WorldWideScience

Sample records for methods ethnographic design

  1. Ethnographic Video as Design Specs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buur, Jacob; Fraser, Euan; Oinonen, Soila

    2010-01-01

    Ethnographic video is used extensively in some industrial corporations to document field studies and to convey an understanding of what is 'out there' to HCI designers and developers of new technologies. The basic assumption is that ethnography through questioning the prevailing conceptions...... of 'users' and their practices can encourage development engineers to solve the right problems with socially sustainable solutions. However, engineering is solution-driven, with the currency of negotiation being requirement specifications and solution principles. While providing ethnographic insight...

  2. Media Ethnographic Methods targeting students in a technical education (Medialogy)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersson, Eva; Kofoed, Lise B.

    2012-01-01

    This paper investigates the process of designing, executing and evaluating a Bachelor “soft” skills based course, Media Ethnographic Methods targeting students in a technical education (Medialogy). The course was designed as a creative workshop encouraging innovation, group dynamics...

  3. Ethnographic Methods in Academic Libraries: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramsden, Bryony

    2016-01-01

    Research in academic libraries has recently seen an increase in the use of ethnographic-based methods to collect data. Primarily used to learn about library users and their interaction with spaces and resources, the methods are proving particularly useful to academic libraries. The data ethnographic methods retrieve is rich, context specific, and…

  4. Examining organizational change in primary care practices: experiences from using ethnographic methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Grant; Advocat, Jenny; Geneau, Robert; Farrell, Barbara; Thille, Patricia; Ward, Natalie; Evans, Samantha

    2012-08-01

    Qualitative methods are an important part of the primary care researcher's toolkit providing a nuanced view of the complexity in primary care reform and delivery. Ethnographic research is a comprehensive approach to qualitative data collection, including observation, in-depth interviews and document analysis. Few studies have been published outlining methodological issues related to ethnography in this setting. This paper examines some of the challenges of conducting an ethnographic study in primary care setting in Canada, where there recently have been major reforms to traditional methods of organizing primary care services. This paper is based on an ethnographic study set in primary care practices in Ontario, Canada, designed to investigate changes to organizational and clinical routines in practices undergoing transition to new, interdisciplinary Family Health Teams (FHTs). The study was set in six new FHTs in Ontario. This paper is a reflexive examination of some of the challenges encountered while conducting an ethnographic study in a primary care setting. Our experiences in this study highlight some potential benefits of and difficulties in conducting an ethnographic study in family practice. Our study design gave us an opportunity to highlight the changes in routines within an organization in transition. A study with a clinical perspective requires training, support, a mixture of backgrounds and perspectives and ongoing communication. Despite some of the difficulties, the richness of this method has allowed the exploration of a number of additional research questions that emerged during data analysis.

  5. Ethnographic Contributions to Method Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leander, Anna

    2016-01-01

    of IR—Critical Security Studies. Ethnographic research works with what has been termed a “strong” understanding of objectivity. When this understanding is taken seriously, it must lead to a refashioning of the processes of gathering, analyzing, and presenting data in ways that reverse many standard...... of research in the ethnographic tradition. However, it would also require rethinking standard methods instructions and the judgments they inform....... assumptions and instructions pertaining to “sound methods.” Both in the context of observation and in that of justification, working with “strong objectivity” requires a flexibility and willingness to shift research strategies that is at odds with the usual emphasis on stringency, consistency, and carefully...

  6. The ethnographic method and its relationship with the domain analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Alejandro Romero Quesada

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper analyzes the theoretical and conceptual relationship of the ethnographic method with domain analysis. A documentary analysis was performed, exploring the categories of domain analysis and ethnographic method.It was obtained as a result: the analysis of the points of contact between domain analysis and the ethnographic method from an epistemological, methodological and procedural terms. It is concluded that the ethnographic method is an important research tool to scan the turbulent socio-cultural scenarios that occur within discursive communities that constitute the domains of knowledge.

  7. Conceptual Crossroads: Methods and Ethics in Ethnographic Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetterman, David M.

    1986-01-01

    The delicacy required of ethnographic work is nowhere more evident and more necessary than at the conceptual crossroads where methods and ethical decision making intersect. This paper addresses moments of decision and puts them into perspective by locating them within the lifecycle of ethnographic evaluation. (LMO)

  8. Ethnographic Decision Tree Modeling: A Research Method for Counseling Psychology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, Kirk A.

    2005-01-01

    This article describes ethnographic decision tree modeling (EDTM; C. H. Gladwin, 1989) as a mixed method design appropriate for counseling psychology research. EDTM is introduced and located within a postpositivist research paradigm. Decision theory that informs EDTM is reviewed, and the 2 phases of EDTM are highlighted. The 1st phase, model…

  9. Using ethnographic methods in software engineering research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sharp, Helen, C.; Dittrich, Yvonne; De Souza, Cleidson

    2010-01-01

    This tutorial provides an overview of the role of ethnography in Software Engineering research. It describes the use of ethnographic methods as a means to provide an in-depth understanding of the socio-technological realities surrounding everyday software development practice. The knowledge gained......-depth discussion of methods for data collection and analysis used in ethnographic studies. It then describes how these methods can be and have been used by software engineering researchers to understand developers' work practices, to inform the development of processes, methods and tools and to evaluate...... can be used to improve processes, methods and tools as well as develop observed industrial practices. The tutorial begins with a brief historical account of ethnography in the fields of Software Engineering, CSCW, Information Systems and other related areas. This sets the stage for a more in...

  10. Ethnographic research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vermeulen, J.; Koster, M.; Hulst, M. van; Bearfield, D.A.; Dubnick, M.J.

    2015-01-01

    This entry outlines three aspects of ethnographic research. First, we describe in what way ethnographic research implies a distinct way of knowing. Second, we discuss the use of qualitative methods in ethnographic research. Third, we take up the role of writing, which is both a way of documenting

  11. An Ethnographically Informed Participatory Design of Primary Healthcare Information Technology in a Developing Country Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shidende, Nima Herman; Igira, Faraja Teddy; Mörtberg, Christina Margaret

    2017-01-01

    Ethnography, with its emphasis on understanding activities where they occur, and its use of qualitative data gathering techniques rich in description, has a long tradition in Participatory Design (PD). Yet there are limited methodological insights in its application in developing countries. This paper proposes an ethnographically informed PD approach, which can be applied when designing Primary Healthcare Information Technology (PHIT). We use findings from a larger multidisciplinary project, Health Information Systems Project (HISP) to elaborate how ethnography can be used to facilitate participation of health practitioners in developing countries settings as well as indicating the importance of ethnographic approach to participatory Health Information Technology (HIT) designers. Furthermore, the paper discusses the pros and cons of using an ethnographic approach in designing HIT.

  12. On Ethnographic Intent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolcott, Harry F.

    1985-01-01

    Defines the essence of ethnographic research as describing and interpreting cultural behavior. Clarifies why some characteristics of ethnography are not defining characteristics, considers what is meant by "culture," examines the ethnographic process, and discusses the application of ethnographic methods in the educational setting. (PGD)

  13. Ethnographic methods for language and gender research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Besnier, N.; Philips, S.U.; Ehrlich, S.; Meyerhoff, M.; Holmes, J.

    2014-01-01

    Ethnographic approaches to language and gender emphasize the complex yet richly textured relationship between linguistic practices observed in their naturalistic form and their social, cultural, and political context. The relationship between language and gender became the object of ethnographically

  14. The challenges facing ethnographic design research: A proposed methodological solution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cash, Philip; Hicks, Ben; Culley, Steve

    2009-01-01

    Central to improving and maintaining high levels of performance in emerging ethnographic design research is a fundamental requirement to address some of the problems associated with the subject. In particular seven core issues are identified and include the complexity of test development......, variability of methods, resource intensiveness, subjectivity, comparability, common metrics and industrial acceptance. To address these problems this paper describes a structured methodological approach in which three main areas are proposed, the modularisation of the research process, the standardisation...... of the dataset and the stratification of the research context. The paper then examines the fundamental requirements of this scheme and how these relate to a Design Observatory approach. Following this, the proposed solution is related back to the initial problem set and potential issues are discussed. Finally...

  15. Ethnographic Approaches in Primatology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dore, Kerry M; Radford, Lucy; Alexander, Sherrie; Waters, Siân

    2018-01-01

    The shared evolutionary histories and anatomical similarities between humans and non-human primates create dynamic interconnections between these alloprimates. In this foreword to Folia Primatologica's special issue on "Ethnographic Approaches in Primatology," we review the ethnographic method and existing literature at the intersection of primatology and ethnography. We summarize, compare and contrast the 5 contributions to this special issue to highlight why the human-non-human primate interface is a compelling area to investigate via ethnographic approaches and to encourage increased incorporation of ethnography into the discipline of primatology. Ethnography is a valuable and increasingly popular tool with its use no longer limited to anthropological practitioners investigating traditional, non-Western peoples. Scholars from many disciplines now use ethnographic methods to investigate all members of our globalised world, including non-humans. As our closest living relatives, non-human primates (hereafter "primates") are compelling subjects and thus appear in a range of contexts within ethnographic investigations. The goal of this special issue is to highlight the trajectory of research at the intersection of primatology and ethnography and to illustrate the importance of ethnographic methods for the advancement of primatology as a discipline. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. Ethnographic Fieldwork in psychology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tanggaard, Lene

    2014-01-01

    It is argued in the present article that ethnographic fieldwork can serve useful methodological ends within psychology and open the discipline to the cultural landscape of psychological phenomena in everyday life in social practices. Furthermore, a positive case is made for the soundness...... of ethnographic fieldwork. That is, rather than disputing the claim that qualitative methods can serve scientific ends, it is argued that ethnographic fieldwork is suitable for studying the constitution of psychological phenomena in social practices across time....

  17. Teaching Consumer-Oriented Ethnographic Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Andrew D.; Wu, Lan

    2012-01-01

    Despite an increasing demand for marketing researchers familiar with ethnographic methods, ethnographic consumer research has received little coverage in current marketing curricula. The innovation discussed in the present paper addresses this problem: it introduces the notion of "cultural relativism" and gives students hands-on experience in…

  18. Tackling complexities in understanding the social determinants of health: the contribution of ethnographic research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bandyopadhyay, Mridula

    2011-11-25

    The complexities inherent in understanding the social determinants of health are often not well-served by quantitative approaches. My aim is to show that well-designed and well-conducted ethnographic studies have an important contribution to make in this regard. Ethnographic research designs are a difficult but rigorous approach to research questions that require us to understand the complexity of people's social and cultural lives. I draw on an ethnographic study to describe the complexities of studying maternal health in a rural area in India. I then show how the lessons learnt in that setting and context can be applied to studies done in very different settings. I show how ethnographic research depends for rigour on a theoretical framework for sample selection; why immersion in the community under study, and rapport building with research participants, is important to ensure rich and meaningful data; and how flexible approaches to data collection lead to the gradual emergence of an analysis based on intense cross-referencing with community views and thus a conclusion that explains the similarities and differences observed. When using ethnographic research design it can be difficult to specify in advance the exact details of the study design. Researchers can encounter issues in the field that require them to change what they planned on doing. In rigorous ethnographic studies, the researcher in the field is the research instrument and needs to be well trained in the method. Ethnographic research is challenging, but nevertheless provides a rewarding way of researching complex health problems that require an understanding of the social and cultural determinants of health.

  19. Ethnographic Fieldwork: Studying Journalists at Work

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Line Hassall

    2014-01-01

    research was biased – a fact that I reflected on both during and after fieldwork. This case study is an account of how I used ethnographic methods such as participant observation to study the everyday work of journalists. It presents the uses of ethnographic fieldwork as well as some of the obstacles......I had been working as a journalist for almost 10 years when I began questioning the way we journalists worked. Having a degree in anthropology, I began to think of the newsroom as a place that one could study. To me, it seemed that methods of ethnographic fieldwork derived from anthropology would...... and challenges of this particular method for studying journalists specifically. This case focuses particularly on the challenges of limiting the field of research and of studying a group to which the researcher already belongs....

  20. Ethnographic Auditing: A New Approach to Evaluating Management in Higher Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetterman, David

    Ethnographic auditing is the application of ethnographic or anthropological concepts and methods to the appraisal of administrative controls over resources. Ethnographic auditing highlights the role of culture, subculture, values, rituals and physical environment in management in higher education. The ethnographic auditor measures the fiscal and…

  1. Micro Ethnographic Research as a Method for Informing Educational Technology Design in Practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Davidsen, Jacob; Vanderlinde, Ruben

    2013-01-01

    Objectives and purposes. This paper describes research on how micro ethnographic classroom studies (Mehan, 1979) of the integration of technology can inform researchers understanding of teachers and children’s situated acts with technology. Hence, the objective of this paper is to show stories...... of the integration of technology from the teachers and children’s perspective. The central research question of the study is: how can researchers of educational technology represent the local and situated action of teachers and children to inform future technologies? Theoretical frameworks. Integrating technology...... technology researchers discuss how to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners (Vanderlinde & Van Braak, 2010). Similar, there is also a gap between educational technology developers and practitioners. This gap between developers of technology and the users have been described in the Scandinavian...

  2. Ethnographic methods for process evaluations of complex health behaviour interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan-Trimmer, Sarah; Wood, Fiona

    2016-05-04

    This article outlines the contribution that ethnography could make to process evaluations for trials of complex health-behaviour interventions. Process evaluations are increasingly used to examine how health-behaviour interventions operate to produce outcomes and often employ qualitative methods to do this. Ethnography shares commonalities with the qualitative methods currently used in health-behaviour evaluations but has a distinctive approach over and above these methods. It is an overlooked methodology in trials of complex health-behaviour interventions that has much to contribute to the understanding of how interventions work. These benefits are discussed here with respect to three strengths of ethnographic methodology: (1) producing valid data, (2) understanding data within social contexts, and (3) building theory productively. The limitations of ethnography within the context of process evaluations are also discussed.

  3. Design and implementation of the web Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Colombia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocha S., Luz Angela; Bonilla, Johnatan; Bernal, Julio; Duarte, Catherine; Rodriguez, Alejandro

    2018-05-01

    The Atlas Lingüístico y Etnográfico de Colombia (Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Colombia), known by "ALEC" is a compilation of popular speaking Spanish of the populations of Colombia; such research was carried out for more than fifty years. The result of this work is a collection of thematic maps organized in six volumes and its supplements in analog format. In that sense was created the project entitles "Interactive ALEC" which main objective is to develop a digital and interactive web version of the ethnographic and Linguistic Atlas of Colombia (1983) and its supplements. In this way the Corpus linguistics research group belonging to the Institute Caro y Cuervo and the research group NIDE of the Universidad Distrital "Francisco José de Caldas" have been working together in the design and development of the Atlas Web, that allows the visualization and consulting of the spatial information contained in the volume III of the analog ALEC Atlas, applying concepts of Geographical Information Systems and web cartography. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to show the process of design and development of the web prototype of the ALEC as a collection of static and dynamic maps, which show spatial information, combined with multimedia content, taking into account that in addition to all maps, the total compendium includes images, illustrations, photographs, audio and text comments. Likewise, the interactive ALEC is a good example of how to use geo-technology tools nowadays, because they are essential for the dissemination of geo linguistic information through internet, achieving more access and distribution of the Atlas web.

  4. Landscapes of Practice: Bricolage as a Method for Situated Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Büscher, Monica; Gill, Satinder; Mogensen, Preben Holst

    2001-01-01

    This paper proposes a ‘bricolage’ approach to designing systems for cooperative work. This involves users, participatory designers and ethnographers in a continuing cycle of design and revised work practice, often in settings where resources are limited and short-termresults are required. If expl......This paper proposes a ‘bricolage’ approach to designing systems for cooperative work. This involves users, participatory designers and ethnographers in a continuing cycle of design and revised work practice, often in settings where resources are limited and short-termresults are required...

  5. The pros and cons of researching events ethnographically

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Events (remarkable, disruptive happenings) are important subjects of study for understanding processes of change. In this essay, I reflect upon the issue of what the ethnographic method has to offer for the analysis of this social phenomenon. To do so, I review three recently published ethnographic studies of events. My conclusion is that it is indeed a very useful method for understanding the feelings and ideas of people who are experiencing eventful situations, for instance around protests or natural disasters. However, using this method also brings about practical difficulties, such as the ‘luck’ that an event occurs at the ethnographic fieldwork site. Next, as transformative responses to events are not bound by the place or time of the happening, other methods (interviews, discourse analysis, surveys) that make it easier to follow them in varying locations and periods might be more suitable for getting a comprehensive picture of their meaning-making dynamics. PMID:29081715

  6. Nurses' experiences of ethnographic fieldwork.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Melo, Lucas Pereira; Stofel, Natália Sevilha; Gualda, Dulce Maria Rosa; de Campos, Edemilson Antunes

    2014-09-01

    To reflect on the experiences of nurses performing ethnographic fieldwork in three studies. The application of ethnography to nursing research requires discussion about nurses' experiences of ethnographic fieldwork. This article examines some of the dilemmas that arise during the research process. Three ethnographic studies conducted by the authors in the south and southeast of Brazil. Excerpts from field diaries created during each research are presented at the end of each topic discussed. This is a reflexive paper that explores the nurses' experience in ethnographic fieldwork. This article discusses the main tasks involved in ethnographic research, including defining the study aim, reading and understanding anthropological theoretical bases, and setting a timeframe for the study. The article also discusses the idiosyncrasies of the cultural contexts studied, the bureaucracy that may be confronted when gaining access to the field, the difficulty of transforming the familiar into the strange, why ethnocentric perspectives should be avoided, and the anthropological doubt that places the ethnographer in the position of apprentice. It also discusses the importance of listening to others, reflexivity and strategies to stay in the field. For researchers, ethnographic fieldwork can be a rite of passage, but one that provides invaluable experiences that emphasise the value of relationships based on dialogue, reflexivity and negotiation. The main tasks undertaken in ethnographic research discussed in this article could contribute to the nurse' experience of conducting ethnographic fieldwork.

  7. Biosocial Conservation: Integrating Biological and Ethnographic Methods to Study Human-Primate Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setchell, Joanna M; Fairet, Emilie; Shutt, Kathryn; Waters, Siân; Bell, Sandra

    2017-01-01

    Biodiversity conservation is one of the grand challenges facing society. Many people interested in biodiversity conservation have a background in wildlife biology. However, the diverse social, cultural, political, and historical factors that influence the lives of people and wildlife can be investigated fully only by incorporating social science methods, ideally within an interdisciplinary framework. Cultural hierarchies of knowledge and the hegemony of the natural sciences create a barrier to interdisciplinary understandings. Here, we review three different projects that confront this difficulty, integrating biological and ethnographic methods to study conservation problems. The first project involved wildlife foraging on crops around a newly established national park in Gabon. Biological methods revealed the extent of crop loss, the species responsible, and an effect of field isolation, while ethnography revealed institutional and social vulnerability to foraging wildlife. The second project concerned great ape tourism in the Central African Republic. Biological methods revealed that gorilla tourism poses risks to gorillas, while ethnography revealed why people seek close proximity to gorillas. The third project focused on humans and other primates living alongside one another in Morocco. Incorporating shepherds in the coproduction of ecological knowledge about primates built trust and altered attitudes to the primates. These three case studies demonstrate how the integration of biological and social methods can help us to understand the sustainability of human-wildlife interactions, and thus promote coexistence. In each case, an integrated biosocial approach incorporating ethnographic data produced results that would not otherwise have come to light. Research that transcends conventional academic boundaries requires the openness and flexibility to move beyond one's comfort zone to understand and acknowledge the legitimacy of "other" kinds of knowledge. It is

  8. Generating ethnographic research questions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Friberg, Torbjörn

    2015-01-01

    ? By drawing on the conceptual history of anthropology, the aim of this article is to generate ethnographic-oriented research questions concerned with higher education. The first part of the article provides an ethnographic background, while the second part focuses on Paul Willis's reasoning on ethnographic......As part of recent complex transformations, it seems that higher educational organisations are being forced to reorganise, standardise and streamline in order to survive in the new political and economic context. How are ethnographers in general going to approach these contemporary phenomena...... imagination, as a prerequisite for generating alternative research questions. The third part makes explicit anthropologist Maurice Godelier's theoretical imagination, carving out some specific theoretical parts which may be used in the generating process. The conclusion then suggests a number of questions...

