...Evaluation of the qualitative study: ‘In the Club: Ecstasy Use and Supply in a London Nightclub’ Table of contents: 1. Overview 3 2. Qualitative research approach methods and Quantitative research approach 4 3. The strength and weakness of Observation data collection 6 4. The strength and weaknesses of in-depth interview 6 5. Focus group discussion 7 6. Conclusion 9 7. References 10 Overview The aim of this report is to evaluate the qualitative study ‘In the Club: Ecstasy Use and Supply in a London Nightclub’ by Bill Sanders which was published in 2005 in the Sociology journal. The report will give a brief overview of the research aims, a description of the methods used, and explain the main findings reported in the paper that have been selected. A discussion of why a qualitative research approach has been chosen for the research question or questions posed in the study will also be evaluated. Furthermore, the use of an extended evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the method or methods used in the research will focus in particular upon their appropriateness to the project’s key research question or questions posed and the robustness of the claims made in the article. Finally, a consideration of the potential contribution that a different qualitative method could have on the research question asked will be conducted to assess its strengths and weaknesses. The research was to explore what was widely known about...
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...obtained are broadly classified into two categories; Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research. The purpose of this paper is to translate my course learning into a reflective question paper on the topic of Qualitative Research. This paper will also seek to describe a research project where qualitative research would be most appropriate, discuss key challenges in collecting and evaluating qualitative data, recommend actions for addressing the challenges identified for each of the three qualitative methodologies, and discuss whether mixing qualitative and quantitative methods would result in better research for your particular learning community. Qualitative Research Qualitative research, also called naturalistic inquiry, developed within the social and human sciences, and refers to theories on interpretation (hermeneutics) and human experience (phenomenology). They include various strategies for systematic collection, organization and interpretation of textual material obtained while talking with people or through observation. The aim of such research is to investigate the meaning of social phenomena as experienced by the people themselves." (Malterud, 2001, p. 398). It is important to understand that qualitative research is not a single type of social inquiry. It surfaces from a number of different research traditions or disciplines. Qualitative research developed in the social and human sciences...
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...journal of Advanced Nursing, 1994, 19, 1024-1031 Curriculum evaluation in nursing education: a review of the literature Judith Chavasse BA RGN Dip Nurse Tutors Postgraduate Student, Departments of Education and Nursing Sfdies, The Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland Accepted for publication 29 September 1993 CHAVASSE J. (1994) lournal of Advanced Nursing 19, 1024-1031 Curriculum evaluation i nursing education: a review of the literature n Most curriculum evaluations in the literature have been reported by nurse evaluators; aims, criteria and methods are drawn chiefly from sociology, general education or management. There is an absence of studies exploring relevance to national health care need, nurses’ accountability to their clients and outcomes of cumcula. There appears to be much interest in innovatory programmes, students’ experiences and sociological understandings, with some concern for specific aspects of cumcula generally recognized as being problematic. The number of qualitative or mixed methodology studies is compatible with process cumcula and with academic and professional validation. EVALUATION OF NURSING CURRICULA The following year the erstwhile Joint Board o Clinical f Nursing Studies, finding that course planners lacked Evaluation of nursing curricula as a major consideration in knowledge and skills to evaluate their courses, produced nursing education in Britain and Ireland began to be a package which helped to introduce the practice...
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...RES/351 2/1/2016 University of Phoenix Understanding Business Research Terms and Concepts: Part 1 How can we embrace understanding business research terms and concepts by comparing Lender evaluations of start-up business prospects and understanding the effect of a web-based tutorial on problem formulation ability by using qualitative and quantitative research designs? The business of rental cars can benefit from both quantitative and qualitative research designs by combining both designs for maximum effect. Lender evaluations of start-up business prospects The study was collected in 2003 and 2005 from the data bases in Finnvera, a state-owned financial institution. The data collected allows the qualitative ways authors can examine the information based on personal history and firm-specific characteristics of business prospects, and market position impact firm performance. The weakness of using the qualitative design for lender evaluations is the understanding parts of the data because it can be misunderstood because of personal opinions of the researchers. By using the quantitative design, the researchers can begin to explain the data results and come to a more itemized way of using the data. Lenders struggle with the data results as stated Iselin (1988), “Some studies state that inconsistency in previous findings could result from improper measurement of information loads as well as failure to rule out the effects of confounding variables.” This inconsistency is...
