A personal, retrospective view of ecological validity

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (5-6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron V Cicourel
Keyword(s):  
Academic Career ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Organizational Settings ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Retrospective View ◽  
The Social ◽  
Human Actors

AbstractThe notion of ecological validity has been an abiding topic either implicitly or explicitly during my entire academic career. Ecological validity focuses on how we seek to convince others of the viability and authenticity of our claims and can be understood by our use of primary and secondary data sources such as official statistics, demographic distributions, sample surveys, structured interviews, open-ended or unstructured interviews, and recorded discourse during social interaction. Ecological validity, however, can only be approximated in the social and behavioral sciences. The key issue is the extent to which data are congruent with systematic time samples of events and activities within local institutional or organizational settings. For example, direct observation of and participation in the everyday activities or practices of human actors during their daily life experiences by the use of, when possible, audio or video recordings. Systematic behavioral sampling by biological (behavioral ecological) studies of nonhuman animals (Altmann 1974; Krebs and Davies 1997) can serve as a guide for social scientists. This paper selectively discusses three previous research projects that attempted to approximate ecological validity.

scholarly journals Experience Sampling Method

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Rhee ◽  
Joseph Bayer ◽  
Alexander Hedstrom
Keyword(s):  
Human Behavior ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Experience Sampling ◽  
Mobile Sensing ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The Social ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Ecological Momentary

The use of experience sampling methodology (ESM), also known as ecological momentary assessment (EMA), is firmly established in the social sciences. The family of ESM methods employs in vivo self-reports, providing opportunities for social scientists to study human behavior with high ecological validity. More recently, researchers across disciplines have begun to conduct studies that directly combine ESM with mobile sensing, thereby blending the benefits of subjective self-reports with more objective traces of human behavior. This combination of ESM and mobile sensing offers new opportunities, such as predetermined digital events that initiate ESM survey notifications based on contextual information. Altogether, ESM is evolving in ways that offer new opportunities and challenges for researchers.

scholarly journals Data-Seeking Behaviour in the Social Sciences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Krämer ◽  
Andrea Papenmeier ◽  
Zeljko Carevic ◽  
Dagmar Kern ◽  
Brigitte Mathiak
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Publishing Research ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Relevance Assessment ◽  
The Social ◽  
Fair Principles

AbstractPurpose Publishing research data for reuse has become good practice in recent years. However, not much is known on how researchers actually find said data. In this exploratory study, we observe the information-seeking behaviour of social scientists searching for research data to reveal impediments and identify opportunities for data search infrastructure.Methods We asked 12 participants to search for research data and observed them in their natural environment. The sessions were recorded. Afterwards, we conducted semi-structured interviews to get a thorough understanding of their way of searching. From the recordings, we extracted the interaction behaviour of the participants and analysed the spoken words both during the search task and the interview by creating affinity diagrams.Results We found that literature search is more closely intertwined with dataset search than previous literature suggests. Both the search itself and the relevance assessment are very complex, and many different strategies are employed, including the creatively “misuse” of existing tools, since no appropriate tools exist or are unknown to the participants.Conclusion Many of the issues we found relate directly or indirectly to the application of the FAIR principles, but some, like a greater need for dataset search literacy, go beyond that. Both infrastructure and tools offered for dataset search could be tailored more tightly to the observed work processes, particularly by offering more interconnectivity between datasets, literature, and other relevant materials.

