Clarifying the role of belief-motive explanations in multi-stakeholder realist evaluation

In realist evaluation, where researchers aim to make program theories explicit, they can encounter competing explanations as to how programs work. Managing explanatory tensions from different sources of evidence in multi-stakeholder projects can challenge external evaluators, especially when access to pertinent data, like client records, is mediated by program stakeholders. In this article, we consider two central questions: how can program stakeholder motives shape a realist evaluation project; and how might realist evaluators respond to stakeholders’ belief-motive explanations, including those about program effectiveness, based on factors such as supererogatory commitment or trying together in good faith? Drawing on our realist evaluation of a service reform initiative involving multiple agencies, we describe stakeholder motives at key phases, highlighting a need for tactics and skills that help to manage explanatory tensions. In conclusion, the relevance of stakeholders’ belief-motive explanations (‘we believe the program works’) in realist evaluation is clarified and discussed.     

Duality of departmental specializations and PhD exchange: A Weberian analysis of status in interaction using multilevel exponential random graph models (mERGM)

Weber proposes that lifestyle similarities preserve status by producing interactional closure between status similar actors. I investigate this theory on academic status hierarchies by conceptualizing sub-disciplinary specializations as departmental lifestyles and PhD exchange networks as interdepartmental interactions. Multilevel exponential random graph models (mERGM) reveal that the more specializations departments share, the more likely they are to exchange personnel. On the flip side, departments that do not share specializations are less likely to exchange doctoral candidates. Moreover, shared specializations are key determinants of closure between elite departments. These results support Weber’s theory and suggest that shared specializations preserve existing patterns of inequality between elite and non-elite departments.     

Ethical uneasiness and the need for open-ended reflexivity: the case of research into older people with a wish to die

This article focuses on research ethics in highly intimate research with possible impact on life and death. In order to stimulate an open-ended dialogue about research ethics, we reflect on four ethical challenges that came up during our research into older people with a wish to die. Drawing on our experiences, we discuss (1) the possibly confirming influence of our research on the death wish (moral experience of whether or not to disregard responsibility); (2) the suggested duty to intervene (moral experience of whether or not to compromise the person’s autonomy); (3) the researcher’s authority and power over the data (moral experience of threatening a person’s self-narrative) and (4) the dilemma of intimacy (moral experience of encountering the tragic). For guidance in addressing these challenges, we draw upon work on research ethics from phenomenological and care ethics scholars, as well as from those writing about relational ethics in health research. We suggest that being open about ethical uneasiness is important, because in most cases of a grey area, there are only open-ended answers needing an enquiring mind, rather than clear and fixed guidelines. Acknowledgement of ethical uneasiness and open-ended reflexivity are indispensable to constitute a morally good research practice.     

Assessing emotional and social health using photographs: An innovative research method for rural studies and its applicability in a care-farming program for youth

A framework for assessing photographs for the emotional and social health of young people (SHAPE) is described and tested, within the context of a rural program. Two independent raters assessed the photographs of participants. To assess inter-rater reliability, Cohen’ K and Kendall’s W were calculated. The two reviewers’ assessments of photographs were in agreement. The assessment of emotional/behavioural display showed 82% agreement. Agreement between reviewers’ judgements of proxemics (W = .866), interaction (W = .722), engagement (W = .932) and overall impression (W = .804) were all significant (p < .005). The method yielded results indicating that participants found gardening immediately engaging but their approach to equines exhibited a change from fascination to confidence during the program. The visual-diary method is a useful and sensitive method for research: where resources are limited; to complement traditional measures; for use with people who lack appropriate verbal communication or literacy skills to complete questionnaires; young children; other underrepresented groups.     

“中国梦”研究综述

“中国梦”研究从改革开放到现在大致可以分为四个阶段：初始萌芽、破土成长、发展壮大以及研究高潮阶段。从期刊文献可以看出，各阶段随着时代发展表现出相应的研究特点。整体上，“中国梦”内涵不断丰富，而文献数量整体呈增长态势，特别在近两年研究呈爆发态势。研究也表明，“中国梦”研究在与外国梦文化对比、外国人对“中国梦”的认同、对少年和儿童“中国梦”的培养、“中国梦”在社会各个层面上的关系与构建这些方面有待加深。     

A call for action that cannot go to voicemail: Research activism to urgently improve Indigenous perinatal health and wellbeing

In this call to action, a coalition of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, United States and Canada argue for the urgent need for adequately funded Indigenous-led solutions to perinatal health inequities for Indigenous families in well-resourced settler-colonial countries. Authors describe examples of successful community-driven programs making a difference and call on all peoples to support and resource Indigenous-led perinatal health services by providing practical actions for individuals and different groups.     

The role of titles in enhancing data visualization

Many in the data visualization and evaluation communities recommend conveying the message or takeaway of the visualization in the visualization's title. This study tested that recommendation by examining how informative or generic titles impact a visualization’s visual efficiency, aesthetics, credibility, and the perceived effectiveness of the hypothetical program examined. Furthermore, this study tested how simple or complex graphs, and positive, negative, or mixed results (i.e., valence of the results) affected outcomes. Participants were randomly assigned to one of 12 conditions, representing a 2 (graph: simple or complex) x 2 (title: generic or informative) x 3 (valence: positive, negative, mixed) between-subjects study. The results indicated that informative titles required less mental effort and were viewed as more aesthetically pleasing, but otherwise did not lead to greater accuracy, credibility, or perceived effectiveness. Furthermore, titles did not interact with graph type or the valence of the findings. While the results suggest it is worthwhile to consider adding an informative title to data visualizations as they can reduce mental effort for the viewer, the intended goal of the visualization should be taken into consideration. Considering the goal of the visualization can be a deciding factor of the type of graph and title that will best serve its intended purposes. Overall, this suggests that data visualization recommendations that impact evaluation reporting practices should be scrutinized more closely through research.     

我国幼儿教师职业道德研究回顾与前瞻——基于2009至2018年CNKI学术期刊论文的分析

采用文献计量学研究方法和主题内容分析法，回顾了2009至2018年我国幼儿教师职业道德研究的概貌，发现该领域文献研究的热点方向依次为：幼师师德失范与因应对策、幼师专业学生职业道德培养、幼师师德的规范建构与评价等。为进一步推动我国幼儿教师职业道德研究，关切该问题的学者可以形成研究共同体，从均衡研究维度着手，不断拓展研究视野的广度，并通过开展后续研究推进成果转化。     

习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究动态与前景展望

自十九大报告提出"习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想"以来,学者们从形成背景、理论渊源、发展历程、逻辑内涵、重大意义等维度,对其进行了多个层面的研究阐释,取得了比较丰硕的研究成果,为今后贯彻落实这一思想提供了重要基础。但是仍需看到,由于这一思想正式提出时间不长,学者们研究时间有限,现有研究成果难免存在一些不足之处,主要有四个方面:整体性研究有待提高,实证研究有待加强,跨学科研究有待拓宽,国际视野有待扩展。     

《卡拉马佐夫兄弟》中的寻父主题

小说《卡拉马佐夫兄弟》主人公对精神之父的寻找同时也印证了整个社会对“父亲”的需要。而“父亲”在更广泛意义上是指一种精神信仰,一种外在社会关系和传统道德标准的约束。陀思妥耶夫斯基通过小家庭这个窗口窥视了整个俄罗斯大社会的风景,从德米特里最终的被救赎到伊凡的道德皈依再到阿廖沙对宗教的笃信,我们看到了几兄弟在“寻父”的道上走着不同的路程,却都达到了同一终点。