Showing papers on "Secondary research published in 2007"

Educational Research: Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Approaches

Abstract: Preface PART I. INTRODUCTION 1. Introduction to Educational Research Why Study Educational Research? Areas of Educational Research Examples of Educational Research General Kinds of Research Sources of Knowledge The Scientific Approach to Knowledge Generation Objectives of Educational Research Overview of Book Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading 2. Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Characteristics of the Three Research Paradigms Quantitative Research Methods. Experimental and Nonexperimental Research Qualitative Research Methods Mixed Research Methods Our Research Typology Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading PART II. PLANNING THE RESEARCH STUDY 3. Reviewing the Literature and Developing Research Questions Sources of Research Ideas Ideas That Can't Be Resolved Through Empirical Research Review of the Literature Conducting the Literature Search Feasibility of the Study Statement of the Research Problem Statement of the Purpose of the Study Statement of Research Questions Formulating Hypotheses Consumer Use of the Literature Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading 4. How to Write a Research Proposal Framework of the Research Proposal Strategies for Writing Each Section of the Research Proposal Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading 5. Research Ethics What Are Research Ethics? Ethical Concerns Ethical Guidelines for Research with Humans Institutional Review Board Ethical Issues in Electronic Research Ethical Issues in Preparing the Research Report Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading PART III. FOUNDATIONS OF RESEARCH 6. Standardized Measurement and Assessment Defining Measurement Scales of Measurement Assumptions Underlying Testing and Assessment Identifying a Good Test or Assessment Procedure Educational and Psychological Tests Sources of Information about Tests Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Endnotes 7. How to Construct a Questionnaire What is a Questionnaire? Principles of Questionnaire Construction Putting it All Together Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading 8. Methods of Data Collection Tests Questionnaires Interviews Focus Groups Observation Secondary Data (Existing Data) Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading 9. Sampling in Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Terminology Used in Sampling Random Sampling Techniques Nonrandom Sampling Techniques Random Selection and Random Assignment Determining the Sample Size When Random Sampling Is Used Sampling in Qualitative Research Sampling in Mixed Research Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Endnotes 10. Validity of Research Results in Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Research Validity Issues in the Design of Quantitative Research Statistical Conclusion Validity Internal Validity External Validity Construct Validity Research Validity (or "trustworthiness") in Qualitative Research Research Validity (or "Legitimation") in Mixed Research Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Endnotes PART IV. SELECTING A RESEARCH METHOD 11. Experimental Research The Experiment Experimental Research Settings Independent Variable Manipulation Control of Confounding Variables Experimental Research Designs Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Endnote 12. Quasi-Experimental and Single-Case Designs Quasi-Experimental Research Designs Single-Case Experimental Designs Methodological Considerations in Using Single-Case Designs Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading 13. Nonexperimental Quantitative Research Steps in Nonexperimental Research Independent Variables in Nonexperimental Research Simple Cases of Causal-Comparative and Correlational Research Three Necessary Conditions for Cause-and-Effect Relationships Applying the Three Necessary Conditions for Causation in Nonexperimental Research Techniques of Control in Nonexperimental Research (i.e., How to Design Strong Nonexperimental Research) Interlude (The Study of Causal Relationships in Epidemiology) Time Dimension in Research Classifying Nonexperimental Research Methods by Research Objective Classifying Nonexperirnental Research by Time and Research Objective Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Endnotes 14. Qualitative Research Phenomenology Ethnography Case Study Research Grounded Theory Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Endnotes 15. Historical Research What Is Historical Research? Significance of Historical Research Historical Research Methodology Identification of the Research Topic and Formulation of the Research Problem or Question Data Collection or Literature Review How to Locate Historical Information Evaluation of Historical Sources Data Synthesis and Report Preparation Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading 16. Mixed Research The Research Continuum Types of Mixed Research Designs Stages of the Mixed Research Process Limitations of Mixed Research Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading PART V. ANALYZING THE DATA 17. Descriptive Statistics Descriptive Statistics Frequency Distributions Graphic Representations of Data Measures of Central Tendency Measures of Variability Measures of Relative Standing Examining Relationships among Variables Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Endnotes 18. Inferential Statistics Sampling Distributions Estimation Hypothesis Testing Hypothesis Testing in Practice Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Endnotes 19. Data Analysis in Qualitative and Mixed Research Interim Analysis Memoing Analysis of Visual Data Data Entry and Storage Segmenting, Coding, and Developing Category Systems Enumeration Creating Hierarchical Category Systems Identifying Relationships Among Categories Corroborating and Validating Results Computer Programs for Qualitative Data Analysis Data Analysis in Mixed Research Summary Key Terms Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Endnote PART V1. WRITING THE RESEARCH REPORT 20. Preparation of the Research Report General Principles Related to Writing the Research Report Writing Quantitative Research Reports Using the APA Style Writing Qualitative Research Reports Writing Mixed Research Reports Discussion Questions Research Exercises Relevant Internet Sites Recommended Reading Glossary References Index About the Authors

