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Methodological Approaches (methodological + approach)
Kinds of Methodological Approaches Selected AbstractsVARIETY OF METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH IN ECONOMICSJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 3 2007Sheila C. Dow Abstract It has been argued by some that the distinction between orthodox economics and heterodox economics does not fit the growing variety in economic theory, unified by a common methodological approach. On the other hand, it remains a central characteristic of heterodox economics that it does not share this methodological approach, but rather represents a range of alternative methodological approaches. The paper explores the evidence, and arguments, for variety in economics at different levels, and a range of issues which arise. This requires in turn a discussion of the meaning of variety in economics at the different levels of reality, methodology, method and theory. It is concluded that there is scope for more, rather than less, variety in economic methodologies, as well as within methodologies. Further, if variety is not to take the form of ,anything goes', then critical discussion by economists of different approaches to economics, and of variety itself, is required. [source] II. BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHMONOGRAPHS OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2006Article first published online: 9 FEB 200 First page of article [source] PROVENANCE OF THE LIMESTONE USED IN TEOTIHUACAN (MEXICO): A METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH,ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 4 2009L. BARBA This work shows the preliminary results of an international project for the interdisciplinary study of the limestone used in the plasters of the ancient city of Teotihuacan. The limestone provenance was studied using a new approach based on the chemical analysis of the lime lumps that were selected because they represent the composition of the original limestone rock. The results show that the applied methodology was successful and that the limestone used to produce the lime employed to make the floor of the main courtyard at Teopancazco (Teotihuacan), comes from the region near Tula (Hidalgo). [source] Methodological Approach in Discovering User Search Patterns through Web Log AnalysisBULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2000Bernard J. Jansen No abstract is available for this article. [source] A Novel Methodological Approach for the Analysis of Host,Ligand Interactions,CHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 2 2007Daniela Strat Dr. Abstract Traditional analysis of drug-binding data relies upon the Scatchard formalism. These methods rely upon the fitting of a linear equation providing intercept and gradient data that relate to physical properties, such as the binding constant, cooperativity coefficients and number of binding sites. However, the existence of different binding modes with different binding constants makes the implementation of these models difficult. This article describes a novel approach to the binding model of host,ligand interactions by using a derived analytical function describing the observed signal. The benefit of this method is that physically significant parameters, that is, binding constants and number of binding sites, are automatically derived by the use of a minimisation routine. This methodology was utilised to analyse the interactions between a novel antitumour agent and DNA. An optical spectroscopy study confirms that the pentacyclic acridine derivative (DH208) binds to nucleic acids. Two binding modes can be identified: a stronger one that involves intercalation and a weaker one that involves oriented outer-sphere binding. In both cases the plane of the bound acridine ring is parallel to the nucleic acid bases, orthogonal to the phosphate backbone. Ultraviolet (UV) and circular dichroism (CD) data were fitted using the proposed model. The binding constants and the number of binding sites derived from the model remained consistent across the different techniques used. The different wavelengths at which the measurements were made maintained the coherence of the results. [source] Methodological Approaches for Interviewing ElitesGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2010William S. Harvey This paper explores some of the methodological strategies for interviewing elites. The focus is on researching elite members, preparing for interviews and gaining access, as well as the associated power relationships. Examples are drawn from across the social sciences and from the author's doctoral and postdoctoral work with over one hundred members of business elites. It is argued that researchers should be more attentive towards the following three areas. First, providing flexibility when designing research projects and conducting interviews. Second, ensuring transparency when communicating with elite members. Third, maintaining good etiquette with all participants to ensure the highest professional standards. The overall aim of the paper is to provide an introduction for those who are new to the field of interviewing elite subjects. [source] Parents' Union Dissolution and Adolescents' School Performance: Comparing Methodological ApproachesJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 3 2007Michelle L. Frisco We use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement Study to estimate how parents' union dissolution influences changes in adolescents' mathematics course work gains, overall grade point average, and course