  9. Co-Designing and Co-Teaching Graduate Qualitative Methods: An Innovative Ethnographic Workshop Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordner, Alissa; Klein, Peter T.; Baiocchi, Gianpaolo

    2012-01-01

    This article describes an innovative collaboration between graduate students and a faculty member to co-design and co-teach a graduate-level workshop-style qualitative methods course. The goal of co-designing and co-teaching the course was to involve advanced graduate students in all aspects of designing a syllabus and leading class discussions in…

  10. Ethnographic nexus analysis in clinical nursing education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjær, Malene

    2016-01-01

    Purpose/aim(s): Internationally, student nurses' attrition after clinical practice is an increasing problem (Hamshire, Willgoss, & Wibberley, 2012; Pilegård Jensen, 2006). A better understanding of 'becoming a nurse' as situated practice in the hospital wards might help avoid pitfalls...... in the clinical practice. Thus a thorough insight into the field is necessary in order to change it. The purpose of this paper is to show and discuss how it is possible methodologically to do ethnographic research in clinical education and how the field of clinical nursing education in the hospital wards might...... be improved after insights obtained through ethnographic research. Methods: Using nexus analysis (Scollon & Scollon, 2004, 2007) as an ethnographic framework in four Danish hospital wards, a study of the development of a professional identity among student nurses in Denmark was conducted. Scollon and Scollon...

  11. Interpretation of Culture Heritage in Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum

    OpenAIRE

    Burceva, Rita

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the article is to study the peculiarities of interpretation of the cultural heritage, using the case of the Ethnographic Open Air Museum of Latvia as a basis for research. The methods used in the research are the review of documents and theoretical literature, observation, and case study. Latvian farmstead with its architecture and design is included in the Latvian Cultural Canon; therefore thorough studies of such units would promote the development of the cultural education poten...

  12. Learning through Ethnographic Dialogues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landis, David; Kalieva, Rysaldy; Abitova, Sanim; Izmukhanbetova, Sophia; Musaeva, Zhanbota

    2006-01-01

    This article describes ways that conversations constituted ethnographic research for students and teachers in Kazakhstan. Through dialogues with local community members, students worked as researchers to develop knowledge about cultural patterns and social life. Ethnographic research and writing provided valuable language and research experiences…

  13. Ethnographic journalism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hermann, Anne Kirstine

    2016-01-01

    require more contextual reporting, ethnographic journalism emerges in American feature journalism. Analyzed holistically, this genre is characterized as the employment of immersion strategies adopted from social science for distinct storytelling purposes. These methods, however, transform conventional......Accounting for emerging journalistic genres is a difficult endeavor not least because there is little agreement as to what constitutes journalism itself. Doing so, however, is essential if we are to recognize changing journalistic doxas. To capture such changes, we must include a holistic framework...... journalistic epistemology, changing it through practice. In turn, the analysis reveals how journalism practices can evolve its troubled philosophical position...

  14. The Role of Ethnographic Interviewing in Climate Change Evaluation Research: Investigating Intended and Unintended program effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lloro-Bidart, T.

    2012-12-01

    Ethnographic interviewing is an under-utilized tool in climate change evaluation research, even though it has the potential to serve as a powerful method of data collection. The utility of the ethnographic interview lies in its ability to elicit responses from program participants describing what a program is in practice, shedding light on both intended and unintended program impacts. Drawing on evaluation work involving a federally-funded climate change grant at the University of California, Riverside, I will discuss how to design an ethnographic interview protocol in an effort to share "best practices" with other climate change evaluators. Particular attention will be given to applying ethnographic approaches to various program types, even those differing from the one discussed. I will share some of the concrete findings from my work on this grant, to serve as examples of the kinds of data evaluators can collect when employing an ethnographic approach to interviewing. UC Riverside's climate change grant is multi-faceted, however the component studied ethnographically was a science fair mentoring program. About twenty K-12 students from high poverty, ethnically diverse schools who expressed an interest in participating in science fair were paired up with graduate student mentors to simultaneously research climate change and design authentic science fair projects to compete at various levels. Since one of the stated goals of the grant is to "stimulate…students to consider climate science as a career track through experiential education activities" I was particularly interested in how student experiences with the project might differ from school science which has historically "pushed out" ethnically diverse students like those in many of Riverside's schools. (In the program students are able to interact one-on-one with a mentor and in school settings there is typically one teacher for more than thirty students). I also sought to understand student perceptions of

  15. Using hermeneutic phenomenology and the ethnographic principle of cultural interpretation with Malaysian nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arunasalam, Nirmala

    2018-06-07

    The interpretive paradigm and hermeneutic phenomenological design are the most popular methods used in international cross-cultural research in healthcare, nurse education and nursing practice. Their inherent appeal is that they help researchers to explore experiences. The ethnographic principle of cultural interpretation can also be used to provide meaning, clarity and insight. To examine the use of hermeneutic phenomenology and the ethnographic principle of cultural interpretation in a research study conducted with Malaysian nurses on part-time, transnational, post-registration, top-up nursing degree programmes provided by one Australian and two UK universities. To enable the researcher to undertake international cross-cultural research and illuminate Malaysian nurses' views for the reader, cultural aspects need to be considered, as they will influence the information participants provide. Useful strategies that western researchers can adopt to co-create research texts with interviewees are outlined. The paradigm and research designs used in the study revealed the views and experiences of Malaysian nurses. Hermeneutic phenomenology enabled the exploration of participants' experiences, and the ethnographic principle of cultural interpretation enabled the researcher's reflexivity to provide emic and etic views for the reader. This paper adds to the discussion of the paradigms and research designs used for international, cross-cultural research in Asia. It identifies the influence participants' cultural values have on their confidence and level of disclosure with western researchers. ©2018 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

  16. Everyday practices at the medical ward: a 16-month ethnographic field study

    OpenAIRE

    Wolf, Axel; Ekman, Inger; Dellenborg, Lisen

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background Modern hospital care should ostensibly be multi-professional and person-centred, yet it still seems to be driven primarily by a hegemonic, positivistic, biomedical agenda. This study aimed to describe the everyday practices of professionals and patients in a coronary care unit, and analyse how the routines, structures and physical design of the care environment influenced their actions and relationships. Methods Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted over a 16-month period (...

  17. Life's end: Ethnographic perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodwin-Hawkins, Bryonny; Dawson, Andrew

    2018-01-01

    In this introduction to the special issue, Life's End: Ethnographic Perspectives, we review the field of anthropological studies of death and dying. We make the argument that, largely because of its sub-disciplining into the larger field of the anthropology of religion, ritual and symbolism, the focus of anthropological research on death has been predominantly on post- rather than pre-death events, on death's beginnings rather than life's ends. Additionally, we argue that an anthropological aversion to the study of dying may also lie in the intimacy of the discipline's principal method, ethnography. Contrastingly, we argue that this very methodological intimacy can be a source of insight, and we offer this as a rationale for the special issue as a whole, which comprises eight ethnographic studies of dying and social relations at life's end from across Africa, Australia, Europe, and North America. Each of these studies is then summarized, and a rationale for their presentation around the themes of "structures of dying," "care for the dying," "hope in dying," and "ending life" is presented.

  18. Discourse Analysis in Ethnographic Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poole, Deborah

    1990-01-01

    Reviews the contribution of ethnographic research to discourse analysis, focusing on discourse practices as a reflection of cultural context; educational applications and the discontinuity issue; literacy as a focus of discourse-oriented ethnographic research; and implications for applied linguistics. A 9-citation annotated and a 50-citation…

  19. Critical Bifocality and Circuits of Privilege: Expanding Critical Ethnographic Theory and Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weis, Lois; Fine, Michelle

    2012-01-01

    In this article, Lois Weis and Michelle Fine introduce critical bifocality as a way to render visible the relations between groups to structures of power, to social policies, to history, and to large sociopolitical formations. In this collaboration, the authors draw upon ethnographic examples highlighting the macro-level structural dynamics…

  20. The role of locally-designed organizational artifacts in supporting nurses’ work: an ethnographic study on the wards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talamo, Alessandra; Mellini, Barbara; Barbieri, Barbara

    2017-01-01

    This paper aims to describe how nurses' planning and coordination work is performed through the use of locally designed tools (i.e., diaries, planners, reminders, and organizers). These tools are investigated as the materialization of organizational work, thus offering a complementary perspective on nursing practice to that proposed by the professional mandate and supported by official artifacts in use. Ethnographic study. By analyzing locally designed artifacts, the rationale that enables nurses to make the flow of activities work is highlighted and explained. Evidence is provided by a description of how nurses' tacit knowledge is reified and embedded into objects produced by the nurses themselves. Implications for the design of digital systems supporting nursing practice are discussed. The analysis of these artifacts has allowed an understanding of practices used by the nurses to manage the workflow in the wards.

  1. Ethnonursing and the ethnographic approach in nursing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molloy, Luke; Walker, Kim; Lakeman, Richard; Skinner, Isabelle

    2015-11-01

    To present a critical methodological review of the ethnonursing research method. Ethnonursing was developed to underpin the study and practice of transcultural nursing and to promote 'culturally congruent' care. Ethnonursing claims to produce accurate knowledge about cultural groups to guide nursing care. The idea that the nurse researcher can objectively and transparently represent culture still permeates the ethnonursing method and shapes attempts to advance nursing knowledge and improve patient care through transcultural nursing. Relevant literature published between the 19th and 21st centuries. Literature review. Ethnography saw a 'golden age' in the first half of the 20th century, but the foundations of traditional ethnographic knowledge are being increasingly questioned today. The authors argue that ethnonursing has failed to respond to contemporary issues relevant to ethnographic knowledge and that there is a need to refresh the method. This will allow nurse researchers to move beyond hitherto unproblematic notions of objectivity to recognise the intrinsic relationship between the nurse researcher and the researched. A revised ethnonursing research method would enable nurse researchers to create reflexive interpretations of culture that identify and embody their cultural assumptions and prejudices.

  2. Reflecting Upon Interculturality in Ethnographic Filmmaking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Catalán Eraso

    2006-05-01

    Full Text Available Ethnographic filmmaking captures a language that is different from that of written ethnography and as such constitutes an important research medium. However, written and spoken forms of qualitative research still overshadow the visual realm and the paper addresses this gap by arguing that the language of ethnographic filmmaking is central to our understanding of otherness. It demonstrates the role of film in illuminating the "intercultural" dynamics between minority (participant and majority (researcher and in challenging the traditional power relations between the researcher and his/her "subjects". Ethnographic filmmaking is a research technique that has evolved considerably since its early colonial usage (based largely around disempowered and stereotyped representations of otherness. This evolution began to take hold in the 1970's, with a wave of self-criticism and theoretical reflection about the role and impact of the ethnographic film. The result, today, is a great deal of reflexivity and inter-subjectivity and a more nuanced appreciation of interculturality within qualitative research. It is this relatively recent and growing personal and theoretical reflection—allied with the fact that the ethnographic film is still very much an under-utilised research technique—that provides the basis for the paper. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs060369

  3. Representations of Death Among Italian Vegetarians: An Ethnographic Research on Environment, Disgust and Transcendence

    OpenAIRE

    Ines Testoni; Tommaso Ghellar; Maddalena Rodelli; Loriana De Cataldo; Adriano Zamperini

    2017-01-01

    This paper focuses on the motives for vegetarian choices in contemporary Italian food culture, with specific reference to the role of the representations of death. The study adopts a qualitative research design aimed at an in-depth exploration of the reasons for avoiding meat, following an ethnographic method. Twenty-two participants (55% women, 45% men) aged 19-74, all vegetarians or vegans, mainly from Northern and Central Italy, were involved. Data from the Interpretative Phenomenological ...

  4. An Ethnographic Meta-Synthesis of Three Southwestern Rural Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Averill, Jennifer B

    2016-01-01

    The objectives were to synthesize cumulative findings across three critical ethnographic, community-partnered studies in the southwestern United States and to describe the process of meta-ethnography for that analysis. The meta-ethnography followed the design of Noblit and Hare for constructing an analysis of composite data, informed by community-based participatory research and Stringer's ethnographic strategies of Look-Think-Act. The three studies occurred in rural settings of Colorado and New Mexico, engaging 129 total participants, along with community organizations and agencies as partners. Methods consisted of detailed review of each original study, mapping of major concepts and themes, and general analysis, interpretation, and synthesis across the studies. Overall themes were: health is the capacity to care for oneself and do work, meaningful relationships are key in health care interactions, patterns of discrimination persist in rural settings, poor literacy and health literacy are barriers, and food insecurity is a growing concern for older rural adults. Resolutions involve practice, policy, and research and must incorporate all stakeholder groups in rural settings; a participatory approach is critical to prioritize and impact existing inequities; and work is needed to extend education and understanding of multiple cultures, groups, customs, and rural contexts. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Ethnographic research in immigrant-specific drug abuse recovery houses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pagano, Anna; Lee, Juliet P; García, Victor; Recarte, Carlos

    2018-01-01

    Access to study populations is a major concern for drug use and treatment researchers. Spaces related to drug use and treatment have varying levels of researcher accessibility based on several issues, including legality, public versus private settings, and insider/outsider status. Ethnographic research methods are indispensable for gaining and maintaining access to hidden or "hard-to-reach" populations. Here, we discuss our long-term ethnographic research on drug abuse recovery houses created by and for Latino migrants and immigrants in Northern California. We take our field work experiences as a case study to examine the problem of researcher access and how ethnographic strategies can be successfully applied to address it, focusing especially on issues of entrée, building rapport, and navigating field-specific challenges related to legality, public/private settings, and insider/outsider status. We conclude that continued funding support for ethnography is essential for promoting health disparities research focused on diverse populations in recovery from substance use disorders.

  6. The application of ethnographic method in the study of digital media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amelia Capobianco

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Digital media raise methodological issues of some relevance. The following article tries to be a contribution to the qualitative analysis of Social Networks through the use of media ethnography. We deal with issues such as time and space and with how these dimension get transformed in digital environments; the very definition of environment and social network; an effective communication; the constant flow between online and off-line activities; the role of the “digital” researcher, his/her influence on the subjects’ actions, his/her actual competence about the media and the balance of the management of situations that cross online and off-line environments, ethics and the protection of privacy. The figure of the ethnographic researcher changes, while ethnography represents – perhaps – one of the most effective methods for a research that maintains a phenomenological basis, helping to understand the meaning and value that certain tools, used for specific purposes, can take on for the youngest users.

  7. Efficacy of Ethnographic Research in Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sajan, K. S.; Sindhu, M.

    2014-01-01

    Ethnographic research is an emerging research technique in the field of education. Ethnographic research was a procedure usually used in anthropology but now it is getting popular in educational field. This kind of research relies on qualitative data, its perspective is holistic and its procedures of data analysis involve contextualization. Data…

  8. Higher satisfaction with ethnographic edutainment using YouTube among medical students in Thailand

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thira Woratanarat

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: At present, transformative learning is one of the most important issues in medical education, since a conventional learning environment is prone to failure due to changing patterns among students. Ethnographic edutainment is a concept that consists of reward, competition, and motivation strategies that be used to effectively engage with learners. Methods: A total 321 first-year medical students took part in ethnographic edutainment sessions in 2011. We defined four preset learning objectives and assigned a term group project using clouding technologies. Participatory evaluation was conducted to assess the delivery of and attitudes towards this method. Results: Career lifestyles in the general population and expected real-life utilization of the final product were used as motivating factors, with competition and rewards provided through a short film contest. Nineteen out of twenty groups (95% achieved all learning objectives. Females were more satisfied with this activity than males (P<0.001. We found statistically significant differences between lecture-based sessions and field visit sessions, as well as ethnographic edutainment activity sessions and other instructional approaches (P<0.01. The results were consistent in male and female groups. Conclusion: Ethnographic edutainment is well accepted, with higher satisfaction rates than other types of teaching. The concepts of health promotion and the social determinants of health can be learned through ethnographic edutainment activities, which might help train more humanized health professionals.

  9. The Ethnographic Use of Facebook in Everyday Life

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, Steffen

    2016-01-01

    New social media have become indispensable to people all over the world as platforms for communication, with Facebook being the most popular. Hence, platforms such as Facebook are also becoming crucial tools for ethnographers because much social life now exists ‘online’. What types of field...... relations stem from such social media-driven ethnography? And what kinds of data do these relations present to the ethnographer? These questions must be considered in order to understand the challenges Facebook and other social media pose to ethnographic methodology. This article focuses on how Facebook may...... play an important role even in ethnographic work concerned with questions other than how Facebook works as a social medium. Most importantly it allows the ethnographer to keep up-to-date with the field. I argue that ethnography is already in possession of the methodological tools critically to assess...

  10. Ethnographic process evaluation in primary care: explaining the complexity of implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunce, Arwen E; Gold, Rachel; Davis, James V; McMullen, Carmit K; Jaworski, Victoria; Mercer, MaryBeth; Nelson, Christine

    2014-12-05

    The recent growth of implementation research in care delivery systems has led to a renewed interest in methodological approaches that deliver not only intervention outcome data but also deep understanding of the complex dynamics underlying the implementation process. We suggest that an ethnographic approach to process evaluation, when informed by and integrated with quantitative data, can provide this nuanced insight into intervention outcomes. The specific methods used in such ethnographic process evaluations are rarely presented in detail; our objective is to stimulate a conversation around the successes and challenges of specific data collection methods in health care settings. We use the example of a translational clinical trial among 11 community clinics in Portland, OR that are implementing an evidence-based, health-information technology (HIT)-based intervention focused on patients with diabetes. Our ethnographic process evaluation employed weekly diaries by clinic-based study employees, observation, informal and formal interviews, document review, surveys, and group discussions to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation success, provide insight into the quantitative study outcomes, and uncover lessons potentially transferable to other implementation projects. These methods captured the depth and breadth of factors contributing to intervention uptake, while minimizing disruption to clinic work and supporting mid-stream shifts in implementation strategies. A major challenge is the amount of dedicated researcher time required. The deep understanding of the 'how' and 'why' behind intervention outcomes that can be gained through an ethnographic approach improves the credibility and transferability of study findings. We encourage others to share their own experiences with ethnography in implementation evaluation and health services research, and to consider adapting the methods and tools described here for their own research.

  11. Ethnographic notes on visualization practices in tissue engineering research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vyas, Dhaval; Cacciabue, P.C.

    2013-01-01

    Visual information is central to several of the scientific disciplines. This paper studies how scientists working in a multidisciplinary field produce scientific evidence through building and manipulating scientific visualizations. Using ethnographic methods, we studied visualization practices of

  12. The verification of ethnographic data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pool, Robert

    2017-09-01

    Anthropologists are increasingly required to account for the data on which they base their interpretations and to make it available for public scrutiny and re-analysis. While this may seem straightforward (why not place our data in online repositories?), it is not. Ethnographic 'data' may consist of everything from verbatim transcripts ('hard data') to memories and impressions ('soft data'). Hard data can be archived and re-analysed; soft data cannot. The focus on hard 'objective' data contributes to the delegitimizing of the soft data that are essential for ethnographic understanding, and without which hard data cannot be properly interpreted. However, the credibility of ethnographic interpretation requires the possibility of verification. This could be achieved by obligatory, standardised forms of personal storage with the option for audit if required, and by being more explicit in publications about the nature and status of the data and the process of interpretation.

  13. Using weather data to determine dry and wet periods relative to ethnographic records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felzer, B. S.; Jiang, M.; Cheng, R.; Ember, C. R.

