scholarly journals Triangulation and Trustworthiness —Advancing Research on Public Service Interpreting through Qualitative Case Study Methodologies

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-52
Author(s):  
Maria Aguilar Solano
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
The Social

Abstract: This paper discusses a research methods approach to investigate phenomena in interpreting studies based on a triangulation of qualitative methods. It discusses the concept of triangulation, as developed in the social sciences by Campbell and Fiske (1959), with an emphasis on the process of combining and integrating multiple methods. It reviews previous applications of triangulation in translation and interpreting studies and describes the advantages of systematic triangulation for empirical research. The implications of this approach for future research in public service interpreting concerning the trustworthiness of the interpretative nature of qualitative inquiry are also discussed. To demonstrate the practical application of triangulation in public service interpreting settings, this paper draws on a case study conducted by the author where triangulation of participant observation, focus groups and audio-recorded interaction was employed. The integration of the different research methods utilized, as well as the findings derived by triangulation, are illustrated through examples from this study.Resumen: Este artículo presenta un enfoque metodológico basado en la triangulación de métodos de investigación cualitativos y el cual facilita el estudio de fenómenos de la interpretación en los servicios públicos. Se analiza el concepto de triangulación desarrollado por Campbell y Fiske (1959) y se hace énfasis en el proceso de combinación e integración de múltiples métodos. Se revisan aplicaciones de la triangulación dentro los estudios de traducción e interpretación y se describen las ventajas de la triangulación sistemática para la investigación empírica. También se tratan las implicaciones que tiene este enfoque para futuras investigaciones en interpretación en servicios públicos con respecto a la confiabilidad de la tarea interpretativa que desarrolla el investigador en los estudios cualitativos. Para demostrar la aplicación práctica de la triangulación en este campo, este artículo se basa en un estudio de caso realizado por el autor en el que se utilizó la triangulación de observación participante, grupos focales y grabaciones en audio de eventos interpretados. La integración de los diferentes métodos de investigación utilizados, así como los resultados derivados de la triangulación, se ilustran a través de ejemplos de este estudio

The Mechanismic Worldview: Thinking Inside the Box

2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN GERRING
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
The Body ◽  
Causal Factor ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
The Social ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
General Explanation

A widespread turn towards mechanism-centred explanations can be viewed across the social sciences in recent decades. This article clarifies what it might mean in practical terms to adopt a mechanismic view of causation. This simple task of definition turns out to be considerably more difficult than it might at first appear. The body of the article elucidates a series of tensions and conflicts within this ambient concept, looking closely at how influential authors have employed this ubiquitous term. It is discovered that ‘mechanism’ has at least nine distinct meanings as the term is used within contemporary social science: (1) the pathway or process by which an effect is produced; (2) an unobservable causal factor; (3) an easy-to-observe causal factor; (4) a context-dependent (bounded) explanation; (5) a universal (or at least highly general) explanation; (6) an explanation that presumes highly contingent phenomena; (7) an explanation built on phenomena that exhibit lawlike regularities; (8) a distinct technique of analysis (based on qualitative, case study, or process-tracing evidence); or (9) a micro-level explanation for a causal phenomenon. Some of these meanings may be combined into coherent definitions; others are obviously contradictory. It is argued, however, that only the first meaning is consistent with all contemporary usages and with contemporary practices within the social sciences; this is therefore proposed as a minimal (core) definition of the concept. The other meanings are regarded as arguments surrounding the core concept.

Towards measuring societal impact of research: Insights from an Irish case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Finbarr Brereton ◽  
Eoin O'Neill ◽  
Louise Dunne
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Research Impact ◽  
Funding Agency ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Societal Impact ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
The Social

Academic research is increasingly required to demonstrate economic and policy relevance, with this becoming a key metric by which the success of research projects are being judged. Furthermore, the active, as opposed to passive, participation of citizens in science is now encouraged through dissemination and outreach, using, for example, co-production techniques. These non-traditional academic impacts have become a key component of a number of funding agency calls, most notably the European Union’s research funding programme Horizon 2020. However, exactly how measurable these ‘impacts’ are, particularly social and policy impacts, is unclear as there is not an obvious metric. Additionally, there is no standardised approach to assessing research impact recognised in the social sciences. Using a case study which describes the experience of using public engagement seminars as a means to disseminate academic research to stakeholder communities, this article aims to develop an impact assessment strategy to measure societal impact applicable in the social sciences. Based on recommendations in the UK Research Excellence Framework, amongst other literature, we put forward three steps to better capture research ‘impact’ in a more meaningful way in future research projects: (i) establish the quality of the academic research, (ii) choose appropriate discipline-specific criteria for measuring societal impact and (iii) choose appropriate measurable indicators. Other useful insights include the difficulty of motivating public interest in topics that are no longer high profile or emotive, and hence the necessity to provide access to research findings as early as possible in the research cycle. The article concludes with a discussion of the difficulties of measuring ‘impact’ in a meaningful sense.

