Distilling Privacy Requirements for Mobile Applications

As mobile computing applications have become commonplace, it is increasingly important for them to address end-users’ privacy requirements. Privacy requirements depend on a number of contextual socio-cultural factors to which mobility adds another level of contextual variation. However, traditional requirements elicitation methods do not sufficiently account for contextual factors and therefore cannot be used effectively to represent and analyse the privacy requirements of mobile end users. On the other hand, methods that do investigate contextual factors tend to produce data that does not lend itself to the process of requirements extraction. To address this problem we have developed a Privacy Requirements Distillation approach that employs a problem analysis framework to extract and refine privacy requirements for mobile applications from raw data gathered through empirical studies involving end users. Our approach introduces privacy facets that capture patterns of privacy concerns which are matched against the raw data. We demonstrate and evaluate our approach using qualitative data from an empirical study of a mobile social networking application

A worked example of "best fit" framework synthesis: A systematic review of views concerning the taking of some potential chemopreventive agents

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A variety of different approaches to the synthesis of qualitative data are advocated in the literature. The aim of this paper is to describe the application of a pragmatic method of qualitative evidence synthesis and the lessons learned from adopting this "best fit" framework synthesis approach.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An evaluation of framework synthesis as an approach to the qualitative systematic review of evidence exploring the views of adults to the taking of potential agents within the context of the primary prevention of colorectal cancer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty papers from North America, Australia, the UK and Europe met the criteria for inclusion. Fourteen themes were identified <it>a priori </it>from a related, existing conceptual model identified in the literature, which were then used to code the extracted data. Further analysis resulted in the generation of a more sophisticated model with additional themes. The synthesis required a combination of secondary framework and thematic analysis approaches and was conducted within a health technology assessment timeframe.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The novel and pragmatic "best fit" approach to framework synthesis developed and described here was found to be fit for purpose. Future research should seek to test further this approach to qualitative data synthesis.</p

Validating Chemistry Faculty Members’ Self-Reported Familiarity with Assessment Terminology

With the increasing emphasis placed upon chemistry instructors and departments to assess and evaluate their courses and curricula, understanding the structure of chemistry faculty members’ knowledge and use of assessment terms and concepts can shed light on potential areas for targeted professional development. Survey research that might accomplish this objective often relies on self-reported responses from the target audience, and such information is sometimes difficult to assess in terms of validity. As an example of an internal mechanism to help establish validity, it is possible to include an “internal standard” item early in the survey. For the sake of understanding faculty members’ familiarity with assessment terminology, an item that asked participants to identify analogous pairs of terms comparing assessment measures (assessment validity and assessment reliability) to laboratory measures (accuracy and precision) served this purpose. Using ordered logistic regression, participants who answered the analogy question completely correctly were more likely to report higher levels of familiarity with the assessment terms. Because the self-reported data appears to be valid, these data can be further used in subsequent analyses in order to determine the general familiarity trends among chemistry faculty regarding assessment terminology

The Development of a Content Analysis Model for Assessing Students’ Cognitive Learning in Asynchronous Online Discussions

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a content analysis model for assessing students\u27 cognitive learning in asynchronous online discussions. It adopted a fully mixed methods design, in which qualitative and quantitative methods were employed sequentially for data analysis and interpretation. Specifically, the design was a sequential exploratory (QUAL→ quan) design with priority given to qualitative data and methods. Qualitative data were 800 online postings collected in two online courses. Quantitative data were 803 online postings from the same two courses but from different discussion topics and different weeks. During the qualitative process, a grounded theory approach was adopted to construct a content analysis model based on qualitative data. During the quantitative process, chi-square tests and confirmative factor analysis (CFA) which used online postings as cases or observations and was the first of its kind were performed to test if the new model fit the quantitative data

PRO development: rigorous qualitative research as the crucial foundation

Recently published articles have described criteria to assess qualitative research in the health field in general, but very few articles have delineated qualitative methods to be used in the development of Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs). In fact, how PROs are developed with subject input through focus groups and interviews has been given relatively short shrift in the PRO literature when compared to the plethora of quantitative articles on the psychometric properties of PROs. If documented at all, most PRO validation articles give little for the reader to evaluate the content validity of the measures and the credibility and trustworthiness of the methods used to develop them. Increasingly, however, scientists and authorities want to be assured that PRO items and scales have meaning and relevance to subjects. This article was developed by an international, interdisciplinary group of psychologists, psychometricians, regulatory experts, a physician, and a sociologist. It presents rigorous and appropriate qualitative research methods for developing PROs with content validity. The approach described combines an overarching phenomenological theoretical framework with grounded theory data collection and analysis methods to yield PRO items and scales that have content validity

Somewhat united: primary stakeholder perspectives of the governance of schoolboy football in Ireland

Despite an independent report on the governance and organisational practices of football in Ireland, the National Governing Body continues to face criticism in relation to stakeholder management and communication. As positive outcomes in non-profit organisations are associated with quality relationships between organisations, the purpose of this article is to explore primary stakeholder perspectives of the governance of schoolboy football in the Republic of Ireland. The research questions to be addressed are: do tensions exist between stakeholders and does the FAI display effective governance behaviours in relation to its primary stakeholders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven stakeholders from the football governance system. A lack of congruence across the system was identified, which resulted from ineffective stakeholder management (poor communication practices, perceptions of inaccurate disclosures, perceived lack of inclusion in decision-making, perceptions of organisational injustice, confusion over role clarity and responsibilities). Managing the quality of the relationships with diverse stakeholders within a sport governance system is key for strategic policy formation and implementation, yet this remains a challenging and multi-faceted concept. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Validity Threats in Quantitative Data Collection with Games : A Narrative Survey

Background. Games are increasingly used to collect scientific data. Some suggest that game features like high cognitive load may limit the inferences we can draw from such data, yet no systematic overview exists of potential validity threats of game-based methods. Aim. We present a narrative survey of documented and potential threats to validity in using games for quantitative data collection. Method. We combined an unsystematic bottom-up literature review with a systematic top-down application of standard validity threat typologies to games to arrive at a systematisation of game-characteristic validity threats. Results. We identify three game characteristics that potentially impact validity: Games are complex systems, impeding the predictable control and isolation of treatments. They are rich in unwanted variance and diversity. And their social framing can differ from and interact with the framing of research studies or non-game situations they are supposed to represent. The diversity of gamers and their differences to general populations bring further complications. Discussion and Conclusions. The wealth of potential validity threats in game-based research is met by a dearth of systematic methodological studies, leading us to outline several future research directions

Psychological consultancy in mental health services: A systematic review of service, staff, and patient outcomes

Objectives Psychological consultation in mental health is an organizational intervention aiming to enable mental health care to be delivered in a more efficient manner. This review sought to: (1) clarify what theoretical models underpin consultancy, (2) define how consultancy is implemented, (3) assess the methodological rigour of the evidence base, and (4) define the outcomes achieved for services, staff, and patients. The review was focal to direct and indirect forms of consultation. Method PRISMA guidelines were followed. Three databases were searched identifying N = 17 studies, and these were quality assessed using the QualSyst quality ratings checklist. Studies were grouped by model of consultation and outcome. A thematic analysis then clustered the patient, staff, and service outcomes into either discrepant or confirmatory evidence. Results The most frequently adopted theoretical models underpinning psychological consultation are cognitive‐behavioural and cognitive‐analytic. Method of consultancy implementation is typically via case formulation meetings. Study quality varied from limited to strong. The main confirmatory and positive outcomes for staff are an increase in understanding and also more positive feelings towards patients, and for the service, there is a reduced need for other interventions. Conclusions Psychological consultation appears a useful and worthwhile aspect of leadership by psychological therapists. Training in delivering consultancy needs to be well integrated into the core curricula of clinical training programmes. The evidence base is still in its infancy, and further well‐controlled research is required. Practitioner points Psychological consultation improves staff insight and understanding of patients. Psychological consultants need to remain visible and accessible to teams and use a theoretical model to guide consultation. Training and supervision in consultation are necessary to support psychological therapists in these roles