    2017-12-01

    Ethnographers record flood or drought events that affect a society's food supply and can be interpreted in terms of a society's ability to adapt to extreme events. Using daily weather station data from the Global Historical Climatology Network for wet events, and monthly gridded climatic data from the Climatic Research Unit for drought events, we determine if it is possible to relate these measured data to the ethnographic records. We explore several drought and wetness indices based on temperature and precipitation, as well as the Colwell method to determine the predictability, seasonality, and variability of these extreme indices. Initial results indicate that while it is possible to capture the events recorded in the ethnographic records, there are many more "false" captures of events that are not recorded in these records. Although extreme precipitation is a poor indicator of floods due to antecedent moisture conditions, even using streamflow for selected sites produces false captures. Relating drought indices to actual food supply as measured in crop yield only related to minimum crop yield in half the cases. Further mismatches between extreme precipitation and drought indices and ethnographic records may relate to the fact that only extreme events that affect food supply are recorded in the ethnographic records or that not all events are recorded by the ethnographers. We will present new results on how predictability measures relate to the ethnographic disasters. Despite the highlighted technical challenges, our results provide a historic perspective linking environmental stressors with socio-economic impacts, which in turn, will underpin the current efforts of risk assessment in a changing environment.

  14. Employing an ethnographic approach: key characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambert, Veronica; Glacken, Michele; McCarron, Mary

    2011-01-01

    Nurses are increasingly embracing ethnography as a useful research methodology. This paper presents an overview of some of the main characteristics we considered and the challenges encountered when using ethnography to explore the nature of communication between children and health professionals in a children's hospital. There is no consensual definition or single procedure to follow when using ethnography. This is largely attributable to the re-contextualisation of ethnography over time through diversification in and across many disciplines. Thus, it is imperative to consider some of ethnography's trademark features. To identify core trademark features of ethnography, we collated data following a scoping review of pertinent ethnographic textbooks, journal articles, attendance at ethnographic workshops and discussions with principle ethnographers. This is a methodological paper. Essentially, ethnography is a field-orientated activity that has cultural interpretations at its core, although the levels of those interpretations vary. We identified six trademark features to be considered when embracing an ethnographic approach: naturalism; context; multiple data sources; small case numbers; 'emic' and 'etic' perspectives, and ethical considerations. Ethnography has an assortment of meanings, so it is not often used in a wholly orthodox way and does not fall under the auspices of one epistemological belief. Yet, there are core criteria and trademark features that researchers should take into account alongside their particular epistemological beliefs when embracing an ethnographic inquiry. We hope this paper promotes a clearer vision of the methodological processes to consider when embarking on ethnography and creates an avenue for others to disseminate their experiences of and challenges encountered when applying ethnography's trademark features in different healthcare contexts.

  15. Understanding organizational and cultural premises for quality of care in nursing homes: an ethnographic study

    OpenAIRE

    Nakrem, Sigrid

    2015-01-01

    Background Internationally, there are concerns about the quality of care in nursing homes. The concept of ?corporate culture? as an internal variable could be seen as the means to improve quality of care and quality of life for the residents. The aim of this article was to describe the nursing home culture from the staff?s perspective and to include how the residents describe quality of care. Methods An ethnographic design was employed. A purposive sample of four municipal public nursing home...

  16. Higher satisfaction with ethnographic edutainment using YouTube among medical students in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woratanarat, Thira

    2014-07-07

    At present, transformative learning is one of the most important issues in medical education, since a conventional learning environment is prone to failure due to changing patterns among students. Ethnographic edutainment is a concept that consists of reward, competition, and motivation strategies that be used to effectively engage with learners. A total 321 first-year medical students took part in ethnographic edutainment sessions in 2011. We defined four preset learning objectives and assigned a term group project using clouding technologies. Participatory evaluation was conducted to assess the delivery of and attitudes towards this method. Career lifestyles in the general population and expected real-life utilization of the final product were used as motivating factors, with competition and rewards provided through a short film contest. Nineteen out of twenty groups (95%) achieved all learning objectives. Females were more satisfied with this activity than males (P<0.001). We found statistically significant differences between lecture-based sessions and field visit sessions, as well as ethnographic edutainment activity sessions and other instructional approaches (P<0.01). The results were consistent in male and female groups. Ethnographic edutainment is well accepted, with higher satisfaction rates than other types of teaching. The concepts of health promotion and the social determinants of health can be learned through ethnographic edutainment activities, which might help train more humanized health professionals.

  17. [Field work, narrative and knowledge production in contemporary ethnographic research: a contribution to the field of health].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trad, Leny Alves Bomfim

    2012-03-01

    In this article I reflect on the peculiarities of contemporary ethnographic research, highlighting some challenges inherent to this process. The discussion focuses in particular on the following aspects: the limits imposed by the clear reduction in immersion time in the field; the challenges in learning about ethnographic work, either in the process of observation or interaction in the field, or in the task of textual production; issues of an epistemological and ethical nature that deserve particular attention on the part of practitioners of the ethnographic approach and the scientific community in general. It is especially appropriate to foster debate around the ethnographic method, addressing its peculiarities, operational complexity and potential as a tool for knowledge production, in the sphere of health/public health, bearing in mind the marked increase of this approach in this field.

  18. Training Drug Treatment Patients to Conduct Peer-Based HIV Outreach: An Ethnographic Perspective on Peers' Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guarino, Honoria; Deren, Sherry; Mino, Milton; Kang, Sung-Yeon; Shedlin, Michele

    2010-01-01

    From 2005 to 2008, the Bienvenidos Project trained Puerto Rican patients of New York City and New Jersey methadone maintenance treatment programs to conduct peer-based community outreach to migrant Puerto Rican drug users to reduce migrants' HIV risk behaviors. Ethnographic research, including focus groups, individual interviews and observations, was conducted with a subset of the patients trained as peers (n=49; 67% male; mean age 40.3 years) to evaluate the self-perceived effects of the intervention. Results of the ethnographic component of this study are summarized. The role of ethnographic methods in implementing and evaluating this kind of intervention is also discussed. PMID:20141456

  19. Exploring Multiple Identities as a Health Care Ethnographer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alison Ledger MPhil, RMT

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Previous discussions about the role of the ethnographer have weighed the advantages and disadvantages of occupying insider or outsider positions, or dual practitioner-researcher identities. In the author's experience, additional identities can come to the fore when a seasoned health professional returns to the field as a novice ethnographer. In this article she reflects on ways in which she shifted between the identities of researcher, therapist, friend, and student in her ethnography about music therapy service development. These experiences are presented to reveal the inherent complexity of the researcher role and to encourage health care ethnographers to consider ways in which they can hold multiple identities in their own research.

  20. The insight and challenge of reflexive practice in an ethnographic study of black traumatically injured patients in Philadelphia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacoby, Sara F

    2017-07-01

    The integrity of critical ethnography requires engagement in reflexive practice at all phases of the research process. In this discussion paper, I explore the insights and challenges of reflexive practice in an ethnographic study of the recovery experiences of black trauma patients in a Philadelphia hospital. Observation and interviews were conducted with twelve patients who were admitted to trauma-designated units of the hospital over the course of a year. During fieldwork, I learned the ways that my background as a professional nurse structured my way of being in clinical space and facilitated a particular interpretation of clinical culture. In analysis, reflection on subjectivities through which I designed this ethnographic research allowed me to see beyond my preconceived and theoretically informed perspective to permit unexpected features of the field to emerge. Reflexive practice also guided my reconciliation of key practical and epistemological differences between clinical ethnographic research and the anthropologic tradition in which it is rooted. I conclude that with careful reflection to the subjectivities that influence the research process, interdisciplinary clinically relevant applied interpretations of critical ethnographic work can be used to generate detailed knowledge across contexts in clinical care, nursing practice, and patient experiences. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH TO EFL/ESL RESEARCH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolaus Pasassung

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available This article shows that ethnography, as an approach, is a very useful tool to be applied in research attempting a good understanding of EFL/ESL classrooms. With reference to work done by anthropologists and classroom researchers, the pre- sent article argues that education, including EFL/ESL classrooms, can be well un- derstood by using ethnographic  approaches.  This is done by elaborating  the rele- vance of ethnography and the classroom context in the sense that ethnographic prin- ciples are applicable in describing and understanding the culture of a classroom, and EFL/ESL teaching in particular.

  2. Vignettes of interviews to enhance an ethnographic account

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Juel Jacobsen, Alice

    2014-01-01

    This article explores challenges of applying an ethnographic approach, combining participant observation and interviews, to a study of organizational change. The exploration is connected to reform changes, as they are constructed in the interaction between managers and teachers, in a Danish Upper...... the view that they are context stripping and are the minor partner in the ethnographic relationship between observational fieldwork and interviews....

  3. Lean leadership: an ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aij, Kjeld Harald; Visse, Merel; Widdershoven, Guy A M

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to provide a critical analysis of contemporary Lean leadership in the context of a healthcare practice. The Lean leadership model supports professionals with a leading role in implementing Lean. This article presents a case study focusing specifically on leadership behaviours and issues that were experienced, observed and reported in a Dutch university medical centre. This ethnographic case study provides auto-ethnographic accounts based on experiences, participant observation, interviews and document analysis. Characteristics of Lean leadership were identified to establish an understanding of how to achieve successful Lean transformation. This study emphasizes the importance for Lean leaders to go to the gemba, to see the situation for one's own self, empower health-care employees and be modest. All of these are critical attributes in defining the Lean leadership mindset. In this case study, Lean leadership is specifically related to healthcare, but certain common leadership characteristics are relevant across all fields. This article shows the value of an auto-ethnographic view on management learning for the analysis of Lean leadership. The knowledge acquired through this research is based on the first author's experiences in fulfilling his role as a health-care leader. This may help the reader examining his/her own role and reflecting on what matters most in the field of Lean leadership.

  4. Designers' enactment of the policy intentions. An ethnographic study of the adoption of energy regulations in England and Wales

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zapata-Lancaster, Gabriela; Tweed, Chris

    2014-01-01

    The United Kingdom is aspiring to reduce the carbon emissions in the building sector, aiming to achieve nearly zero carbon buildings by 2020. The policy models in England and Wales rely on three strands: regulations; financial incentives and educational schemes. A growing body of literature suggests that the building industry is facing several barriers that hinder the delivery of the expected carbon targets outlined at policy level. This research explores the enactment of the policy aspirations by building designers using a bottom-up approach. An ethnographic study was conducted to analyse the design process of six non-domestic buildings. The work identified the designers' responses to adopt the policy agenda in routine design and overcome the challenges that emerged during the design process. The understanding of the designers' responses could inform the policy model and suggest areas that need attention for the timely delivery of the expected carbon reductions. - Highlights: • Designers' compliance of regulations may not conform to performance-driven processes. • Stakeholders' expectations and poor awareness of performance hinder compliance. • Designers implement flexible responses to adopt the low carbon policy agenda. • The engagement of the stakeholders enables the continuity of energy aspirations. • Policies may benefit from understanding the bottom-up responses in routine design

  5. The state of Danish nursing ethnographic research: flowering, nurtured or malnurtured - a critical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth; Martinsen, Bente; Jørgensen, Lene Bastrup; Sørensen, Erik Elgaard

    2018-03-01

    Nursing was established in Denmark as a scholarly tradition in the late nineteen eighties, and ethnography was a preferred method. No critical review has yet summarised accomplishments and gaps and pointing at directions for the future methodological development and research herein. This review critically examines the current state of the use of ethnographic methodology in the body of knowledge from Danish nursing scholars. We performed a systematic literature search in relevant databases from 2003 to 2016. The studies included were critically appraised by all authors for methodological robustness using the ten-item instrument QARI from Joanna Briggs Institute. Two hundred and eight studies met our inclusion criteria and 45 papers were included; the critical appraisal gave evidence of studies with certain robustness, except for the first question concerning the congruity between the papers philosophical perspective and methodology and the seventh question concerning reflections about the influence of the researcher on the study and vice versa. In most studies (n = 34), study aims and arguments for selecting ethnographic research are presented. Additionally, method sections in many studies illustrated that ethnographical methodology is nurtured by references such as Hammersley and Atkinson or Spradley. Evidence exists that Danish nursing scholars' body of knowledge nurtures the ethnographic methodology mainly by the same few authors; however, whether this is an expression of a deliberate strategy or malnutrition in the form of lack of knowledge of other methodological options appears yet unanswered. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

  6. Ethnographic Stories as Generalizations that Intervene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winthereik, Brit Ross; Verran, Helen

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we show why we think the notion of instrumental ethnography should be revived (compared to Steve Woolgar's 1982 use of the term). We see instrumental ethnography as a particular form of ethnography that recognizes ethnographic stories as agential through their capacity to work...... partners in a development aid project; it tells about the seemingly magic actions of a database used for monitoring. We use the note for discussing why we think it is important, in a situation where ethnographic stories are bought and sold as products, to name some of the ontological commitments that go...... into the crafting of these stories....

  7. On Teaching Ethnographic Film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarfield, Geoffrey

    2013-01-01

    The author of this article, a developmental anthropologist, illustrates how the instructor can use ethnographic films to enhance the study of anthropology and override notions about the scope and efficacy of Western intervention in the Third World, provided the instructor places such films in their proper historical and cultural context. He…

  8. Trading Spaces: An Educator's Ethnographic Exploration of Adolescents' Digital Role-Play

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haynes-Moore, Stacy

    2015-01-01

    In this work, the author examines a digital role-play in which participants composed an alternate version of "The Hunger Games" (Collins, 2008). Participants imagined characters and posted more than 400 scenes in the online collaboration. The author draws upon ethnographic methods (Merriam, 2009) to describe her participant-observer…

  9. Ethnographical Research in 3rd World Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Ulla Ambrosius

    2002-01-01

    is that their ethnographic practice generates knowledge about paradoxes, complexities and dilemmas in their own cultural and social context that is often ignored in (Western-driven) educational policy, research and innovation. Thus ethnographic research is functioning also as a tool in educational change and innovation.......This paper focuses on Etnografphic Research as a means for generating knowledge about the issues related to education - school learning and bringing up. The example is taken from a research project carried out in Nepal by students recruited from the Ministery of Education. The point...

  10. The development of a design behaviour questionnaire for multidisciplinary teams

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peeters, M.A.G.; Tuijl, van H.F.J.M.; Reymen, I.M.M.J.; Rutte, C.G.

    2007-01-01

    The relationship between design behaviours and successful design task completion is studied for multidisciplinary design teams. In this research, no observational methods such as audio–visual recordings or ethnographic fieldwork were used, as often the case in design research, but a questionnaire

  11. Methods of mapping ethnographic data on migration, tourism labor, and health risk in the Dominican Republic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livingston, Karina; Padilla, Mark; Scott, Derrick; Colón-Burgos, José Félix; Reyes, Armando Matiz; Varas-Díaz, Nelson

    This paper focuses on a mixed-method approach to quantifying qualitative data from the results of an ongoing NIDA-funded ethnographic study entitled "Migration, Tourism, and the HIV/Drug-Use Syndemic in the Dominican Republic". This project represents the first large-scale mixed method study to identify social, structural, environmental, and demographic factors that may contribute to ecologies of health vulnerability within the Caribbean tourism zones. Our research has identified deportation history as a critical factor contributing to vulnerability to HIV, drugs, mental health problems, and other health conditions. Therefore, understanding the movements of our participants became a vital aspect of this research. This paper describes how we went about translating 37 interviews into visual geographic representations. These methods help develop possible strategies for confronting HIV/AIDS and problematic substance use by examining the ways that these epidemics are shaped by the realities of people's labor migration and the spaces they inhabit. Our methods for mapping this qualitative data contribute to the ongoing, broadening capabilities of using GIS in social science research. A key contribution of this work is its integration of different methodologies from various disciplines to help better understand complex social problems.

  12. Methods of mapping ethnographic data on migration, tourism labor, and health risk in the Dominican Republic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livingston, Karina; Padilla, Mark; Scott, Derrick; Colón-Burgos, José Félix; Reyes, Armando Matiz; Varas-Díaz, Nelson

    2016-01-01

    This paper focuses on a mixed-method approach to quantifying qualitative data from the results of an ongoing NIDA-funded ethnographic study entitled “Migration, Tourism, and the HIV/Drug-Use Syndemic in the Dominican Republic”. This project represents the first large-scale mixed method study to identify social, structural, environmental, and demographic factors that may contribute to ecologies of health vulnerability within the Caribbean tourism zones. Our research has identified deportation history as a critical factor contributing to vulnerability to HIV, drugs, mental health problems, and other health conditions. Therefore, understanding the movements of our participants became a vital aspect of this research. This paper describes how we went about translating 37 interviews into visual geographic representations. These methods help develop possible strategies for confronting HIV/AIDS and problematic substance use by examining the ways that these epidemics are shaped by the realities of people’s labor migration and the spaces they inhabit. Our methods for mapping this qualitative data contribute to the ongoing, broadening capabilities of using GIS in social science research. A key contribution of this work is its integration of different methodologies from various disciplines to help better understand complex social problems. PMID:27656039

  13. Ethnographic research into nursing in acute adult mental health units: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cleary, Michelle; Hunt, Glenn E; Horsfall, Jan; Deacon, Maureen

    2011-01-01

    Acute inpatient mental health units are busy and sometimes chaotic settings, with high bed occupancy rates. These settings include acutely unwell patients, busy staff, and a milieu characterised by unpredictable interactions and events. This paper is a report of a literature review conducted to identify, analyse, and synthesize ethnographic research in adult acute inpatient mental health units. Several electronic databases were searched using relevant keywords to identify studies published from 1990-present. Additional searches were conducted using reference lists. Ethnographic studies published in English were included if they investigated acute inpatient care in adult settings. Papers were excluded if the unit under study was not exclusively for patients in the acute phase of their mental illness, or where the original study was not fully ethnographic. Ten research studies meeting our criteria were found (21 papers). Findings were grouped into the following overarching categories: (1) Micro-skills; (2) Collectivity; (3) Pragmatism; and (4) Reframing of nursing activities. The results of this ethnographic review reveal the complexity, patient-orientation, and productivity of some nursing interventions that may not have been observed or understood without the use of this research method. Additional quality research should focus on redefining clinical priorities and philosophies to ensure everyday care is aligned constructively with the expectations of stakeholders and is consistent with policy and the realities of the organisational setting. We have more to learn from each other with regard to the effective nursing care of inpatients who are acutely disturbed.

  14. Theology as an Ethnographic Object: An Anthropology of Eastern Christian Rupture

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    Timothy Carroll

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper draws upon over three years’ research among Eastern Orthodox (principally Antiochian and Greek communities in London and Mount Athos, Greece. This research came to engage theology quite heavily as part of the ethnographic facts of the fieldsites. This paper reviews some of the existing ways that theology (as both discipline and practice relate to ethnographic enquiry, particularly as it has arisen in the dialogue with the Anthropology of Christianity and frames this in light of the historical development of Anthropology and its relationship to theology and Christianity. The paper then advances a methodological argument, in favour of further means of relation, specifically in terms of theology as a cultural artefact. Drawing on local practices of liturgical theology and Eastern Orthodox forms of allegorical interpretation, I argue for the inclusion of theological insight and practice within the social scientific study of religion. Working in an Orthodox setting requires the investigation of liturgical theology and brings to light important aspects of the relationship between temporal and sempiternal domains of action. Particularly as it relates to liturgical theology and the practices of interpretation, ethnographic enquiry into Orthodox theology asks for a reconsideration of social scientific methods of analysis and representation.

