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In this paper, we suggest that in most cases there is no need for a lengthy description of methodological procedures in qualitative higher education journal articles. Doing so often adds no real value beyond creating a scientific façade, and the space this requires as a proportion of the total paper word limit could be better utilized for crafting a more critical contribution for the field. With the relatively short word limits allowed for articles, there is always a trade-off between what can be covered and what might be needed. However, our preference would be to have journals and authors use the space to develop a deeper conceptual or theoretical engagement with the topic of interest, rather than writing about interview protocols and how codes and themes were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literature review is an excellent research methodology. For example, a review can synthesise research findings and identify areas where more research is needed, thus providing the basis for a conceptual model, and informing policy and practice. However, despite their potential, the contribution and knowledge development of literature reviews are often weak. Time and again, literature reviews provide only a summary of descriptive statistics that does not facilitate knowledge development or inform policy and practice. This short paper examines common dilemmas and problems when it comes to the contribution of literature reviews. Different approaches are suggested and discussed, with the aim of helping researchers develop more meaningful contributions and thereby facilitate the advancement of research fields and knowledge development. The suggestions may be used by researchers, supporting them in moving from writing summary descriptions towards a more efficient approach to analysis and, therefore, stronger contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines literacy as a sociocultural, personal and human practice dependent on and derived through relationships between people, settings and culture. Drawing on a recent empirical research study that combines learner, teacher and author perspectives [Curtin (2023) Reading and Writing Pathways Through Children's and Young Adult Literature: Exploring Literacy, Identity and Story with Authors and Readers. Routledge], I explore how children's literature may be used to develop meaningful and authentic literacy pedagogies in the primary classroom. The research methodology for this study employed interviews with sixteen international and award-winning children's literature authors. This paper presents one author's interview from the study in detail in an effort to illustrate the importance of identity and personal resonance in literacy learning. To this end, funds of knowledge [Moll, Amanti, Neff, and Gonzalez. (1992). "Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms." Theory Into Practice 31 (2): 132–141. ] and light and dark [Zipin (2009). "Dark Funds of Knowledge, Deep Funds of Pedagogy: Exploring Boundaries Between Lifeworlds and Schools." Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 30 (3): 317–331. ] pedagogical approaches are applied in a discussion of genre study using (auto) biographical text in the primary classroom. Identity affirming and culturally resonant pedagogies developed seek to engage learners in literacy as a human practice. The paper concludes by considering key insights and ways forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research projects must be carefully designed, executed, and disseminated to ensure validity, reliability, and generalizability. The International Journal of Construction Education and Research (IJCER) is the leader in publishing education-focused scholarship. This mixed methods case study research examined construction education-focused articles published in the IJCER between 2004 and 2023, aiming to showcase the works of the most prolific construction education research publisher and identify actionable areas of potential future research. The scientometric analysis showed largely U.S.-based authorship, with increased international authorship over time and clusters of prominent universities and academics. The thematic analysis showed a primarily qualitative methodological focus, with data provided mainly by students and industry practitioners via surveys. Topics such as BIM education have been potentially researched to the point of saturation. Future research opportunities are proposed, including expanding methodological usage and addressing less-researched topics such as artificial intelligence, underrepresented students, student attraction to construction majors, and program ranking. The findings call attention to the sustained evolution of education research and the growing recognition of IJCER. Additionally, the article details step-by-step guidance on conducting mixed-methods case study research and substantiates the need for construction education-specific research guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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There is an increasing focus on collecting more diverse demographic data from research participants but standard methodological approaches still hinder such efforts. This paper addresses the need for methodological improvements by advocating for the inclusion of self-written diversity statements in demographic surveys as a form of epistemic justice. Using examples from a large qualitative research study, I demonstrate the depth and richness of data that can be obtained through self-written diversity statements. In particular, I highlight the benefits of combining open-ended demographic questions and self-written diversity statements into holistic introductory stories to help capture the complexity of participants' intersectional identities. Therefore, I argue that using such an approach gives participants the agency to choose how they are represented in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is required to decolonize policy research in doing knowledge production about Indigenous peoples? Policy studies has been complicit in maintaining a central methodological policy research problem: the ongoing prevalence of hegemonic imperial and colonial knowledge production practices in relation to Indigenous peoples. This problem persists through policy researchers producing anti-Indigenous genocidal native-place-invisibilization in scholarship. Ambiguous relationality is another mechanism through which elimination of the natives takes place in research – it is when researchers deliberately/unintentionally omit naming and visiblizing their positionality in relation to the native-places the researchers are working with. Undoing harms emerging from native-place-invisibilization and ambiguous relationality requires a 'grounded normativity' oriented native place consciousness, naming and visibilization of the native place(s) the researchers work on/with, respecting sovereign Indigenous research jurisdictions, and applying an Indigenous Policy Research Framework (IPRF). Decolonization as a solution to the policy problem being tackled in this paper looks like counter-hegemonic radical redistribution of power back to the community when conducting Indigenous policy research. The IPRF approach is formulated using a literature review methodology and consists of guiding questions and principles to help steward the processes of decolonizing policy research. The aim is to support the emergence of radically restorative research justice practices and repair historically harmful relations between knowledge-producing systems/institutions and the Indigenous communities about whom the knowledge production is done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While on paper Zimbabwe has a comprehensive child protection legal framework, the occurrence of child sexual abuse (CSA) is high. Drawing from findings of a qualitative study, a case study design, and a research population consisting of a