scholarly journals Bi-Directional Learning: Identifying Contaminants on the Yurok Indian Reservation

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (19) ◽  
pp. 3513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Middleton ◽  
Talaugon ◽  
Young ◽  
Wong ◽  
Fluharty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Program ◽  
Landscape Management ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Chemical Screening ◽  
Directional Learning ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Interpretation Of Results

The Yurok Tribe partnered with the University of California Davis (UC Davis) Superfund Research Program to identify and address contaminants in the Klamath watershed that may be impairing human and ecosystem health. We draw on a community-based participatory research approach that begins with community concerns, includes shared duties across the research process, and collaborative interpretation of results. A primary challenge facing University and Tribal researchers on this project is the complexity of the relationship(s) between the identity and concentrations of contaminants and the diversity of illnesses plaguing community members. The framework of bi-directional learning includes Yurok-led river sampling, Yurok traditional ecological knowledge, University lab analysis, and collaborative interpretation of results. Yurok staff and community members share their unique exposure pathways, their knowledge of the landscape, their past scientific studies, and the history of landscape management, and University researchers use both specific and broad scope chemical screening techniques to attempt to identify contaminants and their sources. Both university and tribal knowledge are crucial to understanding the relationship between human and environmental health. This paper examines University and Tribal researchers’ shared learning, progress, and challenges at the end of the second year of a five-year Superfund Research Program (SRP) grant to identify and remediate toxins in the lower Klamath River watershed. Our water quality research is framed within a larger question of how to best build university–Tribal collaboration to address contamination and associated human health impacts.

scholarly journals Embedding consumer and community involvement within an established research centre: moving from general recommendations to an actionable framework

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tilini Gunatillake ◽  
Cade Shadbolt ◽  
Daniel Gould ◽  
Michelle Lam ◽  
Marion Glanville Hearst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
National Health ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Research Council ◽  
Medical Research Council ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Community Members

Plain English summary Involving consumers and community members in the research process is an important step towards developing and delivering effective, person-centered health care. The National Health and Medical Research Council have provided recommendations for involving consumers and community members in research; however, definitive actions to implement these are not well defined. To address this, an established research centre in Melbourne, Australia, has developed a consumer and community involvement framework to incorporate the national recommendations into their research program. This paper describes the framework the research centre has employed, in the hope that other researchers can adapt this approach and learnings to their own research practices. The framework described in this paper aims to foster partnerships between consumers, community members and researchers, and in doing so, encourages consumers to be actively involved in research to help improve future outcomes for those living with musculoskeletal conditions. Simultaneously, the framework encourages researchers to value the consumer voice in their research to ensure they yield meaningful research outcomes for those living with musculoskeletal conditions. Abstract Background The value of involving consumers and community members in every stage of the research process is gaining recognition as an important consideration in the wider research landscape. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has provided general recommendations for involving consumers and community members in research, although the translation of these recommendations into tangible actions has not yet been well defined. In light of these recommendations, many research institutions are now seeking to incorporate the voices of consumers and community members in their research practices. Methods The consumer and community involvement framework described in this paper incorporates the NHMRC’s recommendations to produce a four-tiered model where consumer participants nominate their level of involvement depending on their research interests and preferred level of commitment. In ascending order, the tiers are: Consumer Subscriber, Document Reviewer, Research Buddy and Consumer Advocate. The success of this framework depends upon the implementation of effective governance and access to appropriate infrastructure. A Consumer and Community Advisory Group and a designated Consumer and Community Liaison Officer will take responsibility for ensuring appropriate interactions between consumers, researchers, and the research center’s executive team. The framework aims to apply suitable support structures in place to manage expectations and minimize barriers to effective involvement, whilst ensuring that consumer contributions are appropriately valued and incorporated in the research. Discussion Involving consumers and community members in the research process is an important step towards developing and delivering effective, person-centered health care. While consumer and community involvement offer researchers invaluable perspectives on their research program, it provides an opportunity for consumers and community members to be actively involved in health research and improve the health and wellbeing for those living with health conditions.