  15. ´Island hopping`– doing ethnographic study following interprofessional teams of students across sectors and professions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Cathrine Sand

    The ethnographic study focuses the profession-oriented learning-context, following the case InBetween. InBetween is a collaboration project aimed at strengthens patient-centred, interprofessional skills among health professional students. The ethnographic aim is to explore the project in practice...... focusing the process of individual, interprofessional and (inter)organizational learning. The framework is a mixture of ethnographic methods. In mapping out the field the challenges for the fieldwork are to follow the interprofessional teams of students in diverse settings: on hospital wards, at home...... with the patient, at the University College. Like island hopping the researcher almost jump from site to site, between islands of expertise and professions. The paper reflects the challenges following teams of students across the healthcare- and education sectors. Through examples from the ongoing fieldwork...

  16. Walking the Fine Line between Fieldwork Success and Failure: Advice for New Ethnographers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, Peter Richard; Temple, Elizabeth C.

    2014-01-01

    While the importance of ethnographic research in developing new knowledge is widely recognised, there remains minimal detailed description and discussion of the actual practice and processes involved in completing ethnographic fieldwork. The first author's experiences and struggles as an ethnographer of a group of young men from two locations (a…

  17. How to Conduct Ethnographic Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sangasubana, Nisaratana

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of conducting ethnographic research. Methodology definition and key characteristics are given. The stages of the research process are described including preparation, data gathering and recording, and analysis. Important issues such as reliability and validity are also discussed.

  18. Explanations of illness experiences among community mental health patients: an argument for the use of an ethnographic interview method in routine clinical care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owiti, John A; Palinski, Andrea; Ajaz, Ali; Ascoli, Micol; De Jongh, Bertine; Bhui, Kamaldeep S

    2015-02-01

    Cultural variations in perceptions of mental distress are important issues for healthcare. They can affect communication between patients and professionals and may be a root cause for misdiagnosis, patient disengagement, and disparities in access, outcomes and overall experiences of treatment by patients. Taking into account patients' explanatory models (EMs) of mental distress is fundamental to patient-centred care, and improved outcomes. This paper reports on the outcomes from the Cultural Consultation Service, commissioned in an inner-city London borough. We used a narrative-based ethnographic method of assessment, in which community mental health patients referred for a cultural consultation were interviewed using Barts Explanatory Model Inventory and Checklist (BEMI) to assess the EMs of their mental distress. Patients mainly attributed the causes and consequences of their mental distress to emotional and psychological factors, which were inextricably linked to existing social concerns and interpersonal issues. Desired solutions mainly focused on treatment, social, and systemic interventions. We found that using BEMI could contribute to a comprehensive assessment in routine care and can be used by professionals within a short timeframe and with minimal training. Ethnographic assessment method captures patients' EMs and illness experiences, opening the way for patient-centred interventions and potentially better outcomes and experiences.

  19. Auto-ethnographical investigation of turning points in dance education – a method for creating awareness of one’s own pre-understanding in qualitative research

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    Trine Ørbæk

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available This article presents an auto-ethnographical investigation of a pedagogical practice in creative dance education. This research is a part of the PhD-project “To create dance” in physical education teacher education based at The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and The Norwegian National Graduate School in Teacher Education. The method used is based on life stories, and turning points are used as analytical tools. The turning point analysis highlights that an auto-ethnographical investigation is relevant when it comes to creating awareness of pre-understandings in the development of pedagogical experiences from one’s own research field. In addition, the article shows that the turning point analysis may contribute to increasing knowledge on how one’s own experience can change when narrated in new ways. Finally, the study shows that making use of auto-ethnography may also have value as a reflexive approach for becoming more conscious of one’s own research process.

  20. Ethnographic Discourse Analysis and Social Science

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    Felicitas Macgilchrist

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Drawing on the perspectives of ethnography and discourse analysis, this paper first gives an overview of the emerging body of research bringing together the epistemologies and the methods of these two perspectives. It then presents a novel analytical framework for computer-assisted ethnographic discourse analysis. The paper outlines how close analysis of discursive practices—in this case journalistic writing practices—can provide insights into struggles over meaning and hegemony in contemporary knowledge work. The case study explores the production of a financial news story about the supply of gas to French consumers, and the way the practices in question subtly write Russia as a threat. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1101183

  1. Reflections on Design-Based Research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ørngreen, Rikke

    2015-01-01

    Design-Based Research is an intervention method that researches educational design (products or processes) in real-life settings with the dual purpose of generating theories about the domain and develop the design iteratively. This paper is an integrative review with a personal ethnographic...... narrative that draws on Design-Based Research literature, and identifies and discusses elements from Interaction Design and Action Research that the Design-Based Research approach could apply, situating the research in online educational projects, where participants are distributed in time and space...

  2. Pesquisa etnográfica em enfermagem Ethnographic research into the nursing

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    Dulce Maria Rosa Gualda

    1997-12-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo faz uma abordagem da pesquisa etnográfica em enfermagem. Discute sobre a finalidade e a relevância deste tipo de pesquisa no contexto da profissão. Abrange também questões relativas ao rigor metodológico e a ética. Faz um delineamento sobre o método da observação participante e a entrevista, tecendo considerações sobre a coleta, análise e utilização dos dados para a descrição da cultura.This article makes an deals with ethnographic research in nursing. It discusses the goal and the relevance of this kind of research the professional context. It includes also issues related to rigor and ethics. It points out basic aspects of participant-observation and ethnographic interview methods, and makes an overview of data collection, analysis and utilization of this data for culture description.

  3. A beginner's guide to ethnographic observation in nursing research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conroy, Tiffany

    2017-03-22

    Background Observation is mentioned in most ethnographic textbooks, but specific details about how it should be conducted and the practicalities to be considered in ethnographic nursing research are not always explicit. This paper explores the experiences of and challenges faced by a novice nurse researcher who used observation to collect data. Aim To provide a novice researcher's perspective of observation in ethnographic nursing research and to highlight the associated challenges. Discussion Challenges that arose in observation began with determining which perspective to take, followed by rehearsing observation, developing and maintaining a constructive relationship with the observation site, being aware of the influence of the observer, managing interactions between the observed and the observer, and responding to ethical issues. Conclusion Novice nurse researchers considering using observation to collect data should be aware of the potential challenges they might encounter. Implications for practice The information presented in this paper will enable novice researchers to anticipate these issues and develop strategies to prevent or address them.

  4. Design research into mobile museum mediation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baggesen, Rikke Haller

    2013-01-01

    community. 
The PhD research project “Mobile Mediation of Fashion by Museums” explores how aesthetic and ethnographic design methods can be used to develop mobile experiences and articulate museological matters of concern. Building on user perspectives, expressed in response to cultural probes, the project...

  5. Short-Term Intercultural Psychotherapy: Ethnographic Inquiry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seeley, Karen M.

    2004-01-01

    This article examines the challenges specific to short-term intercultural treatments and recently developed approaches to intercultural treatments based on notions of cultural knowledge and cultural competence. The article introduces alternative approaches to short-term intercultural treatments based on ethnographic inquiry adapted for clinical…

  6. Ethnographic and Experimental Hypotheses in Educational Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overholt, George E.; Stallings, William M.

    1976-01-01

    Attempts to demonstrate that the ethnographic hypothesis is both culturally relevant and empirically grounded. It is noted that any hypothesis which lacks these attributes is inappropriate for cross cultural research. (Author/AM)

  7. Our Journey to Becoming Ethnographers: An Exploration of Rhetorical Structures as Lived Experience

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    Heather Blair PhD

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available This article, originally written as a performative piece, presents the experiences and perceptions of five graduate students and one professor as they reflect on and write about becoming ethnographers throughout a graduate-level research course. Data sources include reflective journals, synthesis papers, and academic literature. Following the completion of the course, the group came together and applied grounded theory to analyze the data and write collectively about their experiences, feelings, and insights on ethnographic work. They present the data as a readers theatre that incorporates portions of a children's book with the group's reflections. Like authors of other academic literature the group discusses the challenges and benefits of ethnographic research. Their collaborative writing reflects their polyvocality as they negotiated their journeys toward becoming ethnographers.

  8. The Reflexive Nature of Reading as Ethnographic Practice: Editorial Note

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    Wolff-Michael Roth

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available In this editorial, I suggest that not only is reading published texts a way of doing ethno­graph­ic research, but also reading concretely realizes itself in the productions of new texts that reproduce the cultural practices that are analyzed in the published text. Reading as ethnographic method is therefore a reflexive project. I provide a dialectical framework for theorizing the reflexive nature of reading. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0401390

  9. Ethnography in Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bossen, Claus

    2002-01-01

    The role of ethnography in system development is discussed through hte selective application of an ethnographic easy-to-use toolkit, Contextual Design, by a computer firm in the initial stages of the development of a health care system.......The role of ethnography in system development is discussed through hte selective application of an ethnographic easy-to-use toolkit, Contextual Design, by a computer firm in the initial stages of the development of a health care system....

  10. An Ethnographic Descriptive Approach to Video Microanalysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holck, Ulla

    2007-01-01

    . Combined with video micro analysis, the ethnographic approach is, furthermore, very useful in recognising small indicators of communication and social interaction in music therapy with clients with severe communicative limitations. Especially with this client group, the method can be used to confirm...... the therapist, student or trainer wants to be aware of interactions taking place partly or fully outside of the therapist's awareness, either because they are taken for granted or because of "blind spots" in the way they are perceived. The following describes some selected relevant steps of analysis......, illustrated by a case from my doctoral study on music therapy interactions with children with severe functional limitations, including children with autism (Holck 2002)....

  11. Use of ethnographic approaches to the study of health experiences in relation to natural landscapes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, Liz; Varley, Pete

    2012-11-01

    This paper discusses the use of ethnographic approaches to explore how engagement with natural landscapes might benefit people's health. Drawing on a selected review of empirical research we identified 30 relevant research papers that utilised qualitative methods to explore health issues and engagement with nature. Three examples of 'alternative' - i.e. non-mainstream qualitative approaches - are used to illustrate how different methods can be used to explore people's experiences of engaging with nature for health. While quantitative methods are dominant in health research, qualitative approaches are becoming more widely used. Approaches such as autoethnography can add value to nature and health studies by providing opportunities for researchers to be self-critical of their role as a researcher. Accompanied visits and visual ethnography can afford the researcher rich data about bodily movement, facial expressions and journeys, as well as dialogues associated with the meanings of nature for health. The paper concludes by suggesting that ethnographic methods can provide useful and important insights into why people engage with the natural environment and the range of health benefits they may gain from contact with nature.

  12. Literary ethnographic writing as sympathetic experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, Anne Line

    perhaps only implicitly) of research. But we have no direct access to the subjective world of others and can only inhabit their point of view by way of imagination. Writing literary ethnographic text is one way, I will argue, of experimenting with such sympathetic imagination. By putting together observed...

  13. Moving Pictures: From Ethnographic to Autoethnographic Documentary in the Internationalization of the Geography Curriculum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hay, Iain

    2017-01-01

    Documentary films have often taken a pivotal role in strategies to internationalize (geography) curricula and classrooms, being used as a method of bringing the world to the classroom. These documentaries overwhelmingly take ethnographic form. Problematically, the documentary gaze is characteristically that of an outside film crew and narrator…

  14. The second life of ethnographic fieldnotes

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    Robert Leopold

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available La deuxième vie des notes de terrain ethnographique. Créées dès 1879 sous le nom d’Archives du Bureau of American Ethnology, les National Anthropological Archives ont pour mission de collecter et d’assurer la sauvegarde des notes de terrain et, plus généralement, de l’ensemble des matériaux ethnographiques. Ces notes, photographies, archives sonores et images animées sont consultées très régulièrement par des anthropologues. Certains se consacrent à l’écriture de biographies, d’autres travaillent sur l’histoire de la discipline, d’autres encore sont désireux de revisiter les archives d’ethnologues les ayant précédés sur le même terrain. Ces matériaux sont également de plus en plus souvent consultés par des non-anthropologues, parmi lesquels on compte des membres de sociétés étudiées soucieux de mieux connaitre leur héritage. Ce texte présente quelques uns des défis que pose la collecte de ces archives et plus encore leur mise à disposition du public sur place ou en ligne. Il prend particulièrement en compte le rôle de l’archiviste vis-à-vis des sociétés-sources pour tout ce qui concerne les problèmes éthiques posés par l’utilisation de ces matériaux si sensibles.The second life of ethnographic fieldnotes. The National Anthropological Archives has been collecting and preserving ethnographic field notes and related materials since its founding as the Archives of the Bureau of American Ethnology in 1879. Each year, these field notes, photographs, sound recordings and moving images are consulted by anthropologists writing biographies and intellectual histories, conducting comparative research, and reviewing the work of anthropologists who conducted research in the same ethnographic region. These field materials are also increasingly consulted by non-anthropologists, particularly native peoples studying their own cultural heritage. This text discusses some of the challenges involved in

  15. Computer templates in chronic disease management: ethnographic case study in general practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swinglehurst, Deborah; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Roberts, Celia

    2012-01-01

    Objective To investigate how electronic templates shape, enable and constrain consultations about chronic diseases. Design Ethnographic case study, combining field notes, video-recording, screen capture with a microanalysis of talk, body language and data entry—an approach called linguistic ethnography. Setting Two general practices in England. Participants and methods Ethnographic observation of administrative areas and 36 nurse-led consultations was done. Twenty-four consultations were directly observed and 12 consultations were video-recorded alongside computer screen capture. Consultations were transcribed using conversation analysis conventions, with notes on body language and the electronic record. The analysis involved repeated rounds of viewing video, annotating field notes, transcription and microanalysis to identify themes. The data was interpreted using discourse analysis, with attention to the sociotechnical theory. Results Consultations centred explicitly or implicitly on evidence-based protocols inscribed in templates. Templates did not simply identify tasks for completion, but contributed to defining what chronic diseases were, how care was being delivered and what it meant to be a patient or professional in this context. Patients’ stories morphed into data bytes; the particular became generalised; the complex was made discrete, simple and manageable; and uncertainty became categorised and contained. Many consultations resembled bureaucratic encounters, primarily oriented to completing data fields. We identified a tension, sharpened by the template, between different framings of the patient—as ‘individual’ or as ‘one of a population’. Some clinicians overcame this tension, responding creatively to prompts within a dialogue constructed around the patient's narrative. Conclusions Despite their widespread implementation, little previous research has examined how templates are actually used in practice. Templates do not simply document the

  16. Ethnographic Techniques in Educational Evaluation: An Illustration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetterman, David

    1980-01-01

    Describes the ethnographic component of a multidisciplinary evaluation, conducted by the RMC Research Corporation, of the Career Intern Program for dropouts. Includes discussion of participant observations, interviewing techniques, triangulation, unobtrusive measures, data recording, and equipment. (Part of a theme issue entitled…

  17. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AMONG INTENSIVE CARE NURSES: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heydari, Abbas; Najar, Ali Vafaee; Bakhshi, Mahmoud

    2015-12-01

    Nurses are the main users of supplies and equipment applied in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) which are high-priced and costly. Therefore, understanding ICU nurses' experiences about resource management contributes to the better control of the costs. This study aimed to investigate the culture of nurses' working environment regarding the resource management in the ICUs in Iran. In this study, a focused ethnographic method was used. Twenty-eight informants among ICU nurses and other professional individuals were purposively selected and interviewed. As well, 400 hours of ethnographic observations as a participant observer was used for data gathering. Data analysis was performed using the methods described by Miles and Huberman (1994). Two main themes describing the culture of ICU nurses regarding resource management included (a) consumption monitoring and auditing, and (b) prudent use. The results revealed that the efforts for resource management are conducted in the conditions of scarcity and uncertainty in supply. ICU nurses had a sense of futurism in the supply and use of resources in the unit and do the planning through taking the rules and guidelines as well as the available resources and their values into account. Improper storage of some supplies and equipment was a reaction to this uncertain condition among nurses. To manage the resources effectively, improvement of supply chain management in hospital seems essential. It is also necessary to hold educational classes in order to enhance the nurses' awareness on effective supply chain and storage of the items in the unit stock.

  18. A meta-ethnographic synthesis of fathers' experiences of complicated births that are potentially traumatic.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmir, Rakime; Schmied, Virginia

    2016-01-01

    birth is a natural and for many, life enhancing phenomenon. In rare circumstances however birth can be accompanied with complications that may place the mother and infant at risk of severe trauma or death. Witnessing birth complications or obstetric emergencies can be distressing and potentially traumatic for the father. the aim of this paper is to report on the findings of a meta-ethnographic synthesis of father's experiences of complicated births that are potentially traumatic. databases searched included CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed and PsycINFO with Full Text. The search was conducted in February and March 2013 and revised in February 2015 for any new papers, and the search was limited to papers published in English, full text and peer-reviewed journals published between January 2000 to December 2013. studies were included if they focused on fathers/men's experiences of witnessing a birth with complications including a caesarean section or an adverse obstetric event. Studies included needed to use qualitative or mixed methods research designs with a substantial qualitative component. ANALYTIC STRATEGY: a meta-ethnographic approach was used using methods of reciprocal translation guided by the work of Noblit and Hare (1988) on meta-ethnographic techniques. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. eight qualitative studies with a total of 100 participants were included in the final sample. The men ranged in age from 19 to 50 years. Four major themes were identified: 'the unfolding crisis', 'stripped of my role: powerless and helpless', 'craving information' and 'scarring the relationship'. Participants described the fear and anxiety they felt as well as having a sense of worthlessness and inadequacy. Men did not receive sufficient information about the unfolding events and subsequently this birth experience impacted on some men's interactions and relationships with their partners. witnessing a complicated or unexpected

  19. [Ethnographic approaches to research and intervention in mental health].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunes, Mônica de Oliveira; de Torrenté, Maurice

    2013-10-01

    The specifics of ethnographic approaches to mental health research are examined, highlighting the motives why the type of knowledge produced by ethnography is relevant to the context of Psychiatric Reform and the biomedicalization of existence. The discussion is focused on interpretation-based ethnography in the field of mental health, stressing the theoretical and methodological foundations of a comprehensive form of apprehending the scope of mental health as an object akin to a clinic of the individual. The centrality of social and cultural aspects in the ethnographic approach and the inflexions mediated by the type of ethnographic methodological undertaking is stressed. Lastly, the ethnography of madness is seen as a fitting example that substantiates some of these characteristics. The contention is that accessing psychotic persons (and others who may speak about these experiences) from varied areas of their daily life, situated in their various social inscriptions, while confronting these interpretations with other interpretative dimensions of their social reality and within the logic linked to local psychologies, is a pertinent procedure, from whence certain aspects of an understanding of madness (or causes of its incomprehension) can emerge.

  20. Informant-Ethnographers in the Study of Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feer, Michael

    1975-01-01

    In the context of an anthropology curriculum, public high school students performed as informant-ethnographers of their own social milieu. Using the film and fieldwork techniques, students demonstrated that with training and sensitivity such studies could be more than simple academic exercises. (AUTHOR/NQ)

  1. Tailoring intervention procedures to routine primary health care practice; an ethnographic process evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruijnzeels Marc

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tailor-made approaches enable the uptake of interventions as they are seen as a way to overcome the incompatibility of general interventions with local knowledge about the organisation of routine medical practice and the relationship between the patients and the professionals in practice. Our case is the Quattro project which is a prevention programme for cardiovascular diseases in high-risk patients in primary health care centres in deprived neighbourhoods. This programme was implemented as a pragmatic trial and foresaw the importance of local knowledge in primary health care and internal, or locally made, guidelines. The aim of this paper is to show how this prevention programme, which could be tailored to routine care, was implemented in primary care. Methods An ethnographic design was used for this study. We observed and interviewed the researchers and the practice nurses. All the research documents, observations and transcribed interviews were analysed thematically. Results Our ethnographic process evaluation showed that the opportunity of tailoring intervention procedures to routine care in a pragmatic trial setting did not result in a well-organised and well-implemented prevention programme. In fact, the lack of standard protocols hindered the implementation of the intervention. Although it was not the purpose of this trial, a guideline was developed. Despite the fact that the developed guideline functioned as a tool, it did not result in the intervention being organised accordingly. However, the guideline did make tailoring the intervention possible. It provided the professionals with the key or the instructions needed to achieve organisational change and transform the existing interprofessional relations. Conclusion As tailor-made approaches are developed to enable the uptake of interventions in routine practice, they are facilitated by the brokering of tools such as guidelines. In our study, guidelines facilitated

  2. Dilemmas and Deliberations in Reflexive Ethnographic Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Janean Valerie

    2014-01-01

    This paper traces insights into the challenges and dilemmas experienced whilst researching students' interpretations and understandings of the Behaviour Management in Schools policy in Western Australia. Journal records, supported by student transcripts, are woven together in a reflexive ethnographic journey--from the beginning phase of searching…

  3. Designing for cooperation at a Radio Station

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kensing, F.; Simonsen, Jesper; Bødker, Keld

    1997-01-01

    We address computer support for work and its coordination in one of the radio channels of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. Based upon ethnographically inspired analysis and participatory design techniques, we propose design solutions now implemented or under implementation. We focus on cooper......We address computer support for work and its coordination in one of the radio channels of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. Based upon ethnographically inspired analysis and participatory design techniques, we propose design solutions now implemented or under implementation. We focus...