failure rates during a window of approximately 1 year (N =2,629). A primary purpose of this study is demonstrating the utility of propensity score matching techniques for studying topics such as ours that pose methodological challenges such as dealing with endogeneity and selection bias. We compare propensity score matching techniques to ordinary least squares (OLS) regression methods to show and discuss comparability of results obtained using these different procedures. Findings suggest that associations between parents' union dissolution and achievement may be causal, regardless of method used. [source] Personality Over Time: Methodological Approaches to the Study of Short-Term and Long-Term Development and ChangeJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 6 2003Jeremy C. Biesanz We consider a variety of recent methods of longitudinal data analysis to examine both short-term and long-term development and change in personality, including mean-level analyses both across and within individuals across time, variance structures across time, and cycles and dynamic models across time. These different longitudinal analyses can address classic as well as new questions in the study of personality and its development. We discuss the linkages among different longitudinal analyses, measurement issues in temporal data, the spacing of assessments, and the levels of generalization and potential insights afforded by different longitudinal analyses. [source] Methodological approaches in the assessment of interferon-alfa-induced depression in patients with chronic hepatitis C , a critical reviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 4 2007Arne Schäfer Abstract In recent years, research on interferon (IFN)-induced depressive symptoms in antivirally treated patients suffering from chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has considerably intensified. Profound scientific knowledge of this complication is of great relevance with regard to adherence, compliance, and premature therapy discontinuation. Presently, there is considerable variability of both, the frequency and extent of IFN-induced depression reported in different cohorts of patients. The aim of the presented study was to systematically review recent literature of research within this field; and particularly (1) to identify to what extent methodological bias contributed to inconsistent results in different studies, (2) to critically appraise methods and results of studies published so far, and (3) to suggest directions for future work, especially with respect to alternative and improved methodological approaches. The results of this critical review suggest that the variability of findings seem to be largely due to different study populations, treatment regimens, methodological approaches, and sometimes arbitrary or at least poorly defined choice of screening instruments for depression, particularly criteria for clinically relevant depression (cut-off criteria). Study designs and methodological approaches to investigate IFN-alfa-induced depression in patients with CHC have been incoherent. Future research in this field needs agreement on the use of standardized assessment of IFN-induced depression in CHC. Furthermore, objective criteria and guidelines for the treatment of IFN-induced depression in these patients are needed in clinical practice. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Adaptive structured parallelism for distributed heterogeneous architectures: a methodological approach with pipelines and farmsCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 15 2010Horacio González-Vélez Abstract Algorithmic skeletons abstract commonly used patterns of parallel computation, communication, and interaction. Based on the algorithmic skeleton concept, structured parallelism provides a high-level parallel programming technique that allows the conceptual description of parallel programs while fostering platform independence and algorithm abstraction. This work presents a methodology to improve skeletal parallel programming in heterogeneous distributed systems by introducing adaptivity through resource awareness. As we hypothesise that a skeletal program should be able to adapt to the dynamic resource conditions over time using its structural forecasting information, we have developed adaptive structured parallelism (ASPARA). ASPARA is a generic methodology to incorporate structural information at compilation into a parallel program, which will help it to adapt at execution. ASPARA comprises four phases: programming, compilation, calibration, and execution. We illustrate the feasibility of this approach and its associated performance improvements using independent case studies based on two algorithmic skeletons,the task farm and the pipeline,evaluated in a non-dedicated heterogeneous multi-cluster system. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Maturation of Corporate Governance Research, 1993,2007: An AssessmentCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2009Boris Durisin ABSTRACT Manuscript Type: Review Research Question/Issue: This study seeks to investigate whether governance research in fact is a discipline or whether it is rather the subject of multi-disciplinary research. We map the intellectual structure of corporate governance research and its evolution from 1993,2007. Research Findings/Results: Based on the analysis of more than 1,000 publications and 48,000 citations in Corporate Goverance: An International Review (CGIR) and other academic journals, our study identifies the most influential works, the dominant subfields, and their evolution. Our study assesses the maturation of corporate governance research as a discipline; it finds increasing sophistication, depth and rigor, and consistency in its intellectual structure. Theoretical Implications: There is a large body of accumulated corporate governance research in the US, yet there is an empirical gap on cross-national studies in the literature. Furthermore, hardly any of the top cited works undertake their study in a cross-national setting. Thus, corporate governance research and CGIR in its quest to contribute to a global theory of corporate governance might benefit if articles have a cross-national methodological approach and empirical grounding in their research design and if articles explicitly aim at stating the theoretical underpinnings they draw on. Practical Implications: Globalists find in CGIR an outlet addressing economics and finance (e.g., whether and how compensation or dismissal of CEOs is related to board characteristics), management (e.g., whether and how best practice codes adoption is related to board characteristics and performance), and accounting (e.g., whether and how earnings manipulations is related to board characteristics) issues globally. [source] INVESTIGATING RACIAL PROFILING BY THE MIAMI-DADE POLICE DEPARTMENT: A MULTIMETHOD APPROACHCRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 1 2007GEOFFREY P. ALPERT Research Summary The perception and existence of biased policing or racial profiling is one of the most difficult issues facing contemporary American society. Citizens from minority communities have focused their concerns on the improper use of race by law enforcement officers. The current research uses a complex methodological approach to investigate claims that the Miami-Dade, Florida Police Department uses race improperly for the purposes of making traffic stops and conducting post-stop activities. The results are mixed in that the officer's aggregate actions do not show a pattern of discriminatory actions toward minority citizens when making a traffic stop, but results of post-stop activities do show some disparate treatment of minorities. Policy Implications Five specific policy recommendations are made to reduce the perception or reality of racial profiling by the police. First, police departments must have clear policies and directives explaining the proper use of race in decision making. Second, officers must be trained and educated in the overall impact of using race as a factor in deciding how to respond to a citizen. Third, the department must maintain a data-collection and analytic system to monitor the activities of their officers as it pertains to the race of the citizen. The fourth police recommendation involves the use of record checks in the field that can set in motion a process that results in the detention and arrest of citizens. Fifth, the completion of a record of interrogation for later intelligence has implications for the citizen. The use of this intelligence tool must depend on suspicion rather than on the race of the citizen. [source] Characteristics, context and risk: NGO insecurity in confict zonesDISASTERS, Issue 2 2007Larissa Fast This paper reports on research conducted on the insecurity of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) between 1999 and 2002, with the goal of contributing to the debate on the reasons why NGO actors are targets of violence in confict settings. The research involved the collection of data from three countries,Angola, Ecuador and Sierra Leone,and exploration of the relationship between levels of insecurity, context and the characteristics of NGOs. Four risk factors appear to heighten the degree of insecurity that NGOs face: (1) carrying out multiple types of activities and providing material aid; (2),operationality'(that is, implementing programmes and activities); (3) working with both sides of the confict; and (4) integrating into the local community. The paper discusses the methodological approach adopted for the research, the differences between ambient and situational insecurity and the fndings related to risk factors. It concludes with a summary of the study's implications. [source] Testing the group polarization hypothesis by using logit modelsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2002María F. Rodrigo This paper focuses on methodological aspects of group polarization research and has two well-defined parts. The first part presents a methodological overview of group polarization research together with an examination of the inadequacy, under certain circumstances, of the traditional parametric approach usually used to test this phenomenon based on pre-test/post-test means comparison across groups. It is shown that this approach will produce masks effects when groups are heterogeneous with regard to the observed change from pre-test to post-test. The second part suggests an alternative methodological approach based on logit models for the analysis of contingency tables from a categorization of the variable ,kind of shift'. This approach is illustrated and compared with the parametric approach with a simulated data set. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Combining visual and geochemical analyses to source chert on Southern Baffin Island, Arctic CanadaGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2009S. Brooke Milne A combined methodological approach using visual and geochemical methods is introduced and preliminary results of a study illustrating its effectiveness to determine chert source provenance are presented. This study focuses on lithic debitage and raw chert samples collected from the interior of southern Baffin Island, Arctic Canada. Chert is abundant throughout this region yet it occurs as small, scattered surface nodules that are highly variable in color. Prior to this study, little was known about the provenance of this local toolstone and whether it derived from local outcrops, glacial till sheets, or both. Given the pronounced variability exhibited by this chert, we use individual attribute analysis and petrography to impose some kind of analytical order upon an otherwise random aggregation of rocks. Thereafter, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and secondary ion mass spectrometry are used to test the validity of these color categories to determine from how many geochemically distinct sources they derive. Using a standard that measures Al to a ratio of Ga/Zr, our results indicate that all of the raw chert samples derive from a single local source, while the debitage derives from four different sources, including the one that is local. We are confident that this combined methodological approach can be applied in other regions where chert variability is pronounced and source provenance is unknown. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Practice and Economic GeographyGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2010Andrew Jones Economic geography has over the last decade become increasingly interested in the role of practice, conceptualised as the regularised or stabilised social actions through which economic agents organize or coordinate production, marketing, service provision, exchange and/or innovation activities. Interest in practice is most clearly manifest in a growing body of research concerned to conceptualise how the regularized social relations and interactions linking economic actors (e.g. entrepreneurs, firms) shape the nature of economies, industries, and regional development processes. However, an emphasis on social practice faces significant challenges in that it lacks conceptual coherence, a clear methodological approach, and relevance for public policy. This article critically assesses the idea that practice-oriented research might or should become a core conceptual or epistemological approach in economic geography. In doing so, we identify at least four distinct strands to economic geographical interest in practice: studies centred on institutions, social relations, governmentality and alternative economies respectively. We then argue however that this shift towards practice-oriented work is less a coherent turn than a development and diversification of longstanding strands of work within the sub-discipline. [source] Geomorphology Fluid Flow Modelling: Can Fluvial Flow Only Be Modelled Using a Three-Dimensional Approach?GEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2008R. J. Hardy The application of numerical models to gain insight into flow processes is becoming a prevalent research methodology in fluvial geomorphology. The advantage of this approach is that models are particularly useful for identifying emergent behaviour in the landscape where combinations of processes act over several scales. However, there are a wide range of available models and it is not always apparent that methodological approach should be chosen. The decision about the amount of process representation required needs to be balanced against both the spatial and temporal scales of interest. In this article, it is argued that in order to gain a complete, high resolution process understanding of flow within the fluvial system a full three-dimensional modelling approach with a complete physical basis is required. [source] Air Pollution and Daily Emergency Department Visits for Headache in Montreal, CanadaHEADACHE, Issue 3 2008Mieczyslaw Szyszkowicz PhD Background., Many studies have indicated that weather can trigger headache. Here we propose a new methodological approach to assess the relationship between weather, ambient air pollution, and emergency department (ED) visits for this condition. Objective., To examine the associations between ED visits for headache and selected meteorological and air pollution factors. Design and Methods., A hierarchical clusters design was used to study 10,497 ED visits for headache (ICD-9: 784) that occurred at a Montreal hospital between 1997 and 2002. The generalized linear mixed models technique was applied to create Poisson models for the clustered counts of visits for headache. Results., Statistically significant positive associations were observed between the number of ED visits for headache and the atmospheric pressure for all and for female visits for 1-day and 2-day lagged exposures. The percentage increase in daily ED female visits was 4.1% (95% CI: 2.0, 6.2), 3.4% (95% CI: 1.4, 5.6), and 2.2% (95% CI: 1.4, 5.6) for current day, 1-day and 2-day lagged exposure to SO2, respectively, for an increase of an interquartile range (IQR) of 2.4 ppb. The percentage increase was also statistically significant for current day and 1-day lagged exposure to NO2 and CO for all and for female visits. Conclusions., Presented findings provide support for the hypothesis that ED visits for headache are correlated to weather conditions and ambient air pollution , to atmospheric pressure and exposure to SO2, NO2, CO, and PM2.5. An increase in levels of these factors is associated with an increase in the number of ED visits for headache. [source] Method to improve the mitigative effectiveness of a series of check dams against debris flowsHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 26 2008Rabindra Osti Abstract The advance of technology has led to more competent countermeasures, but lives and