Owning one’s epistemology in religious studies research methodology

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 2057-2071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Baron
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Religious Studies ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Observer Effect ◽  
Temporal Coupling ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose There is a lack of epistemological considerations in religious studies methodologies, which have resulted in an on-going critique in this field. In addressing this critique, the researcher’s observer effect needs to be actively accounted for owing to the influence of the researcher’s epistemology in the author’s research. This paper aims to answer the question of why a researcher should address one’s epistemology in the research. Design/methodology/approach Using second-order cybernetics as an approach, observer dependence is exemplified and justified in the context of religious studies research methodology. The research activity is shown as a relational temporal coupling that introduces inter-subjective aspects to the research. The research process is analysed showing the need to provide scope for the researcher’s epistemology in one’s research. Findings A relational observer-dependent approach to research embraces the epistemology of the researcher and the participants providing equality in the relationship. The research results are thus framed according to the nature of the relationship and are thus not detached. This addresses social justice and reduces troubling truth claims. Research limitations/implications This first paper focuses on the question of why epistemology should be included in scholarly research. A detailed framework for how scholars may achieve this goal is to be part of the future study and is not presented in this paper. Practical implications In many positivist approaches there is a motivation to hide the researcher; however, recently there has been a move towards including authors in the first person, realising that science is tied to politics, which does not reach its ideals of objectivity. Cybernetics is presented as an approach to addressing the move from “objective” to “subjective” research. Social implications Researchers cannot get into the minds of their participants and thus an authorial privileged presentation by the researcher of the participant’s experiences is fraught with epistemological weaknesses. Attempting to own one’s own epistemology could address social justice in research by personalising the research and accounting for the observer effect and the inter-subjective attributes of the research relationship. Originality/value The principle of observer dependence in cybernetics is not new; however, a research approach that focuses on the nature of knowing and how this may influence one’s research in religious studies is uncommon. It is thus presented here as a viable option to address the critique of epistemologically weak research methodology in religious studies.

Participatory Research in Basarwa Settlements: Shifting Development Paradigms

1999 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances Riemer
Keyword(s):  
Participatory Research ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Southern African Country ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Typical Scenario

As anthropologists, applied researchers, and action researchers, we have long explored the relationship between researcher and researched; many of us have tried to reconceptualize these roles to make informants more equal partners in the research process. In the Southern African country of Botswana, Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRAs) have become the favored way to involve community members in applied-research. PRAs assist communities gather and document information about their surroundings, build rapport between the local community and extension officers, and plan development efforts through a series of facilitator-led activities. A PRA exercise results in a community-action plan, in which community members outline what will be done, when, how, and by whom. But while PRAs have been developed to help community members create a village profile and needs assessment, the research protocol itself tends to be a standardized "fill-in-the-blank exercise." In the most typical scenario, community members, with the guidance of outside facilitators, supply the missing information. The popularity of PRAs, coupled with this fixed, externally-driven format, raises questions about the meaning of participation in participatory research, and the degree to which community members can be expected to participate in researching their own lives. As part of my own examination of these issues, I recently co-facilitated a different model of participatory research in Botswana, in which the tools for data collection were fully designed and used by community members to research their own communities. In this article, I write about my own experiences, and those of the men and women who became participant researchers, in order to examine the power that active participation in research generates among community members and to describe the social and political dilemmas that arose from that participation.