  4. Writing and Retelling Multiple Ethnographic Tales of a Soup Kitchen for the Homeless.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Dana L.; Creswell, John W.; Olander, Lisa

    An ethnographic study narrated three tales about a soup kitchen for the homeless and the near-homeless. To provide a cultural, ethnographic analysis, and share fieldwork experiences the study began with realist and confessional tales. These two tales emerged from the initial writing and presenting of the soup kitchen ethnography to qualitative…

  5. Reassessment of anoxic storage of ethnographic rubber

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shashoua, Yvonne; Dyer, Joanne; Ward, Clare

    2011-01-01

    This paper revisits the 1991–1995 British Museum field trial on anoxic storage, where 23 registered ethnographic rubber objects were enclosed in oxygen barrier film Cryovac BDF200 with sachets of the oxygen absorbent Ageless Z. A unique opportunity for study was presented since most of the enclos...

  6. The impact of African ethnicity and migration on pregnancy in women living with HIV in the UK: design and methods

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    Tariq Shema

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The number of reported pregnancies in women with diagnosed HIV in the UK increased from 80 in 1990 to over 1400 in 2010; the majority were among women born in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a paucity of research on how social adversity impacts upon pregnancy in HIV positive women in the UK; furthermore, little is known about important outcomes such as treatment uptake and return for follow-up after pregnancy. The aim of this study was to examine pregnancy in African women living with HIV in the UK. Methods and design This was a two phase mixed methods study. The first phase involved analysis of data on approximately 12,000 pregnancies occurring between 2000 and 2010 reported to the UK’s National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood (NSHPC. The second phase was based in London and comprised: (i semi-structured interviews with 23 pregnant African women living with HIV, 4 health care professionals and 2 voluntary sector workers; (ii approximately 90 hours of ethnographic fieldwork in an HIV charity; and (iii approximately 40 hours of ethnographic fieldwork in a Pentecostal church. Discussion We have developed an innovative methodology utilising epidemiological and anthropological methods to explore pregnancy in African women living with HIV in the UK. The data collected in this mixed methods study are currently being analysed and will facilitate the development of appropriate services for this group.

  7. Development of Deaf Identity: An Ethnographic Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    McIlroy, Guy; Storbeck, Claudine

    2011-01-01

    This ethnographic study explores the identity development of 9 deaf participants through the narratives of their educational experiences in either mainstream or special schools for the Deaf. This exploration goes beyond a binary conceptualization of deaf identity that allows for only the medical and social models and proposes a bicultural…

  8. Pursenality : A photo-ethnographic method for self-elicitation and co-creation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mulder, J.W.; Mulder, I.J.; Best, S.E.

    2013-01-01

    The current work introduces pursenality, a photoethnographic method for self-elicitation and cocreation, which elaborates upon current photography methods used in (design) ethnography. In total 91 bachelor students in the 6th semester participated in a purse diary study and used the pursenality

  9. Ethnographic Auditing: A New Approach to Evaluating Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetterman, David M.

    1990-01-01

    Ethnographic auditing combines concepts of ethnography, evaluation, and traditional auditing to evaluate university management. It is another tool in the institutional researcher's repertoire that enables the researcher to interpret cultural aspects of the organization to facilitate its academic mission. (MSE)

  10. Poetic Arrivals and Departures: Bodying the Ethnographic Field in Verse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Devika Chawla

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available For decades, social research has engaged the "linguistic turn," which was considered revolutionary in the ways that scholars began to reframe reality, knowledge, and representation. Among ethnographers, this turn was robustly embraced, especially at the level of intersubjectivity, reflexivity, and positionality in field practices. More recently, the performance paradigm reframed the field, the ethnographer, and her participants as embodied persons and places with bodied terrains and topographies. In my recent ethnographic life history study about Indian women's experiences in Hindu arranged marriages, I entered my field equipped theoretically with some knowledge of and keen awareness about the positional and performative contingencies that would unravel in the field because I was working with women who had made very disparate choices from my own. However, when it arrived, my own crisis of representation was material, textual, epistemological, and theoretical. My experiences in the field radically reconfigured my relationship to ethnographic representation—the textual, the performed, and the performative. In this paper, I show my arrivals and departures in and out of theory, text, and performance as I re-envision my fieldwork as a site of bodied and embodied "material performances"—both my own and my participants'. I turn specifically to a symbolic analysis of a poem, which came upon me during fieldwork in the form of a performance text. I refer to this poem as a sideways mystory which in its poetic form allowed me to shift from an interpreter of tales to a cultural critic who wants to uncover hidden truths and provoke the audience to think about complex realities and act. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0802248

  11. An auto-ethnographic perspective on academic entrepreneurship

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pilegaard, Morten; Moroz, Peter; Neergaard, Helle

    2010-01-01

    This paper employs a qualitative method to analyze a successful university spinoff venture that originates from research conducted in a humanities discipline.  We offer insight into 1) how socio-spatial contexts may be structured to better evaluate the entrepreneurial facilitation process and 2) ...... existing institutional structures to legitimize and facilitate entrepreneurial activity.  The research also demonstrates the great value in auto-ethnographic techniques to bring fresh insight to the study of entrepreneurship. Directions for future research are offered.......This paper employs a qualitative method to analyze a successful university spinoff venture that originates from research conducted in a humanities discipline.  We offer insight into 1) how socio-spatial contexts may be structured to better evaluate the entrepreneurial facilitation process and 2......) why academic entrepreneurship in the social sciences and humanities may differ from the hard sciences.  Our findings illustrate the importance of bridging innovation using twin skills to balance research and commercial goals, the need for codifying knowledge capacities and creating new or changing...

  12. Learning about Student Research Practices through an Ethnographic Investigation: Insights into Contact with Librarians and Use of Library Space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eamon Tewell

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective – Student research habits and expectations continue to change, complicating the design of library spaces and the provision of research support. This study’s intent was to explore undergraduate and graduate student research and study needs at a mid-sized university’s two campuses in the Northeastern United States, and to improve librarians’ understandings of these practices so that more appropriate services and spaces may be developed to support student learning. Methods – The research project utilized a primarily qualitative design for data collection that spanned from fall 2012 to summer 2013, consisting of an online questionnaire, unobtrusive observations, and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data collection commenced with a questionnaire consisting of 51 items, distributed through campus email to all students and receiving 1182 responses. Second, 32 hours of unobtrusive observations were carried out by librarians, who took ethnographic “field notes” in a variety of Library locations during different times and days of the week. The final method was in-depth interviews conducted with 30 undergraduate and graduate students. The qualitative data were analyzed through the application of a codebook consisting of 459 codes, developed by a data analysis team of 4 librarians. Results – The results address topical areas of student interactions with librarians, contact preferences, and use of library space. Of the interviewees, 60% contacted a librarian at least once, with texting being the most popular method of contact (27%. In being contacted by the library, students preferred a range of methods and generally indicated interest in learning about library news and events through posters and signage. Participants were less interested in receiving library contact via social media, such as Facebook or Twitter. Regarding student use of and preference for library space, prominent themes were students creating their own

  13. Designing User Centred Intelligent Classroom Lighting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Georgieva, Diana Zdravkova; Schledermann, Kathrine Marie; Nielsen, Stine Maria Louring

    2018-01-01

    Through a case study, this paper presents a new way of designing intelligent classroom lighting to meet the users’ needs. A mix of ethnographic methods (field observations and interviews) were used to investigate the everyday learning activities at a middle school in Copenhagen in order...... to determine how lighting can support the learning environment. Based on the investigations, lighting design criteria and three predefined lighting scenes are proposed as a new design for meeting the needs of students and teachers during three types of activities. The scenes focus on smartboard visibility...

  14. DEFINING THE "COMMUNITY" FOR A COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION ADDRESSING LATINO IMMIGRANT HEALTH DISPARITIES: AN APPLICATION OF ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edberg, Mark; Cleary, Sean; Simmons, Lauren B; Cubilla-Batista, Idalina; Andrade, Elizabeth L; Gudger, Glencora

    2015-01-01

    Although Latino and other immigrant populations are the driving force behind population increases in the U.S., there are significant gaps in knowledge and practice on addressing health disparities in these populations. The Avance Center for the Advancement of Immigrant/Refugee Health, a health disparities research center in the Washington, DC area, includes as part of its mission a multi-level, participatory community intervention (called Adelante) to address the co-occurrence of substance abuse, violence and sex risk among Latino immigrant youth and young adults. Research staff and community partners knew that the intervention community had grown beyond its Census-designated place (CDP) boundaries, and that connection and attachment to community were relevant to an intervention. Thus, in order to understand current geographic and social boundaries of the community for sampling, data collection, intervention design and implementation, the research team conducted an ethnographic study to identify self-defined community boundaries, both geographic and social. Beginning with preliminary data from a pilot intervention and the original CDP map, the research included: geo-mapping de-identified addresses of service clients from a major community organization; key informant interviews; and observation and intercept interviews in the community. The results provided an expanded community boundary profile and important information about community identity.

  15. Ethnographic research with adolescent students: situated fieldwork ethics and ethical principles governing human research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemmings, Annette

    2009-12-01

    This paper explores ethical dilemmas in situated fieldwork ethics concerning ethnographic studies of adolescent students. While consequentialist and deontological ethics form the basis of the ethical stances shared by ethnographers and research ethics committees, the interpretation of those principles may diverge in school-based ethnography with adolescent students because of the particular role of the adult ethnographer vis-à-vis developmentally immature adolescents not held legally responsible for many of their actions. School ethnographers attempt to build trust with adolescent participants in order to learn about their hidden cultural worlds, which may involve activities that are very harmful to the youths involved. They face many difficult and sometimes unexpected choices, including whether to intervene and how to represent events and adolescents in published findings. Scenarios with examples drawn from research conducted in public high schools are used to illustrate and explicate dilemmas in formal research and latent insider/outsider roles and relations involving harmful adolescent behaviors, advocacy, and psychological trauma. Also examined are analytical procedures used to construct interpretations leading to representations of research participants in the resulting publication.

  16. Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research: Reflections on the Research Approach Used to Understand the Complexity of Maternal Health Issues in South Sudan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmusharaf, Khalifa; Byrne, Elaine; Manandhar, Mary; Hemmings, Joanne; O'Donovan, Diarmuid

    2017-07-01

    Many methodological approaches have been used to understand cultural dimensions to maternal health issues. Although a well-designed quantitative survey with a representative sample can provide essential information on trends in behavior, it does not necessarily establish a contextualized understanding of the complexity in which different behaviors occur. This article addresses how contextualized data can be collected in a short time and under conditions in which participants in conflict-affected zones might not have established, or time to establish, trust with the researchers. The solution, the Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) approach, is illustrated through a study whereby South Sudanese marginalized women were trained to design research instruments, and collect and analyze qualitative data. PEER overcomes the problem that many ethnographic or participatory approaches face-the extensive time and resources required to develop trusting relationships with the community to understand the local context and the social networks they form.

  17. Perception of mercury contamination by Brazilian adolescents in a gold mining community: an ethnographic approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novais, Gabriel; Câmara, Volney de Magalhães

    2009-01-01

    This study used ethnographic methods to examine the perception of mercury contamination by adolescents in the mining community of Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brazil. In Phase I, 53 students aged 13 to 16 years in six schools presented theatrical sketches about community health risks to generate key terms for a pile sorting activity in Phase II. Mercury was reported by four of the 15 groups (26%). In Phase II, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and pile sorts with 31 students to assess adolescent attitudes about mercury and to generate an ethnomedical model of mercury perception. The lack of consensus evident in the model reveals that while students view mercury as an overall threat, many of them do not understand how its presence can harm human health. Few adolescents felt confident about their knowledge (3%) or could accurately explain how it was used (9%), even though many of them had relatives working as miners (55%). Further analysis of pile sort data suggests that mercury may not belong in a 'typical risks' domain. The authors argue that ethnographic methods are a useful tool for public health research, and hope that these findings can contribute to health education interventions in the field.

  18. Exploiting the User: Adapting Personas for Use in Security Visualization Design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stoll, Jennifer C.; McColgin, David W.; Gregory, Michelle L.; Crow, Vernon L.; Edwards, Keith

    2007-10-29

    It has long been noted that visual representations of complex information can facilitate rapid understanding of data {citation], even with respect to ComSec applications {citation]. Recognizing that visualizations can increase usability in ComSec applications, [Zurko, Sasse] have argued that there is a need to create more usable security visualizations. (VisSec) However, usability of applications generally fall into the domain of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), which generally relies on heavy-weight user-centered design (UCD) processes. For example, the UCD process can involve many prototype iterations, or an ethnographic field study that can take months to complete. The problem is that VisSec projects generally do not have the resources to perform ethnographic field studies, or to employ complex UCD methods. They often are running on tight deadlines and budgets that can not afford standard UCD methods. In order to help resolve the conflict of needing more usable designs in ComSec, but not having the resources to employ complex UCD methods, in this paper we offer a stripped-down lighter weight version of a UCD process which can help with capturing user requirements. The approach we use is personas which a user requirements capturing method arising out of the Participatory Design philosophy [Grudin02].

  19. Histories and Horoscopes: The Ethnographer as Fortune-Teller.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Mary

    1998-01-01

    Focuses on different ways participants in a research project may understand the research and use it themselves by describing how 20 adult students and 14 community members, participants in a recent ethnographic study of adult literacy in England, responded to the invitation to collaborate with researchers in interpreting interview data. (SLD)

  20. THE DYNAMICS OF REPRESSIVE HABITUS LAWS: ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY IN UNWIMA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teddy Asmara

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This research describes repressive legal habitus Unwima community by focusing on the issue of why they create a legal cognition such manner and how to empower them in the public domain when facing a lawsuit in court and examination process in higher education office. The results of the research with ethnographic methods and interpretative analysis, First, that repressive legal habitus is a part of the neo-feudalistic thinking in education management. Second, the empowerment of repressive legal habitus in the public domain potentially generate a legal behavior of impulsive that tends to a manipulative, coercive, veiled, and other immorality practices.

  1. Tales from the Ethnographic Field: Navigating Feelings of Guilt and Privilege in the Research Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeLuca, Jaime R.; Maddox, Callie Batts

    2016-01-01

    This article explores questions of reflexivity, positionality, identity, and emotion within the process of ethnographic research. We reflect on our feelings of privilege and guilt in and through our ethnographic fieldwork and discuss the ways in which these experiences encouraged reflexive thinking and a crucial interrogation of the place of the…

  2. Can Film Show the Invisible? The Work of Montage in Ethnographic Filmmaking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Suhr, Christian; Willerslev, Rane

    2012-01-01

    This article suggests that film can evoke hidden dimensions of ethnographic reality, not by striving for ever more realistic depictions – a position often associated with observational cinema – but rather by exploiting the artificial means through which human vision can be transcended. Achieved...... particularly through the use of montage, such disruptions can multiply the perspectives from which filmic subject matter is perceived, thus conveying its invisible and irreducible otherness. This, however, is an argument not for dismissing the realism of much ethnographic filmmaking, but rather to demonstrate...

  3. Conceptualising the Use of Facebook in Ethnographic Research: As Tool, as Data and as Context

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Sally

    2013-01-01

    This article proposes a three-part conceptualisation of the use of Facebook in ethnographic research: as a tool, as data and as context. Longitudinal research with young adults at a time of significant change provides many challenges for the ethnographic researcher, such as maintaining channels of communication and high rates of participant…

  4. An ethnographic investigation of healthcare providers' approaches to facilitating person-centredness in group-based diabetes education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stenov, Vibeke; Hempler, Nana Folmann; Reventlow, Susanne

    2017-01-01

    AIM: To investigate approaches among healthcare providers (HCPs) that support or hinder person-centredness in group-based diabetes education programmes targeting persons with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Ethnographic fieldwork in a municipal and a hospital setting in Denmark. The two programmes....... Applying person-centredness in practice requires continuous training and supervision, but HCPs often have minimum support for developing person-centred communication skills. Techniques based on motivational communication, psychosocial methods and facilitating group processes are effective person...

  5. HIV in Japan: Epidemiologic puzzles and ethnographic explanations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anthony S. DiStefano

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Japan is widely perceived to have a low level of HIV occurrence; however, its HIV epidemics also have been the subject of considerable misunderstanding globally. I used a ground truthing conceptual framework to meet two aims: first, to determine how accurately official surveillance data represented Japan's two largest epidemics (urban Kansai and Tokyo as understood and experienced on the ground; and second, to identify explanations for why the HIV epidemics were unfolding as officially reported. I used primarily ethnographic methods while drawing upon epidemiology, and compared government surveillance data to observations at community and institutional sites (459 pages of field notes; 175 persons observed, qualitative interviews with stakeholders in local HIV epidemics (n = 32, and document research (n = 116. This revealed seven epidemiologic puzzles involving officially reported trends and conspicuously missing information. Ethnographically grounded explanations are presented for each. These included factors driving the epidemics, which ranged from waning government and public attention to HIV, to gaps in sex education and disruptive leadership changes in public institutions approximately every two years. Factors constraining the epidemics also contributed to explanations. These ranged from subsidized medical treatment for most people living with HIV, to strong partnerships between government and a well-developed, non-governmental sector of HIV interventionists, and protective norms and built environments in the sex industry. Local and regional HIV epidemics were experienced and understood as worse than government reports indicated, and ground-level data often contradicted official knowledge. Results thus call into question epidemiologic trends, including recent stabilization of the national epidemic, and suggest the need for revisions to the surveillance system and strategies that address factors driving and constraining the epidemics. Based

  6. Strategic Uses for Ethnographic Stories: Using What Your Customers Do, Feel, and Say to Transform Your Business

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arnould, Eric; Cayla, Julien; Beers, Robin

    2014-01-01

    Ethnographic stories offer executives an empathic understanding of how consumers live, work and play through gritty and detailed descriptions. What you learn from ethnographic stories may surprise you — and change your company’s strategy....

  7. Cyber-activism and Waves of Communication Agitation: Ethnographic Considerations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas Aguilar-Forero

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available In this article I present the results of a multi-sited, collaborative and experimental ethnographic study that took place between 2012 and 2014. It was focused the communication practices of the organization Sons and Daughters for Identity and Justice and Against Forgetting and Silence (H.I.J.O.S. in Spanish. In particular, the analysis in this article focuses on the characteristics of the cyber activism of the Bogota based chapter of H.I.J.O.S. as an example of the politicized appropriation of distinctive online platforms by this group to share content, coordinate activities and for the resolution and transformation of internal conflicts. The analysis, developed in dialogue with key concepts from the anthropology of virtual worlds, attempts to promote reflection on the necessary displacements and the challenges of ethnographic fieldwork, in the context of the study of cyber activism in the contemporary world.

