Valuing Evaluation: Why Should We Develop An Evaluation Culture?,
2013
Nova Southeastern University
Valuing Evaluation: Why Should We Develop An Evaluation Culture?, Martha M. Snyder
The Qualitative Report
Evaluation is an important element of any living system. By doing an evaluation, we can systematically review whether a program, service, or event is meeting the needs and goals of a particular individual or group. In Everyday Evaluation on the Run: The User - Friendly Introductory Guide to Effective Evaluation, author Yoland Wadsworth introduces the rationale, concepts, procedures, and tools that are needed to reflect on our everyday activities and develop a culture of evaluation. Her approachable style and practical advice will appeal to many who are interested in learning how to improve the value they offer in their organizations.
Before You Graduate, Read This Book–Research Design: Creating Robust Approaches For The Social Sciences (Gorard, 2013),
2013
Eastern Michigan University
Before You Graduate, Read This Book–Research Design: Creating Robust Approaches For The Social Sciences (Gorard, 2013), Michael L. Clancy
The Qualitative Report
Research Design: Creating Robust Approaches for the Social Sciences (Gorard, 2013) provides an easy - to - use design typology, as well as good practices and warnings, to help social scientists improve their research skills. Based on his experience, the author explains the concept of research design (as opposed to research methods), and shows the importance of carefully selected sample groups, appropriate research claims, and logical research warrants. The target audience is primarily social science researchers, but the subjects covered are applicable to any research field. The reviewer recommends Research Design as both a textbook and a reference.
Medicalization Of Female Beauty: A Content Analysis Of Cosmetic Procedures,
2013
University of Cincinnati
Medicalization Of Female Beauty: A Content Analysis Of Cosmetic Procedures, Ashley L. Merianos, Rebecca A. Vidourek, Keith K. King
The Qualitative Report
Over the past decade, cosmetic procedures have significantly increased in options available for females to achieve the American cultural standards of beauty. The purpose of this study is to conduct a content analysis of brochures and to observe what cosmetic procedures are made available to female customers from plastic surgery centers, and also to examine the medical and therapeutic framing techniques used to encourage females to undergo cosmetic procedures. Three plastic surgery centers (overall response rate= 60%) located in one metropolitan area served as participants for this study. The researcher observed the locations and collected all brochures made available. Twenty …
A Journey Of Pregnancy Loss: From Positivism To Autoethnography,
2013
University of Cincinnati
A Journey Of Pregnancy Loss: From Positivism To Autoethnography, Julie Sell-Smith, William D. Lax
The Qualitative Report
When a dissertation research project exploring the impact of mind - body practices on symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnant women with a history of miscarriage failed to yield statistically significant results, I struggled with how to demonstrate that I had gleaned knowledge from this project of nearly 3 years. When a series of parallel pregnancy losses occurred in my own life, I realized that I am heavily situated within the context of my research and need to consider my data in a different sense; one that acknowledges my own self within this process while attempting to capture the …
The Impact Of Downsizing And Efficiency Measures On Anti-Fraud Resources,
2013
Lancaster University
The Impact Of Downsizing And Efficiency Measures On Anti-Fraud Resources, Marek Palasinski
The Qualitative Report
The main purpose of this study was to explore the impact of downsizing and efficiency measures on two key elements of operational performance - fraud detection and fraud reporting. Qualitative data were obtained from ethnographic observations of two major multinational insurance companies, which were already examined before the Global Financial Crisis, and subjected to an inter - and intra - business comparative analysis of anti - fraud resources. The paper points out a big discrepancy in opinions on the downsizing effects between junior staff and their supervisors. Whereas the latter present them as enabling the business to deal with suspicious …
Brand Equity Planning With Structuralist Rhetorical Semiotics: A Conceptual Framework,
2013
University of Kassel
Brand Equity Planning With Structuralist Rhetorical Semiotics: A Conceptual Framework, George Rossolatos
The Qualitative Report
This paper furnishes a structuralist rhetorical semiotic conceptual framework for brand equity planning. The main source of brand equity that is employed for exemplification purposes is the advertising filmic text. The conceptual framework assumes as its general blueprint Greimas’s generativist model of the trajectory of signification. Structuralist operations and operations of rhetorical transformation are posited as the basis for the generation of superior brand associations. The conceptual model put forward challenges the Greimasian assumption that a depth semantic structure is reducible to a binarist rationale, while adopting a connectionist approach in the form of associative networks. At the same time, …
Using Participatory Observation To Understand Older People’S Experiences: Lessons From The Field,
2013
Manchester Metropolitan University
Using Participatory Observation To Understand Older People’S Experiences: Lessons From The Field, Josephine Tetley
The Qualitative Report
This article describes how participant observation and a reflective diary were used in a study that aimed to explore how three different groups of community dwelling older people experienced and made choices about using, or refusing, a range of health and social care services. The roles of these qualitative methods are highlighted to demonstrate how they enhanced the insights gained during the course of a research study.