Research Methods in Information

Abstract: The handbook takes the reader through the whole research process in four parts: * Part 1: Starting the research process: major research paradigms literature reviewing defining the research the research proposal sampling ethics in research * Part 2: Research methods: case studies surveys experimental research ethnography Delphi study action research historical research grounded theory * Part 3: Data collection techniques interviews questionnaires observation diaries focus groups usability testing * Part 4: Data analysis and research prevention: qualitative analysis quantitative analysis overview of software presenting the research. Part 5 supports the text with a comprehensive glossary and further reading.

Third party logistics : a literature review and research agenda

Abstract: Purpose – To provide a taxonomy of third party logistics (3PL) research and, based on that, to develop a research agenda for this field of study.Design/methodology/approach – The proposed 3PL research classification framework is based on a comprehensive literature review, which concentrates on peer‐reviewed journal papers published within the period 1990‐2005. A total of 114 academic sources have been retrieved and analysed in terms of research purpose and nature, method employed, theoretical approach and level of analysis.Findings – The review reveals that 3PL research is empirical‐descriptive in nature and that it generally lacks a theoretical foundation. Survey research is the dominant method employed, reflecting the positivist research tradition within logistics. It identifies certain knowledge gaps and develops five propositions for future research. It suggests that focus should be directed towards more normative, theory‐driven and qualitative method‐based studies. It also argues that further empiric...

Research Methods for Graduate Business and Social Science Students

Abstract: Research Methods for Graduate Business and Social Science Students John Adams, Hafiz T A Khan, Robert Raeside and David White Response Books, A Division of Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2007, Pages: 270; Price: Rs. 395; ISBN: 978-0-7619-3589 This book is a fair attempt in comprehensively covering separate chapters with various topics related to research methods, including research problem formulation, research design, data collection, data analysis, advanced statistical analysis and easy-to comprehend snippets on report-writing. The book is divided into eight sections. Section 1 is a general introduction with only one chapter. The authors provide answers to questions such as what is research, why research is conducted, who does research and how research is conducted. Three major research types, such as, descriptive, explanatory and predictive, are indicated. It is highlighted that the type of research approach selected depends on the nature of the research problem at hand. Section 2 with its single chapter focuses on the research methodology. The authors differentiate between research method and methodology. While the former is a way of conducting and implementing research, the latter is the science and philosophy behind all research. The authors opine that it is the research methodology component that allows us to comprehend the process of knowledge creation. Apart from this, one can also find in this chapter different practices of conducting research: quantitative, qualitative, pure, applied, longitudinal, and empirical. Excellent piece of information on deriving logical conclusions based on inductive and deductive reasoning that is usually not focused heavily in other business research methods books is a plus point to the reader in understanding the nitty-gritty of evolving conclusions. A small description on research ethics decries the unethical practices of obfuscation (not highlighting the results that are important or those that the researcher does not like or hiding information by producing a verbose report full of technical jargon), and plagiarism (passing off someone else's work as one's own). It also provides the reader web-links of several professional bodies that have produced codes of conduct in research including that of Royal Statistical Society. Section 3 contains two chapters. The chapter on Research Cycle outlines the systematic procedure in carrying out the research work and includes the usual paths such as formulating the research problem, generating hypothesis, collecting data, analyzing the data, and monitoring the research model. Excellent considerations are provided in a separate chapter about the importance of different types of literature review, viz., evaluative review, exploratory review and instrumental review and its significance in tracing the various designs used in approaching the topic, identifying the experts on the topic, dissecting the theoretical perspectives, distilling the major limitations and controversies of the earlier studies on this topic, exploring the avenues for other potential research problem and, so on. This is one of the very few books on business research methods laying adequate emphasis on Literature Review. This will benefit the reader in terms of the importance and the modus operandi of reviewing the earlier studies on the research topic. Section 4 on Research Design comprises five chapters and is devoted exclusively to areas pertaining to data collection. Chapter 5 on Sampling encompasses sampling techniques under probability and non-probability, sample size determination, problems with random sample surveys which include nonresponse bias, sampling error, and sampling bias. Sample size determination is sufficiently covered. Though they are covered adequately, a separate discussion on Sampling Process including the various stages involved in selecting the ultimate sample elements will be useful to the reader. For unexplainable reasons, this chapter also focuses on classification of research designs (experimental, quasi-experimental and observational), and includes yet another discussion on scales of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio). …

