Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Rigour
Kinds of Rigour Selected AbstractsThe Future Ahead: Imagination, Rigour and the Advancement of Management StudiesJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 1 2009Joep Cornelissen First page of article [source] Rigour and validity of research findings , a tale of two controversiesAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2010Priscilla Robinson No abstract is available for this article. [source] Is multidisciplinary learning effective among those caring for people with diabetes?DIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 10 2002N. Munro Abstract The role of multi-professional learning for those providing clinical services to people with diabetes has yet to be defined. Several assumptions are generally made about education in the context of multi-professional settings. It is argued that different professions learning together could potentially improve professional relationships, collaborative working practices and ultimately standards of care. Greater respect and honesty may emerge from a team approach to learning with a commensurate reduction in professional antagonism. Personal and professional confidence is reportedly enhanced through close contact with other professionals during team-based learning exercises. We have examined current evidence to support multidisciplinary learning in the context of medical education generally as well as in diabetes education. Previous investigation of available literature by Cochrane reviewers, aimed at identifying studies of interprofessional education interventions, yielded a total of 1042 articles, none of which met the stated inclusion criteria. Searches involving more recent publications failed to reveal more robust evidence. Despite a large body of literature on the evaluation of interprofessional education, studies generally lacked the methodological rigour needed to understand the impact of interprofessional education on professional practice and/or health care outcomes. Nevertheless, planners continue to advocate, and endorse, joint training between different groups of workers (including nurses, doctors and those in professions allied to medicine) with the objective of producing an integrated workforce of multidisciplinary teams. Whilst the concept of multi-professional learning has strong appeal, it is necessary for those responsible for educating health care professionals to demonstrate its superiority over separate learning experiences. [source] What kind of evidence do we need for evaluating therapeutic interventions?DYSLEXIA, Issue 4 2007Mary N. Haslum Abstract The belief that randomized controlled trials provide a ,gold standard' for evaluating therapeutic interventions is challenged. The need for research designs that produce valid and reliable information about interventions, which is clinically/educationally relevant and personally important, is discussed together with possibilities for broadening the methods of enquiry and evaluation of interventions. It is also suggested that there is an opportunity to further support the development of rigour in reporting intervention studies irrespective of the epistemology employed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Family member presence during resuscitation in the emergency department: An Australian perspectiveEMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 4 2004Bernice Redley Abstract Objective: The practice of family member presence during resuscitation in the ED has attracted widespread attention over the last few decades. Despite the recommendations of international organizations, clinical staff remain reluctant to engage in this practice in many EDs. This paper separates the evidence from opinion to determine the current state of knowledge about this practice. Methods: A search strategy was developed and used to locate research based publications, which were subsequently reviewed for the strength of evidence providing the basis for recommendations. Results: The literature was examined to reveal what patients and their family members want; the outcomes of family presence during resuscitation for patients and their family members; staff views and practices regarding family presence during resuscitation. Findings suggest that providing the opportunity to be with their critically ill family member is both important to and beneficial for families, however, disparity in staff views has been identified as a major obstacle to family presence during resuscitation. Examination of published guidelines and staff practices described in the literature revealed consistent elements. Conclusion: Although critics point to the lack of rigour in this body of literature, the current state of knowledge suggests merit in pursuing future research to examine and measure effects of family member presence during resuscitation on patients, family members and healthcare providers. [source] On scientists' discomfort in fisheries advisory science: the example of simulation-based fisheries management-strategy evaluationsFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 2 2010Sarah B M Kraak Abstract Scientists feel discomfort when they are asked to create certainty, where none exists, for use as an alibi in policy-making. Recently, the scientific literature has drawn attention to some pitfalls of simulation-based fisheries management-strategy evaluation (MSE). For example, while estimates concerning central tendencies of distributions of simulation outcomes are usually fairly robust because they are conditioned on ample data, estimates concerning the tails of distributions (such as the probability of falling below a critical biomass) are usually conditional on few data and thus often rely on assumptions that have no strong