Assessing the quality of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) : evaluation, improvement, application

[no abstract

Reaching out to carers of an individual with schizophrenia and a psychosis disorder: A framework for the construction and evaluation of a web-based intervention to improve carer wellbeing and quality of life.

Less than one percent of the population has been estimated to have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness (SMI), of which 80%-86% are will require ongoing need for support. Recent figures show that one in ten people has a caring role, with such roles being shown to have a negative impact on carer health. The growth and popularity of the internet (or world wide web) suggests that this could be a useful medium for support provision, and this has been reflected in recent policy. Previous literature has outlined the valuable contribution carers have in caring for their ill relative and the negative impact this can have on carer health. The use of web-based resources can further promote carer empowerment, increase access to support for their emotional wellbeing and to assist in the management of the caring role. The research informing this thesis aimed to explore factors which constitute effective web-based support for carers of individuals with an SMI. Eight carers and six mental health professionals participated in the research study, which adopted a mixed-method approach within a conceptual framework informed by a critical realist stance. Data was collected using qualitative comparative analysis of health-focused questionnaires and research diaries, and thematic analysis of qualitative interviews. Analysis resulted in five key themes: 1.) Expertise via experience 2.) Empowerment through knowledge 3.) Connection, understanding and advice online 4.) Personal preference: considering the accessibility of the internet, and 5.) The landscape of carer support. Further analysis included the identification of generative mechanisms and contexts influencing the use of and impact of web-based resource usage on carer wellbeing and quality of life. This thesis presents the process and findings of the research study, culminating in the suggestion and presentation of a framework designed to be of utility in the construction and evaluation of web-based needs-aligned intervention/support for carers of individuals with SMI. The framework is aligned to the key themes emerging from data analysis. Potential directions for further research and development within the area of web-based provision for carers and family members are summarised

Development of a graphical approach to software requirements analysis

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-226).by Xinhui Chen.Ph.D

Trade Unionism and the Institutional Equilibrium in MENA States. A Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) Supported Study of the Arab Upheavals 2011 - 2013 in Twelve Countries

This study uses Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) inside a broader framework of Comparative Historical Research (CHR) in order to asses and categorise the role of trade unions during the „Arab Spring“ 2011 – 2013. QCA is a method initially developed by Charles Ragin based on Boolean logic that allows for the identification of multiple conjunctural causations. It s a comparative method that initially derived from electrical engineering and used the Quine-McCluskey Algorithm in order to find patterns of similarity and difference between cases. Those cases are classified into the presence (1) or absence (0) of a particular outcome, and turned into combinations of variables which are also coded according to the absence (0) or presence (1) of variables. The configurations can be minimised in order to eliminate variables that were not affecting the particular outcome. As argued in the thesis, the approach bears several advantages with regard to quantitative methods, especially in small-n samples. Furthermore, the methodological and theoretical part of this thesis argues that to hold the case studies as thick as possible and as parsimonious as necessary, and the minimisation and interpretations as thick as necessary and as parsimonious as possible. As regards content, the thesis identifies the institutional equilibria of twelve Arab countries as starting point for the research. The sample includes Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, and Oman. The institutional equilibrium is a concept borrowed from Rational Choice Theory which makes it possible to include particularistic approaches to explain the power structures of single MENA countries into a meta-framework, without the study becoming dependent on their individual parameters. These particularistic approaches include cultural, legal, historical, religious, and sociological aspects from the broad field of Middle Eastern Studies and beyond. The so called “Bargain Rule” is here taken as a common denominator, in which the common citizens surrender their political and social rights to participatory government and are rewarded with a variety of goods and services in return. This bargain has gotten under pressure from the early 1970s on. MENA states developed different strategies in order to secure power while introducing mostly rigged democratic institutions. The study identifies Violence, the legal frameworks, and questions of identity and legitimacy as main pillars of these new institutional arrangements. With the upheavals that started most visibly in 2011, MENA countries entered a critical juncture in which these equilibria got heavily under pressure. Different players entered the public sphere in order to demand economic enhancements and / or political change. These players, as long as they attempted to change the equilibria of power, are labelled critical interference factors. In a further step, and by the help of rich case descriptions, the thesis tackles the question whether the trade union movement it the respective countries can be defined as critical interference factors. Against that background, and using a constructivist stance, the term “trade union” is put first into the Middle Eastern context and made operational as a well-defined research subject. The study focusses on those organisations that are labelled by the national legal framework Naqaba, or those who label themselves Naqaba. This approach includes professional associations (Naqabat Mihniya) as well as workers unions (Naqabat ’Umaliya). Moreover, it is argued that a crucial historical role of many trade unions in MENA has been to protect the authoritarian bargain and taking the role as the demander for socio-economic enhancements within its very logic. The variables that are set up for the QCA analysis include the non-compliance of the State concerning the Authoritarian Bargain (SOEC), intertwinedness of trade unions with opposition forces (INOPP), the degree of centralisation of trade union structures (CEN), importance of tribalism for upward mobility within the state (TRI), and eventually the trade unions‘ bargaining power im key sectors of the economy (KEYS). These variables are minimised with the help of the Quine McCluskey Algorithim and the results are srutinised qualitatively. Major findings of the study indicate that CEN is a necessary condition for transformative trade union activity, in combination either with INOPP (Gulf Countries) or SOEC (North Africa). Furthermore, this study suggests that the lack of centralisation and / or a high degree of tribalism weaken independent trade unionism in MENA