Handbook of Marketing Research Methodologies for Hospitality and Tourism

Abstract: * Acknowledgments * Introduction * PART I: RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGIES * Chapter 1. Defining Marketing Research, Market Analysis, and Applications * Chapter Objectives * Purpose * Process * Techniques * Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning (STP) * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Question * Case. 1.1. Hyatt Corporation--A Variation of the Singleness Strategy Through Product Type/Identification and Market Segment Positioning * Case 1.2. Toyota Motor Corporation--Positioning to Perfection * Chapter 2. Primary and Secondary Research Data * Chapter Objectives * Primary Research Data * Sampling * Secondary Research Data * Sources of Data * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Questions * Case 2.1. Looking Within--Observation * Case 2.2. The Power of the Survey and Award * Chapter 3. Qualitative Research * Chapter Objectives * Definition and Role * Advantages, Disadvantages, and Perspectives * Types and Techniques * Qualitative Data Analysis * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Questions * Case 3.1. Carlson Companies, Inc. * Case 3.2. American Express Card Member Services * Chapter 4. Quantitative Research * Chapter Objectives * Definition * Advantages and Disadvantages * Types of Quantitative Research * Research Design Elements * Questionnaires: Design, Statistical Analysis, and Scales * Sampling * Applications in the Services Sector * Components of a Quantitative Research Plan * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Questions * Case 4.1. Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. * Chapter 5. Integrative Research * Chapter Objectives * Definition * Advantages and Disadvantages * Triangulation * Case Studies * Action Research * Academic versus Applied Action Research * Issues * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Questions * Case 5.1. Stouffer Hotels and Resorts: Competitive Strategy * PART II: MARKET ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT * Chapter 6. Analyzing Research Findings and Data * Chapter Objectives * Analysis of Qualitative Research Findings * Analysis of Quantitative Data * Perspectives * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Questions * Case 6.1. Chick-fil-A--Assessment, Prioritization, and Action * Chapter 7. Location Analysis and Site Evaluation * Chapter Objectives * Timing * Land Acquisition Considerations * Land Selection Guidelines * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Questions * Case 7.1. Foxwoods Resort Casino--A Megaforce * Chapter 8. The Design and Components of a Feasibility Study * Chapter Objectives * Definitions * Market Feasibility Studies Overview * Conducting Feasibility studies * Sample Design and Components of a Feasibility Study * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Questions * Case 8.1. Best Sites, Great Location, a Very Positive Feasibility Study--Oops: We Didn't Know! * Chapter 9. Market Assessment for Development Planning * Chapter Objectives * Introduction to the Development Planning Process * Development Plan Organization * Sample Development Plan Outline * Development Planning in Perspective * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Questions * Case 9.1. Sonic Drive-In--External Forces revive the Concept * Case 9.2. Carnival Corporation--Positioning and Strategy Selection * Chapter 10. Assessing Focal Points and Intuitive Techniques * Chapter Objectives * Types of Marketing Research * Marketing Research Techniques * Five Essential Marketing Intelligence Tools * Marketing Research Presentation Tools * Chapter Review * Key Concepts/Terms * Discussion Questions * Case 10.1. Mailing Less and Making More * Case 1

Investigating the Myth of the Relationship between Teaching and Research in Higher Education: A Review of Empirical Research.