Investigating consumer advocacy, community usefulness, and brand avoidance

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 488-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.R. Jayasimha ◽  
Harish Chaudhary ◽  
Anurag Chauhan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Response ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Consumer Advocacy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Grocery Retailing ◽  
Major Interest ◽  
Group A ◽  
Social Side ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the behavioral outcomes and effectiveness of organizational response to open complaints by consumers following a dissatisfactory service experience. Design/methodology/approach Three natural communities (WhatsApp groups) were used with reference to online food and grocery retailing. The respondents comprised community members sharing negative experiences on the group. A scenario implanted in a survey was used as the research approach. Findings Consumer advocacy, a form of complaining, is a way to help other community members. The relationship between consumer advocacy and community usefulness strengthens the argument of consumers’ collective concern as one of the motivational frames for consumer advocacy. Consumer advocates show stronger reactions, resulting in brand avoidance following voice complaining. An effective organizational response can mitigate brand avoidance. Practical implications Finding ways to restrict and alleviate brand avoidance is an area that is of major interest to practitioners. The study finds that prospective explanations could be a very effective antidote to brand avoidance. Originality/value The social side of complaining is a relatively under-researched area. This study examines the relationship between consumer advocacy, community usefulness and brand avoidance. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the moderating effect of organizational response on consumer advocacy and its outcomes in the virtual context.

Effectiveness and impact of a structured research approach for health-system pharmacy administration and leadership residents

2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-234
Author(s):  
Tyler A Vest ◽  
Lindsey B Amerine ◽  
Scott W Savage ◽  
Kamakshi V Rao ◽  
Stephen F Eckel
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Publication Rate ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Pharmacy Administration ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Required competency areas, goals, and objectives for both postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residencies and postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) health-system pharmacy administration and leadership (HSPAL) residencies indicate the importance of research in the residency program by specifying it as a required part of the training process. Research is critical in the field of health-system pharmacy administration, which is built upon the principles of evaluation and assessment, ensuring that all activities implemented in an organization are evaluated through data collection and assessment to determine their impact. Additionally, the research structure provides residents the opportunity to share research broadly, and it also provides the platform for other institutions to implement successful ideas of interest to them. Summary This article describes the impact of having a structured, publication-focused research program in an HSPAL residency. The research process has provided follow-up projects (n = 7) and grant participation (n = 6). Additionally, the process has yielded a 66% publication rate, with 21 of 32 thesis substitutes published in various journals. The department of pharmacy at the residency site has noticed that the continued refinement, scoping, and robust methodologies of projects have been essential to their impact in the literature and in dissemination of the accumulated body of knowledge. Conclusion A structured residency research program has provided direction to HSPAL residents and ensured successful scoping and completion of their research. Intentionality in this aspect has provided HSPAL residents with opportunities for publications, grants, and strong research experiences. Overall, the department of pharmacy has been positively impacted through implementation of services that were evaluated through a structured HSPAL pharmacy residency research program.

Tinkering with cognitive gadgets: Cultural evolutionary psychology meets active inference

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Benjamin Badcock ◽  
Axel Constant ◽  
Maxwell James Désormeau Ramstead
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Psychology ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Active Inference ◽  
Innovative Research ◽  
Cognitive Faculties ◽  
Cultural Evolutionary ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Cognitive Gadgets offers a new, convincing perspective on the origins of our distinctive cognitive faculties, coupled with a clear, innovative research program. Although we broadly endorse Heyes’ ideas, we raise some concerns about her characterisation of evolutionary psychology and the relationship between biology and culture, before discussing the potential fruits of examining cognitive gadgets through the lens of active inference.

Charting the Mode for Community Participation in Service Delivery

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olayemi Bakre ◽  
Nirmala Dorasamy
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Inclusion ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Local Municipalities ◽  
Process Failure ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
The Relationship

Poor service delivery has always been considered a legacy of the apartheid era. However, 25 years into democracy, many local municipalities are still battling with service delivery backlogs. These backlogs are often attributed to, for example, dysfunctional ward committees, corruption amongst councillors, exclusion of community members in the planning process, failure to prioritise community needs, and institutional capacity issues. These challenges have undermined municipalities’ provision of quality service delivery and have precipitated service delivery protests. This article argues that community participation, which has been identified as a factor that can mitigate the aforementioned challenges, can be pivotal in the provision of effective and efficient services by municipalities. The relationship between community inclusion and service delivery outcomes is not simplistic, but depend upon a combination of proactive and highly skilled leaders and a cooperative and supportive populace. In this article, we identify the modes for successful participation and also the consequences of community exclusion through textual analysis of pertinent sources. We argue that such participation can only be successful and sustainable if it is reinforced by support from local government in the form of community training and capacity development workshops to exchange and instil new ideas as well as by resource allocation.