knowledge base. The clients of scientific advice, such as the European Commission, are embracing the mechanization of the evaluation of proposed Harvest Control Rules against the precautionary principle and management objectives. Where the fisheries management institutions aim for simple answers from the scientists, giving ,green/red light' to a proposed management strategy, the scientists are forced into a split position between satisfying the demands of their advisory role and living up to the standards of scientific rigour. We argue against the mechanization of scientific advice that aims to incorporate all relevant processes into one big model algorithm that, after construction, can be run without circumspection. We rather encourage that fisheries advice should be a dynamic process of expert judgement, incorporating separate parallel concurrent, lines of scientific evidence, from quantitative and qualitative modelling exercises and factual knowledge of the biology and the fishery dynamics. This process can be formalized to a certain degree and can easily accommodate stakeholder viewpoints. [source] An ethnographer in the global arena: globography perhaps?GLOBAL NETWORKS, Issue 4 2003Joy Hendry In this article Hendry addresses the difficulties and apparent contradictions of applying the qualitative rigour of the ethnographic research method to fieldwork carried out in a global context. While pursuing a discourse evidently shared by people indigenous to many different parts of the world, the author reflects on why she feels the work she is doing still draws on elements of the qualitative strength of the method first developed by her own discipline of social anthropology. This subject is now somewhat unfashionable for reasons precisely associated with the discourse she is following, namely a status inequality seen as implicit in the representation of ,other' peoples. In the article she argues against throwing the baby out with the bathwater, however, and seeks to demonstrate how the value the ethnographic method gleaned from social anthropology offers an important contribution to understanding local aspects of global issues. [source] A coupled damage,plasticity model for concrete based on thermodynamic principles: Part I: model formulation and parameter identificationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 4 2008Giang D. Nguyen Abstract The development of a coupled damage-plasticity constitutive model for concrete is presented. Emphasis is put on thermodynamic admissibility, rigour and consistency both in the formulation of the model, and in the identification of model parameters based on experimental tests. The key feature of the thermodynamic framework used in this study is that all behaviour of the model can be derived from two specified energy potentials, following procedures established beforehand. Based on this framework, a constitutive model featuring full coupling between damage and plasticity in both tension and compression is developed. Tensile and compressive responses of the material are captured using two separate damage criteria, and a yield criterion with a multiple hardening rule. A crucial part of this study is the identification of model parameters, with these all being shown to be identifiable and computable based on standard tests on concrete. Behaviour of the model is assessed against experimental data on concrete. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Non-local damage modelling of concrete: a procedure for the determination of model parametersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 7 2007Giang D. Nguyen Abstract This paper presents a procedure for the determination of parameters of non-local damage models. This is to assure a consistent response of a non-local damage model, as choice of the internal length and other parameters of the model are varied. Correlations between the internal length and other parameters governing the local constitutive behaviour of the model are addressed and exploited. Focus is put on the relationship between the internal length of the non-local model and the width of the fracture process zone. Numerical examples are used to demonstrate the rigour of the proposed method. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Humanism and its critiques in nursing research literatureJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 7 2009Michael Traynor Abstract Title.,Humanism and its critiques in nursing research literature. Aim., This paper raises for debate the issue of how humanist ideas have been taken up by nurse scholars, particularly in research literature. Background., Many nurses from the mid-1970s onwards have described and promoted humanism as an appropriate philosophical basis for nursing practice and research. This has been partly in an attempt to sharply differentiate the profession from medicine, and later, managerialism, which have been represented as reductionist and failing to adequately respond to the whole patient. Methods., A summary of definitions of humanism and critiques of humanism in broad philosophical literature is followed by an examination and critique of literature appearing in PubMed published within nursing scholarship from 1976 to 2007 which discusses or promotes humanism in nursing practice or research. Findings., Writers have attempted to enhance the importance of nursing by associating it with the humanistic project of accepting responsibility for realizing our human potential. They have promoted a version of research which is qualitative and centres on understanding individual lifeworlds of research participants because of a strong valuing of the experiences and perspectives of the individual. Much of the literature on this topic describes this humanism in dualistic contrast to