Intelligent Diagnosis and Smart Detection of Crack in a Structure from its Vibration Signatures

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the development of structural health monitoring for vibrating structures, especially crack detection methodologies and on-line diagnostic techniques. In the current research, methodologies have been developed for damage detection of a cracked cantilever beam using analytical, fuzzy logic, neural network and fuzzy neuro techniques. The presence of a crack in a structural member introduces a local flexibility that affects its dynamic response. For finding out the deviation in the vibrating signatures of the cracked cantilever beam the local stiffness matrices are taken into account. Theoretical analyses have been carried out to calculate the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the cracked cantilever beam using local stiffness matrices. Strain energy release rate has been used for calculating the local stiffness of the beam. The fuzzy inference system has been designed using the first three relative natural frequencies and mode shapes as input parameters. The output from the fuzzy controller is relative crack location and relative crack depth. Several fuzzy rules have been developed using the vibration signatures of the cantilever beam. A Neural Network technique using multi layered back propagation algorithm has been developed for damage assessment using the first three relative natural frequencies and mode shapes as input parameters and relative crack location and relative crack depth as output parameters. Several training patterns are derived for designing the Neural Network. A hybrid fuzzy-neuro intelligent system has been formulated for fault identification. The fuzzy controller is designed with six input parameters and two output parameters. The input parameters to the fuzzy system are relative deviation of first three natural frequencies and first three mode shapes. The output parameters of the fuzzy system are initial relative crack depth and initial relative crack location. The input parameters to the neural controller are relative deviation of first three natural frequencies and first three mode shapes along with the interim outputs of fuzzy controller. The output parameters of the fuzzy-neuro system are final relative crack depth and final relative crack location. A series of fuzzy rules and training patterns are derived for the fuzzy and neural system respectively to predict the final crack location and final crack depth.To diagnose the crack in the vibrating structure multiple adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (MANFIS) methodology has been applied. The final outputs of the MANFIS are relative crack depth and relative crack location. Several hundred fuzzy rules and neural network training patterns are derived using natural frequencies, mode shapes, crack depths and crack locations. The proposed research work aims to broaden the development in the area of fault detection of dynamically vibrating structures. This research also addresses the accuracy for detection of crack location and depth with considerably low computational time. The objective of the research is related to design of an intelligent controller for prediction of damage location and severity in a uniform cracked cantilever beam using AI techniques (i.e. Fuzzy, neural, adaptive neuro-fuzzy and Manfis)

Uncertainty in Engineering

This open access book provides an introduction to uncertainty quantification in engineering. Starting with preliminaries on Bayesian statistics and Monte Carlo methods, followed by material on imprecise probabilities, it then focuses on reliability theory and simulation methods for complex systems. The final two chapters discuss various aspects of aerospace engineering, considering stochastic model updating from an imprecise Bayesian perspective, and uncertainty quantification for aerospace flight modelling. Written by experts in the subject, and based on lectures given at the Second Training School of the European Research and Training Network UTOPIAE (Uncertainty Treatment and Optimization in Aerospace Engineering), which took place at Durham University (United Kingdom) from 2 to 6 July 2018, the book offers an essential resource for students as well as scientists and practitioners

Uncertainty in Engineering

This open access book provides an introduction to uncertainty quantification in engineering. Starting with preliminaries on Bayesian statistics and Monte Carlo methods, followed by material on imprecise probabilities, it then focuses on reliability theory and simulation methods for complex systems. The final two chapters discuss various aspects of aerospace engineering, considering stochastic model updating from an imprecise Bayesian perspective, and uncertainty quantification for aerospace flight modelling. Written by experts in the subject, and based on lectures given at the Second Training School of the European Research and Training Network UTOPIAE (Uncertainty Treatment and Optimization in Aerospace Engineering), which took place at Durham University (United Kingdom) from 2 to 6 July 2018, the book offers an essential resource for students as well as scientists and practitioners