Options for Recovery: Promoting Perinatal Drug and Alcohol Recovery, Child Health, and Family Stability

1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 607-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Brindis ◽  
Gale Berkowitz ◽  
Zoe Clayson
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Data ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Chemically Dependent ◽  
Relative Caregivers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Quantitative Analyses ◽  
Alcohol Recovery ◽  
Familial Context ◽  
Pregnant And Parenting Women

The perceived magnitude of perinatal chemical dependency in California was the impetus for an interagency partnership within the California Health and Welfare Agency called Options for Recovery (OFR). It offered alcohol and drug treatment and recovery, case management, and recruitment and training of foster parents and relative caregivers to chemically dependent pregnant and parenting women. A 3-year, multi-method evaluation was conducted that included quantitative analyses of secondary data sources, semi-structured interviews with staff and clients, self-administered surveys of staff and clients, client focus groups, and child developmental assessments. Findings indicate that to achieve success, programs structured on the OFR model must recruit chemically dependent women early in their pregnancies, provide mechanisms for retention, offer a continuum of treatment modalities within the service system, make available a comprehensive array of ancillary services, and be responsive to the social, cultural, and familial context within which these women live.

scholarly journals Discrimination against Veiled Muslim Women in Switzerland: Insights from Field Experts

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 500
Author(s):  
Anaïd Lindemann
Keyword(s):  
Social Space ◽  
Muslim Women ◽  
Life Domains ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Important Marker

Although the hijab has recently attracted much attention from social scientists, the discrimination experienced by hijabis has been insufficiently investigated. Data are difficult to obtain, partly because surveys usually do not have items on this practice and victims are difficult to reach. However, field experts, namely active agents in governmental racism-prevention institutions and in Muslim associations, can provide rich insights into processes of discrimination. Based on an analysis of semi-structured interviews, I answer the following question: how do governmental and non-governmental experts describe discrimination against hijabis in Switzerland? The results reveal that, according to the experts interviewed, the hijab is the most important marker leading to processes of discrimination; this discrimination takes a variety of forms and affects a wide range of life domains and profiles of hijabis; such discrimination leads to a segregation of the social space of hijabis; many women are unwilling to report discrimination to governmental services for different reasons.

scholarly journals SOIL USE AND OCCUPATION OF WIND FARM AGRICULTURAL AREAS

Mercator ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2020) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Manoel Fortunato Sobrinho Júnior ◽  
Elis Regina Costa de Morais ◽  
Paulo César Moura da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wind Activity ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Agricultural Areas

Wind energy, despite being considered clean and renewable, has negative impacts in the social and environmental scope, significantly altering coastal areas and the interior of Northeast Brazil, this is mainly due to the new land uses arising from the installation of wind towers. Thus, the objective of this research was to analyze changes in land use and occupation of agricultural areas exploited by wind energy, to identify the potential of these agricultural areas for the construction of wind farms and to verify the reconciliation between wind and agricultural activity. Primary and secondary data collection was used, covering semi-structured interviews and analysis of satellite images. The study area was the municipality of Serra do Mel, located in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The results obtained were processed in the geographic information system QGIS and demonstrated through thematic maps and graphs. It was possible to conclude that the installation of wind farms caused few changes in the classes of use and occupation of the land, it was found that the agricultural areas of Serra do Mel have great potential for wind energy due to the speed of the winds and the condition of the land and identified there is also the possibility of reconciling agricultural and wind activity.

PENGARUH PENYELENGGARAAN HAJI TERHADAP PENINGKATAN AKTIVITAS EKONOMl DI WILAYAH PROPINSI DKI JAKARTA

ALQALAM ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 380
Author(s):  
Chairul Akmal
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Data ◽  
Travel Agency ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Regression Methods ◽  
The Social ◽  
Travel Agencies ◽  
Relationship Model ◽  
Small Medium Enterprises ◽  
Medium Enterprises