medico-scientific reductionism and objectivity. Conclusion., Some of the presentations of humanistic nursing lack rigour and can be seen as doing little more than reproducing professional ideology. Scholars and others in the field of nursing could take the trouble to submit these ideologies to proper scrutiny. [source] Schematic representation of case study research designsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 4 2007John P. Rosenberg Abstract Title.,Schematic representation of case study research designs Aim., The paper is a report of a study to demonstrate how the use of schematics can provide procedural clarity and promote rigour in the conduct of case study research. Background., Case study research is a methodologically flexible approach to research design that focuses on a particular case , whether an individual, a collective or a phenomenon of interest. It is known as the ,study of the particular' for its thorough investigation of particular, real-life situations and is gaining increased attention in nursing and social research. However, the methodological flexibility it offers can leave the novice researcher uncertain of suitable procedural steps required to ensure methodological rigour. Method., This article provides a real example of a case study research design that utilizes schematic representation drawn from a doctoral study of the integration of health promotion principles and practices into a palliative care organization. Discussion., The issues discussed are: (1) the definition and application of case study research design; (2) the application of schematics in research; (3) the procedural steps and their contribution to the maintenance of rigour; and (4) the benefits and risks of schematics in case study research. Conclusion., The inclusion of visual representations of design with accompanying explanatory text is recommended in reporting case study research methods. [source] Critical appraisal of rigour in interpretive phenomenological nursing researchJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 2 2006Lorna De Witt BScN RN Aim., This paper reports a critical review of published nursing research for expressions of rigour in interpretive phenomenology, and a new framework of rigour specific to this methodology is proposed. Background., The rigour of interpretive phenomenology is an important nursing research methods issue that has direct implications for the legitimacy of nursing science. The use of a generic set of qualitative criteria of rigour for interpretive phenomenological studies is problematic because it is philosophically inconsistent with the methodology and creates obstacles to full expression of rigour in such studies. Methods., A critical review was conducted of the published theoretical interpretive phenomenological nursing literature from 1994 to 2004 and the expressions of rigour in this literature identified. We used three sources to inform the derivation of a proposed framework of expressions of rigour for interpretive phenomenology: the phenomenological scholar van Manen, the theoretical interpretive phenomenological nursing literature, and Madison's criteria of rigour for hermeneutic phenomenology. Findings., The nursing literature reveals a broad range of criteria for judging the rigour of interpretive phenomenological research. The proposed framework for evaluating rigour in this kind of research contains the following five expressions: balanced integration, openness, concreteness, resonance, and actualization. Balanced integration refers to the intertwining of philosophical concepts in the study methods and findings and a balance between the voices of study participants and the philosophical explanation. Openness is related to a systematic, explicit process of accounting for the multiple decisions made throughout the study process. Concreteness relates to usefulness for practice of study findings. Resonance encompasses the experiential or felt effect of reading study findings upon the reader. Finally, actualization refers to the future realization of the resonance of study findings. Conclusion., Adoption of this or similar frameworks of expressions of rigour could help to preserve the integrity and legitimacy of interpretive phenomenological nursing research. [source] The integrative review: updated methodologyJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 5 2005Robin Whittemore PhD APRN Aim., The aim of this paper is to distinguish the integrative review method from other review methods and to propose methodological strategies specific to the integrative review method to enhance the rigour of the process. Background., Recent evidence-based practice initiatives have increased the need for and the production of all types of reviews of the literature (integrative reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and qualitative reviews). The integrative review method is the only approach that allows for the combination of diverse methodologies (for example, experimental and non-experimental research), and has the potential to play a greater role in evidence-based practice for nursing. With respect to the integrative review method, strategies to enhance data collection and extraction have been developed; however, methods of analysis, synthesis, and conclusion drawing remain poorly formulated. Discussion., A modified framework for research reviews is presented to address issues specific to the integrative review method. Issues related to specifying the review purpose, searching the literature, evaluating data from primary sources, analysing data, and presenting the results are discussed. Data analysis methods of qualitative research are proposed as strategies that enhance the rigour of combining diverse methodologies as well as empirical and