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...Research and evaluation go hand-in-hand as key features that contribute to any successful public relations efforts. Without them, public relations plans and activities would have no clear direction or guidance as to how to speak to their intended audiences. With the increase in organisations seeking justification for their PR spend; it is even more important for practitioners to demonstrate return on their investment through their own evaluation. Effective primary and secondary research, along with a commitment to ongoing evaluation is crucial to any public relations plan. It is important that both research and evaluation are always undertaken as it will ultimately provide a solid foundation and help to ensure the campaign is continually evolving, increasing the chances of its success. Research, an essential tool for any public relations campaign, assists with the gathering of information and opinions, contributing to the strategic plans ability to increase its efficiency, establish realistic goals and target the right market. With the main purpose of research being to find answers to the questions being asked, it enables the public relations practitioner to build theories that will assist in solving the problems they will face. Harold D. Lasswell, a political scientist, explained the questions every practitioner should ask, ‘who says what, to whom, how, with what effect’ (Lindenmann 2006, p. 3). If a practitioner can find answers to these questions, they will be in a better...
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...It will maintain its existence, regardless of our knowledge about it. For that reason, there is no other way to study poverty rather than objectively. Only objective and measurable data can produce scientific knowledge. Interpretivists, alternatively, argue that poverty exists only because people share the same knowledge about it and it cannot exist outside of our minds. It has to be studied subjectively and look at individual case studies, because every person within a particular society has his/her own understanding and perception of the word “poverty”. Both approaches are closely linked to methodology used for measuring poverty. Choice of epistemology directly influences on the type of research that will be conducted. Since positivists prefer to conduct researches objectively, they are more likely to use quantitative methods in measuring poverty. Quantitative research study designs include systematic analysis, randomised control trial, cohort study, case control study and etc (Kanbur, R., 2001). It uses “large scale” samples and tries to exclude any values. Statistical data gathered from researches is reliable and gives a clear view of reality, but wrong correlations within a study can be made. At large, quantitative methods produce hypotheses and show connections between variables. Interpretivists, conversely, use subjective methods of research. Qualitative can be used for examining people’s belief, attitudes and experiences. It doesn’t try to find one objective truth...
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...Introduction to Social Research Name Institution Date Introduction The module, introduction to social research is crucial as it introduces a student to the process of understanding what is entailed in social research. The module is grouped into ten lectures, and eight of them are concerned with introducing a student to theoretical and practical issues involved in conducting an empirical social research. The remaining two lectures are concerned with the workshops that help a student to understand the discourse of academic writing and reading. This paper seeks to highlight the basic information of each lecture a student should expect while undertaking this module. Additionally, this paper will note some key points from each seminar and try to define some concepts pertained therefof. Lecture 1 This lecture is aimed at helping a student to understand the significance of social research and why it matters. A learner will understand that a research method is a technical subject that encompasses its own language and this language ought to be utilized in precise way. In this course, the precise meaning of technical terms ought to be learned and then applied carefully, more so in undertaking examinations. A student of social science, a learner will be familiar with the idea of sociology as multi-paradigm discipline. Debates and controversies aside, the main divide in social research has been about the philosophical basis of sociological research and the...
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...Palsy Grand Canyon University: NRS-433V Introduction to Nursing Research Dr. Diana Naser Various Treatments for Children with Cerebral Palsy First Quantitative Study Honkavaara, M., Rintala, P., (2010), The influence of short term, intensive hippotherapy on gait in children with cerebral palsy. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, 3(2), 29- 36. Retrieved from: http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a73e5036- 0d8e-4cc4-97c5-ec0c3cbd1e4a%40sessionmgr115&vid=32&hid=104 Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of short term hippotherapy on functional gait changes in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Participants were two boys (ages 12 and 13) with spastic diplegia and a girl (14 yrs) with athetoid CP. Single-subject (ABA) design was used to determine quantitative changes in functional gait parameters (velocity, stride length, and cadence) following three weeks of hippotherapy. The two boys demonstrated improvement in stride length and gait velocity without sustained improvement in cadence. There was increase in stride length and cadence, but most noticeable improvements in velocity for the girl. The results indicated that it is possible that short-term hippotherapy may improve functional gait in children with cerebral palsy Second Quantitative Study Galli, M., Cimolin, V., Valente, E., Crivellini, M., Ialongo, T., Albertini, G. (2006). Computerized gait analysis of Botulinum Toxin treatment in children. Disability...
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...EVALUATING QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTS Abstract Purpose Despite the abundance of research on quality management there is no universal consensus on how best to measure quality in higher education. This paper undertakes a critical evaluation of the different methods used to assess the quality of provision in higher education departments in the UK. Methodology Drawing on relevant literature, the authors develop a quality audit tool that incorporates all key components of effective quality management programmes and apply it to a single UK case study department. Findings The findings suggest that the potential for quality enhancement is determined by the manner in which the evaluation is conducted and subsequent change implemented. Perhaps unsurprisingly there is currently an emphasis on internally derived quantitative data and there is potential to enhance the management of the quality of HE programmes. Research Limitations/Implications This article has concentrated on the development of the quality audit tool and tested this within one UK department. Work is underway to now test the tool on an international basis. Paper type Research paper Key Words quality, higher education EVALUATING QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENTS Introduction In many countries and many cultures, the issue of quality management has been firmly on the agenda of higher education institutions for quite some time. Higher education for the masses...
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...………………………………………1 2. Literature Review…………….……………………………………...1 3. Aim Statement………………….…………………………...………..3 4. Objectives……………………….…………………………………….3 5. Methodology…………………….…………………………………….4 5.1 Philosophy…………………………….…………………4 5.2 Approach……………………………..………………….4 5.3 Strategy………………………………..…………………5 5.4 Choice…………………………………..………………...5 5.5 Time Horizon…………………………...………………..6 5.6 Techniques and Procedures/Sampling…………………6 6. Ethics and Access…….………………………………………………7 6.1 Academic Integrity………………………………………7 6.2 Data Protection Act……….……………………………..7 7. Time Plan……………………………………………………………..8 8. References…………………………………………………………….9 1. Introduction This paper focuses on workforce diversity management by reviewing past studies and theories and applying it to the UK retail sector. ‘ The basic concept of managing diversity accepts that the workforce consists of a diverse population of people consisting of visible and non-visible differences… and is founded on the premise that harnessing these differences will create a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where all talents are fully utilized and in which organizational goals are met’ (Torrington et al, 2011: 476). 2. Literature Review According to Ellis and Sonnenfeld (1994) and Brenda (2010), the main purpose of diversity management and its primary function is to increase employee performance and to avoid quick-fix solutions (Trennery and Paradies, 2012) allowing maximizing advantages and...
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...Methodologies Compare and contrast between qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. How would you apply each type of research methodology at work? Qualitative research methodology is conducted on site or location of the study where the data are collected, with the research as the key instrument. Instead of numbers, words and pictures such as transcripts of in-depth interviews, field notes, photographs, tapes, memos, personal documents, and other official records are used to collect data. The process from beginning to end or history is more important in this type of method than the outcome of what happened. Information or data collected are not to be approved or disapproved by hypothesis, but are gathered then separated into groups for further evaluation. Why people do the things they do is very important to researchers in the qualitative method, they are concerned with how different people/culture live their lives and make sense of them by looking for common ground. Quantitative research methodology on the other hand, is conducted to ensure objectivity, generalizability and reliability, by testing, retesting and post testing subjects of the study for effectiveness. It relies mostly on numbers, counts, measures, operational values, quantifiable coding, quantitative data and statistical data. Its’ audience is much broader and generalized than that of the qualitative method and investigators would usually go into a study with predetermined questions; methods used...
