35 research outputs found
Qualitative Research in the UK: Short-Term Problems, Long-Term Issues
There are disagreements about, and contradictory indications of, the state of qualitative inquiry as a global endeavor. The article argues that these disagreements rather miss the point. The issue is not whether or not qualitative approaches to social research are developing across disciplines and continuing to receive funding, but rather to what purposes are qualitative methods being put? What research agendas are being pursued, and who sets them? The article illustrates these issues with respect to the effects of research selectivity and concentration in the United Kingdom and argues that qualitative research should continue to develop as an intellectual resource for the community rather than as a technical service to government
Knowledge translation research in population health: establishing a collaborative research agenda
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite the increasing mobilization of researchers and funding organizations around knowledge translation (KT) in Canada and elsewhere, many questions have been only partially answered, particularly in the field of population health. This article presents the results of a systematic process to draw out possible avenues of collaboration for researchers, practitioners and decision-makers who work in the area of KT. The main objective was to establish a research agenda on knowledge translation in population health.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using the Concept Mapping approach, the research team wanted to identify priority themes for the development of research on KT in population health. Mapping is based on multivariate statistical analyses (multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis) in which statements produced during a brainstorming session are grouped in weighted clusters. The final maps are a visual representation of the priority themes of research on KT. Especially designed for facilitating consensus in the understanding and organization of various concepts, the Concept Mapping method proved suitable for achieving this objective.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The maps were produced by 19 participants from university settings, and from institutions within the health and social services network. Three main perspectives emerge from this operation: (1) The evaluation of the effectiveness of KT efforts is one of the main research priorities; (2) The importance of taking into consideration user contexts in any KT effort; (3) The challenges related to sharing power for decision-making and action-taking among various stakeholder groups. These perspectives open up avenues of collaboration for stakeholders who are involved in research on KT. Besides these three main perspectives, the concept maps reveal three other trends which should be emphasized.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The Concept Mapping process reported in this article aimed to provoke collective reflection on the research questions that should be studied, in order to foster coherence in research activities in the field of population health. Based on this, it is appropriate to continue to support the development of research projects in KT and the formation of research teams in this field. Research on KT must lead to concrete outcomes within communities that are interested in the question.</p
Triangulation, respondent validation, and democratic participation in mixed methods research
Over the past 10 years or so the “Field” of “Mixed Methods Research” (MMR) has increasingly been exerting itself as something separate, novel, and significant, with some advocates claiming paradigmatic status. Triangulation is an important component of mixed methods designs. Triangulation has its origins in attempts to validate research findings by generating and comparing different sorts of data, and different respondents’ perspectives, on the topic under investigation. Respondent validation has sometimes been included in such processes, but it is an element that has not attracted significant attention from the MMR community. The article argues that attention to respondent validation is a significant issue for methodological debate and that it should be an important aspect of the development of democratic participation in MMR
Laying the foundations for physical literacy in Wales: the contribution of the Foundation Phase to the development of physical literacy
ABSTRACT
Background: The Foundation Phase in Wales is a play-based curriculum
for pupils aged 3–7 years old. Children learn through more holistic areas
of learning in place of traditional subjects. As such, the subject of
physical education in its traditional form no longer exists for pupils
under the age of 7 in Wales. In light of the role of physical education in
developing physical literacy and in particular the importance of this age
group for laying the foundations of movement for lifelong engagement
in physical activity, the disappearance of physical education from the
curriculum could be deemed to be a concern.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the Foundation Phase
as a naturalistic intervention and examine its contribution to the
development of physical literacy.
Participants and setting: Participants included year 1 pupils (N = 49) aged
5 and 6 from two schools in contrasting locations. A smaller group within
each class was selected through purposive sampling for the repeated
measures assessments (N = 18).
Research design and methods: A complementarity mixed-method
design combined quantitative and qualitative methods to study the
Foundation Phase as a naturalistic intervention. Quantitative data were
generated with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 administered to
the sample group of children from both schools as a quasi-repeated
measure, the physical competence subscale of the Pictorial Scale of
Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance and the Leuven
Involvement Scale for Young Children. Qualitative data were generated
throughout the study from the analysis of video and field notes through
participant observation. Data from the mixed methods were analysed
through complementarity to give a rich insight into pupils’ progress and
experiences in relation to physical literacy.
Results: Overall analysis of the data from TGMD-2 showed significant
improvements in the Gross Motor Quotient and Locomotor skills from
T1 to T3, but no significant improvement in object control. Data from
qualitative methods were analysed to explore processes that may
account for these findings. Video and field notes complement the
quantitative data highlighting that children were developing their
locomotor skills in many aspects of their learning. Observations using the Leuven Involvement Scale indicated that children had high levels of
involvement in their learning and apparent in video and field notes was
pupils’ motivation for movement. Paired sample t-tests (N = 18)
conducted on the Harter and Pike perceived physical competence sixitem score subscales (T1 and T3) indicated a significant difference in the
mean perceived physical competence scores on the six-item scale
between T1and T3. Qualitative data explored pupils’ confidence for
movement in many areas of learning.
