Researching Under Fire: Political Science and Researcher Trauma

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (01) ◽  
pp. 141-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyanne E. Loyle ◽  
Alicia Simoni
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Team Members

ABSTRACT Despite dynamic discussions of research methods within political science, there has been comparatively scarce attention paid to the possibility and effect of research-related trauma—the trauma experienced by individuals working on issues and data related to violence and death. There are many activities within the field of political science that put members of the profession directly at risk for this form of trauma. In this article, we draw attention to the possible risks of research-related trauma for scholars, graduate students, and research team members, and offer some recommendations for best practices in what can be a challenging discipline.

scholarly journals A Corpus-Driven Study of Terms Used to Refer to Articles and Methods in Research Abstracts in the Fields of Economics, Education, English Literature, Nursing, and Political Science

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Riyad F. Hussein ◽  
Ahmad S. Haider ◽  
Sa'ida Walid Al-Sayyed
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Economics Education ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Corpus Linguistic ◽  
Five Disciplines

The present study attempts to identify the most frequent terms that are used in research abstracts relating to research articles designations, research methods, and research goals and quantify them in various disciplines, namely, economics, education, English literature, nursing, and political science to see whether there is a unique pattern characterizing terms peculiar to each of the five disciplines under investigation. It also explains why specific terms are overused/ underused by researchers. The current study follows a corpus-driven approach. For this purpose, we compiled a corpus of 2500 research abstracts from online refereed journals in the fields mentioned above. The corpus linguistic software program, AntConc (3.5.8), was used to analyze the collected data. The analysis revealed that some terms are more frequently used in some areas than others. For example, the term 'study' was the most common word to designate academic research. The most frequent term to refer to population and subject-related terms was 'sample/s,' while the least frequent was 'interviewee/s.' The words used to designate tools or instruments varied, with 'test' being the most frequent and 'checklist/s' the least. This study is of significant benefit for researchers in various disciplines. It acquaints them with terms used to designate articles in their respective fields, in addition to terms used most frequently to refer to sample- related terms and finally to words used for setting goals such as objectives, aims, and goals. This, in turn, can help researchers and graduate students embarking on writing their theses to opt for the most relevant terms peculiar to their disciplines. Unlike most studies that focused on developing academic word lists (AWL), this study set off with terms previously established and used in research bodies and research abstracts to unveil their popularity and the extent to which they are used in various discipline abstracts.   Received: 20 January 2021 / Accepted: 30 March 2021 / Published: 10 May 2021

Fieldnotes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Lowndes ◽  
Palle Storm ◽  
Marta Szebehely
Keyword(s):  
Research Team ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Ethnographic Methodology

This chapter discusses the taking, writing up, and analyzing of fieldnotes as part of the rapid ethnographic methodology. It describes the preparatory process the team members went through to learn how to conduct observations, and the guiding documents/principles used by the research team throughout the site visits. We explain how observations were carried out and how fieldnotes were captured in our project, comparing this process to that of traditional ethnographic research. It compares the process of writing up and analyzing fieldnotes in traditional ethnography with the process used in the team-based rapid ethnography, drawing on our individual experiences in conducting both types. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of the team-based approach.

Organizing and Managing Data Analytics Teams for Procurement

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Shao ◽  
Robert D. St. Louis
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Procurement Process ◽  
Using Data ◽  
And Training ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
The Way

Many companies are forming data analytics teams to put data to work. To enhance procurement practices, chief procurement officers (CPOs) must work effectively with data analytics teams, from hiring and training to managing and utilizing team members. This chapter presents the findings of a study on how CPOs use data analytics teams to support the procurement process. Surveys and interviews indicate companies are exhibiting different levels of maturity in using data analytics, but both the goal of CPOs (i.e., improving performance to support the business strategy) and the way to interact with data analytics teams for achieving that goal are common across companies. However, as data become more reliably available and technologies become more intelligently embedded, the best practices of organizing and managing data analytics teams for procurement will need to be constantly updated.

scholarly journals MCR: Open-Source Software to Automate Compilation of Health Study Report-Back

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6104
Author(s):  
Erin Polka ◽  
Ellen Childs ◽  
Alexa Friedman ◽  
Kathryn S. Tomsho ◽  
Birgit Claus Henn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Equitable Access ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
The Impact

Sharing individualized results with health study participants, a practice we and others refer to as “report-back,” ensures participant access to exposure and health information and may promote health equity. However, the practice of report-back and the content shared is often limited by the time-intensive process of personalizing reports. Software tools that automate creation of individualized reports have been built for specific studies, but are largely not open-source or broadly modifiable. We created an open-source and generalizable tool, called the Macro for the Compilation of Report-backs (MCR), to automate compilation of health study reports. We piloted MCR in two environmental exposure studies in Massachusetts, USA, and interviewed research team members (n = 7) about the impact of MCR on the report-back process. Researchers using MCR created more detailed reports than during manual report-back, including more individualized numerical, text, and graphical results. Using MCR, researchers saved time producing draft and final reports. Researchers also reported feeling more creative in the design process and more confident in report-back quality control. While MCR does not expedite the entire report-back process, we hope that this open-source tool reduces the barriers to personalizing health study reports, promotes more equitable access to individualized data, and advances self-determination among participants.