  8. Ethnographic Monitoring: Hymes's Unfinished Business in Educational Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Aa, Jef; Blommaert, Jan

    2011-01-01

    This essay describes the process of Hymesian monitoring, a collaborative effort to understand voice in education, so crucial in Hymes's later work. A report of ethnographic monitoring in 1970s Philadelphia and a recent collaborative project in the Caribbean demonstrate how one can work from the voice of the pupil, through that of the analyst…

  9. Institutional ethical review and ethnographic research involving injection drug users: a case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Small, Will; Maher, Lisa; Kerr, Thomas

    2014-03-01

    Ethnographic research among people who inject drugs (PWID) involves complex ethical issues. While ethical review frameworks have been critiqued by social scientists, there is a lack of social science research examining institutional ethical review processes, particularly in relation to ethnographic work. This case study describes the institutional ethical review of an ethnographic research project using observational fieldwork and in-depth interviews to examine injection drug use. The review process and the salient concerns of the review committee are recounted, and the investigators' responses to the committee's concerns and requests are described to illustrate how key issues were resolved. The review committee expressed concerns regarding researcher safety when conducting fieldwork, and the investigators were asked to liaise with the police regarding the proposed research. An ongoing dialogue with the institutional review committee regarding researcher safety and autonomy from police involvement, as well as formal consultation with a local drug user group and solicitation of opinions from external experts, helped to resolve these issues. This case study suggests that ethical review processes can be particularly challenging for ethnographic projects focused on illegal behaviours, and that while some challenges could be mediated by modifying existing ethical review procedures, there is a need for legislation that provides legal protection of research data and participant confidentiality. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The Role of Ethnographic Studies in Empirical Software Engineering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sharp, Helen; Dittrich, Yvonne; Souza, Cleidson R. B. de

    2016-01-01

    Ethnography is a qualitative research method used to study people and cultures. It is largely adopted in disciplines outside software engineering, including different areas of computer science. Ethnography can provide an in-depth understanding of the socio-technological realities surrounding ever...... as a useful and usable approach to empirical software engineering research. Throughout the paper, relevant examples of ethnographic studies of software practice are used to illustrate the points being made.......Ethnography is a qualitative research method used to study people and cultures. It is largely adopted in disciplines outside software engineering, including different areas of computer science. Ethnography can provide an in-depth understanding of the socio-technological realities surrounding...... everyday software development practice, i.e., it can help to uncover not only what practitioners do, but also why they do it. Despite its potential, ethnography has not been widely adopted by empirical software engineering researchers, and receives little attention in the related literature. The main goal...

  11. Rereading the Ethnographic Legacy of the Chicago School of Sociology: Symbolic Interactionism in The Age of Digital Ethnography

    OpenAIRE

    Morva, Oya

    2017-01-01

    The Chicago School of Sociology has made important theoretical and methodological contributions to the field of ethnographic studies. The urban monographs of the early Chicago School and the theory of symbolic interactionism are the most recognised of these contributions. The focus of this study is on the following question: What does the Chicago School’s ethnographic legacy in general and in particular its theory of symbolic interactionism mean for the current digital ethnographic studies? H...

  12. Tendencies of Inner Surveillance in Democratic India Challenges of Establishing Native Ethnographer's Identity Among Indian Muslims

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tabassum "Ruhi" Khan

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available The paper analyzes how the native ethnographer's position within his/her com-munity becomes problematized during fieldwork conditions defined by fear of state surveillance forces. It focuses on the way state's vigilance activities create new barriers for establishing of native ethnographer's authority by challenging the ethnographer's privileged access to his/her research community based on trust and cultural/religious affiliations. The apprehensions for personal safety experienced by the informants unsettle the distinctions between native and non-native ethno-graphy. The paper argues that if anthropology is to progress as a meaningful so-cial and cultural critique then it must elaborate the ethnographer's experiences of navigating the shifting grounds as insider and outsider. It proposes a "thick de-scription" of the way reticence and distrust of the informants is overcome. The aim is to create scholarship that counters political and social injustices by making explicit voids and gaps and by gleaning a wealth of information in silences.

  13. The paradigm of description in ethnographic translation: the translator Levi-Strauss in Tristes Tropiques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alice Maria de Araújo Ferreira

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Published in 1955, Tristes Tropiques by Claude Levi-Strauss is an account of the journey that the author and ethnographer made on the American continent, especially in Brazil, in 1930. With a free poetic style not restricted by the austerity of scientific work, Levi-Strauss introduced a reflection that established a crucial rupture in ethnographic studies and in the humanities in general, or rather, the rupture of the gaze. His aim is not precisely the culture of the indigenous people in Brazil, but Levi-Strauss himself as the subject of the gaze. How may one grasp an object that changes as one gazes at it? How does the gaze affect the object while gazing, observing, analyzing, describing, and translating it? Current essay discusses what the translator does to the speech of the other when translating it. Different translation strategies from Portuguese into French proposed by Levi-Strauss in Tristes Tropiques are discussed. Conceiving ethnographic translation from the description paradigm and as an encounter of cultures (but not as replacement, the author analyzes the process performed within the gap between the gaze experience and the production of speech of such gaze to understand the value produced at the end of the axis corresponding to the ethnographic translation-description.

  14. Memoir as a Form of Auto-Ethnographic Research for Exploring the Practice of Transnational Higher Education in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, Joy Denise

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, I argue that memoir, as a form of auto-ethnographic research, is an appropriate method for exploring the complexities and singularities in the practice of western educational practitioners who are immersed in the social reality of offshore higher education institutions, such as those in Mainland China. I illustrate this proposition…

  15. Further Education Sector Governors as Ethnographers: Five Case Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clapham, Andrew; Vickers, Rob

    2018-01-01

    This paper considers how governors in the English "Further Education and Skills" (FE) sector examined their practice as ethnographers. The paper locates both FE governance and ethnography within the challenges of the performative and Panoptic environments facing English education. In doing so, the paper explores how the informants'…

  16. Everyday practices at the medical ward: a 16-month ethnographic field study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolf Axel

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Modern hospital care should ostensibly be multi-professional and person-centred, yet it still seems to be driven primarily by a hegemonic, positivistic, biomedical agenda. This study aimed to describe the everyday practices of professionals and patients in a coronary care unit, and analyse how the routines, structures and physical design of the care environment influenced their actions and relationships. Methods Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted over a 16-month period (between 2009 and 2011 by two researchers working in parallel in a Swedish coronary care unit. Observations, informal talks and formal interviews took place with registered nurses, assistant nurses, physicians and patients in the coronary care unit. The formal interviews were conducted with six registered nurses (five female, one male including the chief nurse manager, three assistant nurses (all female, two cardiologists and three patients (one female, two male. Results We identified the structures that either promoted or counteracted the various actions and relationships of patients and healthcare professionals. The care environment, with its minimalistic design, strong focus on routines and modest capacity for dialogue, restricted the choices available to both patients and healthcare professionals. This resulted in feelings of guilt, predominantly on the part of the registered nurses. Conclusions The care environment restricted the choices available to both patients and healthcare professionals. This may result in increased moral stress among those in multi-professional teams who work in the grey area between biomedical and person-centred care.

  17. Ethnographic study of ICT-supported collaborative work routines in general practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Health informatics research has traditionally been dominated by experimental and quasi-experimental designs. An emerging area of study in organisational sociology is routinisation (how collaborative work practices become business-as-usual). There is growing interest in the use of ethnography and other in-depth qualitative approaches to explore how collaborative work routines are enacted and develop over time, and how electronic patient records (EPRs) are used to support collaborative work practices within organisations. Methods/design Following Feldman and Pentland, we will use 'the organisational routine' as our unit of analysis. In a sample of four UK general practices, we will collect narratives, ethnographic observations, multi-modal (video and screen capture) data, documents and other artefacts, and analyse these to map and compare the different understandings and enactments of three common routines (repeat prescribing, coding and summarising, and chronic disease surveillance) which span clinical and administrative spaces and which, though 'mundane', have an important bearing on quality and safety of care. In a detailed qualitative analysis informed by sociological theory, we aim to generate insights about how complex collaborative work is achieved through the process of routinisation in healthcare organisations. Discussion Our study offers the potential not only to identify potential quality failures (poor performance, errors, failures of coordination) in collaborative work routines but also to reveal the hidden work and workarounds by front-line staff which bridge the model-reality gap in EPR technologies and via which "automated" safety features have an impact in practice. PMID:21190583

  18. Critical Medical Anthropology in Midwifery Research: A Framework for Ethnographic Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newnham, Elizabeth C; Pincombe, Jan I; McKellar, Lois V

    2016-01-01

    In this article, we discuss the use of critical medical anthropology (CMA) as a theoretical framework for research in the maternity care setting. With reference to the doctoral research of the first author, we argue for the relevance of using CMA for research into the maternity care setting, particularly as it relates to midwifery. We then give an overview of an existing analytic model within CMA that we adapted for looking specifically at childbirth practices and which was then used in both analyzing the data and structuring the thesis. There is often no clear guide to the analysis or writing up of data in ethnographic research; we therefore offer this Critical analytic model of childbirth practices for other researchers conducting ethnographic research into childbirth or maternity care.

  19. Methodological decolonization and interculturality. Reflexions from the ethnographic research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Pablo Puentes

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper I explain some methodological crosslinks between the decolonial option, subaltern studies and postcolonial studies. In addition, I highlight certains limitations they present in their ethnographic research. Finally, I suggest some guidelines that could help us carry out a research comprising an extended intercultural horizon

  20. Proxy-produced ethnographic work: what are the problems, issues, and dilemmas arising from proxy ethnography?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Martinussen, Marie Louise; Højbjerg, Karin; Tamborg, Andreas Lindenskov

    2018-01-01

    This article addresses the implications of research-student cooperation in the production of empirical material. For the student to replace the experienced researcher and work under the researcher’s supervision, we call such work proxy-produced ethnographic work. The specific relations...... and positions arising from such a setup between the teacher/researcher and the proxy ethnographer/student are found to have implications for the ethnographies produced. This article’s main focus is to show how these relations and positions have not distorted the ethnographic work and the ethnographies but......, rather, have oriented it in certain ways. It is shown how the participating researchers – both senior and junior - have distinctive, incorporated dispositions with which they pre-consciously participate in an implicit and subtle relation that can make it very easy to overlook distortions during...

  1. Class Conflict and Rural Development: An Ethnographic Analysis of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Class Conflict and Rural Development: An Ethnographic Analysis of Traditional Title Dispute in Southern Nigeria. ... Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads. ... Based on an empirical investigation, this paper focuses on class struggle in a ... for Researchers · for Librarians · for Authors · FAQ's · More about AJOL ...

  2. Exploring Some Ethical Dilemmas and Obligations of the Ethnographer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbour, Andrew

    2010-01-01

    This paper focuses on the ethical position of the ethnographer when encountering unethical activities. Ethnography affords a rich insight into cultures, often behind previously secure doors but it is also a demanding science. Our gatekeepers control our access and our relationships with them can determine our destiny. This paper offers an exchange…

  3. An ethnographic exploration of drug markets in Kisumu, Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syvertsen, Jennifer L; Ohaga, Spala; Agot, Kawango; Dimova, Margarita; Guise, Andy; Rhodes, Tim; Wagner, Karla D

    2016-04-01

    Illegal drug markets are shaped by multiple forces, including local actors and broader economic, political, social, and criminal justice systems that intertwine to impact health and social wellbeing. Ethnographic analyses that interrogate multiple dimensions of drug markets may offer both applied and theoretical insights into drug use, particularly in developing nations where new markets and local patterns of use traditionally have not been well understood. This paper explores the emergent drug market in Kisumu, western Kenya, where our research team recently documented evidence of injection drug use. Our exploratory study of injection drug use was conducted in Kisumu from 2013 to 2014. We draw on 151 surveys, 29 in-depth interviews, and 8 months of ethnographic fieldwork to describe the drug market from the perspective of injectors, focusing on their perceptions of the market and reports of drug use therein. Injectors described a dynamic market in which the availability of drugs and proliferation of injection drug use have taken on growing importance in Kisumu. In addition to reports of white and brown forms of heroin and concerns about drug adulteration in the market, we unexpectedly documented widespread perceptions of cocaine availability and injection in Kisumu. Examining price data and socio-pharmacological experiences of cocaine injection left us with unconfirmed evidence of its existence, but opened further possibilities about how the chaos of new drug markets and diffusion of injection-related beliefs and practices may lend insight into the sociopolitical context of western Kenya. We suggest a need for expanded drug surveillance, education and programming responsive to local conditions, and further ethnographic inquiry into the social meanings of emergent drug markets in Kenya and across sub-Saharan Africa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Scenarios, personas and user stories from design ethnography: Evidence-based design representations of communicable disease investigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Anne M; Reeder, Blaine; Ramey, Judith

    2014-01-01

    Purpose Despite years of effort and millions of dollars spent to create a unified electronic communicable disease reporting systems, the goal remains elusive. A major barrier has been a lack of understanding by system designers of communicable disease (CD) work and the public health workers who perform this work. This study reports on the application of User Center Design representations, traditionally used for improving interface design, to translate the complex CD work identified through ethnographic studies to guide designers and developers of CD systems. The purpose of this work is to: (1) better understand public health practitioners and their information workflow with respect to communicable disease (CD) monitoring and control at a local health department, and (2) to develop evidence-based design representations that model this CD work to inform the design of future disease surveillance systems. Methods We performed extensive onsite semi-structured interviews, targeted work shadowing and a focus group to characterize local health department communicable disease workflow. Informed by principles of design ethnography and user-centered design (UCD) we created persona, scenarios and user stories to accurately represent the user to system designers. Results We sought to convey to designers the key findings from ethnographic studies: 1) that public health CD work is mobile and episodic, in contrast to current CD reporting systems, which are stationary and fixed 2) health department efforts are focused on CD investigation and response rather than reporting and 3) current CD information systems must conform to PH workflow to ensure their usefulness. In an effort to illustrate our findings to designers, we developed three contemporary design-support representations: persona, scenario, and user story. Conclusions Through application of user centered design principles, we were able to create design representations that illustrate complex public health communicable

  5. Examining “Elite” Power Dynamics in Informant–Research Relations and Its Impact on Ethnographic Data Construction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jana Declercq

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available This article explores how power dynamics between informants and field researchers shape ethnographic data construction, drawing on fieldwork at a pharmaceutical company. Pharmaceutical companies are considered elite settings, and often assumed to be powerful in relation to the researcher and dominating the data construction. However, such a view conceptualizes power in terms of fixed categories, in which there is a superior and subordinate position. We reconsider the impact of elite informants in the light of a constructivist, interactionist view on power, in which power is dynamic and not necessarily entailing domination. We answer the following research questions: (1 How can we observe power dynamics, as conceptualized in a constructionist and interaction orientation, in ethnographic research? and (2 How can we reflect on what these power dynamics mean for data construction, based on our experiences in elite settings? To do so, we make use of discursive and interactional analytic methods and propose three levels of analysis: (1 the level of conversation, (2 the level of ethnography, and (3 the level of the organization in society. They respectively shed light on power in relation to (1 what is said and how, (2 the meanings attached to the ethnographic events, and (3 the meaning of the ethnography in relation to the discourses on the organization in society. With this article, we aim to provide researchers with a methodological tool to approach and to reflect on the significance of power relations in the context of ethnography and interviewing and its impact on data construction.

  6. Explaining adherence success in sub-Saharan Africa: an ethnographic study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Norma C Ware

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Individuals living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa generally take more than 90% of prescribed doses of antiretroviral therapy (ART. This number exceeds the levels of adherence observed in North America and dispels early scale-up concerns that adherence would be inadequate in settings of extreme poverty. This paper offers an explanation and theoretical model of ART adherence success based on the results of an ethnographic study in three sub-Saharan African countries.Determinants of ART adherence for HIV-infected persons in sub-Saharan Africa were examined with ethnographic research methods. 414 in-person interviews were carried out with 252 persons taking ART, their treatment partners, and health care professionals at HIV treatment sites in Jos, Nigeria; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Mbarara, Uganda. 136 field observations of clinic activities were also conducted. Data were examined using category construction and interpretive approaches to analysis. Findings indicate that individuals taking ART routinely overcome economic obstacles to ART adherence through a number of deliberate strategies aimed at prioritizing adherence: borrowing and "begging" transport funds, making "impossible choices" to allocate resources in favor of treatment, and "doing without." Prioritization of adherence is accomplished through resources and help made available by treatment partners, other family members and friends, and health care providers. Helpers expect adherence and make their expectations known, creating a responsibility on the part of patients to adhere. Patients adhere to promote good will on the part of helpers, thereby ensuring help will be available when future needs arise.Adherence success in sub-Saharan Africa can be explained as a means of fulfilling social responsibilities and thus preserving social capital in essential relationships.

  7. Ethnographic Households and Archaeological Interpretations: A Case from Iranian Kurdistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kramer, Carol

    1982-01-01

    Shows how archaeological interpretation based strictly on the evidence of architectural remains may lead to inaccurate conclusions about social patterns in extinct societies. An ethnographic study of an Iranian Kurdish village is used to illustrate the possible variations of residential social relationships within buildings with similar…

  8. Space as a Resource in Creative Design Practices

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vyas, Dhaval; van der Veer, Gerrit C.; Heylen, Dirk K.J.; Nijholt, Antinus; Gross, Tom

    2009-01-01

    Based on longitudinal ethnographic fieldwork in two industrial design departments and two design companies, we explore the role of spatial arrangements for supporting creative design practices within different design studios. From our results, we show that designers explicitly make use of the

  9. Teacher Educators and the Production of Bricoleurs: An Ethnographic Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatton, Elizabeth

    1997-01-01

    Reports and discusses data from an ethnographic study of teacher educators in which a metaphor for teachers' work as bricolage generates a hypothesis about teacher education as a conservative determinant of teachers' work. Discusses the results and reasons why the theoretical adequacy of the bricolage explanation needs improvement. (DSK)

  10. Understanding the Process: An Ethnographic Case Study of School Psychologists' Experiences in the Referral of African Americans to Special Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lester, Pamela Denise

    2017-01-01

    A qualitative method of research was chosen for this study. This ethnographic case study examined school psychologists' and the referral process for special education services. The participants included school psychologists in a specific county in the state of Maryland. School psychologists are considered crucial members of an Individualized…

  11. Representations of Death Among Italian Vegetarians: An Ethnographic Research on Environment, Disgust and Transcendence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ines Testoni

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on the motives for vegetarian choices in contemporary Italian food culture, with specific reference to the role of the representations of death. The study adopts a qualitative research design aimed at an in-depth exploration of the reasons for avoiding meat, following an ethnographic method. Twenty-two participants (55% women, 45% men aged 19-74, all vegetarians or vegans, mainly from Northern and Central Italy, were involved. Data from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis were examined according to the qualitative thematic analysis: the results show the role of death in the construction of disgust towards meat, running parallel with an emphasis on spirituality, ethical treatment of animals and the environment as reasons for avoiding meat, in particular, the concern-generating disgust and its relationship with the representation of death as a contaminating essence. The basis of disgust lies in this connection, from which the idea that oral consumption of contaminants characterized by corruptive properties, passing through the flesh of dead animals to humans, derives. The role of anti-speciesism is considered as a latent perspective, which may influence the vegetarian and vegan choices.

  12. Representations of Death Among Italian Vegetarians: An Ethnographic Research on Environment, Disgust and Transcendence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Testoni, Ines; Ghellar, Tommaso; Rodelli, Maddalena; De Cataldo, Loriana; Zamperini, Adriano

    2017-08-01

    This paper focuses on the motives for vegetarian choices in contemporary Italian food culture, with specific reference to the role of the representations of death. The study adopts a qualitative research design aimed at an in-depth exploration of the reasons for avoiding meat, following an ethnographic method. Twenty-two participants (55% women, 45% men) aged 19-74, all vegetarians or vegans, mainly from Northern and Central Italy, were involved. Data from the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis were examined according to the qualitative thematic analysis: the results show the role of death in the construction of disgust towards meat, running parallel with an emphasis on spirituality, ethical treatment of animals and the environment as reasons for avoiding meat, in particular, the concern-generating disgust and its relationship with the representation of death as a contaminating essence. The basis of disgust lies in this connection, from which the idea that oral consumption of contaminants characterized by corruptive properties, passing through the flesh of dead animals to humans, derives. The role of anti-speciesism is considered as a latent perspective, which may influence the vegetarian and vegan choices.