This research analyzes some factors affecting economic activities in relation with the conduct of pilgrimage. Those factors are the pilgrimage cost, the amount of pilgrims, and the amount of pilgrimage officers. The objective of this research is to acquire the information of how each factor and all factors together affect the economic activities. This research also analyzes the effect of foods and drinks expenses, the effect of nonfoods and drinks expenses, and the effect of miscellaneous expenses on UMKM - Micro, Small, Medium enterprises' economic activities.             This research is conducted in DKI Jakarta in 2007. The population of this research is the average economic activities in DKI Jakarta in 2007. There are 42 respondents (Banks), 157 respondents (travel agencies), and 50 respondents (UMKM - Micro, Small, Medium enterprises) which are taken as samples from the population using the purposive sampling method. The data is obtained by the researcher using questioners and secondary data which is taken from 1990-2007.             The methodology used in this research is based on. the causal relationship model In testing the hypothesis of this research, the researcher uses the simple and multiple regression methods, and path analysis method. The significant rate a = 0,05 used in determining the interpretation of the statistic result. The data is processed using SPSS (Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences) version 12.00.             The results of the analysis in the 1st equation -are (i) the effect of the pilgrimage cost on banks' revenues is quite strong, (ii) the effect of the pilgrimage cost on travel agencies' revenues is quite strong, (iii) the effect of the pilgrimage cost on UMKM - Micro, Small, Medium enterprises' revenues is weak.             The results of the analysis in the 2nd equation are (i) the effect, of the amount of pilgrims on Banks' revenues is very weak, (ii) the effect of the amount of pilgrims on travel agencies' revenues is very weak, (iii) the effect of the amount of pilgrims on UMKM - Micro, Smal4 Medium enterprises' revenues is very weak.             The results of the analysis in the 3rd equation are (i) the effect of the amount of pilgrimage officers on banks' revenues is very weak, (ii) the effect of the amount of pilgrimage officers on travel agencies' revenues is very weak, (iii) the effect of the amount officers on UMKM-Micro, Small Medium enterprises' revenues is very weak.   The results of the analysis in the 4th equation are (i) the effect of all three factors which are the pilgrimage cost, the amount of pilgrims, and the amount of pilgrimage officers simultaneously on banks' revenues is very strong, (ii) The effect of all three factors which are pilgrimage costs, the amount of pilgrims, and the amount of pilgrimage officers simultaneously on travel agencies' revenues is strong, (iii) The effect of all three factors which are pilgrimage costs, the amount of pilgrims, and the amount of pilgrimage officers simultaneously on UMKM-Micro, Small Medium enterprises' revenues is strong.             The result of the analysis in the 5th equation is the effect of foods and drinks expenses on UMKM-Micro, Small Medium enterprises' revenues is weak. In the 6th equation, the effect of nonfoods and drinks expenses on UMKM-Micro, small Medium enterprises' revenues is weak. In the 7th equation, the effect of miscellaneous expenses on UMKM - Micro, Small Medium enterprises' revenues is quite strong. In the 8th equation, the effect of all three factors which are the effect of foods and drinks expenses, the effect of nonfoods and drinks expenses, and the effect of miscellaneous expenses simultaneously on UMKM-Micro, Small Medium enterprises' revenues is quite strong.             The implication of the research results mentioned above is the factors in the conduct of pilgrimage do increase the economic activities (Banks, Travel Agencies, and UMKM - Micro, Smal4 Medium enterprises) in DKI Jakarta. Therefore, considering that matter, the General Director of the conduct of pilgrimage division of Department of Religion Republic of Indonesia should determine the pilgrimage cost which is affordable, increase the service, and provide a good information system which will result in a better conduct of the pilgrimage. Key word: The Costs of Hajj, Hajj Officer, Travel Agency, UMKM

“We Speak the Truth!”

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-80
Author(s):  
Sari Hanafi
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Science ◽  
The Political ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
The Social ◽  
Academic Qualifications

This study investigates the preachers and their Friday sermons in Lebanon, raising the following questions: What are the profiles of preachers in Lebanon and their academic qualifications? What are the topics evoked in their sermons? In instances where they diagnosis and analyze the political and the social, what kind of arguments are used to persuade their audiences? What kind of contact do they have with the social sciences? It draws on forty-two semi-structured interviews with preachers and content analysis of 210 preachers’ Friday sermons, all conducted between 2012 and 2015 among Sunni and Shia mosques. Drawing from Max Weber’s typology, the analysis of Friday sermons shows that most of the preachers represent both the saint and the traditional, but rarely the scholar. While they are dealing extensively with political and social phenomena, rarely do they have knowledge of social science