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...peer-reviewed electronic journal. Copyright is retained by the first or sole author, who grants right of first publication to the Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation. Permission is granted to distribute this article for nonprofit, educational purposes if it is copied in its entirety and the journal is credited. Volume 14, Number 13, June 2009 ISSN 1531-7714 A Guide to Writing the Dissertation Literature Review Justus J. Randolph Walden University Writing a faulty literature review is one of many ways to derail a dissertation. This article summarizes some pivotal information on how to write a high-quality dissertation literature review. It begins with a discussion of the purposes of a review, presents taxonomy of literature reviews, and then discusses the steps in conducting a quantitative or qualitative literature review. The article concludes with a discussion of common mistakes and a framework for the self-evaluation of a literature review. Writing a faulty literature review is one of many ways to derail a dissertation. If the literature review is flawed, the remainder of the dissertation may also be viewed as flawed, because “a researcher cannot perform significant research without first understanding the literature in the field” (Boote & Beile, 2005, p. 3). Experienced thesis examiners know this. In a study of the practices of Australian dissertation examiners, Mullins and Kiley (2002) found that, Examiners typically started reviewing a dissertation with the expectation...
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...observed phenomenon. Research involves inductive and deductive methods. Inductive methods analyze the observed phenomenon and identify the general principles, structures, or processes underlying the phenomenon observed; deductive methods verify the hypothesized principles through observations. The purposes are different: one is to develop explanations, and the other is to test the validity of the explanations. (Gall, 1996) Research is the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions (oxford dictionary) One thing that we have to pay attention to research is that the heart of the research is not on statistics, but the thinking behind the research. How we really want to find out, how we build arguments about ideas and concepts, and what evidence that we can support to persuade people to accept our arguments. (Gall, 1996) CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH Research comes in many shapes and sizes. Before a researcher begins to conduct a study, he or shemust decide on a specific type of research....
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...research method(s) is/are appropriate for the development of knowledge in a given study. In order to conduct and evaluate any research, it is therefore important to know what these assumptions are. This chapter discusses the philosophical assumptions and also the design strategies underpinning this research study. Common philosophical assumptions were reviewed and presented; the interpretive paradigm was identified for the framework of the study. In addition, the chapter discusses the research methodologies, and design used in the study including strategies, instruments, and data collection and analysis methods, while explaining the stages and processes involved in the study. The research design for this study is a descriptive and interpretive case study that is analysed through qualitative methods. Questionnaires were used to evaluate participants’ WebCT skills (before the course starts) and to determine their levels of satisfaction in the course (at the end of the case study). A descriptive statistical method was used to analyze the student satisfaction survey. Participant observation, face-to-face interviews, focus-group interviews, questionnaires, and member checking were used as data collection methods. Furthermore, the justification for each of the data collection methods used in the study was discussed. Finally, in order to ensure trustworthiness of the research, appropriate criteria for qualitative research were discussed, and several methods that include member checks, peer...
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...details | The company that you are working for is considering buying another smaller firm. However, there is some business analysis needed for your company to make its final decision about purchasing. Throughout this course, you will be working on creating the Business Strategy and Management Plan.Keep in mind that the final Business Strategy and Management Plan template should contain the following elements: * Title page * Course number and name * Project name * Your name * Date * Table of contents * Autogenerated * Up-to-date * Maximum of 3 levels deep * Section headingsEach week, you will add a section to your Business Strategy and Management Plan and submit it for grading. For Week 1, you will make a qualitative evaluation of the industry's strategic...
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