The utility of non-formal education in addressing the school dropout phenomenon : a case study of Asifundeni Secondary School in Makonde District Zimbabwe

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-69
Author(s):  
Francis Muchenje ◽  
◽  
Pedzisai Goronga
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
School Dropout ◽  
School Level ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Secondary School Level

The study sought to explore students' views on the utility of non-formal education in addressing the school dropout phenomenon at secondary school level. Qualitative research approach was adopted and a case study design was utilised. The population consisted of all the students in the non-formal programme at the school from which a sample of 11 students (2 male and 9 female) was selected through purposive stratified sampling technique. Data were gathered through structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Non-formal education was seen to address the school dropout phenomenon by providing school drop outs with an opportunity to continue their education and hence becomes a form of empowerment. A number of challenges such as lack of adequate tuition in some subjects, lack of conducive learning environment as well as negative perception of non-formal education held by pupils in the formal stream and community members were identified. The study recommends that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should review the staffing situation in schools to ensure the availability of teachers in the various subjects in the non-formal stream. Schools should make an effort to provide appropriate learning facilities for students in the nonformal stream. Furthermore, schools should conscientise their communities on the importance of non-formal education.

Dance and Ethnicity

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Shay ◽  
Barbara Sellers-Young
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Studies ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Transnational Politics ◽  
Dance Studies ◽  
Ethnic Category ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Active Contributor

Ethnic groups have been defined as people who share a common ethos based on ancestry, nation, language and other identity markers. This volume brings scholars from across the globe that have incorporated perspectives from critical and cultural studies in an investigation of what it means to define oneself in an ethnic category and how this category is performed and represented as an ethnicity. The essays in this volume engage the four themes of identity construction, local and transnational politics, appropriation and related exotification, and resistance that are part of the ongoing discourse in the relationship between dance and ethnicity. Cumulatively, the essays in their research approach and methodology document the change that has taken place in dance studies from the ethnic as an easily identified category based on biology and geography to ethnicity as a fluid concept and dance as an active contributor to the creation and negotiation of it.

scholarly journals Relationship of patient shame to working alliance and satisfaction: a preliminary investigation

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 251-263
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Carabellese ◽  
Michael J. Proeve ◽  
Rachel M. Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Working Alliance ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
External Shame ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship of two distinct variants of dispositional shame (internal and external shame) with collaborative, purpose-driven aspects of the patient–provider relationship (working alliance) and patient satisfaction. The aim of this research was to conduct a preliminary investigation into the relevance of dispositional shame in a general healthcare population. Design/methodology/approach In total, 127 community members (mean age 25.9 years) who reported that they had regularly seen a GP over the past year were recruited at an Australian university. Participants were asked to reflect on their relationship with their GP, and completed instruments assessing various domains of shame, as well as working alliance and patient satisfaction. Findings Non-parametric correlations were examined to determine the direction and strength of relationships, as well as conducting mediation analyses where applicable. Small, negative correlations were evident between external shame and working alliance. Both external and internal shame measures were also negatively correlated with patient satisfaction. Finally, the relationship of external shame to patient satisfaction was partially mediated by working alliance. Practical implications Both the reported quality of patient–provider working alliance, and level of patient satisfaction are related to levels of dispositional shame in patients, and working alliance may act as a mediator for this relationship. Originality/value The findings from this preliminary study suggest that internal and external shame are important factors to consider in the provision of medical care to maximise the quality of patient experience and working alliance.

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