The dynamics of hapū research relationships

Abstract

The Whakaki Lake Trust has a long history of being an active kaitiaki of Whakaki Lake and has developed a hapū-based restoration and enhancement programme at the Lake property. Part of this programme has involved working with a range of external agencies and researchers. Research relationships have become an important part of the restoration process to build the capability and capacity of hapū to execute activities associated with restoration. In addition, relationships have provided an opportunity to strengthen and expand the knowledge base that hapū can draw upon to inform ecological restoration and resource management decisions. Some of these relationships have been adversarial and a source of much frustration. As a consequence the Trust has developed very clear expectations and policy around working with others. My experience of developing a doctoral research project with Whakaki Lake Trust is used here to discuss hapū expectations of research and resultant academic dilemmas.     

A critique of empiricism in scientific research

Science does not all come from the induction of human experience. Up to now, the pitfalls such as irreliability, mistakability, limitedness and one-sidedness so far still clinging to it are the mistakes caused by     

Researchers’ interpretations of research integrity: A qualitative study

Despite increasing interest in integrity issues, relatively few studies have examined researchers’ own interpretations of integrity. As part of the Perspectives on Research Integrity in Science and Medicine (PRISM) project, we sought to explore how researchers themselves define research integrity. We conducted 33 semi-structured interviews with clinical and laboratory-based researchers from across Switzerland. Data were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis and illustrative quotes were selected. Researchers defined integrity in terms of honesty, transparency, and objectivity, and generally stressed the importance of sticking to the research question and avoiding bias in data interpretation. Some saw research integrity as being synonymous with scientific integrity, but others regarded research integrity as being a subset of the wider domain of scientific integrity. A few participants equated research integrity with mere absence of misconduct, but the majority of participants regarded integrity as being more than this. Researchers regarded truth as the key aspect of integrity, though they expressed this in different ways and with various emphases on honesty, transparency, and objectivity. Integrity goes beyond avoiding misconduct, and scientific integrity has a wider domain than research integrity.     

Is it time to revise the definition of research misconduct?

U.S. federal policy defines research misconduct as fabrication of data, falsification of data, or plagiarism (FFP). In recent years, some have argued or suggested that the definition of research misconduct should also include sexual harassment, sabotage, deceptive use of statistics, and failure to disclose a significant conflict of interest (COI). While the arguments for revising the definition of misconduct used by federal agencies to include misbehaviors other than FFP are not convincing at this point in time, the arguments for revising definitions used by other organizations, such as professional societies, universities, or journals, may be. Since these other organizations play an important role in promoting integrity in science and deterring unethical behavior, they may consider adopting definitions of misconduct that extend beyond FFP. Debates about the definition of research misconduct are a normal and healthy part of broader discussions about integrity in science and how best to promote it. These debates should continue even if the federal definition of misconduct remains unchanged.     

Are risks and benefits of oncological research protocols both incommensurable and incompensable?

Institutional review boards (IRBs) are legally required to determine whether the balance between the risks and benefits (the risk-benefit ratio or RBR) of a proposed study is "reasonable" or "proportional". This obligation flows from their duty to protect the interests of research subjects. It has been argued that it is difficult, perhaps even impossible for IRBs to determine the RBR of studies, because the risks and benefits are not only heterogeneous, but also incommensurable. After arguing that the relevant meaning of incommensurability is incomparability, we discuss whether the risks of participating in a trial and the benefits are comparable. We conclude that at least the risks and the benefits to participants are comparable. In the last section we show that the main problem of RBR analyses is that of interpersonal incompensability. IRBs have to assume that risks to research subjects be compensated by benefits to others. The question is: To what extent? When does it become unreasonable to ask that patients accept the risks of participating in a trial for the benefit of science and/or future patients?     

Does information matter? A research note on information technologies and political protest

The lack of attention paid to information technologies in predicting variations of political protest in cross-national studies is surprising. Given the amount of research that has been done on the impact of communication on behavior and the spread of information technologies across the globe, there is reason to believe that information technologies do play a part in the political process at the “street” level. This note takes a look at the independent role of information technologies, both mass information technologies and personal information technologies, on political protests, in addition to variables purported to measure individual and national well-being. Political protests in this study consists of demonstrations, strikes, and riots which took place in 86 countries between 1970 and 1977. Each type of collective behavior is treated separately in OLS regression.     

Self‐policing and reinforcement as alternatives to government regulation for quality assurance in research

The issue of government regulation of scientific research exists in the context of an increasingly litigious society and a growing reliance on legal contracts in lieu of informal agreements. These trends suggest regulation of research may intensify in the absence of countermeasures by the researchers themselves. This paper explores the possibility that increased or altered discipline within the research community itself could result in sufficient quality control to obviate the need for increased government regulation. Possible actions are suggested for program managers, for universities, and for researchers.     

Bridging the gap between clinical practice and research: An integrated practice‐oriented model

Abstract

This paper addresses the gap between clinical practice and clinical research. Adopting a postmodern neopragmatic position, a practice‐oriented research model is proposed. This model cuts across the division between paradigmatic and narrative approaches to clinical practice research and integrates quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Four guiding principles are operationalized: (1) clinical research should focus on practice‐oriented questions, with the practitioner involved in agenda setting and research question formulation; (2) the division between empiricist and constructivist positions and that between quantitative and qualitative methods can be resolved through epistemological and methodological pluralism; (3) clinical research should be guided by a developmental perspective; and (4) collaboration between practitioners and researchers has to take place both on the program and the institutional levels.     