forum of organizations providing CSA interventions: the Victim Friendly System, this paper presents how some cultural myths, cultural practices, cultural rites, and religious practices may contribute to CSA in Zimbabwe. Purposive sampling was used to select 38 professional working in the VFS, 4 key informants, 17 VFS monthly meeting minutes, and 300 court files of tried and sentenced CSA cases from Harare and Gokwe. CSA is a gross child and human rights violation that places some religions, myths, beliefs, and cultural practices at crossroads with social work principles. Various social work interventions are suggested as ways to navigate the paradox: shaped by cultural, traditional, religious, and mythical factors contributing to CSA and legal frameworks to address CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commitment to culturally sensitive practice is an ethical obligation that requires knowledge and skills specific to the practice context. Research shows that incorporating religion and spirituality into mental health practice is central to working effectively with Muslim communities. Practitioners need to consider the unique positionality and intersectionality when promoting mental health among Muslim women living in Western countries. This paper explores the trauma-informed, counseling approach and the integration of spirituality and religion when working with Muslim women living in Western Australia. Using the critical reflection approach, the research focuses on the concept of guilt about mental health and summarizes the main points considered in the counseling framework such as the centrality of spirituality and religion in perceiving guilt. The paper presents some practical strategies to incorporate cultural, religious, and spiritual concepts into the counseling relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actual accounts of the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples since colonization remain largely misunderstood and misrepresented within Australian education systems and the broader social consciousness. Culturally sensitive practice and ethnic diversity are challenging topics to teach social work students when truth-telling is absent. Social workers need to develop an understanding of intergenerational trauma experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, critically reflect on perpetuated stereotypes, and confront internalized beliefs about peoples of diverse ethnic and cultural identities in preparation to work respectfully with Indigenous communities. A course focused on building students' knowledge and skills for culturally responsive practice is described in this paper, along with suggestions for enhancing teaching and learning. The paper argues for the importance of truth-telling about Australia's continuing racism in social work education to create cultural safety for service users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scientific biography is presented as an introduction to a collection of papers by his colleagues and co-workers honouring the scientific contributions and legacy of the late Dr. Timothy J. Lee (1959–2022). Tim Lee performed highly regarded research on the methods and applications of computational quantum chemistry, particularly coupled cluster theory, and computational spectroscopy, with impacts in interstellar chemistry, aiding NASA missions, atmospheric chemistry, as well as fundamental science. His presence is deeply missed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancing equity is a major challenge facing education systems globally. This creates an imperative for researchers to work with policymakers and practitioners to affect change. There have been many attempts to do this using various forms of action-oriented research and a considerable body of knowledge exists about their strengths and limitations. The paper describes the development of a methodological approach, Design-Based Equity Research (DBER), which draws on these existing traditions but is also distinct in its explicit consideration of values. It is marked out by a process of knowledge generation, in which researcher and practitioner knowledge meet, in context, to produce new knowledge about ways in which broad values of equity might be better realized in future practice. The paper explains how the approach was developed, conceptually and empirically, through a series of studies carried out over the last twenty years. It concludes that the process has the potential to generate two important types of knowledge: substantive knowledge about how equity can be realized in practice, and processual knowledge about the DBER process itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores a new perspective on trade fairs, examining their expected impact on the sustainable development of the host city. To study this impact, the paper examines the annual fair of Thessaloniki, Greece, which has a long history and strong connection with the city. Methodologically, mix research method is used, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings challenge the focus of trade fairs' benefits in terms of sustainability on the economic aspect. Thessaloniki citizens believe that the fair contributes positively to sustainable urban development, possibly due to their emotional attachment with it and its crucial economic benefits. Stakeholder interviews, however, reveal concerns. Some attribute limitations to outdated fair infrastructure, claiming that a planned redevelopment could address sustainability issues. Others, more critical of the fair, argue that achieving truly balanced development is difficult within the existing mode of socio-economic organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper discusses the influence of family and cultural backgrounds on South Asian student survivors' understandings of dating relationships and help-seeking after experiencing dating violence. Methods: Six South Asian undergraduate women dating violence survivors participated in two thé talks (similar to semi structured interviews) and a photo-elicitation activity to share their experiences of dating violence and how they make meaning of these experiences. Findings: Through analysis guided by the tenets of Bhattacharya's Par/Des(i) framework, this paper highlights two key findings: 1) the powerful role of cultural values in students' conceptualizations of healthy and unhealthy relationships; and 2) the effect of familial and intergenerational experiences on students' help-seeking behaviors. Conclusion: Findings highlight the need to incorporate considerations of family and culture in efforts to address and prevent dating violence in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the subjective experience of medical interventions on intersex bodies to reduce cancer risk. Methods: Twenty-five individuals with intersex variations took part in semi-structured interviews, analysed through thematic discourse analysis. Results: Intersex bodies were positioned as inherently sick and in need of modification, with cancer risk legitimating surgical and hormonal intervention. This resulted in embodied shame, with negative impacts on fertility and sexual wellbeing. However, many participants resisted discourses of bio-pathologisation and embraced intersex status. Some medical interventions, such as HRT, were perceived to have increased the risk of cancer. Absence of informed consent, and lack of information about intersex status and the consequences of medical intervention, was positioned as a human rights violation. This was compounded by ongoing medical mismanagement, including health care professional lack of understanding of intersex variations, and the objectification or stigmatization of intersex people within healthcare. The consequence was non-disclosure of intersex status in health contexts and lack of trust in health care professionals. Conclusions: The legitimacy of poorly-evidenced cancer risk discourses to justify medical intervention on intersex bodies needs to be