  13. What impedes knowledge sharing in culturally diverse organizations: Asking ethnographic questions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauring, Jakob; Madsen, Mona Toft

    Ideas of linking cultural diversity and knowledge resources have recently gained momentum. However, only little research has empirically addressed the issues of knowledge sharing in diverse organizations. This explorative article is based on an ethnographic fieldwork in a Danish organization...

  14. Runne-Beana: Dog Herds Ethnographer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myrdene Anderson

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Saami society in Lapland (now often called Saapmi, particularly the seasonally-nomadic reindeer-breeding sector, is predicated upon mobility and autonomy of its actors. Runne-Beana, a talented reindeer-herding dog, exhibited both mobility and autonomy when allocating to himself a peripatetic ethnographer, on the first day of five years of doctoral dissertation fieldwork in arctic Norway in 1972. That family’s and the wider community’s reactions to Runne-Beana’s behavior, and mine, highlight the tensions when mobility and autonomy compound with ideologies of ownership and control. At the same time, his companionship profoundly shaped all field relationships, engendering an understanding of dog culture as it is manifest in the herder/herding dog/reindeer triad and in the interpenetration of assumptions concerning child/dog enculturation.

  15. Method Usage in Design : How methods function as mental tools for designers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Daalhuizen, J.J.

    2014-01-01

    Methods are means to help designers achieve desired change as efficiently and effectively as possible. Methods can be used to do so in the context of learning - to help teach students how to design on a professional level. Methods can also be used in the context of performance - to help designers

  16. An ethnographic study of participant roles in school bullying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gumpel, Thomas P; Zioni-Koren, Vered; Bekerman, Zvi

    2014-01-01

    An ethnographic study in a 10th grade remedial class was undertaken in order to discern patterns of school bullying. Twenty 10th graders were observed over the course of one academic year as they interacted with their peers and teachers. The observations helped us identify dispositional and situational factors which influenced participant roles. In-depth interviews of students involved in school bullying showed how participants interpreted and explained their classroom behaviors. The analysis of the data gathered allowed the identification of four main actor roles recognized in the existing literature on bullying-the pure victim, the pure bully, the provocative-victim, and the bystander-as well as the differentiation between aggressive bullies and the bully managers. Most roles fluctuated according to specific circumstances and often appeared to be moderated by the teacher's management style and contextual variables. Some pupils assumed different roles in different contexts, sometimes changing roles within or between episodes. Teacher personality and style also had an impact on the frequencies and types of aggression and victimization. The use of an ethnographic research paradigm is discussed as an important supplement to positivistic studies of school bullying. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Smoke screen: an ethnographic study of a cigar shop's collective rationalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeSantis, Alan D

    2002-01-01

    It is the purpose of this ethnographic study to explain why efforts from the medical establishment, the press, and friends and family are unsuccessful in persuading a group of men at a local cigar shop to stop smoking. I also seek to determine how these men create a linguistic defense shield that, ironically, protects them from the anxiety that such messages are designed to produce. I argue that the regulars at the shop collectively craft and share 6 prosmoking arguments that (a) rebuke the findings of the medical establishment, (b) anesthetize the regulars from the impact of antismoking messages, and (c) relieve cognitive dissonance and anxiety created by the act of smoking. I establish a theoretical foundation for the study, describe how the regulars craft and converge their collective narratives, and detail the 6 collectively created prosmoking narratives most frequently used by the regulars in countering antismoking messages.

  18. Inhalant drug use and street youth : Ethnographic insights from Mexico City

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gigengack, Roy; Preedy, Victor

    2016-01-01

    The inhalation of volatile substances with intentions of intoxication affects the lives of marginalized youths around the globe, but remains poorly understood. Based upon long-term ethnographic enquiry, this chapter describes the inhalant use of Mexico City's young street people from their

  19. Experience with the use of building commissioning advisor - from design to operation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Forman, Marianne

    2016-01-01

    The increased focus on building energy performance has intensified the need to ensure consistency between energy requirements, design, construction processes and operation in construction projects. With the introduction of the new Danish DS 3090 standard, "The commissioning process in buildings...... on ethnographic methods and theories, this paper will analyse and discuss what the use of a commissioning adviser in the design stage means for the interaction between design and operation. It may seem that "technical solutions" are made before “ongoing learning processes” in which new themes are articulated...

  20. Irony and joking in ethnographic fieldwork: Reflections from Santo Antão Island (Cape Verde

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martina Giuffrè

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available In this essay I address the crucial role of irony and joking in anthropology with a focus on the ethnographic relationship. My starting point is field research carried out from 2001 to 2004 on Santo Antão island (Cape Verde, specifically Ponta do Sol. In Cape Verdean practice, jokes and irony represent customary communicational modes and important tools for building relationships: the ultimate means of achieving “cultural intimacy”, they are used almost as rites of initiation to bring newcomers into the community and at the same time to manage ambiguities. Indeed, it was precisely through irony that my interlocutors were able to perfectly capture my ambiguous insider/outsider position. In this specific ethnographic context, the ironic relationship is understood as both a key communication tool in the ethnographic encounter and an unusual rite of passage: although strangers/anthropologists can only be accepted if they become Cape Verdean to some degree, in reality they are never really able to complete this passage. The essay briefly reviews irony and joking in anthropology and focuses on aspects of ironic interactions in Cape Verde that are linked to intercultural relations in the ethnographic context as a site of uncertain communication. I stress how, especially in intercultural contexts, the ambiguity of irony represents not a barrier to communication but rather a key element of understanding between anthropologists and informants as well as a significant heuristic device.

  1. Elusive implementation: an ethnographic study of intersectoral policymaking for health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holt, Ditte Heering; Rod, Morten Hulvej; Waldorff, Susanne Boch; Tjørnhøj-Thomsen, Tine

    2018-01-30

    For more than 30 years policy action across sectors has been celebrated as a necessary and viable way to affect the social factors impacting on health. In particular intersectoral action on the social determinants of health is considered necessary to address social inequalities in health. However, despite growing support for intersectoral policymaking, implementation remains a challenge. Critics argue that public health has remained naïve about the policy process and a better understanding is needed. Based on ethnographic data, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis of a local process of intersectoral policymaking in order to gain a better understanding of the challenges posed by implementation. To help conceptualize the process, we apply the theoretical perspective of organizational neo-institutionalism, in particular the concepts of rationalized myth and decoupling. On the basis of an explorative study among ten Danish municipalities, we conducted an ethnographic study of the development of a municipal-wide implementation strategy for the intersectoral health policy of a medium-sized municipality. The main data sources consist of ethnographic field notes from participant observation and interview transcripts. By providing detailed contextual description, we show how an apparent failure to move from policy to action is played out by the ongoing production of abstract rhetoric and vague plans. We find that idealization of universal intersectoralism, inconsistent demands, and doubts about economic outcomes challenge the notion of implementation as moving from rhetoric to action. We argue that the 'myth' of intersectoralism may be instrumental in avoiding the specification of action to implement the policy, and that the policy instead serves as a way to display and support good intentions and hereby continue the process. On this basis we expand the discussion on implementation challenges regarding intersectoral policymaking for health.

  2. Open ends: an ethnographic radio montage about post-diagnosis lives in Denmark and South Africa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Houmøller, Kathrin; Steno, Anne Mia

    This presentation takes the form of a radio montage and presents stories of post-diagnosis lives in Denmark and urban South Africa. Based on ethnographic fieldworks with young people in psychiatric treatment (Denmark) and among hiv-positive people in anti-retroviral therapy (South Africa), the mo......This presentation takes the form of a radio montage and presents stories of post-diagnosis lives in Denmark and urban South Africa. Based on ethnographic fieldworks with young people in psychiatric treatment (Denmark) and among hiv-positive people in anti-retroviral therapy (South Africa...

  3. Teaching Qualitative Methods: A Face-to-Face Encounter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keen, Mike F.

    1996-01-01

    Considers the complete ethnographic project as a strategy for teaching qualitative methods. Describes an undergraduate class where students chose an ethnographic setting, gathered and analyzed data, and wrote a final report. Settings included Laundromats, bingo halls, auctions, karaoke clubs, and bowling leagues. (MJP)

  4. An Ethnographic Case Study on the Phenomena of Blended Learning Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiell, Lauren Renae

    2017-01-01

    This study determined the teacher-perceived experiences within the blended learning environment to fill a void in previous data. The three research questions defined blended learning, explained strengths and challenges, and provided feedback on teaching programs. This qualitative case study used an ethnographic framework through interviews,…

  5. “On Account Of A Basket”: A Socio-Historical And Ethnographic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article provides a socio-historical and ethnographic perspective on the development of multilingualism in South Africa. By using Bourdieu's (1991) theory of social practice, I argue that people had always used their languages as important symbolic resources and for the creation of the structured social dispositions.

  6. The pain of ethnographic action: skinning to go between the ropes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariano Urraco Solanilla

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available In this article I try to make a methodological reflection on the importance to develop a practical knowledge ("embodiment" in the fieldwork of sociologists, anthropologists and other researchers of social reality. This reflection is connected with different approaches that insist on the body's value as object and subject of knowledge. To do this, I put various authors and theoretical approaches in touch, using as excuse the Wacquant's work ("Body and Soul: Ethnographic Notebooks of An Apprentice-Boxer", which seems to have passed, at the moment, unnoticed for spanish-speaking academicians, despite the wealth of its efforts both in the methodological level as in the more purely 'ethnographic'. In the incursion into the world of sport as a privileged arena for carrying out this type of analysis, I will focus on the notions of time, sacrifice and discipline, applicable both boxers as any other type of athlete (and obviously also to the researchers.

  7. Design Methods in Practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Torben Elgaard; Andreasen, Mogens Myrup

    2010-01-01

    The paper challenges the dominant and widespread view that a good design method will guarantee a systematic approach as well as certain results. First, it explores the substantial differences between on the one hand the conception of methods implied in Pahl & Beitz’s widely recognized text book...... on engineering design, and on the other hand the understanding of method use, which has emerged from micro-sociological studies of practice (ethnomethodology). Second, it reviews a number of case studies conducted by engineering students, who were instructed to investigate the actual use of design methods...... in Danish companies. The paper concludes that design methods in practice deviate substantially from Pahl & Beitz’s description of method use: The object and problems, which are the starting points for method use, are more contested and less given than generally assumed; The steps of methods are often...

  8. Disassembling the Classroom--An Ethnographic Approach to the Materiality of Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roehl, Tobias

    2012-01-01

    The ethnography of education is challenged by the materiality of the classroom. Ethnographic accounts of school lessons mostly highlight language and interaction and offer no suitable methodology for researching objects and their role in the classroom. Moreover, objects are part of complex and interwoven assemblages involving human actors,…

  9. How Older Adults Make Decisions regarding Smart Technology: An Ethnographic Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davenport, Rick D.; Mann, William; Lutz, Barbara

    2012-01-01

    Comparatively little research has been conducted regarding the smart technology needs of the older adult population despite the proliferation of smart technology prototypes. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived smart technology needs of older adults with mobility impairments while using an ethnographic research approach to…

  10. Cultural diversity in community sport: an ethnographic inquiry of Somali Australians' experiences

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Spaaij, R.

    2013-01-01

    Sport organisations aim to grow the participation of culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including newly arrived people from refugee backgrounds. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic research conducted by the author at community sport organisations in the multicultural city of

  11. Identifying interventions to help rural Kenyan mothers cope with food insecurity: results of a focused ethnographic study

    OpenAIRE

    Pelto, Gretel H.; Armar?Klemesu, Margaret

    2016-01-01

    Abstract An ethnographic study was conducted in two areas in southern and western Kenya to identify potential interventions to improve the quality, availability and affordability of foods consumed by infants and young children. A cultural?ecological model of determinants of nutrition identified the sectors of information for data collection related to infant and young child (IYC) diet and feeding?related behaviours, and the focused ethnographic study manual was used to guide the research. The...

  12. Apes, skulls and drums: using images to make ethnographic knowledge in imperial Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrou, Marissa H

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, I discuss the development and use of images employed by the Dresden Royal Museum for Zoology, Anthropology and Ethnography to resolve debates about how to use visual representation as a means of making ethnographic knowledge. Through experimentation with techniques of visual representation, the founding director, A.B. Meyer (1840-1911), proposed a historical, non-essentialist approach to understanding racial and cultural difference. Director Meyer's approach was inspired by the new knowledge he had gained through field research in Asia-Pacific as well as new forms of imaging that made highly detailed representations of objects possible. Through a combination of various techniques, he developed new visual methods that emphasized intimate familiarity with variations within any one ethnic group, from skull shape to material ornamentation, as integral to the new disciplines of physical and cultural anthropology. It is well known that photographs were a favoured form of visual documentation among the anthropological and ethnographic sciences at the fin de siècle. However, in the scholarly journals of the Dresden museum, photographs, drawings, tables and etchings were frequently displayed alongside one another. Meyer sought to train the reader's eye through organized arrangements that represented objects from multiple angles and at various levels of magnification. Focusing on chimpanzees, skulls and kettledrums from Asia-Pacific, I track the development of new modes of making and reading images, from zoology and physical anthropology to ethnography, to demonstrate how the museum visually historicized humankind.

  13. The emergency department "carousel": an ethnographically-derived model of the dynamics of patient flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nugus, Peter; Forero, Roberto; McCarthy, Sally; McDonnell, Geoff; Travaglia, Joanne; Hilman, Ken; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

    2014-01-01

    Emergency department (ED) overcrowding reduces efficiency and increases the risk of medical error leading to adverse events. Technical solutions and models have done little to redress this. A full year's worth of ethnographic observations of patient flow were undertaken, which involved making hand-written field-notes of the communication and activities of emergency clinicians (doctors and nurses), in two EDs in Sydney, Australia. Observations were complemented by semi-structured interviews. We applied thematic analysis to account for the verbal communication and activity of emergency clinicians in moving patients through the ED. The theoretical model that emerged from the data analysis is the ED "carousel". Emergency clinicians co-construct a moving carousel which we conceptualise visually, and which accounts for the collective agency of ED staff, identified in the findings. The carousel model uniquely integrates diagnosis, treatment and transfer of individual patients with the intellectual labour of leading and coordinating the department. The latter involves managing staff skill mix and the allocation of patients to particular ED sub-departments. The model extends traditional patient flow representations and underlines the importance of valuing ethnographic methods in health services research, in order to foster organisational learning, and generate creative practical and policy alternatives that may, for example, reduce or ameliorate access block and ED overcrowding. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. ["Tèt asanm pou la sante": ethnographic notes on international cooperation for health in Haiti].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteves, Uliana

    2016-01-01

    This article discusses the functioning of a health-oriented development project pursued in an emergency situation and its impacts beyond its stated goals. The tripartite project between Brazil, Haiti, and Cuba was designed to strengthen Haiti's health and epidemiologic surveillance system, introduced in 2010 as part of the aid effort after the earthquake. An essentially ethnographic perspective is taken, with a focus on describing the practices and perspectives of the agents involved in the program. The networks of agents were mapped out, paying particular attention to translators, drivers, and journalists, who were understood as being "cooperation brokers". Finally, the article discusses the project's position in the broader context of international health initiatives in Haiti.

  15. Exploring The Arm’s Length Transfer Pricing Strategy for Taxation Purpose: An Ethnographic Study in a Manufacturing Enterprise

    OpenAIRE

    Rahmiati, Alfa; Sandi, Resti

    2016-01-01

    Practices of transfer pricing in among companies having “special relationship” (hubungan istimewa in Bahasa Indonesia, this study uses a term of ‘related party’) to others are very common nowadays. However, the complexity of transfer pricing strategy and practices in many companies made the use of individual level data become insufficient, therefore we conduct an ethnographic study to explore how taxpayer determines the reasonable transfer pricing based on five methods (i.e. Comparable uncont...

  16. Computer templates in chronic disease management: ethnographic case study in general practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swinglehurst, Deborah; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Roberts, Celia

    2012-01-01

    To investigate how electronic templates shape, enable and constrain consultations about chronic diseases. Ethnographic case study, combining field notes, video-recording, screen capture with a microanalysis of talk, body language and data entry-an approach called linguistic ethnography. Two general practices in England. Ethnographic observation of administrative areas and 36 nurse-led consultations was done. Twenty-four consultations were directly observed and 12 consultations were video-recorded alongside computer screen capture. Consultations were transcribed using conversation analysis conventions, with notes on body language and the electronic record. The analysis involved repeated rounds of viewing video, annotating field notes, transcription and microanalysis to identify themes. The data was interpreted using discourse analysis, with attention to the sociotechnical theory. Consultations centred explicitly or implicitly on evidence-based protocols inscribed in templates. Templates did not simply identify tasks for completion, but contributed to defining what chronic diseases were, how care was being delivered and what it meant to be a patient or professional in this context. Patients' stories morphed into data bytes; the particular became generalised; the complex was made discrete, simple and manageable; and uncertainty became categorised and contained. Many consultations resembled bureaucratic encounters, primarily oriented to completing data fields. We identified a tension, sharpened by the template, between different framings of the patient-as 'individual' or as 'one of a population'. Some clinicians overcame this tension, responding creatively to prompts within a dialogue constructed around the patient's narrative. Despite their widespread implementation, little previous research has examined how templates are actually used in practice. Templates do not simply document the tasks of chronic disease management but profoundly change the nature of this work

  17. Ethnographic Exploration of Elderly Residents' Perceptions and Utilization of Health Care to Improve Their Quality of Life

    OpenAIRE

    Seyed Ziya Tabatabaei; Azimi Bin Hj Hamzah; Fatemeh Ebrahimi

    2016-01-01

    The increase in proportion of older people in Malaysia has led to a significant growth of health care demands. The aim of this study is to explore how perceived health care needs influence on quality of life among elderly Malay residents who reside in a Malaysian residential home. This study employed a method known as ethnographic research from May 2011 to January 2012. Four data collection strategies were selected as the main data-collecting tools including participant observation, field not...

  18. Summary Characteristics from Ethnographic Interviews of New England Groundfish Fishermen on Adaptation and Transition

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Database of fisherman and vessel characteristics selected from ethnographic interviews of New England groundfish fishermen on adaptation and transition.

  19. Make Room for Ethnography in Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonsen, Jesper; Kensing, Finn

    1998-01-01

    mentioned communities. Some of us have gained our experience from projects in private and public organizations, and those of us also working in academia have included ethnographic techniques in our teaching. Such initiatives represent alternatives neglected by Bader and Nyce, whose assumptions seem...... are concerned about the use-quality of computer based systems. Never the less, Bader and Nyce argue that cultural analysis "will probably not play a significant role in the development process at the least as it is presently defined." We argue that since the design and use of technology is socially constructed......Cultural analysis, especially in its ethnographic form/variant, has been applied for some years now within the Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), the Human Computer Interaction (HCI), and the Participatory Design (PD) communities. These communities attract academics and practitioners, who...

  20. The significance of unforeseen events in organisational ethnographic inquiry

    OpenAIRE

    Green, Trevor; Swailes, Stephen; Handley, Janet

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance for the practicing ethnographer of responding to unforeseen events that occur during periods of data collection.\\ud Analysis of four unforeseen events occurring during prolonged periods of study amongst workplace cleaners is undertaken and the changes in researcher acceptance resulting from the outcomes of these events are reported.\\ud This article shows how awareness of the possible incidence of unforeseen events and the ability to car...