Empirical research on fiscal expenditure efficiency of local governments in China： 1978-2005

利用DEA非参数技术和受限Tobit模型,本文核算了分权财政改革后中国省级地方政府财政支出的相对效率,并对影响该效率变化模式的各种因素进行了解释。     

Canadian policy on reporting breaches of research integrity: When should Research Ethics Boards be informed?

ABSTRACT

In Canada, institutions that receive research funding from the three federal granting agencies must establish research ethics boards (REBs) to review the ethical acceptability of research involving humans. Institutions are also expected to promote the responsible conduct of research, fostering researchers’ abilities to act with integrity in the conduct of their research. Where a researcher fails to act with integrity in research with humans, institutional policies and procedures of the U15, Canada’s most research-intensive universities, vary in the extent to which they involve their REBs in response to such breaches. Some make no mention of the REB, whereas others state that their REB should be provided with information relating to upheld allegations. In this paper, we argue that when allegations of research integrity breaches are corroborated, the institution’s REB should be identified as a party required to receive that information. Only then can REBs ensure compliance with research ethics standards, which is essential to maintain the public’s trust.     

Doing research in Aotearoa: a Pākehā exemplar of applying Te Ara Tika ethical framework

Kaupapa Māori was once, and still is for some, ordinary in the context of Aotearoa. Active processes of colonisation and assimilation led by the settler government in New Zealand have served to significantly displace Māori to the marginalised position of exotic and other. Te Ara Tika powerfully reaffirms Māori experience as ordinary, and embeds Te Tiriti o Waitangi and core Western ethical principles into a framework uniquely of this land. Within this paper I share my application of this framework as an exemplar for others to benchmark against and critique. I conclude by advocating for the uptake of the Te Ara Tika framework by Tauiwi (non-Māori) researchers as a response to the challenge from Māori to do acceptable, accountable and responsible research.     

Current trends of Internet Addiction Disorder research: a review of 2000–2008 Korean academic journal articles

This article reviewed various Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) studies in Korea. The study showed that the symptoms of IAD have been reported by many Korean scholars, but the current Korean literature shows that IAD has yet to have a universally accepted theoretical framework. Internet addictions have been studied in various disciplines, and a multimodal approach that uses a combination of interactivity between psychotherapies and other intervention skills has been suggested by various authors, but has yet to be formed. A further study is required to explore a structural map based on the interrelations between IAD risk factors and to establish its treatment modalities.     

Was pet relinquishment related to foreclosure?: A spatial research note from California during the height of foreclosure

Media reports asserted that the 2008 foreclosure crisis unleashed a rash of pet relinquishments, especially in California's central valley, an area that had the highest U.S. foreclosure rates that year. However, reports on the foreclosure/relinquishment association relied on anecdotal evidence provided by animal shelters, which is known to be flawed since many people do not give a reason for relinquishment, or give a false reason. This study compares separate data sources for the central valley city of Turlock, 2008: foreclosure data from the Stanislaus County Recorder's Office (N = 235) and relinquishment data from the Turlock Animal Shelter (N = 248). Contrary to shelter driven data, these separate data sources reported only one shared address. However, spatial analyses show that foreclosures and relinquishments were concentrated in similar areas. Analyses also show that unaltered (non-spayed/neutered) dogs are more likely to be concentrated in lower socioeconomic (SES) areas. While our initial finding contradicts recent media reports, spatial analyses verify other research on the social problems associated with concentrated foreclosures, and lend support for policies designed to reduce breeding during heighted periods of foreclosure and other economic crises.     

SPECIAL ISSUE： IMPORTANT ISSUES IN MARXIST PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES IN CONTEMPORARY CHINA：Philosophic views and significant issues in philosophic research

近年来,中国哲学界开展了当前马克思主义哲学研究的重大问题的讨论。人们对重大问题的不同看法,表现了对哲学性质和功能的理解等哲学观的差异,特别是对马克思哲学革命实质的理解的差异。本文认为,马克思的哲学革命终结了理论形而上学,但保留了传统哲学关于人的自由和全面发展的理想,保留了传统哲学超越的形而上学维度。只有进入和保持在哲学思维方式的水平上,才能有哲学意义和性质的重大问题研究,哲学思维方式仍是哲学研究的根本问题。     

Migration,gender and economic integration: international scholarship (2006–09) and an Aotearoa New Zealand research agenda

Abstract

This paper follows from the findings of the 2006 review of research on women, gender and migration published in International Migration Review. We begin by discussing three international trends in contemporary migration flows: diversification, bifurcation and feminisation; and examine their significance for New Zealand. We then review the research on gender and economic integration of migrants in developed countries in relation to three aspects: the characteristics of migrants; the strategies migrants use during settlement; and the contexts of reception in receiving communities. We identify insights and omissions in this scholarship relevant to New Zealand policy-oriented migration research. We argue that the gendered nature of migration cannot be ignored, and that while human capital approaches to economic integration are important, they are insufficient for understanding complex migrant outcomes. Rather, comprehensive, integrated and local research is required to understand migrant experience and outcomes and to assess the effectiveness of immigration policy settings.