properties still continue to suffer from water-induced disasters, such as floods, landslides, and debris flows. To increase the effectiveness of counter systems, improved methods of planning and designing such systems are prerequisite. This paper describes briefly a methodological approach for predicting debris flow characteristics, and proposes techniques for evaluating and improving the mitigative effectiveness of check dams against debris flows in steep mountain torrents. Additionally, a non-dimensional parameter, namely potential storage volume, is introduced to generalize the evaluation processes. As an example, the 1999 debris-flow event in the San Julian River, Venezuela, is chosen for discussion. The paper also proposes a method of evaluating the control function of a series of check dams as well as the criteria for the selection of their sizes, numbers and locations. It is hoped that this work will help to determine which combinations of check dams will fit best together for the optimal control of debris flows and available resources in any river basin. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Water resources in mountain regions: a methodological approach to assess the water balance in a highland-lowland-systemHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 5 2007Rolf Weingartner Abstract Mountains and highlands are typically areas that provide considerable quantities of water, the latter being an important resource for the lowlands. These run-off quantities remain discernible in the superior-scale river systems and significantly contribute to the global water resources. Therefore, mountain regions ought to be given specific consideration with regard to management endeavours. Although well known in principle, details of water resources originating from mountains remain under discussion. A new approach has been introduced, which depicts the water balance of Switzerland in a spatially distributed manner, based on catchments of about 150 km2. The main feature of this approach is the areal precipitation, which is calculated using run-off, evaporation and storage change of glaciers, instead of being derived from gauged precipitation values. This methodology was selected because measurement and regionalization of precipitation remain subject to large uncertainties in mountainous areas. Subsequently, the view is widened to the European Alps, which, as compared with the surrounding lowlands, contribute considerably higher annual discharge, especially in the summer months. Finally, the focus is put on the hydrological significance of mountains in general. In dry regions, mountains, in particular, are indispensable contributors to the water resources downstream. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Low-grade fever: how to distinguish organic from non-organic formsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 3 2010M. Affronti Summary Background and aim:, Low-grade fever (LGF) is defined as a body temperature between 37.5 and 38.3 °C, which is below the classical value reported for fever of unknown origin (FUO). We attempted to characterise its epidemiology, aetiology and clinical aspects to improve the methodological approach to diagnosis. Design and Methods:, We reviewed and evaluated a survey of patients with LGF, followed as outpatients of our Department, a tertiary referral centre from 1997 to 2008. The same classifications were applied for classical FUO, and in the patients diagnosed with LGF, we also investigated for habitual hyperthermia (HH). Results:, Seventy-three patients were selected and divided into two groups: group A included 32 patients classified with organic fever and group B included 41 patients with HH. Aetiology of organic LGF was: infectious disease 59%; neoplasm 3.1%; inflammatory non-infectious disease 6.2%; miscellaneous 18.7%; undiagnosed 12.5%. Mean age was significantly higher in the organic fever than in the HH group (p < 0.02). Splenomegaly and loss of weight were significantly associated with organic fever (p < 0.05), while dizziness and general malaise were associated with HH. Lack of any pathological signs at physical examination was significantly more frequent in HH (p < 0.0001). Among the biochemical tests, white blood cells and C-reactive protein were more frequently above normal limits in group A than in group B (p < 0.05). Conclusions:, In our experience, LGF requires the same methodological diagnostic approach as FUO, because there is no relationship between body temperature values and the severity of the underlying diseases, and the aetiological spectrum is also the same. [source] Review of systematic reviews about the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions to improve sleep quality in insomniaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVIDENCE BASED HEALTHCARE, Issue 4 2009Gerrit J De Niet MSc RN Abstract Background, Insomnia is a very common condition in various populations. Non-pharmacological interventions might offer (safe) alternatives for hypnotics. Aim, To evaluate the evidence for efficacy from systematic reviews about non-pharmacological interventions to improve sleep quality in insomnia by a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Search strategy, Search strategies were conducted in the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (2002,July 2008), The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2000,July 2008) and PubMed (1950,July 2008). Sleep quality was the outcome measure of interest. Selection criteria, Systematic reviews about the efficacy of one or more non-pharmacological interventions for insomnia, concerning both adult and elderly populations, were included. Reviews that included studies performed among populations suffering with severe neurological or cognitive impairments or with addictive disorders were excluded. Data analysis, Relevant data were extracted. The quality of the reviews found was appraised by using the Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire. The evidence was appraised and divided into six classes. Results and conclusions, Sixteen reviews about 17 interventions were included. Six reviews were of adequate methodological quality. Of these, only one provided an effect size: a moderate effect was found for music-assisted relaxation. Weak evidence indicating a large effect was found for multicomponent cognitive behavioural therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, stimulus control and ,behavioural only'. Weak evidence indicating a moderate effect was found for paradoxical intention. Finally, weak evidence indicating a moderate to large effect was found for relaxation training. Because of the lack of sufficient methodological quality and the lack of calculated effect sizes, most of the included reviews were not suitable for drawing rigorous conclusions about the effect of non-pharmacological interventions on sleep quality in insomniacs. The non-pharmacological treatment of insomnia would benefit from renewed reviews based on a rigorous methodological approach. [source] Diversity examination based on physical, technological and chemical traits in a locally grown landrace of faba bean (Vicia faba L. var. major)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2009Giovanni Avola Summary Fifteen accessions of a locally adapted Sicilian population (,Larga di Leonforte') of faba bean were evaluated for their physical and technological properties and chemical composition. Results showed a high seed weight (1000 seed weight around 2500 × g) along with a great seed size with wide variability among accessions. When all data were combined, the seeds initial water uptake was 0.21 g min,1. Differences between accessions were found in hydration capacity (ranging between 133% and 160%) and retainable firmness after 40 min of cooking (ranging between 18.8 and 13.6 N cm,2). In addition, the average contents of 46.0, 25.2 and 2.6 g 100 g,1 dry weight basis were ascertained for starch, protein and tannin, respectively, with considerable variation among accessions. The result's interpretation, carried out through a methodological approach based on multivariate analysis, seem to support the view that parameters such as seed dimension, starch, protein and tannin content, can be effectively adopted as elements of comparison among landraces in grain legumes. [source] Critical Whiteness Theories and the Evangelical "Race Problem": Extending Emerson and Smith's Divided by FaithJOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 3 2008ERIC TRANBY In their 2000 book,Divided by Faith, Michael Emerson and Christian Smith use the case of evangelical Christians to demonstrate how uncompromising individualist ideals get in the way of clear thinking and decisive action about racial inequalities in contemporary American society. We use insights developed from whiteness studies and critical race theory to sharpen and further extend this analysis. More specifically, we suggest: (1) that anti-black stereotypes may be subtler, more pervasive, and more functionally necessary than Emerson and Smith assume; and (2) that the individualistic ideals Emerson and Smith focus on are not race neutral but, instead, are part of a taken-for-granted and vigorously defended majority white culture and identity. These points are developed through a theoretical reconstruction of Emerson and Smith's argument and a reevaluation of their methodological approach and data. Finally, we present data from a recent national survey of race and religion in American life that provide preliminary quantitative support for our revisionist claims. [source] Epistemology of Transformative Material Activity: John Dewey's Pragmatism and Cultural-Historical Activity TheoryJOURNAL FOR THE THEORY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, Issue 4 2006REIJO MIETTINEN The paper compares John Dewey's pragmatism and cultural-historical activity theory as epistemologies and theories of transformative material activity. For both of the theories, the concept of activity, the prototype of which is work, constitutes a basis for understanding the nature of knowledge and reality. This concept also implies for both theories a methodological approach of studying human behavior in which social experimentation and intervention play a central role. They also suggest that reflection and thought, mediated by language and semiotic artifacts, serve the reorientation of activity and is vital in the development of new, alternative ways of action. That is why Dewyan pragmatism and activity theory supply means of understanding organizational behavior and change in human activities better than the concepts of practice based on rule following, routines or embodied skills. [source] Typing of Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated in Italy by inlA gene characterization and evaluation of a new cost-effective approach to antisera selection for serotypingJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010M. Tamburro Abstract Aims:, In this study, 105 Listeria monocytogenes strains isolated from humans, foods and environmental samples were characterized using several typing methods. Moreover, serotyping procedure was evaluated, and a cost-effective methodological approach based on preliminary PCRs