challenged. Healthcare practitioners need to be provided with education and training about cultural safety practices for working with intersex people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: For children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (CWNDs), early diagnosis that leads to early intervention with regular targeted therapies is critical. In Qatar, private therapy centres that address this demand often have highly exclusive prices restricting families from availing them. This paper examines the challenges faced by families with CWNDs, as well as various financial and systemic obstacles, from the vantage point of these centres, all of which culminate in an extraordinarily high disability price tag for disability families in Qatar. Methods: This study is based on qualitative, semi-structured, and in-depth interviews with private therapy centres and developmental paediatricians. Results: Therapy centre representatives expressed common struggles in lengthy and cumbersome administration and licencing procedures, difficulty in hiring and retaining high quality staff, and expenses that need to be paid to the state. From their experience, families largely struggle with delayed diagnoses that significantly slow down intervention plans and therapies as well as staggeringly high financial costs with a dearth of funding options. Conclusions: We recommend sincere engagement, dialogue, and cooperation between multiple stakeholders; a supportive ecosystem to balance and distribute the demand that includes schools and parents; as well more efficient administrative procedures and recruitment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic has shown the vulnerability of some population groups, including persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Aim: The present paper will provide more clarity and understanding of the experiences of family members of persons with IDD housed in residential facilities in Catalonia within the period of maximum restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and procedures: Semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interpretive phenomenological qualitative approach. Study participants consisted of 14 relatives of IDD individuals who were institutionalized in residence facilities or homes. The guiding questions emerged from group discussions with relatives of those with IDD who did not participate in the subsequent interviews. Drawing from this group, the factors that were identified to have had the greatest impact on their lives were later used to guide the interviews. Data collection was carried out in face-to-face individual interviews that were recorded together with the observations of two researchers between February and October 2022. Results: Our analysis identified 4 main themes that developed into additional factors: the decision to stay at home or in the residence, fear, illness, and protocol. Individuals with IDD lost their daily routines, suffered from social isolation, and did not understand the situation. Conclusion: The results of this study allow for a better understanding of the experiences of families of persons with IDD in residential centres during the lockdown by identifying their needs and how to better support them in the future. Outcomes and results: Knowledge and understanding of these events should allow for better management of similar situations in the future. The impact of the present research: This study contributes to a growing body of research that examines the experiences of IDD individuals and their families during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative phenomenological interpretative approach was used following the recommendations of qualitative research practices in health care. Our findings reveal that relatives of persons with IDD who lived in residential care homes felt that the residents were not adequately cared for by the staff, who applied measures for containment and contagion prevention that were disproportionate, resulting in their needs not being considered; these recommended measures had been developed for elderly care homes. Individuals with IDD lost their daily routines, suffered from social isolation, and did not understand the situation. The present findings show that residential care homes for persons with IDD require specific action protocols in crisis situations that are adapted to the needs and characteristics of each centre,thus adopting a model of care based on human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper researches the method for predicting the lost input of iterative learning control (ILC) systems over additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels. It directly takes into account a proportional ILC controller, which guarantees the convergence of objects under ideal communication conditions. By employing prior information on ILC controllers and AWGN channels, a state space model is built. According to this model and the innovation analysis theory, a predictor is developed for actuators to calculate the input transmitted by ILC controllers but lost in AWGN channels. Compared with the iteration compensation in existing literature, the proposed prediction compensation simultaneously guarantees the convergence accuracy and speed of ILC systems over AWGN channels. Numerical simulation demonstrates the usefulness of the developed prediction method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to the UN Committee Against Torture, all state parties to the Torture Convention have a responsibility to meet the rehabilitation needs of torture victims who have sought asylum within their borders. General practitioners (GPs) can play a crucial role in identifying torture victims and securing rehabilitation when needed. There is a pressing knowledge gap on the knowledge and practices of GPs vis-à-vis potentially tortured patients, and an urgent need for research that investigates GPs' practices of identification, referral, and rehabilitation – in Norway and beyond. This article presents an exploratory qualitative pilot study that investigates the experiences of GPs in Oslo vis-à-vis this patient group. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with five experienced GPs in the greater Oslo area. Interview data was analyzed through thematic analysis and discussed within a theoretical framework seeing GPs as street-level bureaucrats. Results: Issues that emerged in the pilot involve a consistent professional confidence and a particular concern for victims of sexual violence and sexualized torture. The pilot also found a troubling commonsensical reasoning about identification in the asylum process. The GPs asked for the re-establishment of specialist rehabilitation centers for refugees and torture victims to consult in case of need. Alas, the study also confirmed that GPs are a difficult profession to recruit for research. Conclusions: This study indicates that GPs are important actors in terms of identifying torture victims after resettlement, but that there are shortcomings in their training and knowledge, in the overall organization of the healthcare system, and in specialized healthcare, that limit prospects for rehabilitation. KEY POINTS: To what extent are torture victims met or identified by GPs in resettling contexts? This paper presents a pilot study designed to address this knowledge gap and prepare future studies. We found: GPs were confident in their abilities to identify and meet torture victims in a good way – and in the value that is patient-doctor continuity in general medicine. Troubling commonsensical reasoning about identification in the asylum process and in consultations. A lack of and need for qualified and available expertise to consult with and/or refer tortured patients to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper grapples with methodological issues related to ongoing debates on positionality and reflexivity by drawing on the author's experience of conducting research in a culturally familiar field. The paper