Geometry of the Butterknowle Fault at Bishop Auckland (County Durham, UK), from gravity survey and structural inversion

The Butterknowle Fault is a major normal fault of Dinantian age in northern England, bounding the Stainmore Basin and the Alston Block. This fault zone has been proposed as a source of deep geothermal energy; to facilitate the design of a geothermal project in the town of Bishop Auckland further investigation of its geometry was necessary and led to the present study. We show using three-dimensional modelling of a dense local gravity survey, combined with structural inversion, that this fault has a ramp-flat-ramp geometry, ~250 m of latest Carboniferous / Early Permian downthrow having occurred on a fault surface that is not a planar updip continuation of that which had accommodated the many kilometres of Dinantian extension. The gravity survey also reveals relatively low-density sediments in the hanging-wall of the Dinantian fault, interpreted as porous alluvial fan deposits, indicating that a favourable geothermal target indeed exists in the area. This study demonstrates the value of gravity data for elucidating geological structure, even in a well-studied region such as Britain, and highlights the need to verify published structural interpretations as future deep geothermal projects are designed. Future work of this type might be undertaken more expeditiously using microelectromechanical gravimeters

Symptom Control Trials in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Qualitative Study

CONTEXT:Symptom control research in patients with advanced cancer is not common. This may be the result of a belief that this research is unethical, not practical, or that patients are not interested. However, the experiences of cancer patients who have actually taken part in symptom control research near the end of life have never been detailed. OBJECTIVES:The objective was to explore the experiences of patients with advanced cancer who had taken part in symptom control trials. METHODS:A prospective two-center study was undertaken using grounded theory methodology. Theoretical sampling was used to recruit patients from one of two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials studying novel analgesic agents for cancer-related pain. Participants completed one semistructured interview. Recruitment and interviewing continued until data saturation was achieved. RESULTS:Twenty-one participants were recruited. Fifteen (71%) were male, with a mean age of 62 years. Key themes identified included reasons for trial participation, participants' interactions with the trial staff, and participants' responses to the effect the trial had on their pain. In general, participants regarded taking part in a clinical trial as a positive experience, and potentially improving overall well-being. Crucially, this was not related to whether there had been an improvement in symptoms. CONCLUSION:The findings provide grounds for optimism that patients with advanced cancer may benefit from taking part in symptom control trials, supporting the paradigm that participation in symptom control research should be encouraged in this population

Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization

Deposited on 20 October 2017 in Keele University Repository at: http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/4122/Saturation has attained widespread acceptance as a methodological principle in qualitative research. It is commonly taken to indicate that, on the basis of the data that have been collected or analysed hitherto, further data collection and/or analysis are unnecessary. However, there appears to be uncertainty as to how saturation should be conceptualized, and inconsistencies in its use. In this paper, we look to clarify the nature, purposes and uses of saturation, and in doing so add to theoretical debate on the role of saturation across different methodologies.Weidentify four distinct approaches to saturation, which differ in terms of the extent to which an inductive or a deductive logic is adopted, and the relative emphasis on data collection, data analysis, and theorizing. We explore the purposes saturation might serve in relation to these different approaches, and the implications for how and when saturation will be sought. In examining these issues, we highlight the uncertain logic underlying saturation- as essentially a predictive statement about the unobserved based on the observed, a judgement that, we argue, results in equivocation, and may in part explain the confusion surrounding its use.Weconclude that saturation should be operationalized in a way that is consistent with the research question(s), and the theoretical position and analytic framework adopted, but also that there should be some limit to its scope, so as not to risk saturation losing its coherence and potency if its conceptualization and uses are stretched too widely.sch_die52pub5265pub

Making the Most of Qualitative Evidence for Energy Poverty Mitigation:A Research Agenda and Call for Action

The field of energy poverty brings together a wide range of researchers, from numerous disciplines and using a range of methods. Qualitative research on energy poverty, especially on the lived experience of energy poor households, has burgeoned in recent years. Contributions stem from researchers based in a range of disciplines and nations, and studying varied contexts and spatial patterns of energy poverty (Bouzarovski and Tirado Herrero 2017; Aklin et al. 2018). This growing interest in qualitative evidence on energy poverty has given new insights into the complex, multi-dimensional and dynamic nature of this problem. It has helped contextualise existing quantitative data, by showing how policy plays out in peoples’ lives, and revealing what is working or not in these households’ everyday basis.The strengths of qualitative research are numerous, but principally, it allow us to grasp the systemic nature of this problem and engage in people centred research. As qualitative researchers we use terms like multi-dimensional, multi-scalar, dynamic and relational to describe the phenomenon of energy poverty. Moreover, while quantitative understandings represent people as numbers, percentages or proportions, qualitative work studies the daily lives of people. In short, qualitative research centres energy-poor and practitioner experiences as the main focus of analysis. As a result, it can play an emancipatory role in representing the interests of people experiencing specific problems. Hidden dimensions of energy poverty that are washed away in quantitative data aggregates can be revealed through qualitative research. This contributes to more appropriate and tailored policy interventions that better reflect the needs of energy poor households.This policy brief offers a research agenda and call for action to ‘make the most’ of qualitative evidence relating to energy poverty, based on discussions from an ENGAGER workshop in Amsterdam (30-31 October 2019) involving 50 researchers, policy-makers and practitioners from across the Netherlands and the ENGAGER network

Making the Most of Qualitative Evidence for Energy Poverty Mitigation: A Research Agenda and Call for Action: Policy Brief N°3 of the ENGAGER COST Action

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Householder engagement with energy consumption feedback: the role of community action and communications

The provision of energy consumption feedback on in-home displays (IHDs) has a prominent role in government strategies for domestic energy demand reduction. Research suggests that IHDs can support energy consumption reduction, but also that engagement with IHDs can be limited to men and is often short-term. In this paper, we draw on research carried out in Smart Communities, a two-year project in which electricity and gas consumption feedback played a key role. This study was distinctive because it was accompanied by a weekly email communications programme and was provided within the context of community action. Project findings suggest that, although by no means panaceas, approaches such as these can support long-term engagement with energy consumption feedback, including by women, and can support behaviour change