2010 British General Election Leader Evaluations: Replicating Electoral Focus Group Research,
2013
GESIS Leibniz Institutes for the Social Sciences
2010 British General Election Leader Evaluations: Replicating Electoral Focus Group Research, Kristi Winters, Edzia Carvalho
The Qualitative Report
This research replicates and expands upon the qualitative electoral research of Winters and Campbell by using data from focus groups conducted in Essex, England to coincide with three leadership debates during the 2010 British general election. The Qualitative Election Study of Britain (QES Britain) broadly replicated Winters and Campbell’s research design but includes innovations in data collection to more accurately capture assessments. This innovation means the data coding are based entirely on the evaluations of the participants. In our analysis we innovate in the way we display each leader’s unique evaluation structure. To capture the salience and direction of leadership …
Exploring Education Students’ Reflexivity Through The Arts And Sharing My “Bricolage” Dilemmas,
2013
University of South Florida
Exploring Education Students’ Reflexivity Through The Arts And Sharing My “Bricolage” Dilemmas, Janet C. Richards
The Qualitative Report
As part of course requirements, 16 education students in a master’s cohort tutored groups of elementary children (the same groups throughout the semester) in an after - school writing program that emphasized an ethos of care. The education students had never taught children and consequently had difficulties reflecting about their lessons through weekly e - mail communication. As the course instructor I had a hunch innovative artistic processes might unleash and heighten the education students’ abilities as reflective practitioners . Therefore, I asked them to explore their pedagogy through the arts. Concurrently, I engaged in arts - based educational research …
Spirituality In The Last Days Of Life In Persons Born In Japan,
2013
University of Texas
Spirituality In The Last Days Of Life In Persons Born In Japan, Gloria Duke
The Qualitative Report
End - of - life care is encumbered with many complex issues that can impede quality of life, especially in populations for which little is known. This study addresses spirituality and preferences for last days of life in persons born in Japan and living in eastern and south central Texas. Descriptive, qualitative methods were used for data collection and data analysis. Two major themes emerged for spirituality: Spirituality as Culture and Universality of Spirituality, and three major themes reflected preferences for the last days of life: Environmental Peace and Comfort, Interconnectedness, and Communication is Key. Nurses and health care providers …
Slavery In Europe: Part 1, Estimating The Dark Figure,
2013
University of Richmond
Slavery In Europe: Part 1, Estimating The Dark Figure, Monti Narayan Datta, Kevin Bales
Political Science Faculty Publications
The estimation of the “dark figure” for any crime (the number of actual instances of a specific crime committed minus the reported cases of that crime within a population) has primarily rested on the ability to conduct random sample crime surveys. Such surveys are based on the assumption that victims experience crimes that are discrete, time-bound, and of relatively short duration. The crime of enslavement, however, presents a special challenge to estimation because it is of indeterminate duration. This challenge is compounded by the fact that victims of slavery are also often isolated by the stigma linked to sexual assault, …
Prospective Elementary Teachers’ Views On Their Teachers And Their Effectiveness,
2013
Artvin Coruh University
Prospective Elementary Teachers’ Views On Their Teachers And Their Effectiveness, Mehmet Karakas
The Qualitative Report
In this paper future elementary teachers reflect on their past experiences and talk about their teachers and the way they were taught, and portray the characteristics of effective and not so effective teachers. The study also highlights Turkish teachers` way of instruction and the strategies they use. Participants were 41 sophomore and 62 junior prospective elementary teachers enrolled in a small university in northeastern Turkey. Data were collected using mostly the document analysis techniques. Findings show that effective teachers are caring, loving, funny, and patient, show special in and out of class interest in students, and are fair to everyone. …
Experiencing Audio Recorded Research (Earr): Giving Voice To Qualitative Poster Presentations,
2013
University of South Florida
Experiencing Audio Recorded Research (Earr): Giving Voice To Qualitative Poster Presentations, Rasheeta Chandler, Erica H. Antsey, Cindy L. Munro, Dianne Morrison-Beedy
The Qualitative Report
Qualitative research emphasizes and honors the words of participants in an effort to generate meaning and knowledge, yet participants’ voices are rarely heard beyond data collection and analysis. We explore the potential to share participants' voices when disseminating research through audio - enhanced poster presentations. Technological advancements in multimedia could revolutionize poster presentations, especially for qualitative research. We describe the history of audio guides and how they can be applied to the dissemination of qualitative research. We also introduce the Experiencing Audio Recorded Research (EARR) Model to facilitate designing a multisensory approach to qualitative data dissemination through integrating audio technology …
Calibrating The Human Instrument: Understanding The Interviewing Experience Of Novice Qualitative Researchers,
2013
International Islamic University Malaysia
Calibrating The Human Instrument: Understanding The Interviewing Experience Of Novice Qualitative Researchers, Margarita S. Peredaryenko, Steven Eric Krauss
The Qualitative Report