is based on in-depth qualitative research that examined the lived realities of unemployed young people residing in the township of Daveyton in South Africa's Gauteng Province. This paper aims to transcend conventional perspectives on 'outsider–insider' dynamics as these do not fully explain the complexity of conducting research in a familiar field. The research involved the use of one-on-one interviews and group discussions. I use the term politics of conducting research in a familiar field to explain the texture, language, and daily realities of Daveyton, which are familiar to me given my upbringing in a similar community that I grew up in. To elaborate on this, I formulate three dimensions of the politics of researching a familiar field which are as follows: (1) Ambiguities of the 'element of surprise'; (2) Re-negotiating entry; and (3) wider concept of the researcher as 'outsider'. The paper concludes by calling on researchers conducting studies within their own or similar communities to pay specific attention to the nuances of class privilege, exclusion, and power in order to provide meaningful analysis of the existential conditions that participants face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines issues related to achieving meaningful participation in class activities as an element of social inclusion of learners with cognitive disabilities aged 14–19 years that are enrolled in educational institutions (schools/centres) during COVID-19 in United Arab Emirates. The paper relied on a qualitative approach with 5 sessions of virtual observation and 18 semi-structured virtual interviews with learners themselves and their care givers/parents as the main methodological tool given lack of access to physical means at the time of data collection during the global pandemic (2021–22). The analysis was thematic, focusing on explored and extracted main issues that impact one important aspect of the social inclusion of such learners, which is their active participation during a difficult time. The results showed that learners with cognitive disabilities faced additional several issues in addition to what members of the surrounding community dealt with during the disaster. Data revealed that they were immensely affected by the pandemic, with another layer of social isolation, lack of peer interaction as well as family restriction that is directed at them with additional measures than everyone in the household. It also showed that despite the efforts and programmes designed by schools/institutes that were in place to support their engagement in academic and social activities, participation as an important social aspect of their school lives was badly impacted. Despite calls for prioritizing such learners, the study revealed that learners with cognitive disability were constructed as 'last on the list' among class community members in terms of their participation and active engagement in different class activities. The data were purposefully collected at a time that is unlikely to be replicated for many years to come (a global pandemic), the purpose was to give a reflection on the status allocated to such individuals during hard, unusual and/or difficult times for any future practice. The paper forwards recommendations to support educational institutions to promote active participation of learners with cognitive disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Lives Matter is a global movement that has gained support from an increasingly diverse racial and ethnic demographic. Universities seek ways to provide an opportunity to increase the quantity and strength of the Black perspective. Using research methods, a fundamental social science course, this paper demonstrates that it is possible to view methods as a course where we can adequately reflect on conversations about race and other social inequities. Research methods does not have to only be about skills but can also convey perspective. Moreover, it highlights the possibilities of shifting any course away from the dominant perspective and centering Blackness in classroom conversation. This paper intends to continue the conversation of social justice teaching and stimulate discussion around lifting Black voices throughout the university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and reflects upon the first author’s journey from teacher to researcher, working with deafblind children and young people, and the research teams’ development of person-centred research methods. Historically deafblind people, particularly children and young people, have rarely been included in participation action research, in part, due to perceived challenges around communication and access. This paper outlines work being undertaken as part of a PhD project that aims to improve academic and social outcomes for deafblind children and young people. It also outlines a novel methodological focus on accommodating the unique communication and access requirements for deafblind young people, to effectively facilitate engagement in participation action research, and ensure research methods are centred on them, using both established and novel research techniques. Progress to date is outlined, describing the reflexive approach used to collaborate with deafblind young people, to inform our practice, and meet the needs of deafblind children and young people. Based on our learning, we provide wider recommendations to make participation action research more accessible for participants with deaf blindness or sensory difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses epistemic violence in social science research, drawing on a multiyear study with marginalized teenagers in Old Havana, Cuba to articulate an onto-epistemological approach to knowledge production that can contribute to the decoloniality of knowledge production. Building on decolonial, feminist, Indigenous, and poststructuralist theories, the heuristic presented here contributes an alternative to conventional positivist understandings of knowledge, by defining knowledge as social, created, performed and resistant, and illustrates how these theoretical tenets can be made material in research practice, in this case through the use of arts-based methods. Responding to calls to decolonize knowledge within the field of children's geographies and adjacent disciplines, this paper addresses the attendant need to reconceptualize what counts as knowledge and identify methodological innovations to support the achievement of these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflective essays have become common in higher education, especially for modules and programmes focused on the development of practical skills. This paper analyses the efficacy of reflective essays specifically for social research methods education and training. In order to do so, a thematic analysis of qualitative survey data from undergraduate students taking a compulsory second-year social research methods module was undertaken. Overall, I contend that while the process of reflecting itself has clear benefits, and students themselves generally perceive the act of reflecting as being personally beneficial, the requirement to write up into an essay for submission has more mixed results. Further, while previous studies have suggested that reflective essays are confidence-building exercises, this research suggests that while this was the case for some students who completed the assignment, others found the process more discouraging. The paper concludes by suggesting several potential improvements that could be made to reflective essays in order to mitigate these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper attempts to contextualize the significance of the work of unpaid female family helpers' (UPFFH) for women empowerment. Additionally, it brings into light the subjective feelings and perceptions of unpaid family helpers. The current research is based on primary data collected through a self-structured questionnaire from 200 females aged 15+ years who were helping in the household income generation without getting paid. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among UPFFHs residing in district Lahore, Pakistan. The participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The analysis of UPFFHs empowerment was performed by employing a percentage distribution approach based on four levels of participation in decision making. The research puts emphasis on the impact of excessive, unequal, and unpaid work on women and further argues for social rational of recognizing the work through empowering women in decision-making process at their personal, household, and community level. The findings of the study indicates that the young UPFFHs are less empowered as they face the greatest familial and community pressure when it comes to making their life decisions. However, the paper further documents their aspiration to attain economic independence which would then bring change in gender perceptions and their overall social standing. The paper concludes by highlighting the problems associated with "unpaid work" and why it must be addressed, especially if the country has to fully realize the valued goal of women empowerment and gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of diversity in the language sciences has increasingly been criticized as it holds the potential for producing flawed theories. Research on (i) geographically diverse language communities and (ii) on sign languages is necessary to corroborate, sharpen, and extend existing theories. This study contributes a case study of adapting a well-established paradigm to study the acquisition of sign phonology in Kata Kolok, a sign language of rural Bali, Indonesia. We conducted an experiment modeled after the familiarization paradigm with child signers of Kata Kolok. Traditional analyses of looking time did not yield significant differences between signing and non-signing children. Yet, additional behavioral analyses (attention, eye contact, hand behavior) suggest that children who are signers and those who are non-signers, as well as those who are hearing and those who are deaf, interact differently with the task. This study suggests limitations of the paradigm due to the ecology of sign languages and the sociocultural characteristics of the sample, calling for a mixed-methods approach. Ultimately, this paper aims to elucidate the diversity of adaptations necessary for experimental design, procedure, and analysis, and to offer a critical reflection on the contribution of similar efforts and the diversification of the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a model for thinking of how participants make sense of temporal aspects of their lived experience. The paper argues for the valuable input that interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) can make to exploring this experiential timeline. After a brief introduction to IPA as an experiential research methodology, I will describe the growing interest in longitudinal research among qualitative researchers and outline recent thinking on this by leading researcher Bren Neale. I will then point to the distinctive contribution IPA can make to understanding personal experience of time and change. I will present a taxonomy of my IPA research engaging with it and illustrate each study type with research I have been involved in. During the paper we will see the way in which there are indeed two time-travelers involved in this process: researcher and the participant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major impacts of hearing disability that hinders the individual's effective participation in society and full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms is his/her ability to communicate with others. Sign language is one of the main methods of communication used by people with hearing disability. Therefore, improving access to sign language services and increasing the availability of interpreters contribute to better inclusion and integration of people with hearing disability into society. This paper explores the experience of a Jordanian university that launched a pioneering initiative by offering a sign language course for its students. It reports the findings of a study that evaluated this initiative from the perspective of students. Feedback was recorded during unstructured interviews with 23 student participants who had taken the course. The paper concludes that universities can play a significant role in integrating people with disabilities into the education system and promoting their participation in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adult-centric concept of 'age-appropriateness' is an arbitrary signifier and yet it commands a powerful common-sense appeal in governing the shape of sexuality education. The visibility of LGBTQ+ lives in primary schools is deeply impacted by the cis-heteronormative ways in which age-appropriateness is commonly understood and mobilised; very often resulting in silence and delay. The concept of age-appropriateness also becomes entangled with moral panics about 'promoting' LGBTQ+ lives, or children being somehow 'recruited' to identify as LGBTQ+. This paper draws on findings from a study with the parents of eleven trans and gender diverse children (then aged between 5 and 13) conducted in 2017, as well as a follow-up study conducted with seven participants from the same group of parents and children in 2022. The paper explores how the politics of age and agency intersect and become intensified as trans and gender diverse children and their parents navigate and make decisions about their bodies, lives and everyday worlds in primary schools. These stories of trans and gender diverse children provide an arresting invitation to adults to attend closely to the rich stories of children themselves in (re)considering the potential of sexuality education across contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses insider research within a Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) framework to examine the lived induction-to-teaching experiences of twelve new academics at a case-study Northern UK university. A CHAT lens foregrounds contradictions as a source for change in the induction-to-teaching process. Data generated through semi-structured interviews with these academics were analysed and, informed by CHAT, allowed us to discern contradictions in sociocultural and structural aspects of the induction activity systems which significantly impact new academics' experiences. Examining these contradictions enabled us to identify interventions for enhancing academic induction policy and practice within the case-study University, but also more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) aims to analyze the emotional color contained in sentences or documents in more detail by classifying and evaluating different aspects and emotions in the text. However, the current research methods cannot effectively analyze the relationship between aspect words and context and extract grammatical information about sentences. Additionally, the extracted syntactic information is insufficient, and the combination of syntactic and semantic information is inefficient, leaving the model unable to correctly determine aspects' emotional orientations. This paper proposes an aspect-level sentiment analysis based on Fusion Graph Double Convolutional Neural Networks (FGD-GCN) to address these issues. Firstly, FGD-GCN proposes a multi-feature extraction module. Using BERT and bidirectional long-short-term memory models, this module extracts the hidden context between words. In addition, the positional attention module is used to capture important features in sentences, reducing noise and bias. Then, a semantic enhancement module is proposed, which fuses attention-focused information and feature information extracted from graphs to emphasize aspect words and context, and uses CNN model to classify on feature vectors. According to experiment results on three benchmark datasets, the model