A case study in qualitative research?

This paper reflects upon the methodology adopted in Project INISS. The author begins by noting that a problem may be approached simultaneously from more than one paradigmatic stance, and that a given method may be used by researchers working within different traditions. His intention in his research was to work within the conventional paradigm, and his choice of method (structured observation) in no way reflected a predilection for qualitative research. It was nonetheless the case that, when faced with a mass of quantitative data, there were a number of advantages in combining quantitative and qualitative modes of analysis and reporting. The author goes on to consider various research management issues in field research of this kind. He concludes by seeing his aim as that of finding a means of gathering more meaningful quantitative data, rather than rejecting quantitative methods as such. His feeling is that ‘if anything is to be learned from the work, it is that a more sensitive approach to the collection of data and accounts will pay dividends in insights, theory, and practical ideas for improvements in information services’.     

Sources of antagonism to ‘qualitative’ research

This paper considers why quantitative methods are believed to be more ‘scientific’, rigorous and ultimately valid than qualitative ones, and argues that the term ‘qualitative’ is applied variously to different aspects of research (style, design, epistemology) which are sufficiently independent of one another to make the quantity/quality distinction an artificial one. The author takes the position that its use arises not from methodological considerations but rather from other underlying relevances, purposes and interests, suggesting that criticisms of qualitative research ‘are ideological in the sense that they give support to existing institutions wherein some classes or groups try to exert control over others’, the group in this context being research sponsors. Typical criticisms of such research are analysed to expose the nature of the underlying ‘expressions of interest’.     

Arriving old: A qualitative study of elder refugee women’s self-perceptions of the first year of resettlement

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examines eight elder women’s experiences of resettling with their family and the protective factors that enhanced their resiliency. The implications for social work include the need to assess elder refugees’ strengths, resilience, pre-resettlement functioning instead of services that might encourage integration into the dominant culture and community, and that the refugee experience is a lifelong experience that shapes and informs various stages of life.     

Is failure to raise concerns about misconduct a breach of integrity? Researchers’ reflections on reporting misconduct

This article describes and discusses the views of researchers on the significance of raising concerns about scientific misconduct in their work environment and the reasons or circumstances that might deter them from doing so. In this exploratory qualitative research study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 33 researchers working in life sciences and medicine. They represent three seniority levels and five universities across Switzerland. A large majority of respondents in this research study argued that failure to raise concerns about scientific misconduct compromises research integrity. This is an encouraging result demonstrating that researchers try to adhere to high ethical standards. However, further interaction with respondents highlighted that this correct ethical assessment does not lead researchers to take the consequent action of raising concerns. The factors that discourage researchers from raising concerns need to be addressed at the level of research groups, institutions, and by setting a positive precedent which helps them to believe in the system’s ability to investigate concerns raised in a timely and professional manner. Training of researchers in research integrity related issues will have limited utility unless it is coupled with the creation of research culture where raising concerns is a standard practice of scientific and research activities.     

Digital by default? A qualitative study of exclusion in digitalised welfare

Digitalisation reforms have become increasingly pervasive across European welfare agencies and public sector institutions. As welfare provision becomes premised on the use of digital technologies, often in the form of “self‐service” solutions, new demands are imposed on citizens, including already disadvantaged groups. Although existing research has showcased how digitalisation often reproduces existing lines of stratification, little to no work has been conducted on such processes in the context of welfare provision and public administration. Through a study of citizen service centres in Denmark, based on ethnographic observations and qualitative interviews, this article analyses the new exclusionary mechanisms that emerge at the frontline of the digital agenda. The article argues that digitalised welfare agencies simultaneously sustain existing lines of social stratification and enhance these by producing new forms of digital exclusion. Taken together, the article contributes with new knowledge on the impact of digitalisation policies and their exclusionary consequences for disadvantaged citizens.     

A qualitative inquiry into women’s experiences of severe maternal morbidity

Severe acute maternal morbidity (SMM) is a near-death experience during pregnancy, childbirth or termination of a pregnancy. Nine women recruited from hospital intensive care or high dependency units following the birth of their baby participated in two qualitative interviews about their SMM experience. The interpretative phenomenological analysis led to the identification of three superordinate themes related to participants: moving from a state of normal pregnancy to being severely unwell, being in critical care and returning to normal. Participants’ transition to a SMM event occurred quickly and was frightening, with participants expressing concerns about their husbands/partners’ trauma. Participants’ time in hospital was particularly hard for those separated from their baby, with this eased by staff kindness and family support. After discharge participants continued to seek explanations for their SMM. Implications include more formal support for mothering when women are in maternal critical care, and support for husbands/partners following a SMM event.     

