The Problem of Collecting Data on Mid-Sized Complete Networks (50 < n < 200) via Questionnaire: A Proposition for Using Subgroup-Based Name Generators

Commonly, two approaches for collecting network data by means of a questionnaire are distinguished: rosters (complete name lists) and free recall (name generators) with subsequent merging of the ego-networks. However, both methods are reaching their limits when dealing with larger networks: rosters, on the one hand, increase in length with a larger network size, so that respondents either respond more unreliably due to fatigue, or they even abort answering the questionnaire all together. With free recall, on the other hand, weak ties and unpopular persons tend to be forgotten by the respondents, a problem that is also amplified with an increasing network size. In this paper, I want to propose an alternative method for collecting network data via questionnaire: the subgroup-based recall. With this method, it is possible to reliably collect data on mid-sized networks (50 < n < 200). When employing the subgroup-based recall, the network actors are divided into subgroups and a separate name generator is used for each group; the subgroups serve as cues without letting the questionnaire become too long. The use of the subgroup-based recall, however, leads to new methodological challenges, mainly the appropriate division of actors into subgroups. The discussion of subgroup determination shows that the method is best suited for collecting network data in organizational settings as they already provide detailed formal subgroups like for example departments. The article ends with specific recommendations for when to employ rosters, free recall and the subgroup-based recall

Social Network Data Collection : Principles and Modalities

Relational questions require relational data and methods. That may seem like a truism that is unnecessary to make explicit, but the social and behavioral sciences are replete with relational theories (Borgatti and Halgin, 2011) and questions that have repeatedly been examined with data that make essentializing assumptions (Emirbayer, 1997); that is, relying on non-relational data

Trust, quality, and the network collection experience: a tale of two studies on the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Data collection in social network research has advanced to include online questionnaires, digital metadata mining of internet sites, and the use of remote-sensing technologies. Some scholars however call for more attention to nuanced understandings of ties and contexts in studies of social structure and relationships, evoking practices that characterise the field’s foundational works. This article’s two studies reference these earlier efforts, drawing on ethnography and primary data collection. Both were undertaken in conflict-affected eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and broadly aimed to refine understandings of public authority and governance. Such research strives to inform humanitarian interventions to support social structures and actors which benefit their communities – however unexpected and unconventional. The first study (2016) employed a novel link-tracing design to examine personal support networks entwining purportedly hostile sub-populations, from combatants to unaffiliated civilians. The second (2018−20) focussed on access to essential social services across different governance arrangements, areas dominated by tenuous alliances of domestic or foreign militias and other actors. Leveraging an egocentric network design, it yielded multilevel relational network chain data. Each study was rife with obstacles related to accessing participants, sampling, reliability, and validity. We reflect on this network collection experience, foregrounding the interdependence between trust and data quality brought into stark relief by the setting’s instability and insecurity. This interdependency impacts all social network research, especially when it involves precarious contexts or sensitive topics

The Use of Translator Implementation Methods for Writing Nonprocedural Interfaces to Application Software Systems

One of the results of advances in computer hardware technology is a wider use of computers in almost all areas of society. There is a need to make it possible for many people to use application software systems that are produced for different areas. For people without data processing backgrounds it would seem wise to use a nonprocedural interface to these systems. The implementation of a nonprocedural interface as a part of an application software system can be facilitated using aspects of the theory and practice of the translator construction for programming languages. The purpose of this paper is to introduce programmers who lack theoretical background and/or practical experience in the area of translator design and implementation to the relevant aspects of its theory and practice

Teachers as action researchers: Some reflections on what it takes

Towards the end of 2006, a group of secondary and primary teachers, in collaboration with university researchers based at the University of Waikato, began a two-year journey where they researched their own practice as teachers of literature in multicultural classrooms in Auckland, New Zealand. This presentation briefly outlines the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI), which initially provided a vision of teachers, working in partnership with university researchers, researching their own practice with the aim of enhancing the practice of the teaching profession as a whole. Through the eyes of one of the university-based researchers, but drawing on the experiences of four of the teacher participants, this presentation reflects on factors that had a bearing on the successful (or otherwise) induction of these teachers as teacher-researchers in their own right

“A woman endures; she can do everything” The empowerment of Jordanian and Syrian women in the IKEA and Jordan River Foundation social entrepreneurship initiative

Within Jordan, several aspects are hindering women from accessing the labor market, such as the lack of a law prohibiting gender-based discrimination on the work place. Importantly, with the recent influx of Syrian refugees to Jordan, increased pressure has been put on the labor market. In order to ameliorate the lives of women in Jordan, IKEA of Sweden has in cooperation with Jordan River Foundation launched an initiative where both Jordanian women and Syrian refugee women participate. The thesis aims to understand what motivates women to participate and how participation has affected empowerment amongst the women. In order to achieve this understanding, field work was conducted in Jordan, where semi-structured interviews were done. In total, 19 women participated, making this thesis of a qualitative kind. An analytical framework was adopted based on a previous study by Al-Dajani and Marlow (2013) and was used to view different themes in the data. The conclusion of this thesis indicates quite pragmatic reasons for the women to engage in the initiative and that participation has to a large extent had a positive impact on the empowerment amongst the women. Importantly, few differences are identified amongst both groups of women

Understanding the personhood of Deaf people with dementia: Methodological issues

AbstractThis article concerns Deaf people in the United Kingdom, who use sign language, who have a formal diagnosis of dementia and who have participated in interviews in British Sign Language (BSL) about their experience of living with dementia. We address the methodological challenges involved in enabling culturally meaningful participation in circumstances where the non-verbal is not equivalent to the non-linguistic. We demonstrate the use of interpretative narrative representation of data for purposes of cultural brokering. We explore the contribution of Deaf people's experiences and the analysis of their visual, spatial narratives to debates about personhood and the embodied self in dementia studies. Finally, we consider the significance of the situational as cultural in relation to holistic interpretation of narrative