outperforms previous GCN methods for context-based aspect-level sentiment analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the ways that publicly funded developmental services for adults with developmental disabilities in southern Ontario are limited in how they support clients. This paper is informed by field research conducted in the summer of 2019, which was composed of semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a policy review. Informed by parent advocates who are the main caregivers of their adult children labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities, this paper claims that the administrative processes of the Ontario ministry that manages and funds adult disability services relate to broader exclusionary patterns among adults with developmental disabilities. I explore this claim by reviewing how common ableist assumptions of people with developmental disabilities are ingrained in the policies and administrative processes of these services. I contribute to ongoing discussions among Critical Disability Scholars of the ways that disability as a social category can be articulated outside of ableist assumptions. Informed by parent caregiver perspectives, this article outlines how the limitations of provincially funded disability services in Ontario, Canada cause significant challenge in the lives of those labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One possible explanation for these limitations is that there is a disconnect between how the provincial government classifies who should receive immediate services and how many services, versus the actual need of those labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The criteria for high supports, such as monthly funding, placement into a living facility, and the provincial assessment for determining a person's 'adaptive functioning' are rooted in problematic assumptions made of people labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advantages demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy (IR) in forensic science and entomology have aroused the interest of forensic entomologists and it has become a powerful analytical tool in the field of forensic entomology (FE) as it yields reliable results in insect identification, gut content analysis, distribution analyses, and developmental time estimations. In this paper, we summarize the current challenges and future perspectives of IR in three main research areas of FE, namely postmortem interval, carrion, and identification. With data from the past three decades (1998-2023), we report on the potential of IR to improve the efficiency of litigation cases and the scientific validity of FE laboratory research. Results show that although IR still has a long way to go and its accessibility needs to be improved, it possesses the potential to become a reliable research technique in FE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a major growth in global health networks in recent decades to address health issues including tobacco use, alcohol abuse, and maternal mortality. Most conditions that incur high costs have provoked networks of advocates working to mitigate the impact, increase investment in research, and establish campaigns. Global health networks often work simultaneously across policy, knowledge creation, and advocacy. Until recently there has been limited activity in global health networks and advocacy addressing hearing loss and deafness which has contributed to its relatively low visibility with policymakers compared to other health conditions. This discussion paper reports on a global consultation that explored the views of advocacy groups and individuals on advocacy for the management of hearing loss, and cochlear implantation (CI). It focussed on stakeholders' views of current advocacy endeavours, opportunities and barriers, and the possible development of a global advocacy network to improve access to cochlear implantation and the supporting services. The subsequent development of a global health network, the Cochlear Implant International Community of Action (CIICA) is discussed and the conditions necessary for the successful development of health networks are explored. This paper will be of interest to those wishing to understand the factors influencing the development of health networks and advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women in the Netherlands with non-western migration backgrounds experience domestic violence at the intersection of culture and gender, and visit their general practitioners (GPs) with health concerns related to the violence. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with GPs, this paper illuminates how GPs navigate the process of decision-making around intervention in domestic violence, with particular attention to the role of autonomy. Patient autonomy is a core principle in Dutch general practice. The term refers to the principle that GPs must respect that competent adults can make autonomous decisions about the care they do and do not want, and that GPs must respect patients' views, choices, and ways of life. The interview data shows great variation in how GPs respond in situations of domestic violence against women with non-western migration backgrounds. Deploying 'somatechnics of perception', this paper explores how GPs' perceptions of their patients' autonomy are both the agent and effect of a complex and embodied negotiation of gender, race, culture, ethnicity, medical ethics, and morality. In highlighting how these patients' autonomy is rendered (un)intelligible and (il)legible in contextually specific ways, this paper sheds light on how GPs in the Netherlands can better assist women with non-western migration backgrounds who experience domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary prevention efforts, which target risk and protective factors associated with harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) and seek to intervene early in the trajectory of HSB, are underdeveloped in Australia. This study explored design considerations for an online early intervention service for children and young people worried about their sexual thoughts and behaviours. A trauma-informed child right's framework underpinned the study, which involved 10 individual interviews with international experts in HSB, and one group interview (n = 3) with Australian practitioners. Analysis was carried out using thematic analysis. Results reflect design considerations in relation to: theoretical approaches; practice frameworks; service delivery components; and helpseeking challenges. Key tensions emerging from the results are discussed, including the need to move beyond binary constructions of victims and perpetrators. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT: This paper has significant potential to influence practice in the field of harmful sexual behaviour prevention and response. The paper sets out the components of an early intervention online service for children and young people worried about their sexual thoughts and behaviours. The online service could be built and trialed for impact and efficacy in supporting children and young people not to sexually harm. It would be the first service of its kind in Australia and fill a gap in the current service delivery landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing neoliberal governmentality as a conceptual frame, this paper presents evidence from the mushrooming English language academies from Pakistan to demonstrate that how neoliberal rationality as a normative order of reason governs the minds of learners and teachers without governing. Drawing on the analysis of an open-ended interview protocol and semi-structured interviews, the findings suggest that learning more English is believed to render them competitive in the current linguistic market. The rationality is deeply interwoven with the logic of the market. English is considered instrumental for social survival, a tool that promises all forms of social, cultural, and economic capital. The paper discusses that how the knowledge that neoliberal rationality internalises, apparently governs participants' discourses, actions, and their self-technologies. Self-technologies manifest in their conduct of relentless self-development and self-entrepreneurship. Recurrent neoliberal lexicon embodies their subjectivities. The power of neoliberalism 'inserts itself into their actions and attitudes, their discourses, learning processes and everyday lives' (Foucault [1980]. Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings, 1972–1977. New York: Pantheon Books). The study concludes that the transformative potential and promises attached to English learning are facile because English does not exist in some neutral social space; instead, it operates in a polarised society where the roots of socioeconomic inequalities are fundamentally structural than access to English. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the various labels ascribed to males in the heterosexual discourse among female undergraduates in Nigeria. Insights from Community of Practice and Sexual Script Theory were used to demonstrate the use of situated linguistic choices to establish the differentials in male sexual behaviours. Data for the study were generated through participant observation and unstructured interviews with the aid of audiotape recordings and field notes. The study involves a representative sample of 22 female undergraduates who served as participants and research assistants. The findings reveal that situated language practices stimulate heterosexual discourses where female undergraduates creatively ascribe labels to the different males' sexual scripts. The labels include those related to male sexual performance, body size and size of sex organs, financial and marital status, familial and gatekeeping roles, and other routine sexual behaviours shown by men in sexual phases such as advances, arousal and intercourse. The scripts are also combined to re-enact the peculiar sexual narratives by the female students that show emerging sexual orientations. It is believed that the categorisation of such males' sexual behaviours in the University social contexts, would provide a basis for comparison with the sexual practices of other young adults' social groups across the globe. The paper discusses the various strands of sexual scripts shown by men in their heterosexual relationships with female undergraduates in a Nigerian University. The students ascribed labels based on the sexual performance, economic and marital status, and other routine behaviours that have an impact on the male sexual lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on recent governmental initiatives in Washington, D.C. to bolster the long-term physical and financial viability of its limited-equity cooperative housing stock. Drawing on in-depth interviews with members of the DC Limited Equity Cooperative Taskforce, it interrogates the relationship between recent municipal housing policy and the growing asset-based racial wealth gap. The findings indicate that limited-equity cooperatives provide myriad benefits to their residents, yet ultimately fail to curb systemic limitations on black wealth in the property market and rectify historical patterns of racial disparity in the distribution of governmental resources. This paper argues that policy makers must proactively assess how new models of shared equity homeownership affect or even perpetuate racial disparities in wealth and continuously interrogate the structural impacts of affordable housing policy on the (re)distribution of resources in urban centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation of reliable data underpins the effectiveness of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) surveillance systems. Despite the importance of understanding OHS data systems, there are few papers that provide overviews of their structure and/or content. This paper introduces a basic framework for assessing OHS data systems that will be of use to researchers internationally. We applied this approach to assess the Irish OHS data system by undertaking a data mapping exercise. We developed a checklist based on recommendations of monitoring and measurement of OHS proposed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (USA). An assessment of published reports that present systematic OHS surveillance data was undertaken to identify the institutions or organisations responsible for collecting and curating the data, their remit, and, associated with this, their respective case definitions. We then provide an overview of the variables collected and these are then mapped against the checklist. The assessment highlights that whilst the farm fatalities dataset provides complete coverage of all fatalities, regardless of age or employment status, the same is not true of the three non-fatal injuries datasets reviewed. There are important differences in the data collection methods and, associated with this, which populations are covered. The assessment approach provides valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of a critical element of OHS surveillance systems, namely the production of datasets. This knowledge is important for researchers as understanding the data that informs their research is fundamental to good science. It is critical for policy-makers and other stakeholders to understand the strengths and weaknesses on which OHS policy, strategies, or education and training interventions are developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Incarcerated trans women experience significant victimization, mistreatment, barriers to gender-affirming care, and human rights violations, conferring high risk for trauma, psychological distress, self-harm, and suicide. Across the globe, most carceral settings are segregated by sex assigned at birth and governed by housing policies that restrict gender expression—elevating ‘safety and security’ above the housing preferences of incarcerated people. Aim/methods: Drawing upon the lived experiences of 24 formerly incarcerated trans women in Australia and the United States and employing Elizabeth Freeman’s notion of chrononormativity, Rae Rosenberg’s concept of heteronormative time, and Kadji Amin’s use of queer temporality, this paper explores trans women’s carceral housing preferences and contextual experiences, including how housing preferences challenge governing chrononormative and reformist carceral housing systems. Findings: Participants freely discussed their perspectives regarding housing options which through thematic analysis generated four options for housing: 1) men’s carceral settings; 2) women’s carceral settings; 3) trans- and gay-specific housing blocks; and 4) being housed in protective custody or other settings. There appeared to be a relationship between the number of times the person had been incarcerated, the duration of their incarceration, and where they preferred to be housed. Conclusions: This analysis contributes to richer understandings regarding trans women’s experiences while incarcerated. This paper also informs the complexities and nuances surrounding housing preferences from the perspectives of trans women themselves and considers possible opportunities to enhance human rights, health and wellbeing when engaging in transformative approaches to incarceration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how social workers integrate personal spirituality within nursing homes, where a highly regulated, stressful environment marginalizes professional identity and challenges retention. Researchers offer new evidence of how spirituality informs professional identity, ethical practice, and continuation in the role. Twenty BSW/MSW licensed nursing home social workers (NHSWs) reported how they daily navigate the personal spirituality-at-work opportunity and challenge. Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews resulted in three primary codes and related subcodes: Spirituality-Integrated Professional Identity (Vocational Affirmation and Value Alignment), Spirituality-Informed Practice (Intervention Asset, Relational Affinity, and Ambiguous Boundaries), and Spiritually-Sustained Career Resilience. Respondents reported how spirituality animated professional identity, informed daily role enactment, and sustained role involvement. Recommendations are provided for normalizing ethical spirituality-at-work through social work education and practical guidance in navigating the spirituality and practice space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flexibility of the Delphi Technique has enabled its application across a wide range of fields to facilitate problem solving, decision-making and consensus-building. However, flexibility brings with it a corresponding lack of detailed methodological guidelines, and the rigour of Delphi studies has been questioned. This paper presents a recent study investigating global competence in Japan to demonstrate how Q-methodology can be integrated into a Delphi study to improve rigour. Using Q-methodology helps to mitigate potential problems associated with (a) consensus parameters and focus, (b) panel retention rates, and (c) feedback design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the researcher would like to propose a novel research methodology based on pleating action and how pleats are formulated, herein named "pliable logic." It provides a recursive and malleable production and thinking route that encourages researchers to seek meanings in between different phases of textile thinking and research. Through years of teaching, researching and making pleats, the researcher as a maker has come to an understanding that pleating, like other textile productions, for example, stitching and weaving, has its own philosophical stance as a distinct branch under textile thinking. Pliable logic merges three textile-thinking-related concepts, including "soft logic" from Pennia Barnett, Sarat Maharaj's description of Janis Jefferies' "creative production" and "plica ex plica" from Gilles Deleuze, all of which resonate to certain characters of pleats and pleating that establish the foundation of the methodology. The details of each element are illustrated in this paper. The intention of the paper is to (1) encourage textile design practitioners and researchers to consider their study and production from another perspective under textile thinking and to (2) emphasize that various textile fabrications do have a potential philosophical stance to broaden the scope of textile thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers cultural probes as an experimental qualitative method in promoting collaborative and prefigurative participation in research. While the extant literature tends to frame cultural probes either as the discounted ethnographic tool or the means to gather design inspiration, such a framing also results in an irreconcilable methodological and conceptual dichotomy. Seeking to overcome this binary, this paper draws inspiration from Michel de Certeau's concept of "poaching" to contemplate how cultural probes may elicit and provoke both inspirational and analytical data. Through an empirical study of the everyday waste practices of 10 young university students in Hong Kong, this study discusses the rationale of different cultural probes designs and participants' experience in completing the probes. This paper argues that the cultural probes may offer a speculative and creative qualitative inquiry to cultivate one's "attentiveness", generate "politics of reconfiguration", and make sense of "uncertainty" in knowledge production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction to the special issue of Cataloging & Classification Quarterly emphasizes the importance of user studies for understanding users' information needs and behavior, which form the foundation for developing bibliographic information systems and establishing standards guiding the creation of bibliographic data and records. It provides an overview of the special issue by introducing ten articles selected for this special issue, organized in three thematic areas: Reviewing the Landscape of User Studies, User Studies and Conceptual Models, and Applying User Studies to Bibliographic Data and Systems. Additionally, it offers some references for further study in research methods, aiding readers who are interested in conducting their own user studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout its history, Operational Research has evolved to include methods, models and algorithms that have been applied to a wide range of contexts. This encyclopedic article consists of two main sections: methods and applications. The first summarises the up-to-date knowledge and provides an overview of the state-of-the-art methods and key developments in the various subdomains of the field. The second offers a wide-ranging list of areas where Operational Research has been applied. The article is meant to be read in a nonlinear fashion and used as a point of reference by a diverse pool of readers: academics, researchers, students, and practitioners. The entries within the methods and applications sections are presented in alphabetical order. The authors dedicate this paper to the 2023 Turkey/Syria earthquake victims. We sincerely hope that advances in OR will play a role towards minimising the pain and suffering caused by this and future catastrophes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political impetuses for raising the professional status of the careers sector in England have spanned more than a decade, driving an assiduous pursuit for professionalisation linked to the training and upskilling of its workforce. This paper builds on previous work by the authors and explores the necessity, and integration of theory for practice through the delivery of a training programme for adult career advisers to meet the requirements of units from the Qualification Curriculum Framework (QCF) Diploma 6 in Career Guidance and Development. The findings indicate that successful careers pedagogy should accommodate trainers' reflexivity and their theoretical stance(s). The integration of theory and reflection offers a powerful lens through which practice can be developed, supporting career advisers and trainers to engage in reflexive and reflective learning. The paper offers an original insight into the pedagogic approaches utilised and their effectiveness from both career advisers and trainer's perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades there has been an increase in the use of participatory and emancipatory methodologies within disability research; centring the lived experience of disabled people. This paper explores some of the ethical and practical considerations when researching in the area of disabled women and sexuality, highlighting the pervasiveness of ableist attitudes and processes. Drawing on critical disability studies and utilising critical reflexivity, the researcher, a disabled woman, discusses some of the strengths and limitations of being an 'insider-outsider' researcher. The paper also presents some strategies and considerations for researchers who seek to use inclusive methods in research with and by disabled people, including the importance of language and multi-methods to facilitate and promote access and expression. If research is to be a true reflection of the community being researched, then it is vital inclusive principles are incorporated into all stages of research projects. There has been an increase in research that includes disabled people in all stages of the research process. This paper discusses some of the ways the researcher, a disabled woman, used inclusive research methods throughout her study focused on disabled women's experiences of sex education, sexual expression and violence. The paper considers some of the strengths and challenges of insider research, and outlines ways to promote access and expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]