theoretical sources in an integrative review. Conclusion., An updated integrative review method has the potential to allow for diverse primary research methods to become a greater part of evidence-based practice initiatives. [source] Methodological rigour within a qualitative frameworkJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 4 2004Gerard A. Tobin BSc MSc RGN RMN RCNT RNT Aim., This paper discusses the literature on establishing rigour in research studies. It describes the methodological trinity of reliability, validity and generalization and explores some of the issues relating to establishing rigour in naturalistic inquiry. Background., Those working within the naturalistic paradigm have questioned the issue of using validity, reliability and generalizability to demonstrate robustness of qualitative research. Triangulation has been used to demonstrate confirmability and completeness and has been one means of ensuring acceptability across paradigms. Emerging criteria such as goodness and trustworthiness can be used to evaluate the robustness of naturalistic inquiry. Discussion., It is argued that the transference of terms across paradigms is inappropriate; however, if we reject the concepts of validity and reliability, we reject the concept of rigour. Rejection of rigour undermines acceptance of qualitative research as a systematic process that can contribute to the advancement of knowledge. Emerging criteria for demonstrating robustness in qualitative inquiry, such as authenticity, trustworthiness and goodness, need to be considered. Goodness, when not seen as a separate construct but as an integral and embedded component of the research process, should be useful in assuring quality of the entire study. Triangulation is a tried and tested means of offering completeness, particularly in mixed-method research. When multiple types of triangulation are used appropriately as the ,triangulation state of mind', they approach the concept of crystallization, which allows for infinite variety of angles of approach. Conclusion., Qualitative researchers need to be explicit about how and why they choose specific legitimizing criteria in ensuring the robustness of their inquiries. A shift from a position of fundamentalism to a more pluralistic approach as a means of legitimizing naturalistic inquiry is advocated. [source] ,Best research practice': in pursuit of methodological rigourJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 3 2001Frances Maggs-Rapport BA MPhil CertEd FRSA ,Best research practice': in pursuit of methodological rigour Rationale.,This paper is based on the rationale that misuse of methodological notions in research publications lays research studies open to criticism and dismissal. Aim.,In search of ,best research practice', this paper aims to examine the different qualities of four major qualitative methodologies: ethnography, descriptive phenomenology, interpretative phenomenology/hermeneutics and critical social theory. Design.,The study presents a critical overview of methodological decision-making, illustrating the sorts of issues researchers must consider in order to justify to the readership and to themselves the employment of a particular methodology. This is presented alongside a general overview of qualitative research and a précis of each of the major qualitative methodologies. The paper describes the methodologies, salient features, and examines methodological similarities and differences. The paper concludes by examining the need for methodological rigour within the framework of the National Health Service (NHS) Executive's drive for evidence-based practice in health care. Recommendations.,It is hoped that the paper will stimulate a deeper exploration of methodological rigour in future research publications. [source] Methodological issues in grounded theoryJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2000John R. Cutcliffe RMN RGN BSc(Hons) Methodological issues in grounded theory Examination of the qualitative methodological literature shows that there appear to be conflicting opinions and unresolved issues regarding the nature and process of grounded theory. Researchers proposing to utilize this method would therefore be wise to consider these conflicting opinions. This paper therefore identifies and attempts to address four key issues, namely, sampling, creativity and reflexivity, the use of literature, and precision within grounded theory. The following recommendations are made. When utilizing a grounded method researchers need to consider their research question, clarify what level of theory is likely to be induced from their study, and then decide when they intend to access and introduce the second body of literature. They should acknowledge that in the early stages of data collection, some purposeful sampling appears to occur. In their search for conceptually dense theory, grounded theory researchers may wish to free themselves from the constraints that limit their use of creativity and tacit knowledge. Furthermore, the interests of researchers might be served by attention to issues of precision including, avoiding method slurring, ensuring theoretical coding occurs, and using predominantly one method of grounded theory while explaining and describing any deviation away from this chosen method. Such mindfulness and the resulting methodological rigour is likely to increase the overall quality of the inquiry and enhance the credibility of the findings. [source] Identification of Acipenseriformes species in tradeJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 2008A. Ludwig Summary Sturgeons and paddlefishes (Acipenseridae) are highly endangered freshwater fishes. Their eggs (sold as caviar) are one of the most valuable wildlife products in international