Lincoln, Yvonna, and Egon Guba, "Postpositivism and the Naturalist Paradigm," pp. 14-46 in Yvonna Lincoln and Egon Guba, Naturalistic Inquiry . Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1985.*

David E. Gray has produced a 4th edition of his successful textbook Doing Research in the Real World.  This useful handbook for social science researchers includes the addition of entirely new chapters on Visual Research Methods, Digital Research Methods and Getting Started Using NVIVO, along with other chapters updated to reflect developments in digital research tools. This has been done whilst also retaining a comprehensive overview of research methods in the social sciences. The purpose of this book remains to assist researchers and their supervisors in navigating the complex decisions involved in the design and execution of research projects and does this in a clear and approachable way.

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Doing Research in the Real World

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) may experience declining function and limited interaction with others with PD Group exercise provides opportunities for physical accomplishment and social support, as well as potential social challenges We used interpretative phenomenological analysis to examine experiences of social comparison, social support, and self-perceptions of 20 people with PD in group exercise Participants experienced (a) reticence evolving to inspiration, (b) anxiety relief through camaraderie and breaking taboos, and (c) maintaining athletic identity through participating and helping others Practical implications include facilitating a safe space and support to alleviate anxiety and sustain participation

Social Comparisons, Social Support, and Self-Perceptions in Group Exercise for People With Parkinson's Disease

This thesis is a discussion of the impact and experience of living with dystonia. The literature review investigated factors relating to health related quality of life (HRQOL) for people living with dystonia. The main research paper used interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the experiences of people living with the condition. The thesis concludes with a critical appraisal of the two papers and the process of working with two different research paradigms. The literature review found that depression and anxiety had a significant, negative impact on HRQOL. Dystonia severity and psychosocial variables such as body concept and self-esteem were also implicated. A series of pervasive issues had a negative impact on the methodological quality of reviewed studies. These include a lack of engagement with key concepts such as HRQOL, depression and anxiety. Suggestions were made for future research designs. The main research paper produced three themes: (1) Dealing with ignorance and uncertainty: navigating health services with a rare, poorly understood condition; (2) The challenge of social isolation: overcoming barriers to positive social identity; and (3) Fear of psychological explanations: the impact of stigmatised attitudes towards psychological explanations for dystonia symptoms. Participants described their experiences of isolation and alienation which resulted from having a rare, visible and chronic health condition. Academic and clinical implications were discussed. Finally, the critical appraisal reflected on the process of writing using two different research paradigms. Adherence to the philosophical assumptions of each approach was considered a strength of the thesis. The limitations of the two approaches were discussed as well as recommendations for further research on dystonia.

Andrew Morgan

Papers

Exploring the impact and experience of living with dystonia