165 research outputs found
Engaged Participant Observation: An Integrative Approach to Qualitative Field Research for Practitioner-Scholars
Abstract
Participant observation is an appropriate research method for engaged practitioner-scholars seeking in-depth insights available from qualitative field research. Conventional approaches to participant observation include ethnography and action research. However, conventional approaches were originally developed with the assumption that the roles of practitioner and scholar are separate. We propose a new approach, engaged participant observation, which recognizes the integration of research and practice roles. We illustrate the application of engaged participant observation, and its special demands, through a completed executive doctoral dissertation conducted by second author and supervised by the first author. We address the specific tensions and demands of engaged participant observation, including issues of identity work, potentially biased interpretation, ethical conduct, and publication. Our analysis provides pragmatic guidance for conducting qualitative data collection and analysis in organizations in which the researcher is an engaged participant
Pragmatic Rigor: Principles and Criteria for Conducting and Evaluating Practitioner Scholarship
Practitioner scholarship is a promising avenue for addressing the gap between academic research and practice. To advance the objective of publishing the findings of practitioner scholarship, we develop the concept of pragmatic rigor, which is intended to complement but not replace scientific rigor. We propose four principles of pragmatic rigor: relevance, actionability, comprehensibility, and ethical reasoning. For each principle, we develop associated criteria for conducting and evaluating practical research. Pragmatic principles are relevant to the research process, from choice of topic to final evaluation by journal reviewers. We believe that applying these principles can advance the practical value of studies and help to bridge the gap between scholars and practitioners
An experimental investigation into pornography's effect on men's perceptions of the likelihood of women engaging in porn-like sex
This experimental study investigates whether exposure to pornography affects men's perceptions of the likelihood of women engaging in, and enjoying, "porn-like" sex. Participants (N = 418) were either exposed to nonpornographic control videos or pornographic videos in which a male taxi driver has sex with a female passenger. Participants' perceptions of the likelihood of women engaging in various sexual practices commonly depicted in pornography (e.g., unprotected sex with a stranger and rough sex) were then assessed across 2 vignettes. In the first vignette, a male taxi driver propositions a female passenger. In the second, a male boss propositions a female employee. The study was administered online to maximize ecological validity. No effect was found for experimental exposure. However, an effect was detected for past exposure. Men who had viewed taxi-themed pornography in the past 6 months rated the female taxi vignette character as being more likely to engage in porn-like sex with a male taxi driver. Similarly, those who had viewed workplace-themed pornography in the past 6 months judged the female workplace vignette character as being more likely to engage in porn-like sex with a male boss. The implications of these findings for theoretical models of sexual media socialization are discussed
The distance between Inherent Structures and the influence of saddles on approaching the mode coupling transition in a simple glass former
We analyze through molecular dynamics simulations of a Lennard-Jones binary
mixture the statistics of the distances between inherent structures (IS)
sampled at temperatures above the mode coupling transition temperature T_MCT.
We take equilibrated configurations and randomly perturb the coordinates of a
given number of particles. After that we take the nearest IS of both the
original configuration and the perturbed one and evaluate the distance between
them. This distance presents an inflection point near T~1 with a strong
decrease below this temperature and goes to a small but nonzero value on
approaching T_MCT. In the low temperature region we study the statistics of
events which give zero distance, i.e. dominated by minima, and find evidence
that the number of saddles decreases exponentially near T_MCT. This implies
that saddles continue to exist even for T<=T_MCT. As at T_MCT the extrapolated
diffusivity goes to zero our results imply that there are saddles associated
with nondiffusional events at T<T_MCT.Comment: 5 pages, 5 ps figure
An inventory of vertebrate roadkill in the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area, South Africa
Using a standard protocol, we conducted vertebrate roadkill surveys in the Greater
Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (GMTFCA), South Africa, which is a World
Heritage Site. A total of 991 roadkill were recorded on the paved roads and 36 roadkill on the
unpaved roads. Identifiable roadkill comprised 162 species from 24 orders and 65 families.