trade. Concerns of overharvesting and the conservation status of many of the 27 extant species of Acipenseriformes led to all species being included on the CITES Appendices in 1998. Since then international trade in all products and parts from sturgeon and paddlefish has been regulated. However, despite the controls on trade, unsustainable harvesting continues to threaten many populations. Illegal fishing and trade continues to be a threat to the management of these fish. To enforce the regulation of legal trade and prevention of illegal trade, the development of a uniform identification system for parts and derivates of Acipenseriformes has been identified as an urgent requirement. Ideally this system should be suitable for (i) identification at the species-level of caviar and other products from Acipenseriformes; (ii) population identification; (iii) source identification (wild vs aquaculture); and (iv) determining the age of caviar because strict timeframes govern its international trade. This paper reviews the techniques currently available and their potential to be used in an identification system for Acipenseriformes species and their products in trade. A review of all available identification techniques has shown that there is not a single method that can meet all requirements (see i,iv), and it does not appear to be feasible to develop such a method in the near future therefore the most appropriate methods need to be developed for each. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of all techniques reviewed in this document, the following conclusions can be drawn: (i) for the identification of species, approaches are recommended that target mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences (RFLP, nested PCR or direct sequencing). However, they show limitations for the detection of hybrids (although natural hybrids are rare, the number of artificially produced hybrids in aquaculture is increasing) and for the differentiation of the following closely related species complexes: Acipenser gueldenstaedti,Acipenser baerii,Acipenser persicus,Acipenser naccarii; Acipenser medirostris,Acipenser mikadoi; and Scaphirhynchus albus,Scaphirhynchus plathorhynchus,Scaphirhynchus suttkusi; (ii) the identification of different populations of the same species is currently not feasible because genetic data are incomplete for most populations, and stocking and release programmes, which have become more and more common, often result in a mixture of phenotypes and genotypes, thereby impeding the creation and application of such a population identification system; (iii) source identification based on genetic approaches can be excluded at present because there are no genetic differences between wild and hatchery-raised fish. This is the result of the continuing restocking of natural populations with captive fish and vice versa. However, because rearing (i.e. environmental) conditions are different, methods focusing on differences in water quality or food seem to be more appropriate (for example differences in fatty acid composition). So far, very few studies have been conducted and therefore, source identification methods merit further exploration; and (iv) the age of a product in trade cannot be detected by DNA-based methods and protein profiling is undoubtedly impractical due to hard-to-perform, labour-and cost-intensive methods, which are highly susceptible to protein degradation. Arising from the limits discussed above, the next steps in the development of a uniform sturgeon identification system are proposed to be the following: (i) designation of qualified reference laboratories at national levels in (re-) exporting and importing countries. These should be approved through a standardized testing procedure, for instance a ring test on blind samples. Registered laboratories should be published and disseminated and their accreditations should be subject to certain guarantees regarding quality, economic independence and scientific rigour. Operational procedures have to be determined and standardized among reference laboratories; (ii) establishment of reference collections that are accessible to the reference laboratories containing DNA analyses results and information on the location and availability of tissue samples. This is highly recommended as an important step towards a population identification system and indispensable for a general species identification system; (iii) creation of a website access to the reference collections containing the reference database information about genetic samples, comparable to NCBI, which provides background data: sample location; population information; citation; available genetic data; location of archival storage; currently treated and distributed caviar and status of analysis. This website should also be a forum for the exchange of knowledge on and experiences with identification systems, species and population status information, relevant scientific research, etc.; and (iv) the outcome of the trade identification tests should be made available to the reference laboratories for future reference. The universal caviar labelling system could incorporate an indication of the verification of the consignment. In view of the lack of knowledge and the great need to develop a uniform identification system for Acipenseriformes with regard to the importance of the international caviar trade, further scientific guidance and appropriate research is strongly recommended. Progress should be assessed and exchanged on a regular basis. [source] Music and its effect on anxiety in short waiting periods: a critical appraisalJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2005Marie Cooke PhD Aims and objectives., This paper undertakes a critical appraisal of the methodological issues