Abstract: Despite the widespread belief in a positive influence of research on education, the empirical evidence is lacking (Hattie and Marsh 1996). Several authors have questioned the appropriateness of the operationalisation of both aspects of the relation between teaching and research. This article takes a closer look at the research questions in empirical studies on the nexus between teaching and research and examines the used variables and their measurement techniques. The study reveals that the used variables and their operationalisation are diverse as well as limited. There is for example a diversity in the investigated population, the level of analysis (individual faculty, department, institutions), the nature of the institutions investigated or the questionnaires used. The operationalisation of both teaching and research is limited. Student learning or the way research is integrated into teaching are virtually absent and the measurement of research is mostly confined to the quantity of the research output. This calls for a more systematic research agenda in which student learning is investigated along with more fine grained measures of teaching and in which the relation of these two indicators and the research proficiency of faculty are looked at.

Entangled evidence: knowledge making in systematic reviews in healthcare.

Abstract: As the volume of biomedical information escalates and its uses diversify, systematic reviews and meta-analyses – the compilation, selection and statistical analysis of pooled results from similar studies – are becoming an increasingly accepted method in the evaluation of healthcare technologies and interventions. We thus observe a proliferation of laboratories conducting this type of research. How is knowledge constructed in systematic reviews and meta-analysis in healthcare? Drawing on ethnographic data collected during 18 months of fieldwork in a research centre devoted to the development of evidence-based clinical-practice guidelines and systematic reviews, the paper argues that knowledge construction in secondary research in healthcare is structured upon a parallel process of disentanglement and qualification of data. In disentanglement, knowledge practices attempt to extricate data from the milieus in which they are commonly found (databases, texts, other research centres, etc.). In qualification, the focus of activities is on endowing data with new qualities – such as precision, unbiasness or ‘fairness’– through the use of templates, graphical platforms and techno-political debates. The accomplishment of these two processes is fundamental to establishing the persuasive power that meta-analyses appear to have in contemporary healthcare politics.

Longitudinal and Panel Studies

Abstract: About the book: The Handbook includes chapters on each phase of the research process: research design, methods of data collection, and the processes of analyzing and interpreting data. As its editors maintain, there is much more to research than learning skills and techniques; methodology involves the fit between theory, research questions, research design, and analysis. The book also includes several chapters that describe historical and current directions in social research, debating crucial subjects such as qualitative versus quantitative paradigms, how to judge the credibility of types of research, and the increasingly topical issue of research ethics.

Recent Library Practitioner Research: A Methodological Analysis and Critique

Abstract: Every few years library and information science (LIS) scholars report on the state of research in librarianship in general and practitioner research in particular. These reviews, some more extensive in journal coverage than others, focus on topics addressed, methodologies used, and quality of the research. At the January 2003 Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) conference, we presented the findings of our review of the 1998-2002 published librarianship research. We decided to update that analytical review for two reasons: to look at more recent literature (2003-2005), and to use refined methodological criteria to evaluate these studies. From a purposive sample of 23 LIS journals we have mined 401 research articles; 206 articles were randomly selected for this in-depth analysis. A checklist of 35 factors was applied in our analysis of these research articles. These project and report factors include authorship, topic, location and setting, type of research, data collection methods, type of data analysis, statistical techniques, and components and quality of the report itself. The data collected were statistically analyzed to produce summary data and to provide an opportunity to discover any significant associations among the many variables. Such analysis supports comparisons of practitioner and academic scholar research. The descriptive data has enabled us to document the status quo in recent practitioner research. These findings are used to explore recent patterns or trends in library practitioner research and they provide a basis for comparisons with earlier reported findings and assessments. Introduction Every few years library and information science (LIS) scholars report on the state of research in librarianship in general, and practitioner research in particular. These reviews, some more extensive in journal coverage than others, typically focus on topics addressed, methodologies used, and quality of the research. At the January 2003 ALISE meeting, we presented the findings of our review of the 1998-2002 published library research, with special focus on research conducted by library practitioners.1 We decided to update that analytical review for two reasons: to look at more recent literature (2003-2005), and to use refined methodological criteria to evaluate these studies. Consistent with the aims of most earlier reviews, we designed a study that would permit us to discover and document the status quo of recently published library research. In the review reported here we focus primarily on research methodology issues and the quality of the published reports of both practitioner and academic scholar research. By "academic scholar" we mean those individuals who are members of teaching and research faculties at colleges and universities, typically in graduate degree programs in library or information science. Topics of research were also included in this review and analysis. Topics found in the research literature were coded and documented using a concise taxonomy of broad categories. In a future study we plan to employ a more detailed, finely-grained classification of research topics that will more accurately represent the number and diversity of research topics we encountered in this review of the research literature. The data recorded for more than 30 characteristics of the 2003-2005 published research studies in our sample has enabled us to identify patterns and trends in research approaches, strategies, and use of a variety of methodologies. Our findings permit comparisons with earlier studies and assessments of the accuracy of past predictions regarding the direction of future library research. As the title of this article indicates, we were most interested in documenting and analyzing recent library practitioner research. For purposes of comparative analysis we also looked at a representative sample of research conducted and published by academic scholars during the same period, 2003-2005. …

