Do we need an alternative methodology for doing alternative research?

Abstract The article analyzes the weak points of the Manifesto Project’s methodology, such as its emphasis on issue salience, instead of issue positions; bringing the content of manifestos under too broad categories formulated at the beginning of the project; not quite the appropriate technique of factor analysis etc. An alternative methodology is proposed that focuses on party positions on issues which generate the largest polarization in the political space. It also enriches the empirical base of the studies and adjusts the technique of factor analysis. In order to reveal political cleavages inside these dimensions, the so called electoral cleavages (factors of territorial differences in voting for various parties) are taken as a starting point: factor loadings of parties in the electoral and political spaces are compared through correlation and regression analyses. The proposed methodology is applied to an analysis of election results in Russia (2016) and Germany (2017).

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Innovativeness of Free/Open Source Solutions: Evidence from an Alternative Methodology

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.1077107 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Dario Lorenzi ◽

Cristina Rossi Lamastra

Keyword(s):

Open Source ◽

Alternative Methodology ◽

Free Open Source

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How Digital Inclusion Increase Opportunities for Young People: Case of NEETs from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13147894 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 7894

Author(s):

Gabriela Neagu ◽

Muhammet Berigel ◽

Vladislava Lendzhova

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Point Of View ◽

Multidimensional Analysis ◽

Theoretical Point ◽

Digital Inclusion ◽

Virtual Mobility ◽

Alternative Research ◽

High Share

This paper examines the perspectives of rural NEETs in the information society. Our analysis focuses on the situation of three European countries—Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey—characterized by a high share of rural areas and a population of NEETs. From a methodological point of view, we use alternative research methods (secondary data analysis) with statistical methods (simple linear regression). From a theoretical point of view, we will opt for a multidimensional analysis perspective: the theory of digital divide, digital inclusion, virtual mobility, etc. Through data analysis, we expect to obtain a more complete and detailed picture of the ICT situation in rural areas (level of digital skills, level of digital inclusion) to demonstrate the importance of ICT in optimizing virtual mobility for the living conditions of the population, especially the NEET population.

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Static grid carbon factors – Can we do better?

Building Services Engineering Research and Technology ◽

10.1177/0143624421991964 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 014362442199196

Author(s):

Jamie Risner ◽

Anna Sutherland

Keyword(s):

Carbon Emissions ◽

Regional Analysis ◽

Electricity Consumption ◽

Carbon Intensity ◽

External Temperature ◽

Building Regulations ◽

Calculation Methodology ◽

Alternative Methodology ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact

The average carbon intensity (gCO2e/kWh) of electricity provided by the UK National Grid is decreasing and becoming more time variable. This paper reviews the impact on energy calculations of using various levels of data resolution (half hourly, daily, monthly and annual) and of moving to region specific data. This analysis is in two parts, one focused on the potential impact on Part L assessments and the other on reported carbon emissions for existing buildings. Analysis demonstrated that an increase in calculated emissions of up to 12% is possible when using an emissions calculation methodology employing higher resolution grid carbon intensity data. Regional analysis indicated an even larger calculation discrepancy, with some regions annual emissions increasing by a factor of ten as compared to other regions. This paper proposes a path forward for the industry to improve the accuracy of analysis by using better data sources. The proposed change in calculation methodology is analogous to moving from using an annual average external temperature to using a CIBSE weather profile for a specific city or using a future weather file. Practical application: This paper aims to quantify the inaccuracy of a calculation methodology in common use in the industry and key to building regulations (specifically Building Regulations Part L – Conservation of Fuel and Power) – translating electricity consumption into carbon emissions. It proposes an alternative methodology which improves the accuracy of the calculation based on improved data inputs.

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Optimization of the Navy’s three-dimensional mine impact burial prediction simulation model, Impact35, using high-order numerical methods

The Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation Applications Methodology Technology ◽

10.1177/15485129211028661 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 154851292110286

Author(s):

Athanasios Donas ◽

Ioannis Famelis ◽

Peter C Chu ◽

George Galanis

Keyword(s):

Numerical Analysis ◽

Numerical Methods ◽

Prediction Model ◽

Simulation Model ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Simulation System ◽

High Order ◽

Alternative Methodology ◽

Runge Kutta ◽

Fifth Order

The aim of this paper is to present an application of high-order numerical analysis methods to a simulation system that models the movement of a cylindrical-shaped object (mine, projectile, etc.) in a marine environment and in general in fluids with important applications in Naval operations. More specifically, an alternative methodology is proposed for the dynamics of the Navy’s three-dimensional mine impact burial prediction model, Impact35/vortex, based on the Dormand–Prince Runge–Kutta fifth-order and the singly diagonally implicit Runge–Kutta fifth-order methods. The main aim is to improve the time efficiency of the system, while keeping the deviation levels of the final results, derived from the standard and the proposed methodology, low.

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Structural Pluralism, Corporate Newspaper Structure, and News Source Perceptions: Another Test of the Editorial Vigor Hypothesis

Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly ◽

10.1177/107769909807500311 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 75 (3) ◽

pp. 572-592 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

David K. Demers

Keyword(s):

Social Systems ◽

Structure Theory ◽

Value Systems ◽

Police Chiefs ◽

Corporate Structure ◽

Letters To The Editor ◽

News Sources ◽

Corporate Form ◽

News Source ◽

Alternative Methodology

A recent content analysis of newspaper editorials and letters to the editor disputes the conventional wisdom that newspapers become less vigorous editorially as they acquire the characteristics of the corporate form of organization. However, many scholars remain skeptical. This study tested the editorial vigor hypothesis using an alternative methodology: a national probability survey of mainstream news sources (mayors and police chiefs). The data provide partial support for the corporate structure theory - the more structurally complex the newspaper, the more news sources perceived that paper as being critical of them and their institutions. Drawing on previous research and these findings, the author argues corporate newspapers are more critical because they are more likely to be located in pluralistic communities, which contain more social conflict and criticism of dominant groups and value systems, and because they are more insulated from local political pressures. From a broader perspective, the results may be interpreted as supporting theories which hold that the pace of social change quickens as social systems become more structurally pluralistic.

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Moving Forward, One Step at a Time

International Organization ◽

10.1017/s0020818303572071 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 57 (2) ◽

pp. 431-444 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Barbara Koremenos ◽

Duncan Snidal

Keyword(s):

Research Design ◽

Rational Design ◽

Institutional Design ◽

Theoretical Perspective ◽

Design Decisions ◽

Design Project ◽

One Step ◽

Game Theoretic ◽

Alternative Research ◽

Future Work

We reply to John Duffield's critique of the Rational Design project, a special issue of International Organization that explains the features of international institutions from a game-theoretic perspective. The project was deliberately limited to the analysis of explicit and observable institutional arrangements, and focused on the specific institutional properties of centralization, membership, scope, control, and flexibility. Its empirical contribution relies on case studies, but it is significantly amplified by the tight connections provided by a common theoretical perspective that is oriented toward testing a set of specific conjectures about institutional design. The results raise further issues of measurement and cross-case comparisons that provide valuable lessons for future work on institutional design. Although all of these research design choices are worth revisiting and questioning, as Duffield does, the initial results of the Rational Design project show that it provides a good basis from which to explore alternative research design decisions.

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