourses generated by society to control sexuality. This qualitative study included 20 Puerto Rican couples (11 seroconcordant and 9 serodiscordant) with the objective of identifying variables related to relationship satisfaction with sexual intimacy among women living with HIV/AIDS. Results evidence how in many instances sexual relations are, in fact, moments where passion precedes reason. By involving in high risk behavior, they ignore the preventive enterprise, distance themselves from reason and imposing passion. We come to conclusions about social …

The Voice Transcription Technique: Use Of Voice Recognition Software To Transcribe Digital Interview Data In Qualitative Research, Jennifer L. Matheson

The Qualitative Report

Transcribing interview data is a time-consuming task that most qualitative researchers dislike. Transcribing is even more difficult for people with physical limitations because traditional transcribing requires manual dexterity and the ability to sit at a computer for long stretches of time. Researchers have begun to explore using an automated transcription process using digital recordings and voice recognition software (VRS). While VRS has improved in recent years, it is not yet available to the general public in a format that can recognize more than one recorded voice. This article outlines a strategy used to circumvent this problem and improve the speed …

Linguistic Research Strategies Versus Quantitative Research Strategies--Different Roles, Different Results, Joseph Yeager, Linda Sommer

The Qualitative Report

Selecting a statistical framework for a behavioral study has profoundly different results than does a linguistically framed research strategy. The linguistic strategy overcomes many limitations inherent in statistical strategies and offers more meaningful results. Inferential statistical studies often discuss how the findings “explain” the results of the study. Seldom mentioned is the fact that statistical explanations occur in terms of the framework of statistical methodology. Statistical explanations do not explain anything in terms of the actual behavior at issue and do not lead to subsequent interventions about the motivated choices for a target group. Linguistic strategies work especially well if …

Using Hermeneutic Phenomenology To Investigate How Experienced Practitioners Lear N To Communicate Clinical Reasoning, Rola Ajjawi, Joy Higgs

The Qualitative Report

This paper is primarily targeted at doctoral students and other researchers considering using hermeneutic phenomenology as a research strategy. We present interpretive paradigm research designed to investigate how experienced practitioners learn to communicate their clinical reasoning in professional practice. Twelve experienced physiotherapy practitioners participated in this research. Using hermeneutic phenomenology enabled access to a phenomenon that is often subconscious and provided a means of interpreting participants’ experiences of personal learning journeys. Within the philosophy underpinning hermeneutic phenomenology , researchers need to design a research strategy that flows directly from the research question and goals of the research project. This paper …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Asynchronous Online Discussion On Blackboard, Hsin-Te Yeh, Maria Lahman

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand students’ perceptions of using asynchronous on line discussion as a learning tool. Six pre-service teachers who took a course in educational technology applications for secondary grades at a Rocky Mountain region mid-sized university were selected to be interviewed. Phenomenological data analysis was used to analyze the interview data. The interviewees’ perceptions of the asynchronous on line discussions centered around purposes, group size, tools for learning, advantages/disadvantages, and the instructor’s role. The findings of this study provide instructors with helpful information on how students perceive asynchronous online discussion and also provide instructors …

Hybrid Chronicles: Biracial And Biethnic Perspectives On The Pedagogy Of Unlearning Racism, Stéphanie Wahab, Sunshine T. Gibson

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article details an autoethnography project of our odysseys into the pedagogy of unlearning racism. Our know ledge creation process forced us to re-envision both our locations in, and pedagogy of, anti-racism work, with particular attention to the challenges and dangers of teaching about, to, and from White privilege within social work. In the end, we are both troubled and invigorated by what we experienced, witnessed, and supported. By asking people of color to share their personal narratives of racism in the presence of Whites, teachers, facilitators, and diversity trainers stand to continue privileging Whiteness where Whites benefit and learn …

The Construction Of Ethnic Identity Of Balkan Muslim Immigrants: A Narrativization Of Personal Experiences, Maya Miskovic

The Qualitative Report

This paper explores the construction of ethnic identity in the first generation of Balkan Muslim immigrants now living in the Chicago metropolitan area, with the aim of showing the intricacy of global events (civil wars in the homeland and war on terror in the host society) and local contexts (meaning- making occurring during the interviews). In-depth interviews conducted with three men were treated as a series of narratives in order to emphasize the importance of personal meaning-making. With awareness that “Muslim” can denote various subjectivities, this paper proposes research that theorizes the constant shift of identities, the interplay between ascribed …