Constructive Distributed Work: An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Collaboration and Research for Distributed Teams

2021 ◽  
pp. 105065192110214
Author(s):  
Michelle McMullin ◽  
Bradley Dilger
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Interdisciplinary Teams ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Distributed Teams ◽  
Distributed Work ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Negative Impacts

Academic work increasingly involves creating digital tools with interdisciplinary teams distributed across institutions and roles. The negative impacts of distributed work are described at length in technical communication scholarship, but such impacts have not yet been realized in collaborative practices. By integrating attention to their core ethical principles, best practices, and work patterns, the authors are developing an ethical, sustainable approach to team building that they call constructive distributed work. This article describes their integrated approach, documents the best practices that guide their research team, and models the three-dimensional thinking that helps them develop sustainable digital tools and ensure the consistent professional development of all team members.

scholarly journals A power-critique of academic rankings: Beyond managers, institutions, and positivism

2021 ◽  
pp. 175774382098617
Author(s):  
John Welsh
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Political Analysis ◽  
Normative Discourse ◽  
Academic Rankings

The bulk of research on academic rankings is policy-oriented, preoccupied with ‘best practices’, and seems incapable of transcending the normative discourse of ‘governance’. To understand, engage, and properly critique the operation of power in academic rankings, the rankings discourse needs to escape the gravity of ‘police science’ and embrace a properly political science of ranking. More specifically, the article identifies three pillars of the extant research from which a departure would be critically fruitful – positivism, managerialism, institutionalism – and then goes on to outline three aspects of rankings that a critical political analysis should explore, integrate, and develop into future research from the discourses of critical theory – arkhè, dispositif, and dialectik.

scholarly journals Evidence-informed interventions and best practices for supporting women experiencing or at risk of homelessness: a scoping review with gender and equity analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Anne Andermann ◽  
Sebastian Mott ◽  
Christine M. Mathew ◽  
Claire Kendall ◽  
Oreen Mendonca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Randomized Trials ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Homeless Population ◽  
Equity Analysis

Introduction While much of the literature on homelessness is centred on the experience of men, women make up over one-quarter of Canada’s homeless population. Research has shown that women experiencing homelessness are often hidden (i.e. provisionally housed) and have different pathways into homelessness and different needs as compared to men. The objective of this research is to identify evidence-based interventions and best practices to better support women experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Methods We conducted a scoping review with a gender and equity analysis. This involved searching MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and other databases for systematic reviews and randomized trials, supplementing our search through reference scanning and grey literature, followed by a qualitative synthesis of the evidence that examined gender and equity considerations. Results Of the 4102 articles identified on homelessness interventions, only 4 systematic reviews and 9 randomized trials were exclusively conducted on women or published disaggregated data enabling a gender analysis. Interventions with the strongest evidence included post-shelter advocacy counselling for women experiencing homelessness due to intimate partner violence, as well as case management and permanent housing subsidies (e.g. tenant-based rental assistance vouchers), which were shown to reduce homelessness, food insecurity, exposure to violence and psychosocial distress, as well as promote school stability and child well-being. Conclusion Much of the evidence on interventions to better support women experiencing homelessness focusses on those accessing domestic violence or family shelters. Since many more women are experiencing or at risk of hidden homelessness, population-based strategies are also needed to reduce gender inequity and exposure to violence, which are among the main structural drivers of homelessness among women.

How (and Whether) to Teach Undergraduates About the Replication Crisis in Psychological Science

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Chopik ◽  
Ryan H. Bremner ◽  
Andrew M. Defever ◽  
Victor N. Keller
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Pedagogical Tool ◽  
The Past ◽  
Psychological Science ◽  
Replication Crisis ◽  
Psychological Studies

Over the past 10 years, crises surrounding replication, fraud, and best practices in research methods have dominated discussions in the field of psychology. However, no research exists examining how to communicate these issues to undergraduates and what effect this has on their attitudes toward the field. We developed and validated a 1-hr lecture communicating issues surrounding the replication crisis and current recommendations to increase reproducibility. Pre- and post-lecture surveys suggest that the lecture serves as an excellent pedagogical tool. Following the lecture, students trusted psychological studies slightly less but saw greater similarities between psychology and natural science fields. We discuss challenges for instructors taking the initiative to communicate these issues to undergraduates in an evenhanded way.

How (Not) to Reproduce: Practical Considerations to Improve Research Transparency in Political Science

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
R. Michael Alvarez ◽  
Simon Heuberger
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Political Science ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Code Structure ◽  
Research Transparency ◽  
Implementation Of Standards

ABSTRACT In recent years, scholars, journals, and professional organizations in political science have been working to improve research transparency. Although better transparency is a laudable goal, the implementation of standards for reproducibility still leaves much to be desired. This article identifies two practices that political science should adopt to improve research transparency: (1) journals must provide detailed replication guidance and run provided material; and (2) authors must begin their work with replication in mind. We focus on problems that occur when scholars provide research materials to journals for replication, and we outline best practices regarding documentation and code structure for researchers to use.

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