Ninety-three roadkill could not be identified to species level. Roadkill counts were strongly
influenced by road type and season. More roadkill was recorded on the paved than the
unpaved roads. Irrespective of road type, the proportion of roadkill was greatest in the
hot/wet season (4.3 paved roadkill/km/day paved and 1.3 roadkill/km/day unpaved) and lowest
in the cold/dry season (2.0 roadkill/km/day paved and 0.1 roadkill/km/day unpaved). The
high numbers of vertebrates identified as roadkill suggests that road traffic has the potential
to directly and negatively affect biodiversity conservation in this part of South Africa. We
recommend continued roadkill data collection across South Africa to assist with creating
an inventory of species most likely to be at risk from roads. This will, in turn, better inform the
implementation of potential mitigation measures.This research
was initiated by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, with
funding from Bridgestone South Africa.http://www.sawma.co.zaam201
Influence of Low Dietary Inclusion of the Microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana (Lubián 1982) on Performance, Fish Morphology, and Muscle Growth in Juvenile Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)
A 90-d feeding trial was conducted in which five groups of gilthead seabream (11.96 g initial body weight) were fed with a microalgae-free diet (control group, C) or four diets containing the microalgae Nannochloropsis gaditana at two inclusion levels (2.5% or 5%), either raw (R2.5 and R5 batches) or cellulose-hydrolyzed (H2.5 and H5 batches), to study their effect on the body and muscle growth. At 40 days, the highest values of body length and weight were reached in R5 group, but at 64 and 90 days, these were reached in R2.5. However, feed conversion rate, specific growth, daily intake, and survival (100%) were similar in all the groups. The acquisition of a discoid body shape was accelerated depending on the inclusion level of N. gaditana in the diets. Moreover, H5 diet affected the fish geometric morphology compared to R5 diet. The white muscle transverse area was similar in all groups at 40 days, with the exception of H2.5 group, which showed the lowest area. At day 90, C and R2.5 displayed the highest muscle growth, attributable to increased hyperplasia in C, and higher hypertrophy in R2.5. However, the highest proportion of small and medium fibers was observed in R5 and H5Versión del edito
Analysis of Agglomerative Clustering
The diameter -clustering problem is the problem of partitioning a finite
subset of into subsets called clusters such that the maximum
diameter of the clusters is minimized. One early clustering algorithm that
computes a hierarchy of approximate solutions to this problem (for all values
of ) is the agglomerative clustering algorithm with the complete linkage
strategy. For decades, this algorithm has been widely used by practitioners.
However, it is not well studied theoretically. In this paper, we analyze the
agglomerative complete linkage clustering algorithm. Assuming that the
dimension is a constant, we show that for any the solution computed by
this algorithm is an -approximation to the diameter -clustering
problem. Our analysis does not only hold for the Euclidean distance but for any
metric that is based on a norm. Furthermore, we analyze the closely related
-center and discrete -center problem. For the corresponding agglomerative
algorithms, we deduce an approximation factor of as well.Comment: A preliminary version of this article appeared in Proceedings of the
28th International Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science
(STACS '11), March 2011, pp. 308-319. This article also appeared in
Algorithmica. The final publication is available at
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00453-012-9717-
The PHENIX Experiment at RHIC
The physics emphases of the PHENIX collaboration and the design and current
status of the PHENIX detector are discussed. The plan of the collaboration for
making the most effective use of the available luminosity in the first years of
RHIC operation is also presented.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Further details of the PHENIX physics program
available at http://www.rhic.bnl.gov/phenix
Herschel observations of EXtra-Ordinary Sources (HEXOS): Observations of H2O and its isotopologues towards Orion KL
We report the detection of more than 48 velocity-resolved ground rotational state transitions of H 16
2 O, H 18
2 O, and H 17
2 O – most for the first time
– in both emission and absorption toward Orion KL using Herschel/HIFI. We show that a simple fit, constrained to match the known emission
and absorption components along the line of sight, is in excellent agreement with the spectral profiles of all the water lines. Using the measured
H 18
2 O line fluxes, which are less affected by line opacity than their H 16
2 O counterparts, and an escape probability method, the column densities
of H 18
2 O associated with each emission component are derived. We infer total water abundances of 7.4 × 10−5, 1.0× 10−5, and 1.6 × 10−5 for the
plateau, hot core, and extended warm gas, respectively. In the case of the plateau, this value is consistent with previous measures of the Orion-KL
water abundance as well as those of other molecular outflows. In the case of the hot core and extended warm gas, these values are somewhat higher
than water abundances derived for other quiescent clouds, suggesting that these regions are likely experiencing enhanced water-ice sublimation
from (and reduced freeze-out onto) grain surfaces due to the warmer dust in these sources
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