screening was proposed. Methods and Results:, The isolates were analysed by conventional serotyping, multiplex-PCRs for serogroup and lineage identification and PCR,RFLP of inlA gene to identify potentially noninvasive L. monocytogenes. Among the strains, only the serotypes 1/2a, 1/2c, 1/2b, 4b and 3a were identified. The isolates were classified into serogroups I (58·10%), II (22·85%), III (12·38%) and IV (6·67%). Among clinical strains, lineage I was more represented (68·75%) than lineage II; whereas, lineage II was more associated with food (90·24%) and environmental (85·72%) isolates. Most of food (89·02%) and environmental (85·71%) isolates were classified into truncated InlA profiles, whereas the 93·75% of clinical strains were associated with a complete form of the protein. Conclusion:, Molecular techniques were sensitive and specific for classifying strains into serogroup and lineage and in agreement with the serotyping. Moreover, a preliminary PCRs-based screening was proposed to select only the necessary antisera by a flow chart; this methodological approach allows cost saving up to 42%. Our results further suggest the role of InlA protein in human listeriosis, particularly in immunocompetent individuals, and a correlation between truncated protein and serotype. Significance and Impact of the Study:, This study further validates molecular methods for L. monocytogenes analysis and proposed a new cost-effective approach for serotyping. It could help to improve a national surveillance network for L. monocytogenes infections in Italy. [source] Dressing for the thrill: An exploration of why women dress up to go shoppingJOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 4 2005Micael-Lee Johnstone Abstract This paper focuses on the pleasurable aspects of shopping from an experiential perspective, ritual behaviour being the focal point. This research adopts an interpretive methodological approach and relies on phenomenological interviews with a range of women to explain how ritual behaviour and ritual artefacts contribute to pleasurable shopping experiences. The findings suggest that the dressing ritual is an important determinant of whether or not the shopping experience will be perceived as pleasant or unpleasant. Equally important, the ritual of dressing was found to play an important role for many of the participants in their maintenance of self. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] VARIETY OF METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH IN ECONOMICSJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 3 2007Sheila C. Dow Abstract It has been argued by some that the distinction between orthodox economics and heterodox economics does not fit the growing variety in economic theory, unified by a common methodological approach. On the other hand, it remains a central characteristic of heterodox economics that it does not share this methodological approach, but rather represents a range of alternative methodological approaches. The paper explores the evidence, and arguments, for variety in economics at different levels, and a range of issues which arise. This requires in turn a discussion of the meaning of variety in economics at the different levels of reality, methodology, method and theory. It is concluded that there is scope for more, rather than less, variety in economic methodologies, as well as within methodologies. Further, if variety is not to take the form of ,anything goes', then critical discussion by economists of different approaches to economics, and of variety itself, is required. [source] The Impact of Profit Sharing on the Performance of Financial Services Firms*JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 4 2005Michel Magnan abstract Relying on macro theories (agency and organizational control) as well as micro theories (goal setting and expectancy), this study investigates the impact of profit-sharing plan (PSP) adoption on the value creation process of financial services firms. The study relies on a comprehensive methodological approach that is both quantitative, with a dual cross-sectional/longitudinal (pre-post) design that compares PSP adopters with a control group of PSP non-adopter firms, and qualitative through interviews with some adopting firms' managing directors. Results show that firms adopting a PSP enhance their profitability in comparison to both their own prior performance and to firms that are not adopting a PSP. Results also show that the adoption of a PSP: (a) positively influences only profit drivers that are under employee control; and (b) is more likely to have a long term, positive impact on external profit drivers than on internal profit drivers. Qualitative data from field interviews corroborate and enrich these quantitative findings. [source] The Strict Analysis and the Open DiscussionJOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION, Issue 3 2009KATARIINA HOLMA A crucial challenge in terms of research methods in philosophy of education is that of combining philosophical ways of analyzing and arguing, with the dialogical and pluralist way of thinking needed in educational research. In this article I describe how I dealt with this challenge in my research project focusing on educational implications of the positions defended in the debate on constructivism and realism between Israel Scheffler and Nelson Goodman. The key to my methodological approach is an emphasis on the role of a thoroughgoing process of analysis and synthesis. I see this process as the prerequisite for profound philosophical dialogue on education. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||