A review and classification of academic research in facilities management

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review, evaluate and classify the academic research that has been published in facilities management (FM) and to analyse how FM research and practice are linked.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on literature review and qualitative research. Qualitative data have been gathered from academic papers published in FM‐related journals (i.e. Facilities, Journal of Facilities Management, and the Nordic Journal of Surveying and Real Estate Research – Special Series) and in conjunction with academic conferences (i.e. European Research Symposium in Facilities Management and the CIB W70 Symposium) between 1996–2005.Findings – When analysing empirical research in FM, research papers can be classified according to the FM topics examined in them, the type of research performed and data‐gathering methods used in the study reported, the background of the authors, research field, and research sector. Evaluation of academic papers indicates that the reporting of the...

Information systems research in China: An empirical study

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to review current research activities concerning information systems (IS) in mainland China. We thus examined Chinese IS research with reference to discipline, research topic, research method, and units of analysis, identifying and reviewing a total of 604 research papers, published in 18 leading Chinese academic journals from 1999 to 2003. The results show that: (1) IS itself represents the major theoretical reference of the studies; (2) the IS research in China has clearly focused on organizational and system/software issues; (3) non-empirical studies were dominant in the field of IS research in China; and (4) the majority of studies were conducted at an organizational or systemic level.

Counselor educators' perceptions of their doctoral level teaching preparation

Abstract: x CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 The Problem in Perspective 2 Conceptual Framework 5 Purpose of the Study 7 Significance of this Study 8 Research Question 9 Assumptions of this Study 10 Delimitations 10 Definition of Terms 10 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Teaching Preparation in Higher Education 12 Lack of Teaching Preparation in Counselor Education 19 Educator-Practitioner Model 20 Conclusion 21 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY Purpose of this Study 23 General Research Question 23 Secondary Research Questions 23

Research in information systems in China (1999–2005) and international comparisons

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to review the research activities in information systems (IS) in the mainland of China. We reviewed and analyzed a total of 859 research papers in information systems published in 18 leading academic journals in business and management in the mainland from 1999 to 2005. Applying the content analysis method, we first categorized the papers by their reference disciplines, research topics, research methods, and the units of analysis. The data were then compared with the results of similar Western studies. Results show that, among the published IS research papers in the mainland of China, IS research itself represents the primary theoretical reference discipline; organizational and system/software issues are the main topics of the focus; non-empirical studies were the dominant research method; and the majority of studies were conducted at the organizational and/or system level. Compared with the West, IS research in China demonstrates its own characteristics in theoretical foundations, research focuses, and research methods, and there are a number of areas that need to be improved.

Student Research and Ethics: Contributing to the Debate.