Scientific instruments often undergo calibration to ensure that they will produce results that meet or exceed defined criteria within a specified degree of confidence. Such calibration almost always refers to mechanical instruments, those used primarily in the physical sciences. Rarely is the notion of calibration used in relation to the social and human sciences, especially in the context of qualitative research where the human being is the main research instrument. The focus of this study was to explore the experiences of novice human instruments undergoing a process similar to that of calibration. In doing so, we studied how novice qualitative …
Alive In The Reading: Nayaran And Chekhov,
2013
University of Georgia
Alive In The Reading: Nayaran And Chekhov, Laurie Ecke
The Qualitative Report
Kirin Nayaran's Alive in the Writing: Crafting Ethnography in the Company of Chekhov is a five - section book about finding "company amid the often isolating and difficult aspects of writing" (p. xiii). As an English Literature major, I recall the basic tenets of story - writing: plot, setting, and characterization. Narayan's chapters offer a kinder entry. "Story and Theory" invoke Anton Chekhov as an ethnographic companion offering expertise about the essentials of writing a good story. "Place," "Person," and "Voice" take the innocent writer further in to the power of writing, until "Self" provides a denouement of sorts, when …
Bobby Fischer In Socio-Cultural Perspective: Application Of Hiller’S (2011) Multi-Layered Chronological Chart Methodology,
2013
Fordham University at Lincoln Center
Bobby Fischer In Socio-Cultural Perspective: Application Of Hiller’S (2011) Multi-Layered Chronological Chart Methodology, Jospeh G. Ponterotto, Jason D. Reynolds
The Qualitative Report
This article presents a case study application of Hiller’s (2011) Multi - Layered Chronological Chart (MLCC) methodology to the life story of former World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer. Designed for use in qualitative biographical studies, the MLCC is adapted here for psychobiographical research. In 1972, Fischer became an American Cold War hero as he wrestled the World Chess Championship from a half century of Soviet domination. His rapid rise to world fame was followed by infamy as Fischer abandoned competitive chess, grew increasingly Anti - Semitic and Anti - American, became a fugitive from U.S. justice, and died in relative …
Using I Poems To Hear The Voices And Understand The Actions Of Edd Students Conducting Action Research,
2013
Arizona State University
Using I Poems To Hear The Voices And Understand The Actions Of Edd Students Conducting Action Research, Ron Zambo, Debby Zambo
The Qualitative Report
There is a movement to redefine and refocus the Educational Doctorate to improve its effectiveness in producing scholarly practitioners, that is, individuals who have the ability to blend their practical wisdom and professional knowledge to identify, frame , and solve the problems of practice they face. The EdD at Arizona State University has chosen action research as its signature pedagogy to help students develop the habits of the mind, hands and heart they need to be effective leaders. This paper describes the program and provides six I Poems developed from dissertation proposals. I Poems helped us come closer to each …
Playing Set® To Discover Qualitative Data Analysis,
2013
University of Colorado Denver
Playing Set® To Discover Qualitative Data Analysis, Jean Scandlyn, Sarah Hautzinger
The Qualitative Report
This article describes the use of an experiential classroom exercise using the card game Set® to introduce concepts related to qualitative approaches to research design and analysis, particularly those based in an interpretive framework. The multiple components of the game, which centers on visual pattern recognition, parallel the “organic” complexity of ethnographic investigation and demonstrate how strong interpretations can be supported with qualitative evidence. The first author adapted the exercise, originally developed by the second author for teaching undergraduate anthropology students, for use in workshops teaching qualitative research to mid - career professionals working on health - related projects in …
Empowering Indigenous Community Through Community Radio: A Case Study From Nepal,
2013
Anna University
Empowering Indigenous Community Through Community Radio: A Case Study From Nepal, Sudhamshu Dahal, I. Arul Aram
The Qualitative Report
The recently won People’s Democracy ( Loktantra ) in Nepal has transpired a contested yet ever demanding platform furthering rights and identity movements. The availability of alternative voices through community radios is a space to emancipate the identity movement towards indigenous empowerment and asserting their respectful and equitable entry in to “ New Nepal .” Within the theoretical framework of identity and democracy this research is based on the study of community radios as “ case study organizations .” We have used media ethnography and media text analysis including the observation to both corroborate and contradict with the participants’ understandings …
Prototype Modeling Vs. Item Response Theory – A Paradigm Shift For Measurement Professionals,
2013
Sommer Consulting Inc.
Prototype Modeling Vs. Item Response Theory – A Paradigm Shift For Measurement Professionals, Joseph Yeager, Linda Sommer, Juliette Faughnan, Christophe Geerkens
The Qualitative Report
In science, the usual research mode is to discover cause - and - effect mechanisms operating behind superficial reality. Aviation, for example, uses prototype modeling to develop improved aircraft from one generation to the next. In stark contrast to prototype modeling’s search for causal mechanisms, assessment technologies remain dominated by probability strategies — which is why psychological assessment lags behind the hard sciences. A major difference in results exists between inferences produced through item response theory versus the cause - effect prototyping strategies of aerospace and other techno - savvy industries. Parallel to aerospace strategies, systems analysis of language, using …