Laughing With And At Patients : The Roles Of Laughter In Confrontations In Addiction Group Therapy, Ilkka Arminen, Mia Halonen

The Qualitative Report

In Minnesota treatment, the therapists aim at breaking clients' denial to encourage them to accept their addiction. However, the confrontation is risky since, instead of making the patient ready for a change, it may strengthen resistance against the diagnosis of addiction and the treatment recommendations. We will explore the role of laughter in confrontational practices. The study is based on conversation analysis of group therapy sessions in an inpatient addiction treatment clinic in Finland (7.5 hours of data altogether). The laughter prevails in three different kinds of practice: laughing off the troubles, strengthening the confrontation by laughing at the patient, …

Social Support In Elderly Nursing Home Populations: Manifestations And Influences, Elizabeth M. Rash

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of social support and the influencing factors on social support in nursing home environments. Observations and staff questionnaires from two central Florida nursing homes were used in this grounded theory study to answer the following questions: (1) How is social support manifested? and (2) What are influences on social support? Social support manifestations seemed predominantly superficial and did not appear to involve complex reciprocal relationships, however, when reciprocal resident tasks were observed, they appeared to have significant value and were sources of pride for the residents. Facility behaviors and policies …

Hybrid Chronicles: Biracial And Biethnic Perspectives On The Pedagogy Of Unlearning Racism, Stéphanie Wahab, Sunshine T. Gibson

The Qualitative Report

This article details an autoethnography project of our odysseys into the pedagogy of unlearning racism. Our know ledge creation process forced us to re-envision both our locations in, and pedagogy of, anti-racism work, with particular attention to the challenges and dangers of teaching about, to, and from White privilege within social work. In the end, we are both troubled and invigorated by what we experienced, witnessed, and supported. By asking people of color to share their personal narratives of racism in the presence of Whites, teachers, facilitators, and diversity trainers stand to continue privileging Whiteness where Whites benefit and learn …

Using Grounded Theory To Understand Resiliency In Pre-Teen Children Of High-Conflict Families, Marlene Pomrenke

The Qualitative Report

Using grounded theory, this study identified factors that contributed to children’s ability to utilize their resilient attributes. Children between the ages of 9 and 12 from high-conflict separated or divorced families participated in a study that examined how family and community interactions promote resilient behaviour. Substantive-level theory gained from this study yielded that children from separated or divorced, high- conflict families exhibit resilient characteristics when family cohesion is used to incorporate additional family support systems, particularly step- parents and extended family members. External support systems, particularly peers, augment these resilient characteristics. In order to build resilience in pre-teen children parents …

The Interplay Of “Big Five ” Personality Factors And Metaphorical Schemas: A Pilot Study With 20 Lung Transplant Recipients, Lutz Goetzman, Karin S. Moser, Esther Vetsch, Erhard Grieder, Richard Klaghofer, Rahel Naef, Erich W. Russi, Annette Boehler, Claus Buddeberg

The Qualitative Report

The Qualitative Report Volume 12 Number 3 September 2007 397-413 http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR12-3/goetzmann.pdf The Interplay of “Big Five ” Personality Factors and Metaphorical Schemas: A Pilot Study with 20 Lung Transplant Recipients Lutz Goetzmann University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Karin S. Moser Roehampton University, London Esther Vetsch, Erhard Grieder, Richard Klaghofer, Rahel Naef, Erich W. Russi, Annette Boehler, and Claus Buddeberg University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland The aim of the present study was to investigate the interplay between personality factors and metaphorical schemas. The “Big Five” personality factors of 20 patients after lung transplantation were examined with the NEO-FFI. Patients were questioned …

Making Use Of Bilingual Interview Data: Some Experiences From The Field, Nelofer Halai

The Qualitative Report

This paper describes the challenges faced, and rules devised, while dealing with bilingual interview data as part of a life history study of a female science teacher’s conceptions of the nature of science while teaching in a school in Karachi. The interview data generated was both in Urdu and English, which underwent a number of processes (transcription, translation, and transliteration) to evolve into “interim texts,” to finally become a part of the data analysis process. I have called these translated materials “transmuted texts,” as they reflect the original, but have been recreated. This paper is significant because as globalization connects …