Abstract: Psychology Teaching Review, 13(1), 2007 A S CO-CHAIRS OF the Psychology Ethics and Research Committee at Nottingham Trent University, we read with interest Hugh Foot’s article on student research and ethics (Debating Point, PTR 12(1)). Certainly, we would agree with the author that there is no case for accepting less stringent ethical criteria where the researcher is a student. On the contrary, we would argue that greater attention and more stringent measures should be applied to student research as students are still undergoing research training. We find that our students inevitably can be attracted to ‘sensational’ real world research areas that require extra sensitivity and, while we are loathe to restrict their freedoms in choosing their own research topics for their final-year projects, we are aware of the problems this can entail. In our division, all students wishing to undertake primary research (such as that required for their final year research project) complete a comprehensive ethics and risk form, which has been developed from protocols recommended by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Additional information is provided to the students (guidelines and requirements on minimising researcher risk, the use of psychometric tests, working with vulnerable populations, and conducting internet-mediated research) and students are required to sign that they have read, and will abide by, these guidelines and requirements. Each form is signed off by both student and supervisor after (we hope!) discussion, and is sent out for review to two individuals from the division who review it separately. There may also be supplementary information attached to the form for example, consent forms, letters requesting access etc. At this stage reviewers are asked to specifically flag any issues that could be of concern no matter how minor. Once a form has been reviewed, it is discussed at the next Ethics and Risk Committee (ERC) meeting and decisions are recorded. Committee meetings are generally held once a week to ensure that student work is not unnecessarily delayed by the ethics process. At the meeting the committee draws upon the reviewers’ comments but is also free to diverge from them in its decision if deemed appropriate (all decisions are by member consensus). Decision making by the committee diffuses responsibility for the decision, and offers support to the supervisor rather than undermining their position. Outright rejection is extremely rare, instead explicit guidance is given as to what changes need making in order to gain ethical approval. We see this very much as part of the educational process for our students as they are encouraged to reflect on the implications of their practices. Students can then resubmit their amended forms. Like Hugh Foot we also felt there was a need for ethical review of classroom practical work. In our division all proposed practical work (e.g. carried out in labs and research methods teaching) is submitted by the session leader to the ERC for consideration. Only after approval would these practicals be incorporated into the teaching curriculum. For practicals that involve students designing elements of the study themselves (for example, in our level 2 modules the general topic and method are prescribed but the specifics Debating point

The emotional impact of working with disturbing secondary data

Abstract: The paper discusses the effects on the researcher of reading disturbing secondary data (defined here as evidence gathered by someone other than the researcher). The case study is a qualitative sociological autopsy of suicide and the secondary data – written documents and photographs are all from case files in a British coroner’s office. After some ethnographic detail about the research setting and research process, there is some discussion in the paper of the diverse secondary data sources in these files, particularly in relation to the impact on the researcher. Some general observations are made about emotion in the research process and potential strategies for responding to emotion. The authors locate their responses to reading about suicides within the broader context of the social processing of death and distress and also consider whether or not emotional reactions to data have any analytical purchase. Qualiti Working Papers: The emotional impact of working with disturbing secondary data March 2007 3 Introduction The impact of emotion on social research is often acknowledged by those who seek to put the research process in a human and social context (see, for example, Kleinman and Kopp, 1993; Carter and Delamont, 1996). There are many examples of studies where researchers have written about emotionally disturbing primary data sources. To give just a few examples, research projects involving interviews with victims of sexual abuse, cancer patients and bereaved children have all been discussed in terms of the impact on the researcher (see Scott, 1998; Cannon, 1989; Rowling, 1999; Grinyer, 2004; Rager, 2005). The face-to-face proximity of the researchers to these upsetting research topics make it easy to understand that there will be an emotional cost to these kinds of studies. However, there is relatively little comment in the literature on social research methods and methodology about the impact on researchers of working with secondary sources. By ‘secondary’ here, we mean evidence that has been assembled by someone else rather than data originally gathered by a researcher. This evidence is most likely to be documentary, but could also include visual and aural data. As Hubbard et al. (2001) have observed, the impact of emotion on the (interpersonal) qualitative research process has been discussed by several authors, often within quite personal reflexive accounts. Accounts of emotion and research have of course been powerfully expressed within auto-ethnographic work such as that in Ellis and Bochner’s (1996) collection. Aside from topics that have particular personal connection to the researcher, it might be anticipated that somebody interviewing people who have suffered some form of trauma may well require support themselves (Rowling, 1999). The psychoanalytical concept of ‘counter-transference’ (Freud, 1958) has been applied to the research interview process (Cannon, 1989, citing Laslett and Rapoport) in an attempt to make sense of the emotional impact on the listener of hearing another person’s account of traumatic experience. There is, however, a dearth of commentary on the emotional impact of secondary research which does not involve direct interaction with human Qualiti Working Papers: The emotional impact of working with disturbing secondary data March 2007 4 participants, such as the study of documents. One author who does, unusually, reflect on the personal impact of reading documents is Moran-Ellis (1997). She writes of her experience of what she dubbed ‘pain by proxy’ during a study of child sexual abuse. Her account sounds similar in emotional terms to our own which we describe below. Having been immersed in literature and data she says: I felt appalled by what I was finding out, and I felt much pain by proxy for the children who had been subjected to what amounts to physical as well as emotional and sexual assault. I could barely contemplate the pain they had felt... And yet I found I couldn’t not think about it. (Moran-Ellis 1997: 181) As Hubbard et al. observe, most of the existing accounts of emotionally-laden research have regarded emotion as a problem to be overcome, whereas those authors themselves believe it is important to consider ‘emotionally-sensed knowledge’ as part of the analytic process. This raises the question of whether emotion can be harnessed creatively as part of the interpretive process. Is this possible, or is such an approach not ‘rigorous’ or ‘systematic’ enough to be included within the realms of what is rightly termed ‘research’? After describing our specific study in some detail, we go on to discuss this question of how ‘useful’ emotion can be to the research process. We also attempt to locate our emotional reactions within the wider social context of our research topics of death and distress.