Globalisation: An Old Phenomenon That Needs to Be Rediscovered for Tourism?

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 306-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Reiser
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
The Past ◽  
Case Study Area ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Common Concept ◽  
Historical Developments

Globalisation is a common concept in the social sciences; its meaning, however, is contested. Therefore in the first part the paper provides a framework of the term ‘globalisation’ as well as a definition. This definition is then connected with another contested term: ‘tourism’. In the second part, the research methods used to research globalisation and tourism in a case study area, the Otago Peninsula in Dunedin, New Zealand, are outlined. The research methods are linked with specific historical developments in the case study area in the past, the present and the future. The third part gives some preliminary results of the ongoing research project. Of particular interest is the model that links the history of the Otago Peninsula and its environments, tourism and globalisation.

The Impact of Historical Knowledge, Skill, and Interpretive Attitude on the Authenticity of Female Reenactors' Regency-Style Gowns

2021 ◽  
pp. 0887302X2110551
Author(s):  
Dina Smith
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Skill Level ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Historical Knowledge ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this qualitative case study research was to explore how elements of and barriers to authenticity impact the level of authenticity achieved in Regency reenactors’ gowns. Interviews with ten female Regency reenactors and participant observation were conducted. Participants displayed categorical differences in their commitment to historical knowledge and willingness (interpretive attitude) and ability (skill) to replicate primary historical sources. Overall, the results confirmed that reenactors negotiate their desire for authenticity with personal needs and limitations when creating reenactment dress but contradicted the idea that authenticity is a function of developing historical knowledge. Reenactors’ interpretive attitude, which was often influenced by skill level, was more influential than historical knowledge in pursuing and achieving authenticity. This research resulted in the revision and integration of The Historic Styles of Dress Design Considerations Model into the Authenticity Continuum, creating the Updated Authenticity Continuum, which may be used in future research reenactment and related topics.

Co-creating content with children to avoid ‘Uncle Swag’: Strategies for producing public service television drama for tweens and teens at the Danish children’s channel DR Ultra

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-180
Author(s):  
Eva Novrup Redvall ◽  
Katrine Bouschinger Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Public Service ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Television Drama ◽  
Television Production ◽  
Successful Series

This article explores the strategies for fictional content of the Danish children’s channel DR Ultra through a qualitative case study of the production framework behind its successful series Klassen (2016–now). Building on studies of television production and theories of co-creation, the analysis investigates the use of co-creative initiatives during the development and writing as well as the production of programmes. The analysis highlights the value of involving children more closely in content targeting them, not only to ensure that what is told and how it is told is relevant and appealing, but also to create a sense of participation and co-creation.

Personal bonds in the internationalization of the social sciences: A view from the periphery

2021 ◽  
pp. 026858092096201
Author(s):  
Leandro Rodriguez-Medina ◽  
Hebe Vessuri
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Academic Mobility ◽  
The Social ◽  
Future Research Directions

Due to the interest in formal relationships at work or to the difficulty to define what personal means, personal bonds in the social sciences have been an understudied topic. Even less has been the interest in connecting such bonds with the internationalization of careers and knowledge. In this article, the authors aim at filling this gap by studying what role personal bonds have played in the internationalization of the social sciences in Latin America. They identify factors that affect personal bonds as well as translations that scholars produce to capitalize on these ties. The most relevant of such translations, academic mobility, has to be interpreted, from a peripheral standpoint, as operating within a logic of leveling, a process that highlights structural asymmetries in the global social sciences. The authors describe both dimensions of this process and, in the concluding section, offer some policy implications and future research directions.

The Manifestation of New Public Service Principles in Small-town Government: A Case Study of Grand Island, New York

2021 ◽  
pp. 0160323X2110031
Author(s):  
Jason D. Rivera ◽  
Andrew Uttaro
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
Engagement Strategies ◽  
New Public ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
Grand Island ◽  
Inclusive Governance

Although New Public Service (NPS) principles are well known, their practice in local government settings has only been limitedly explored. As a means of better understanding governance practices that adhere to NPS principles in local contexts, this study engaged in a case study of Grand Island, New York. Through the analysis of interviews with elected officials and civic servant department heads, it is observed that public servants practice various public engagement strategies for gauging public sentiment and interests in public policy. However, these same public servants point out the challenges of public hearings and social media to understanding their citizens. Information on public servants’ notions of accountability is observed, which relates to how they view the public’s involvement in policy processes. Recommendations for future research are provided as a means of enhancing our understanding and development of more inclusive governance practices.

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