associated with studies that have investigated the extent to which music decreased the anxiety experienced by patients in short-term waiting periods such as day surgery. Background., Investigations and surgery undertaken on a day basis have significantly increased in number over the last decade. Music has been evaluated as an appropriate nursing intervention in relation to pain, discomfort and anxiety in a number of clinical settings but its usefulness for decreasing anxiety in short-term waiting periods such as day surgery is only beginning to be understood. Conclusion., A number of methodological limitations are identified by this critical review, particularly in relation to the design of research studies. Recommendations to strengthen research in this area are suggested and include (i) describing methods clearly and with detail to allow assessment of the validity and rigour of study results; (ii) using permuted block randomization; (iii) recruiting from a variety of surgical procedures and cultural groups; and (iv) standardizing the health care provided during waiting period. Relevance to clinical practice., Music as a simple and cost-effective intervention to reduce the anxiety experienced in limited time periods will have enormous impact on clinical practice where patients wait and undergo invasive investigations, procedures or surgery. However, the evidence of its utility in these unique environments is only beginning to emerge and this critical review provides a basis for considerations for future research. [source] How to assess rigour . . . or not in qualitative papersJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 5 2008Joanna E. M. Sale PhD [source] MHC studies in nonmodel vertebrates: what have we learned about natural selection in 15 years?JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003L. Bernatchez Abstract Elucidating how natural selection promotes local adaptation in interaction with migration, genetic drift and mutation is a central aim of evolutionary biology. While several conceptual and practical limitations are still restraining our ability to study these processes at the DNA level, genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) offer several assets that make them unique candidates for this purpose. Yet, it is unclear what general conclusions can be drawn after 15 years of empirical research that documented MHC diversity in the wild. The general objective of this review is to complement earlier literature syntheses on this topic by focusing on MHC studies other than humans and mice. This review first revealed a strong taxonomic bias, whereby many more studies of MHC diversity in natural populations have dealt with mammals than all other vertebrate classes combined. Secondly, it confirmed that positive selection has a determinant role in shaping patterns of nucleotide diversity in MHC genes in all vertebrates studied. Yet, future tests of positive selection would greatly benefit from making better use of the increasing number of models potentially offering more statistical rigour and higher resolution in detecting the effect and form of selection. Thirdly, studies that compared patterns of MHC diversity within and among natural populations with neutral expectations have reported higher population differentiation at MHC than expected either under neutrality or simple models of balancing selection. Fourthly, several studies showed that MHC-dependent mate preference and kin recognition may provide selective factors maintaining polymorphism in wild outbred populations. However, they also showed that such reproductive mechanisms are complex and context-based. Fifthly, several studies provided evidence that MHC may significantly influence fitness, either by affecting reproductive success or progeny survival to pathogens infections. Overall, the evidence is compelling that the MHC currently represents the best system available in vertebrates to investigate how natural selection can promote local adaptation at the gene level despite the counteracting actions of migration and genetic drift. We conclude this review by proposing several directions where future research is needed. [source] Patterns of offending among people with intellectual disability: a systematic review.JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 5 2001Part I: methodology, prevalence data Abstract A systematic review of research on offenders with intellectual disability (ID) was conducted. In the present study, the first of a two-part presentation of the findings, the authors outline the methodology of the review and present data on the prevalence of offending by adults with ID. The review highlights the methodological problems of the research and the low level of rigour in many of the studies. The organization of the penal and ,care' systems are seen to have a huge impact on research findings. In addition, studies which adopt an IQ-based concept of ID show low rates of offending, whilst those which use wider definitions (e.g. attendance at special school) show higher ones. There is also preliminary evidence for believing that the prevalence of arson and sexual offences may be higher relative to other kinds of crimes for people with ID than for other offenders. [source] Analysing Texts in Context: Current Practices and New Protocols for Critical Discourse Analysis in Organization StudiesJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 6 2010Shirley Leitch abstract Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in organization studies would be strengthened by an increased focus on a central CDA tenet that texts should be analysed in context. Context has, for the most part, been afforded a taken-for-granted status that is misplaced because of the diverse ways in which it may be defined and