Coercion and undue influence in decisions to participate in psychiatric research – research findings

Abstract: Research on coercion in research contexts is almost unknown. Much of the difficulty is conceptual and methodological. We do not have general agreement on what should be counted as coercive in a research context and how it should be measured. This paper will review the limited data on the subject and the methodologies and findings that have been used in clinical contexts. These methodologies, while providing a good starting place for research on coercion in research, do not solve the problem because of both differences in the contexts in which research and clinical care are undertaken and because research takes place in a different normative context. The paper will show both how these contexts limit the applicability of the existing clinical research and what might be taken from prior research that would be applicable. The paper will also present some preliminary data from a study that seeks to develop a mechanism for assessing voluntariness in the context of clinical research.

NPM effects on research practices in English and Dutch universities

Abstract: In this paper we focus on how research policies inspired in part by the New Public Management (NPM) are implemented in public universities in two fields of research, biotechnology and medieval history The aim of the paper is to find out how research policies partly inspired by the new public management in England and the Netherlands have influenced research practices at the basic research unit level The data builds on 77 semi-structured interviews collected in 20051, supplemented with the document and secondary literature analysis In order to understand change in the research practices of basic research units we explore problem choice, mainstream and risky research, and output preferences

Students' attitudes towards using podcasts in Higher Education

Abstract: Technology has developed over the years and podcasting has become the new phenomenon. Podcasting has been integrated within the higher education sector to update learning styles with the technological revolution. Research into the implementation of this feature has been carried out overseas, particularly in the USA and Australia. Implementation within the UK, however, is still within the research stages. The following report explores the methods being utilised overseas and in the UK and the future of podcasting in education in the UK. Primary research at Loughborough University enabled an effective judgement on student attitudes to be assessed. Primary research consisted of questionnaires, focus group and a case study on the UK podcasting project devised by professors at Leicester University. From the primary research quantitative and qualitative is captured for an analysis of student attitudes to be gained, where the success of podcasting can be evaluated with the Loughborough sample. Aspects of the structure of the podcast presented to students and how it would be utilised, e.g. as a replacement to lectures or as an additional resource. From both the primary research and secondary research both from overseas and in the UK the update of podcasting integrated with education is analysed and a judgement made on how successful the update will be in UK universities yet to adopt the concept as well as Loughborough University itself.