Value-driven issues throughout the development of sociological theory

2020 ◽  
pp. 147-160
Author(s):  
Gulbarshyn Chepurko ◽  
Valerii Pylypenko
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social System ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Different Levels

The paper examines and compares how the major sociological theories treat axiological issues. Value-driven topics are analysed in view of their relevance to society in times of crisis, when both societal life and the very structure of society undergo dramatic change. Nowadays, social scientists around the world are also witnessing such a change due to the emergence of alternative schools of sociological thought (non-classical, interpretive, postmodern, etc.) and, subsequently, the necessity to revise the paradigms that have been existed in sociology so far. Since the above-mentioned approaches are often used to address value-related issues, building a solid theoretical framework for these studies takes on considerable significance. Furthermore, the paradigm revision has been prompted by technological advances changing all areas of people’s lives, especially social interactions. The global human community, integral in nature, is being formed, and production of human values now matters more than production of things; hence the “expansion” of value-focused perspectives in contemporary sociology. The authors give special attention to collectivities which are higher-order units of the social system. These units are described as well-organised action systems where each individual performs his/her specific role. Just as the role of an individual is distinct from that of the collectivity (because the individual and the collectivity are different as units), so too a distinction is drawn between the value and the norm — because they represent different levels of social relationships. Values are the main connecting element between the society’s cultural system and the social sphere while norms, for the most part, belong to the social system. Values serve primarily to maintain the pattern according to which the society is functioning at a given time; norms are essential to social integration. Apart from being the means of regulating social processes and relationships, norms embody the “principles” that can be applied beyond a particular social system. The authors underline that it is important for Ukrainian sociology to keep abreast of the latest developments in the field of axiology and make good use of those ideas because this is a prerequisite for its successful integration into the global sociological community.

On diversity in the social sciences: Why homogeneous research groups are an ethical mistake

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Nusbaum ◽  
Toby SantaMaria
Keyword(s):  
Minority Groups ◽  
Academic Science ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Ethical Perspective ◽  
Scientific Enterprise ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Social Good ◽  
The Social ◽  
Public Responsibility ◽  
Principles Of Justice

The scientific enterprise reflects society at large, and as such it actively disadvantages minority groups. From an ethical perspective, this system is unacceptable as it actively undermines principles of justice and social good, as well as the research principles of openness and public responsibility. Further, minority social scientists lead to better overall scientific products, meaning a diverse scientific body can also be considered an instrumental good. Thus, centering minority voices in science is an ethical imperative. This paper outlines what can be done to actively center these scientists, including changing the way metrics are used to assess the performance of individual scientists and altering the reward structure within academic science to promote heterogenous research groups.

WORK-BASED LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: EXPERIENCE AND CHALLENGES OF LEARNERS, WORKPLACES AND INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Roosipõld ◽  
Krista Loogma ◽  
Mare Kurvits ◽  
Kristina Murtazin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Constructivist Learning Theory ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
Restaurant Management ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University ◽  
Social Constructivist Learning

In recent years, providing higher education in the form of work-based learning has become more important in the higher education (HE) policy and practice almost in all EU countries. Work-based learning (WBL) in HE should support the development of competences of self-guided learners and adjust the university education better to the needs of the workplace. The study is based on two pilot projects of WBL in HE in Estonia: Tourism and Restaurant Management professional HE programme and the master’s programme in Business Information Technology. The model of integrative pedagogy, based on the social-constructivist learning theory, is taken as a theoretical foundation for the study. A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with the target groups. The data analysis used a horizontal analysis to find cross-cutting themes and identify patterns of actions and connections. It appears, that the challenge for HE is to create better cooperation among stakeholders; the challenge for workplaces is connected with better involvement of students; the challenge for students is to take more initiative and responsibility in communication with workplaces.

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