applied. These generally unacknowledged differences relate to whether context is treated as space, time, practice, change, or frame. The result is a confusing array of studies claiming some degree of CDA status without core agreement , or acknowledgement of disagreements , about what is meant by context or how it should be linked to texts. To remedy this situation we identify in this Point article nine methodological protocols related to conceptual definitions, data selection, and data analysis which we argue benefit the consistency and rigour with which CDA in organization studies is applied. Use of these protocols may also serve as criteria against which the rigour of CDA research papers may be assessed. [source] Critical Discourse Analysis in Organizational Studies: Towards an Integrationist MethodologyJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 6 2010Lilie Chouliaraki abstract We engage with Leitch and Palmer's (2010) analysis of Critical Discourse Analytical (CDA) scholarship in organizational and management studies, in order to argue that, whereas they rightly point to the need for further reflexivity in the field, their recommendation for a strict methodological protocol in CDA studies may be reproducing some of the problems they identify in their analysis. We put forward an alternative, relational-dialectic conception of discourse that defends an integrationist orientation to research methodology, privileging trans-disciplinarity over rigour. [source] A Knowledge Accessing Theory of Strategic AlliancesJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 1 2004Robert M. Grant ABSTRACT The emerging knowledge-based view of the firm offers new insight into the causes and management of interfirm alliances. However, the development of an effective knowledge-based theory of alliance formation has been inhibited by a simplistic view of alliances as vehicles for organizational learning in which strategic alliances have presumed to be motivated by firms' desire to acquire knowledge from one another. We argue that the primary advantage of alliances over both firms and markets is in accessing rather than acquiring knowledge. Building upon the distinction between the knowledge generation (,exploration') and knowledge application (,exploitation'), we show that alliances contribute to the efficiency in the application of knowledge; first, by improving the efficiency with which knowledge is integrated into the production of complex goods and services, and second, by increasing the efficiency with which knowledge is utilized. These static efficiency advantages of alliances are enhanced where there is uncertainty over future knowledge requirements and where new products offer early-mover advantages. Compared with alternative learning-based approaches to alliance formation, our proposed knowledge-accessing theory of alliances offers the advantages of greater theoretical rigour and consistency with general trends in alliance activity and corporate strategy. [source] Action research, change and methodological rigourJOURNAL OF NURSING MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2000T. G. Badger BSC (HONS) Aim To critically examine concepts of methodological rigour in action research and consider how these affect its capacity to enable change. Key issues Action research is potentially attractive to managers of nursing because it is a problem-focused approach. As action research is identified as a continuum of definitions and philosophies rather than a single approach, caution is expressed that the search for definition may obscure the underlying process of change. Issues of reliability and validity are explored, suggesting that concern for methodological rigour may limit the potential for change and improvement in practice. Ethical issues in action research are considered identifying areas for tension between researchers, managers and practitioners. Some examples of action research in nursing are discussed. Conclusion Action research may be valuable in individual practitioners' development or in fostering collaboration between academe and practice. However the demands for methodological rigour in research limit its effectiveness as a strategy for managing change. [source] Statistical issues in the assessment of health outcomes in children: a methodological reviewJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 4 2009Gillian A. Lancaster Summary., The lack of outcome measures that are validated for use on children limits the effectiveness and generalizability of paediatric health care interventions. Statistical epidemiology is a broad concept encompassing a wide range of useful techniques for use in child health outcome assessment and development. However, the range of techniques that are available is often confusing and prohibits their adoption. In the paper an overview of methodology is provided within the paediatric context. It is demonstrated that in many cases assessment can be performed relatively straightforwardly by using standard statistical techniques, although sometimes more sophisticated techniques are required. Examples of both physiological and questionnaire-based outcomes are given. The usefulness of these techniques is highlighted for achieving specific objectives and ultimately for achieving methodological rigour in clinical outcome studies that are performed in the paediatric population. [source] Bias modelling in evidence synthesisJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 1 2009Rebecca M. Turner Summary., Policy decisions often require synthesis of evidence from multiple sources, and the source studies typically vary in rigour and in relevance to the target question. We present simple methods of allowing for differences in rigour (or lack of internal bias) and relevance (or lack of external bias) in evidence synthesis. The methods are developed in the context of reanalysing a UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence technology appraisal in antenatal care, which includes eight comparative studies. Many were historically controlled, only one was a randomized trial and doses, populations and outcomes varied between studies and differed from the target UK setting. Using elicited opinion, we construct prior distributions to represent the biases in each study and perform a bias-adjusted meta-analysis. Adjustment had the effect of shifting the combined estimate away from the null by approximately 10%, and the variance of the combined estimate was almost tripled. Our generic bias modelling approach allows decisions to be based on all available evidence, with less rigorous or less relevant studies downweighted by using computationally simple methods. [source] A systematic review of studies assessing and facilitating attitudes towards professionalism in medicineMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 8 2007Vikram Jha Objectives, An essential aspect of medical education is to facilitate the development and assessment of appropriate attitudes towards professionalism in medicine. This systematic review provides a summary of evidence for measures that have been used to assess these attitudes and their psychometric rigour. It also describes interventions that have been found to be effective in changing such attitudes. Methods, MEDLINE, EMBASE, ERIC, PsychINFO, Sociological Abstracts and CINAHL were searched from the respective start date of each database to May 2006. Three key journals and reference lists of existing reviews were also searched. Articles that were published in English and reported primary empirical research measuring medical students' attitudes towards medical professionalism were included. The findings are integrated in narrative structured in such a way as to address the research questions. Results, A total of 97 articles were included in the review. Most measures of attitudes assessed attitudes towards attributes of professionalism such as ethical issues, the patient,doctor relationship and cultural issues. Fourteen studies measured attitudes towards professionalism as a whole and 44 studies reported both the reliability and validity of measures. No interventions reported a change in attitudes over time. Conclusions, There is little evidence of reported measures that are effective in assessing attitudes towards professionalism in medicine as a whole. Likewise, there is scant evidence of interventions that influence attitude change over a period of time. Future studies should take into account the need to measure more global attitudes rather than attitudes towards specific issues in professionalism and the need to track attitudes throughout the curriculum. [source] Assessing and reporting the quality of commercial weather forecastsMETEOROLOGICAL APPLICATIONS, Issue 4 2008Pascal J. Mailier Abstract In 2005 the Royal Meteorological Society commissioned a study to examine current issues regarding the quality (fitness for purpose) of commercial weather forecasts in the United Kingdom. UK commercial weather forecast providers and users were consulted by means of on-line questionnaires, interviews, visits and an open workshop discussion. Results from this consultation uncovered significant deficiencies in the methodologies and in the communication of forecast quality assessments, a lack of open dialogue and transparency in the industry, and that some users may be indifferent to forecast quality. Descriptive or worded forecasts cannot be assessed objectively. However, suitable quality assessment methods are available for nearly all types of quantitative forecasts identified in the consultation. The crucial importance of choosing proper quality assessment metrics, the impact of their statistical properties on results and the need to estimate the statistical significance of quality assessment results were exemplified by means of four case studies, one of which is presented in this paper. The findings from this study have led to a set of practical recommendations aiming to establish the discipline and rigour that are necessary for achieving best practice in the quality assessment of weather forecasts. Specific recommendations were also made to the Royal Meteorological Society to set up a special commission that would promote a sense of community within the industry, and to run an accreditation scheme that would encourage best practice on a voluntary basis. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Strategies for Language Learning and for Language Use: Revising the Theoretical FrameworkMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006ERNESTO MACARO Since the late 1970s, there has been widespread research interest in the strategies that learners use in learning and using second languages. This interest has generated a parallel research effort in language learner strategy instruction. The body of work to date suggests a possible relationship between strategy use and second language learning success. It also provides some evidence that learners can be helped to use strategies more effectively. Several criticisms, however, have been made of this field of research, particularly pertaining to a lack of theoretical rigour. This article reviews the problems related to strategy research and proposes a revised theoretical framework in which strategies are differentiated from skills, processes, and styles. Rather than offering an all-encompassing definition of a strategy, the article proposes a series of features essential to describing a strategy. The framework aims to enhance current theory. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||