University of Stirling

About: University of Stirling is a education organization based out in Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Polyunsaturated fatty acid. The organization has 7722 authors who have published 20549 publications receiving 732940 citations. The organization is also known as: Stirling University.

Understanding participation in learning for non-traditional adult learners: learning careers and the construction of learning identities

Abstract: Concepts of learner identities and learning careers have recently acquired popularity as ways of analysing participation in learning among young adults. This paper presents a conceptual challenge to unilinear approaches to the concept of learning careers. It draws on empirical data gathered during a study of new entrants to Scottish further education colleges, and illustrates the analysis through two biographical studies. It argues that learner identities can be fragile, contingent and vulnerable to external changes, and indeed can incorporate elements of hostility to education, as well as a degree of denial of responsibility even on the part of enthusiastic learners.

Enhancing the quality of hermeneutic research: decision trail

Abstract: Background. Researchers have ethical and professional obligations to produce research of a high standard. The constituents of quality in research appear to differ between authors, leaving readers unsure about which pathway to follow. This can reflect inadequate consideration of the theoretical framework guiding the study. Many papers fail to consider the theoretical underpinnings of the methodology chosen and the link between these and the methods employed. These need to be accessible to readers in order to assess the trustworthiness of the research. Aim. This paper discusses the development of trustworthiness in hermeneutic phenomenological research. Discussion. Referring to a study on lived experience of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalitis, I describe the decision trail and discuss the strengths and limitations of the choices made throughout the study. Conclusion. The methodology focused my approach more fully on the importance of recognizing the influences that I brought to the study and the impact of these in generating the data. It highlighted the fact that the process of setting out my horizon can never be complete, the importance of analysing the data at a macro and micro level, acknowledging the evolution of the data over time, and ensuring that analysis does not move beyond the data and out of the hermeneutic circle. In seeking to make the decision trail clear to others, researchers must distill the philosophical principles of the methodology and set these out in a way that is accessible and open to scrutiny.

Group size and structure in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at Mbeli Bai, Republic of Congo.

Abstract: This paper describes the size and structure of western lowland gorilla groups visiting Mbeli Bai, a swampy forest clearing in northern Congo. An observation platform at the edge of the clearing was used over a 3-yr period, with gorillas visible for 1,681 hr. Data are presented on 14 groups and seven solitary males. Mean group size (excluding solitary males) was 8.4 ± SD 4.3, and did not differ significantly from most other gorilla studies. All groups at Mbeli contained only one fully mature male and did not show evidence of fission-fusion or regular subgrouping. All emigrating males that remained in the population became solitary, and “bachelor” groups were not observed. Methodological issues are raised, including the classification of multi-male groups, and the demographic profiles of other populations are discussed in the light of results from Mbeli. Am. J. Primatol. 56:193–206, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A microsatellite polymorphism in the gamma interferon gene is associated with resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in a naturally-parasitized population of Soay sheep.

Abstract: Free-living Soay sheep (Ovis aries) on the island of Hirta, St Kilda, Scotland, are naturally parasitized by gastrointestinal nematodes, predominantly Teladorsagia circumcincta. In this paper we show that reduced faecal egg counts (FEC) are associated with an allele at a microsatellite locus located in the first intron of the interferon gamma gene (o(IFN)-γ) in Soay sheep lambs and yearlings, measured at approximately 4 and 16 months of age, respectively. The same allele was also associated with increased T. circumcincta-specific antibody (IgA) in lambs, but not associated significantly in yearlings. Flanking control markers failed to show a significant association with either FEC or IgA. These results suggest that a polymorphic gene conferring increased resistance to gastrointestinal nematode parasites is located at or near the interferon gamma gene, and support previous reports which have mapped a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for resistance to this region in domestic sheep. Our data are consistent with the idea that a functional polymorphism leading to reduced expression or efficacy of (IFN)-γ could enhance the immune response to gastrointestinal nematodes by favouring the activity of the Th2 cell subset and antibody associated immune mechanisms.