Exploring elites’ first political memories: A case study of presidential electors

Political elites provide a unique perspective on political socialization. By examining these individuals’ experiences and viewpoints, scholars have an opportunity to evaluate methods to increase political engagement among the mass public. This paper undertakes such an exploration using a 2013 mail survey of Electoral College members, specifically considering responses to an open-ended question about electors’ first political memories, accounting for respondents’ age, partisanship, and gender. This study finds that elites’ earliest political memories often involve electoral—particularly presidential—politics and note these findings’ implications for political socialization scholars.     

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.     

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     

Empirically supported ethical research practice: The costs and benefits of research from the participants’ view

Researchers and institutional review boards are routinely called upon to evaluate the cost‐benefit status of proposed research protocols that involve human participants. Often these assessments are based on subjective judgments in the absence of empirical data. This reliance on subjective judgments is of particular concern for studies involving clinical samples where unfounded assumptions may adversely affect research progress or clinical outcomes. The Reactions to Research Participation Questionnaire (RRPQ) was designed to address this shortcoming and to help promote ethical decision making about research practice. The present study describes development of the RRPQ and presents a series of exploratory and confirmatory analyses investigating its structure. Based on these findings, a revised version of the instrument and suggestions for future research are presented. This approach provides a foundation for scientifically informed protection of human subjects.     

Search and research: the influence of editorial boards on journals’ quality

This paper considers the search for the best papers by the editors of an academic journal. At each period, each editor receives a set of submissions and has to decide which paper to accept. Some editors being more demanding than others, researchers choose the quality level of their papers taking as given the composition of the editorial board. According to the specific structures of the editorial board, various equilibria may appear. We show that the journal will publish a high number of high quality papers only when the editorial board is composed by a homogeneous set of very demanding editors.     

How do researchers perceive research misbehaviors? A transcultural case study of Chinese and Flemish researchers

China has achieved a dramatic development in scientific research over the last few decades. However, just like many other countries, it has also seen a surge of scientific misconducts. With its expansion of international publications, retractions due to suspected research misconduct are also on the rise. A transcultural case study was conducted by investigating the perception of research misbehaviors by Chinese researchers compared to their Belgian Flemish colleagues. The study was designed to find out variation in research practices in different countries and to see how research was shaped and influenced by cultural contexts. An online questionnaire was sent to 3,236 researchers by e-mails and it received a response rate of 13.09%. They were asked to score 32 research misbehaviors on a 5-point scale. The findings suggested that compared to Flemish respondents, the Chinese had a significantly higher acceptance toward most research misbehaviors. To be more specific, the Chinese respondents felt less unacceptable toward behaviors violating such values as honesty, fairness, and verifiability than the Flemish, while their perceptions of behaviors that violated such values as responsibility, objectivity, and truth were not different compared to the Flemish. This case study implies that the Chinese research community is in an urgent need of training in responsible conduct of research and strong as well as sound guidelines for responsible research practices in place.     

Researchers’ Views of the Acceptability of Restrictive Provisions in Clinical Trial Agreements with Industry Sponsors

We conducted a mail survey of 884 U.S. medical school faculty active in clinical research to elicit their views about the acceptability of provisions in contracts for industry-sponsored clinical trials that would restrict investigators’ academic freedom and control over trials. We compared their responses to results from a similar survey of research administrators at 107 medical schools. There was substantial variation among clinical researchers in their acceptability judgments, with a relatively large proportion of clinical trial investigators willing to accept provisions that give industry sponsors considerable control over the dissemination of research results. There were significant differences in the perceptions of clinical trial investigators versus other recently published clinical researchers; investigators with a high versus low percentage of research support from industry; junior versus senior faculty; and investigators at institutions with high versus low National Institute of Health (NIH) funding ranks. There was also a significant divergence of views in a number of areas between clinical trialists and research administrators who negotiate clinical trial contracts on their behalf. Medical school faculty could benefit from additional guidance about what their institution views as acceptable parameters for industry-sponsored clinical trial agreements.     

Debiasing or regularisation? Two interpretations of the concept of ‘true preference’ in behavioural economics

Theory and Decision - I reconsider Bleichrodt, Pinto Prades and Wakker’s (BPW) 2001 paper about eliciting utility measures from stated preference surveys. That paper pioneers a method that is...     

The Possibilities of Objective History and Researchers: Thoughts on Reading “An Assessment of ‘What If Historiography’” by Professor Fang Delin

In the 3rd issue of Jindaishi yanjiu, 2005, Professor Fang Delin published an article entitled "An Assessment of 'What If Historiography'." Having read it, I would also like to say something on this subject.