Conclusion: The combination of quantitative and qualitative data
indicates that the Foundation Phase is an early childhood curriculum
that lays the foundations of physical literacy with the exception of
aspects of the physical competence, specifically object control skills.
Although these skills only contribute to psychomotor aspects of physical
literacy they are strongly associated with later engagement in physical
activity. The development of specific physical skills such as object
control skills may need more specialist input with early childhood
pedagogy teachers trained in motor development to see significant
improvement
Relatório de estágio profissional na produtora Tamboura Films: a montaxe como ferramenta de construción do discurso audiovisual
Relatório de estágioA presente disertación trata sobre a miña experiencia como montadora en prácticas na
produtora audiovisual Tamboura Films, situada en Santiago de Compostela, e as actividades
realizadas nas súas instalacións durante a etapa comprendida entre o 28 de outubro de 2019 e
o 12 de marzo de 2020. O principal proxecto desenvolvido neste período foi a asistencia á
montaxe do documental No Somos Nada, do director Javier Corcuera, que acompaña a
emblemática banda de punk La Polia Records na súa última xira polo territorio da Península
Ibérica e América Latina. Da mesma forma, o filme mostra unha visión intimista do seu icónico
líder e vocalista, Evaristo Páramos, e será estreado no ano 2021. Ademais dun informe
descritivo sobre a realización das prácticas, inclúese tamén unha investigación teórica acerca
da montaxe como ferramenta de construción do discurso audiovisual, apoiada en autores
como Fernando Morales Morente co seu título Montaje Audiovisual: Teoria, técnica y métodos de Control, entre outros.A presente dissertação trata sobre a minha experiência como montadora durante o meu
estágio na produtora audiovisual Tamboura Films, situada em Santiago de Compostela, bem
como as atividades realizadas nas suas instalações durante a etapa compreendida entre 28 de
outubro de 2019 e 12 de março de 2020. O principal projeto desenvolvido neste período foi a
assistência à montagem do documentário No Somos Nada, do realizador Javier Corcuera, que
acompanha a emblemática banda de punk La Polla Records na sua última digressão pelo
território da Península Ibérica e América Latina. Da mesma forma, o filme mostra uma visão
intimista do seu icónico líder e vocalista, Evaristo Páramos, e estreará no ano 2021. Para além
de um relatório descritivo sobre a realização do estágio, inclui-se também uma investigação
teórica acerca da montagem como ferramenta de construção do discurso audiovisual, apoiada
em autores como Fernando Morales Morente com o seu título Montagem Audiovisual: Teoria, Técnica e Métodos de Controlo, entre outros.The present dissertation is about my experience in practising as an audiovisual editor
in Tamboura Films, an audiovisual production company located in Santiago de Compostela,
from October 28th 2019 to March 12th 2020. The main task I took part in this period of time
was the editing assistance in No Somos Nada, a documentary directed by Javier Corcuera,
based in the last tour through Spain and Latin America of the emblematic punk band La Polla
Records. This film, which will be released next 2021, also shows an intimist vision of his iconic
lider and vocalist, Evaristo Páramos. In addition to the report of my internship, the work
includes a theoretical investigation concerning editing as a tool for the construction of
audiovisual discourse, based on authors such as Fernando Morales Morente and his work
Audiovisual Editing: Theory, Technique and Control Methods, among many others
3-(1-Hydroxy-2-phenylprop-2-en-1-yl)phenol
Two independent pseudo-enantiomeric molecules comprise the asymmetric unit in the title compound, C15H14O2. While the central O&#8212;C&#8212;C&#8212;C residue approaches planarity [torsion angles = &#8722;15.8&#8197;(3) (molecule a) and 15.4&#8197;(3)&#176; (molecule b)], the benzene rings are approximately orthogonal [the dihedral angles formed between the benzene rings are 62.89&#8197;(12) (molecule a) and 80.15&#8197;(12)&#176; (molecule b)]. Two-dimensional arrays in the ab plane sustained by O&#8212;H...O hydrogen bonding are found in the crystal structure
A class of 5-nitro-2-furancarboxylamides with potent trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma brucei in vitro
Recently, the World Health Organization approved the nifurtimox–eflornithine combination therapy for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis, renewing interest in nitroheterocycle therapies for this and associated diseases. In this study, we have synthesized a series of novel 5-nitro-2-furancarboxylamides that show potent trypanocidal activity, 1000-fold more potent than nifurtimox against in vitro Trypanosoma brucei with very low cytotoxicity against human HeLa cells. More importantly, the most potent analogue showed very limited cross-resistance to nifurtimox-resistant cells and vice versa. This implies that our novel, relatively easy to synthesize and therefore cheap, 5-nitro-2-furancarboxylamides are targeting a different, but still essential, biochemical process to those targeted by nifurtimox or its metabolites in the parasites. The significant increase in potency (smaller dose probably required) has the potential for greatly reducing unwanted side effects and also reducing the likelihood of drug resistance. Collectively, these findings have important implications for the future therapeutic treatment of African sleeping sickness.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe