Aspects of Theory Evaluation

1973 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence V. Grant
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Real World ◽  
Formal Language ◽  
Logical Analysis ◽  
Computer Algorithms ◽  
Theory Evaluation ◽  
External Consistency ◽  
Basic Concepts

Mathematical languages and computer algorithms are becoming important modes of analysis for theory evaluation in political science. Typically, the process involves (1) translating the major theoretical relationships into a ‘formal’ language for the logical analysis of internal consistency, or, (2) empirically interpreting the formal language in order to make specific predictions, which, in turn, allow evaluation of external consistency with theoretically significant real world phenomena. In this paper I wish to discuss, first, some basic concepts and, second, some aspects of the technology and methodology of these modes of theory evaluation.

Debt Markets and Investments

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Level Of Detail ◽  
Fixed Income ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Debt Markets ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Distinguishing Features ◽  
Consistent Approach ◽  
Complex Subject

This book provides an objective look into the dynamic world of debt markets, products, valuation, and analysis. It also provides an in-depth understanding about this subject from experts in the field, both practitioners and academics. The coverage extends from discussing basic concepts and their application to increasingly intricate and real-world situations. This volume spans the gamut from theoretical to practical, while attempting to offer a useful balance of detailed and user-friendly coverage. The book has several distinguishing features. It blends the contributions of a global array of scholars and practitioners into a single review of some of the most important topics in this area. The book follows an internally consistent approach in format and style. Hence, it is collectively much more than a compilation of chapters from an array of different authors. It presents theory without unnecessary abstraction, quantitative techniques using basic bond mathematics, and conventions at a useful level of detail. It also incorporates how investment professionals analyze and manage fixed income portfolios. The book emphasizes empirical evidence involving debt securities and markets so it is understandable to a wide array of readers. Each chapter contains discussion questions to help reinforce key concepts. The end of the book contains guideline answers to each question. Readers interested in a broad survey will benefit as will those looking for more in-depth presentations of specific areas within this field of study. In summary, the book provides a fresh look at this intriguing and dynamic but often complex subject.

Computer algorithms

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Newman
Keyword(s):  
Data Structures ◽  
Analysis Of Algorithms ◽  
Shortest Paths ◽  
Minimum Cut ◽  
Network Data ◽  
Computer Algorithms ◽  
Breadth First Search ◽  
Augmenting Path ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
Maximum Flows

This chapter introduces some of the fundamental concepts of numerical network calculations. The chapter starts with a discussion of basic concepts of computational complexity and data structures for storing network data, then progresses to the description and analysis of algorithms for a range of network calculations: breadth-first search and its use for calculating shortest paths, shortest distances, components, closeness, and betweenness; Dijkstra's algorithm for shortest paths and distances on weighted networks; and the augmenting path algorithm for calculating maximum flows, minimum cut sets, and independent paths in networks.

Ireland’s Deliberative Mini-Publics

2021 ◽  
pp. 626-644
Author(s):  
David M. Farrell ◽  
Jane Suiter ◽  
Clodagh Harris ◽  
Kevin Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Real World ◽  
Important Case ◽  
Democratic Legitimacy ◽  
Deliberative Process ◽  
Recruitment Process

Democratic crisis is a hot topic in political science at present, and for understandable reasons. But what is often missed in much of the commentary about democracies in peril is the fact that democracies can and do innovate. This chapter deals with one important case of such democratic innovation—the Irish deliberative mini-publics. We start with a discussion of the origins and design of the Irish cases. We then employ the Suiter and Reuchamps (2016) framework to analyse their democratic legitimacy in terms of input (the recruitment process), throughput, (the quality of the deliberative process), and output (the mini-public’s impact in terms of the uptake of its recommendations and acceptance of the process). The Irish processes are powerful real-world examples of the potential systemization of deliberation, showing how deliberative mini-publics can successfully supplement representative and direct forms of democracy.

scholarly journals Identifying important nodes from content-associated heterogeneous graph by LeaderRank

2021 ◽  
Vol 2113 (1) ◽  
pp. 012082
Author(s):  
Yulong Dai ◽  
Qiyou Shen ◽  
Xiangqian Xu ◽  
Jun Yang
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Experimental Analysis ◽  
Differential Information ◽  
World Systems ◽  
Ranking Problem ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Importance Ranking ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
Important Nodes ◽  
Graph Nodes

Abstract Most real-world systems consist of a large number of interacting entities of many types. However, most of the current researches on systems are based on the assumption that the type of node or link in the network is unique. In other words, the network is homogeneous, containing the same type of nodes and links. Based on this assumption, differential information between nodes and edges is ignored. This paper firstly introduces the research background, challenges and significance of this research. Secondly, the basic concepts of the model are introduced. Thirdly, a novel type-sensitive LeaderRank algorithm is proposed and combined with distance rule to solve the importance ranking problem of content-associated heterogeneous graph nodes. Finally, the writer influence data set is used for experimental analysis to further prove the validity of the model.

External Validity Reconsidered

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana C. Mutz
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Real World ◽  
External Validity ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Internal Validity ◽  
Conventional Wisdom ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Convincing Case

This chapter talks about the significance of generalizability. Experimentalists often go to great lengths to argue that student or other convenience samples are not problematic in terms of external validity. Likewise, a convincing case for causality is often elusive with observational research, no matter how stridently one might argue to the contrary. The conventional wisdom is that experiments are widely valued for their internal validity, and experiments lack external validity. These assumptions are so widespread as to go without question in most disciplines, particularly those emphasizing external validity, such as political science and sociology. But observational studies, such as surveys, are still supposed to be better for purposes of maximizing external validity because this method allows studying people in real world settings.

Network Data Characteristics

2011 ◽  
pp. 104-122
Author(s):  
Yu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Random Variables ◽  
Network Data ◽  
Traffic Data ◽  
Real World Data ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Data Points ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Basic Concepts ◽  
Data Elements

Data represents the natural phenomena of our real world. Data is constructed by rows and columns; usually rows represent the observations and columns represent the variables. Observations, also called subjects, records, or data points, represent a phenomenon in the real world and variables, as also known as data elements or data fields, represent the characteristics of observations in data. Variables take different values for different observations, which can make observations independent of each other. Figure 4.1 illustrates a section of TCP/IP traffic data, in which the rows are individual network traffics, and the columns, separated by a space, are characteristics of the traffics. In this example, the first column is a session index of each connection and the second column is the date when the connection occurred. In this chapter, we will discuss some fundamental key features of variables and network data. We will present detailed discussions on variable characteristics and distributions in Sections Random Variables and Variables Distributions, and describe network data modules in Section Network Data Modules. The material covered in this chapter will help readers who do not have a solid background in this area gain an understanding of the basic concepts of variables and data. Additional information can be found from Introduction to the Practice of Statistics by Moore and McCabe (1998).

A Scale to Assess Attitudes toward Euthanasia

2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Wasserman ◽  
Jeffrey Michael Clair ◽  
Ferris J. Ritchey
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Severe Pain ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Sample Variance ◽  
Passive Euthanasia ◽  
Cronbach's Alpha ◽  
Patient’S Autonomy ◽  
External Consistency ◽  
Active And Passive Euthanasia

The topic of euthanasia has been a matter of public debate for several decades. Although empirical research should inform policy, scale measurement is lacking. After analyzing shortcomings of previous work, we offer a systematically designed scale to measure attitudes toward euthanasia. We attempt to encompass previously unspecified dimensions of the phenomenon that are central to the euthanasia debate. The results of our pretest show that our attitude towards euthanasia (ATE) scale is both reliable and valid. We delineate active and passive euthanasia, no chance for recovery and severe pain, and patient's autonomy and doctor's authority. We argue that isolating these factors provides a more robust scale capable of better analyzing sample variance. Internal consistency is established with Cronbach's alpha = .871. Construct external consistency is established by correlating the scale with other predictors such as race and spirituality.

scholarly journals A Feature Selection Approach in the Study of Azorean Proverbs

2014 ◽  
pp. 38-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luís Cavique ◽  
Armando B. Mendes ◽  
Matthias Funk ◽  
Jorge M. A. Santos
Keyword(s):  
Feature Selection ◽  
Real World ◽  
Rough Sets ◽  
Noisy Data ◽  
Logical Analysis ◽  
Logical Analysis Of Data ◽  
Selection Algorithm ◽  
Feature Selection Algorithm ◽  
Selection Approach ◽  
Feature Selection Approach

A paremiologic (study of proverbs) case is presented as part of a wider project based on data collected among the Azorean population. Given the considerable distance between the Azores islands, the authors present the hypothesis that there are significant differences in the proverbs from each island, thus permitting the identification of the native island of the interviewee based on his or her knowledge of proverbs. In this chapter, a feature selection algorithm that combines Rough Sets and the Logical Analysis of Data (LAD) is presented. The algorithm named LAID (Logical Analysis of Inconsistent Data) deals with noisy data, and the authors believe that an important link was established between the two different schools with similar approaches. The algorithm was applied to a real world dataset based on data collected using thousands of interviews of Azoreans, involving an initial set of twenty-two thousand Portuguese proverbs.

scholarly journals Post-Modern Cosmopolitanism & Discourse Ethics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Michael Hemmingsen
Keyword(s):  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Real World ◽  
Discourse Ethics ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Moral Justification ◽  
Communicative Reason ◽  
Unique Approach

<p>This paper sets out an approach – post-modern cosmopolitanism – that seeks to allow moral conversation and moral justification between groups and individuals who do not share any substantive values. It does this without denying the plurality of value systems (universalism) and without allowing groups to retreat behind inviolable walls of ethical self-containment (relativism). The approach relies on many aspects of Jurgen Habermas’s discourse ethics, but it takes discourse ethics in a new direction, leading to a unique approach. I start the paper by showing the problems with the current dominant alternatives – universalism and relativism – both in terms of their lack of internal consistency and in terms of their inability to mitigate and resolve conflict in practice. I then introduce some of the important concepts that form the basis of the post-modern cosmopolitan approach: discourse ethics, communicative reason, the principles of discourse, and the idea of fundamental goals. Following this I discuss the nature of ‘reasons,’ in order to make sense of the claim of discourse ethics that we should engage with each other via an ‘exchange of reasons,’ and also to outline some of the key distinctions necessary for understanding the praxis of post-modern cosmopolitanism, the ‘cosmopolitan conversation’. Finally I examine some of the deficiencies in Habermas’s discourse ethics, and show how post-modern cosmopolitanism can overcome them. I conclude by outlining the nature of the ‘cosmopolitan conversation,’ and gesture at how we might begin to apply post-modern cosmopolitanism in real-world situations.</p>

scholarly journals Post-Modern Cosmopolitanism & Discourse Ethics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Michael Hemmingsen
Keyword(s):  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Real World ◽  
Discourse Ethics ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Moral Justification ◽  
Communicative Reason ◽  
Unique Approach

<p>This paper sets out an approach – post-modern cosmopolitanism – that seeks to allow moral conversation and moral justification between groups and individuals who do not share any substantive values. It does this without denying the plurality of value systems (universalism) and without allowing groups to retreat behind inviolable walls of ethical self-containment (relativism). The approach relies on many aspects of Jurgen Habermas’s discourse ethics, but it takes discourse ethics in a new direction, leading to a unique approach. I start the paper by showing the problems with the current dominant alternatives – universalism and relativism – both in terms of their lack of internal consistency and in terms of their inability to mitigate and resolve conflict in practice. I then introduce some of the important concepts that form the basis of the post-modern cosmopolitan approach: discourse ethics, communicative reason, the principles of discourse, and the idea of fundamental goals. Following this I discuss the nature of ‘reasons,’ in order to make sense of the claim of discourse ethics that we should engage with each other via an ‘exchange of reasons,’ and also to outline some of the key distinctions necessary for understanding the praxis of post-modern cosmopolitanism, the ‘cosmopolitan conversation’. Finally I examine some of the deficiencies in Habermas’s discourse ethics, and show how post-modern cosmopolitanism can overcome them. I conclude by outlining the nature of the ‘cosmopolitan conversation,’ and gesture at how we might begin to apply post-modern cosmopolitanism in real-world situations.</p>

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