  1. Old age and vulnerability between first, second and third person perspectives. Ethnographic explorations of aging in contemporary Denmark.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grøn, Lone

    2016-12-01

    This paper is based on an ethnographic fieldwork aimed at exploring ethnographically how vulnerability in old age is perceived and experienced in contemporary Denmark. The fieldwork showed remarkable differences between two phases of the fieldwork: the first addressing vulnerability from the "outside" through group interviews with professionals, leaders and older people who were not (yet) vulnerable; and the second from the "inside" through more in depth fieldwork with older people who in diverse ways could be seen as vulnerable. After a short introduction to anthropological and social gerontological literature on characteristics of "Western" aging: medicalization, successful, healthy and active aging, I present findings from both phases of this ethnographic fieldwork arguing that the ethnographic approach reveals the composite and complex nature of vulnerability in old age and the constant interactions between first, second and third person perspectives. Through these methodological and analytical moves a complex and empirically tenable understanding of vulnerability in old age has emerged which 1. moves beyond rigid dichotomies that have characterized the study of old age, 2. integrates individual experience, social interaction and the structural and discursive context into the analysis, and 3. reveals the complex interplay between vulnerability and agency in diverse situations and settings of old age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Native Hawaiian Ethnographic Study for the Hawaii Geothermal Project Proposed for Puna and Southeast Maui

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsuoka, J.K; Minerbi, L. [Cultural Advocacy Network for Developing Options (CANDO) (United States); Kanahele, P.; Kelly, M.; Barney-Campbell, N.; Saulsbury [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Trettin, L.D. [Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN (United States)

    1996-05-01

    This report makes available and archives the background scientific data and related information collected for an ethnographic study of selected areas on the islands of Hawaii and Maui. The task was undertaken during preparation of an environmental impact statement for Phases 3 and 4 of the Hawaii Geothermal Project (HGP) as defined by the state of Hawaii in its April 1989 proposal to Congress. Since the state of Hawaii is no longer pursuing or planning to pursue the HGP, DOE considers the project to be terminated. Information is included on the ethnohistory of Puna and southeast Maui; ethnographic fieldwork comparing Puna and southeast Maui; and Pele beliefs, customs, and practices.

  3. Dream Interpretation as a Component of Researcher's Reflexivity within an Ethnographic Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miškolci, Jozef

    2015-01-01

    Researchers' "reflexivity" about how they shape the phenomena that they study within the data collection process is often presented as a crucial component of ethnographic research methodology. Nevertheless, academic literature about ethnography is mostly silent around whether researchers' dreams are relevant to the research process and…

  4. Of Trips and Drifts: Anthropological Groove and Nightlife as an Ethnographic Space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gustavo Blázquez

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This article analyses the epistemological, methodological and ethical issues faced during ethnographic research examining nightlife, music, dance and eroticism in Córdoba, Argentina. First off, we conceptualize the meanings that “nightlife” had for the subjects in the research process and describe the diversity of “nights” that we encountered in the research process. Then, we discuss the issue of situationist drift during fieldwork. Subsequently, drawing on vignettes taken from our ethnographies, we reflect on the potential and limitations of “participant observation” in situations involving significant bodily exposure and sensory experimentation, including illegal activities. Finally, we examine the issue of the “anthropological blues” that, according to Roberto Da Matta, characterize the ethnographer’s work, and Da Matta’s proposal for the construction of an “anthropological groove” capable of producing knowledge from the immersion in the flow of the situations that are part of the “ethnographic drift”.

  5. Method card design dimensions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wölfel, Christiane; Merritt, T.

    2013-01-01

    There are many examples of cards used to assist or provide structure to the design process, yet there has not been a thorough articulation of the strengths and weaknesses of the various examples. We review eighteen card-based design tools in order to understand how they might benefit designers....... The card-based tools are explained in terms of five design dimensions including the intended purpose and scope of use, duration of use, methodology, customization, and formal/material qualities. Our analysis suggests three design patterns or archetypes for existing card-based design method tools...... and highlights unexplored areas in the design space. The paper concludes with recommendations for the future development of card-based methods for the field of interaction design....

  6. The Cultural Ecology of Scholar-Practitioner Leaders: An Ethnographic Study of Leadership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenlink, Patrick M.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this critical ethnographic study was to examine the nature and meaning of cultural ecology in relation to preparing scholar-practitioner leaders. The ethnography focused on how the discourses and practices within the disciplinary setting of leadership preparation shape the identity of social scholar-practitioner leaders. The…

  7. User driven Innovation in new Workspace Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerrum, Eva; Simonsen, John Brøndberg

    2017-01-01

    on experiences from several case studies we propose a way to unfreeze organisations. By using different methods to describe work (ethnographic methods: Observation, episodes, snapshots, photos) and traditional interviews and questionnaires, it is possible to plan and conduct workshop processes that challenge......In Denmark knowledge sharing and working flexibility are considered to be elements that contribute to innovation and improved competitiveness. This has resulted in more and more companies having introduced open flexible office design as a strategic tool to support knowledge sharing. Another reason...... for this focus on workspace design is the change in work and working patterns at knowledge organisations. Both managers and employees work at different places, at customer’s site, while travelling, at hotels and at home, so the focus on the company as being the main workplace changes. The change from traditional...

  8. Ethnographic Exploration of Empowerment to Improve Elderly Residents’ Quality of Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabatabaei, Seyed Zia; Ebrahimi, Fatemeh; Hamzah, Azimi Bin Hj; Rezaeian, Mohsen; Kamrani, Mahnaz Akbari

    2017-01-01

    Background: Evidence underscores that empowerment is central to improve the elderly residents’ quality of life. In truth, empowerment is a process through which individuals gain better control over their life. The aim of this study was to explore how perceived empowerment influence on the quality of life among elderly Malay residents. Materials and Methods: A focus ethnographic approach was employed in a Malaysian residential home between May 2011 and January 2012. Data were gathered from participant observations, field notes, in-depth interviews, and exploring related documents. Results: The analysis of the data gathered in the current study resulted in the development of three themes – social life and its requirements, caregivers’ skills empowerment, and listening and supporting. Conclusions: Findings of the study provide new insights that are useful in charting new guideline for care providers and policy makers to improve the elderly residents’ quality of life. PMID:29034000

  9. Listening to community health workers: how ethnographic research can inform positive relationships among community health workers, health institutions, and communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maes, Kenneth; Closser, Svea; Kalofonos, Ippolytos

    2014-05-01

    Many actors in global health are concerned with improving community health worker (CHW) policy and practice to achieve universal health care. Ethnographic research can play an important role in providing information critical to the formation of effective CHW programs, by elucidating the life histories that shape CHWs' desires for alleviation of their own and others' economic and health challenges, and by addressing the working relationships that exist among CHWs, intended beneficiaries, and health officials. We briefly discuss ethnographic research with 3 groups of CHWs: volunteers involved in HIV/AIDS care and treatment support in Ethiopia and Mozambique and Lady Health Workers in Pakistan. We call for a broader application of ethnographic research to inform working relationships among CHWs, communities, and health institutions.

  10. Ethnographic Approach to Second Life in Education: A Focus on Technological Difficulties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sponsiello, Marta; Gallego-Arrufat, María-Jesús

    2016-01-01

    This paper moves from the data collected during an ethnographic research conducted in Second Life, which focuses on the observation of different technological difficulties in educational experiences. The main research interests focused on the social dynamics of educational experiences in Second Life and the opportunity to develop a proper research…

  11. Advocating for Ethnographic Work in Early Childhood Federal Policy: Problems and Possibilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adair, Jennifer Keys

    2011-01-01

    Initiated as part of the Council on Anthropology and Education's Policy Engagement Working Group, the policy brief "Ethnographic Knowledge For Early Childhood" focused on making the case for ethnography as evidence within early childhood federal policy. This article describes the creation and distribution of the policy brief as well as the…

  12. Creativity Methods in Interaction Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biskjaer, Michael Mose; Dalsgaard, Peter; Halskov, Kim

    2010-01-01

    The field of interaction design encompasses a variety of methods for fostering innovation and creativity. In this paper, we present a selection of such methods that scaffold ideation and concept development in the early phases of design. As a conceptual frame for discussing these methods, we...... introduce four aspects that are particularly salient in the field of interaction design: tradition and transcendence, convergence and divergence, degree of structure, and sources of inspiration. We then outline how the methods relate to each of these aspects. The paper contributes to design practitioners...

  13. Profiling Adult Literacy Facilitators in Development Contexts: An Ethnographic Study in Ethiopia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warkineh, Turuwark Zalalam; Rogers, Alan; Danki, Tolera Negassa

    2018-01-01

    Teachers/facilitators in adult literacy learning programmes are recognised as being vital to successful learning outcomes. But little is known about them as a group. This small-scale research project comprising ethnographic-style case studies of five adult literacy facilitators (ALFs) in Ethiopia seeks to throw some light on these teachers, their…

  14. Design methods as discourse on practice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cohn, Marisa

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we present a view of design methods as discourse on practice. We consider how the deployment of a particular set of design methods enables and constrains not only practical action but also discursive action within the design practice. A case study of agile software development meth...... of practices. We then discuss implications of this view on methods for CSCW research on the relationship between methods and practice as well as implications for participation in the design process.......In this paper, we present a view of design methods as discourse on practice. We consider how the deployment of a particular set of design methods enables and constrains not only practical action but also discursive action within the design practice. A case study of agile software development...... methods illustrates the ways that methods establish conditions for who can speak in the design process and how. We indentify three main kinds of discourse work performed in the invoking of design methods. These are the establishing of ontologies, the authorizing of voices, and the legitimizing...

  15. Punk Rock and the Value of Auto-ethnographic Writing about Music

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Attfield

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Why do many of the books on punk rock and hardcore punk come with punk attitude? Why are a good number of the books written from a personal perspective? What kind of value do the diary entries of Nils Stevenson in 'Vacant: A Diary of the Punk Years 1976-79' have compared to an article on the rhetoric of class by David Simonelli in the journal 'Contemporary British History'? In some respects scholarly writing on punk rock seems like a contradiction. How can music so rooted in anti-establishment sentiment be appropriated into an institutional setting? The auto-ethnographic approach found in many of the studies of punk might be an answer to this question. The writers have used their own experiences as musicians and fans to reflect on and analyse the music and scenes which arguably provides the reader with a more immediate insight. This paper argues for an auto-ethnographic approach to the writing of punk and hardcore punk and suggests that this style of writing about music offers the reader an ‘authentic’ insight into these particular music scenes.

  16. Understanding teacher identity from a symbolic interactionist perspective: two ethnographic narratives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brigitte Smit

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available In this ethnographic inquiry we portray two teacher narratives reflecting educational change in the context of two South African schools. The study was conducted as part of a larger inquiry into ten schools in urban South Africa.¹ A decade of democracy begs some attention to educational progress and reform, from the viewpoint of teachers and with the culture of their schools as the inquiry's landscape. We present two ethnographic narratives, crafted of a typical 'township/rural' school, and an established Afrikaans school, with two teachers as the main social actors. Data were sourced from passive observations, interviews, informal conversations, and journal data. These field texts were analysed for content and narrative using, as methodological frame, the 'Clandininian' "metaphorical three-dimensional inquiry space". Three data themes, teacher authority, commitment to the profession in terms of staying or leaving, and multitasking are theorised from a symbolic interactionist framework, using constructs such as situational, social and personal identity. The major finding of this inquiry speaks to the power of the working context, the educational landscape, which appears to be a much stronger force in the development of teacher identity than national educational policies.

  17. Designing for expansive science learning and identification across settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stromholt, Shelley; Bell, Philip

    2017-10-01

    In this study, we present a case for designing expansive science learning environments in relation to neoliberal instantiations of standards-based implementation projects in education. Using ethnographic and design-based research methods, we examine how the design of coordinated learning across settings can engage youth from non-dominant communities in scientific and engineering practices, resulting in learning experiences that are more relevant to youth and their communities. Analyses highlight: (a) transformative moments of identification for one fifth-grade student across school and non-school settings; (b) the disruption of societal, racial stereotypes on the capabilities of and expectations for marginalized youth; and (c) how youth recognized themselves as members of their community and agents of social change by engaging in personally consequential science investigations and learning.

  18. Health belief dualism in the postnatal practices of rural Swazi women: an ethnographic account.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thwala, Siphiwe B P; Holroyd, Eleanor; Jones, Linda K

    2012-12-01

    This study explores and describes the values, beliefs, and practices of rural Swazi women regarding childbearing in the postpartum period. A retrospective ethnographic research design was used. A snowballing sampling method was used to recruit fifteen participants. Face-to-face unstructured audio-taped interviews and field notes were utilised to gather data. Results showed that rural Swazi women held a dual health belief system of modern and traditional medicinal use; practiced lengthy periods of postpartum confinement; customarily gave regular enemas and traditional medicines to their babies; undertook the specific cultural practice of taking the baby to enyonini [a tree struck by lightening] to perform specific rituals; used self-prescribed pharmacy medicines; used both traditional and modern contraception; as well as practiced breastfeeding. Rural Swazi women observe modern health practices alongside traditional customary practices that are inherent to their health belief and value systems in the postnatal period. These customary beliefs and values underpin their birth practices postpartum. Recommendations include the need to consider including formal knowledge on cultural aspects of childbirth and postpartum care into midwifery education; a review of maternal care practices and policies to incorporate widely practised traditional elements including redressing the use of self-prescribed pharmacy medicines to ensure a higher level of safety. Copyright © 2011 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Toward an Understanding of EFL Teacher Culture: An Ethnographic Study in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hong; Yuan, Rui; Wang, Qiang

    2018-01-01

    Informed by an ethnographic approach, this study aims to investigate the professional culture of a group of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in a high school in China. Relying on data gathered through extended field observation and in-depth interviews, this study seeks to uncover the distinctive characteristics of EFL teacher culture…

  20. Understanding Creativity Methods in Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biskjaer, Michael Mose; Dalsgaard, Peter; Halskov, Kim

    2017-01-01

    This paper contributes an analytical framework to improve understanding of the composition of recognized creativity methods used in design. Based on an extensive literature review, our framework synthesizes key concepts from design and particularly creativity research, and is further supported...... by significant experience with creativity methods in design. We propose that nine concepts are relevant for analyzing creativity methods in design: process structure, materials, tools, combination, metaphor, analogy, framing, divergence, and convergence. To test their relevance as components of an analytical...... are composed, how and why they work, and how they potentially may be tweaked or refined for enhanced deployment in design....

  1. An Ethnographic Study of Chinese Heritage Language Education and Technological Innovations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minjuan Wang

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Research has increasingly uncovered the cognitive, cultural, and economic advantages of bilingualism and the positive impact of heritage language on children's second language acquisition (M:cLaughlin, 1995. As one type of heritage language education organizations, Chinese language schools have been in existence for decades in the U.S., but their practices have remained informal and not readily accessible to people from other cultures. In order to bridge this gap, this ethnographic study illustrates family and community involvement in promoting language proficiency in heritage language populations and explores language education methods practiced in Chinese community language schools in an urban Southern California area. The study examines the intricate issues affecting heritage language learning and explores the potential uses of technology in assisting young learners in acquiring their heritage language (Chinese. In addition, the study generates guidelines for adapting existing technology-assisted language programs (e.g., the Chinese Cultural Crystals for instructional uses.

  2. Glocalization and Transnationalization in (neo-Mayanization Processes: Ethnographic Case Studies from Mexico and Guatemala

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manéli Farahmand

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available In this article, the author focuses on the field of neo-Mayanity and its current transformations. She analyzes these transformations using a historico-ethnographic approach, which includes two phases. The first one consists in reconstructing the historical development of the “Mayan” category in two different social contexts. The second one focuses on current narrative and imageries produced around this category, stemming from ethnographic fieldwork in Mexico and Guatemala. Since the “2012 phenomenon”, in both countries, the accelerating transnationalization of the religious leaders has triggered a resignification of contents through various logics of rearrangement, innovation, cohabitation and glocalization. Finally, she demonstrates that the variations in the different ethnographies are linked with the religious leaders’ biographies and the modes of signification of the “Mayan” category—influenced by the socio-historical contexts of production.

  3. An Ethnographic Study of Disciplinary and Pedagogic Practices in a Primary Class

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iyer, Suvasini

    2013-01-01

    The article presents an ethnographic study conducted in a class in a government-run primary school in Delhi. It was found that a chief concern in the school was that of disciplining children. In the observed class, this took the shape of controlling children's bodies and motor movements. It is argued that through disciplining, teachers were…

  4. Design with the feet: walking methods and participatory design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kanstrup, Anne Marie; Bertelsen, Pernille; Madsen, Jacob Østergaard

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents an analysis of walking methods and their relation to participatory design (PD). The paper includes a study of walking methods found in the literature and an empirical study of transect walks in a PD project. From this analysis, we identify central attributes of, and challenges...... to, PD walks. Walking with people in the context of design is a natural activity for the participatory designer, who acknowledges the importance of immersion and relationships in design. However, the various intentions of walking approaches indicate an underacknowledged awareness of walking methods...

  5. Usability Evaluation of Electronic Health Record System around Clinical Notes Usage-An Ethnographic Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizvi, Rubina F; Marquard, Jenna L; Hultman, Gretchen M; Adam, Terrence J; Harder, Kathleen A; Melton, Genevieve B

    2017-10-01

    Background A substantial gap exists between current Electronic Health Record (EHR) usability and potential optimal usability. One of the fundamental reasons for this discrepancy is poor incorporation of a User-Centered Design (UCD) approach during the Graphical User Interface (GUI) development process. Objective To evaluate usability strengths and weaknesses of two widely implemented EHR GUIs for critical clinical notes usage tasks. Methods Twelve Internal Medicine resident physicians interacting with one of the two EHR systems (System-1 at Location-A and System-2 at Location-B) were observed by two usability evaluators employing an ethnographic approach. User comments and observer findings were analyzed for two critical tasks: (1) clinical notes entry and (2) related information-seeking tasks. Data were analyzed from two standpoints: (1) usability references categorized by usability evaluators as positive, negative, or equivocal and (2) usability impact of each feature measured through a 7-point severity rating scale. Findings were also validated by user responses to a post observation questionnaire. Results For clinical notes entry, System-1 surpassed System-2 with more positive (26% vs. 12%) than negative (12% vs. 34%) usability references. Greatest impact features on EHR usability (severity score pertaining to each feature) for clinical notes entry were: autopopulation (6), screen options (5.5), communication (5), copy pasting (4.5), error prevention (4.5), edit ability (4), and dictation and transcription (3.5). Both systems performed equally well on information-seeking tasks and features with greatest impacts on EHR usability were navigation for notes (7) and others (e.g., looking for ancillary data; 5.5). Ethnographic observations were supported by follow-up questionnaire responses. Conclusion This study provides usability-specific insights to inform future, improved, EHR interface that is better aligned with UCD approach.

  6. Publishing the confidential: an ethnographic study of young Irish bloggers

    OpenAIRE

    Fowley, Catherine

    2011-01-01

    From blogs to social network sites, young people have been early adopters of all forms of Web 2.0 communication. Diary-style blogs have been one of the tools they have used as outlets for creativity and communication, whilst simultaneously bringing into a public forum a genre which was inherently private. This thesis is the result of a three year ethnographic study of two groups of young Irish bloggers on the LiveJournal platform, which mixes blogging tools with social network facilities...

  7. Reflexivity and Dialogue in Collaborative Ethnography: the Ethnographic Accompaniment of a Mexican “Intercultural” Educational Institution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gunther Dietz

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Starting from an ethnographic-dialogical case study on the Universidad Veracruzana Intercultural (UVI in Mexico, in which I pretend to combine principles of “activist anthropology” with a “doubly reflexive ethnography”, this paper analyzes how in the process of interculturalizing educational institutions new methodological options arise and how these may contribute to nurture, refresh and decolonize classical anthropological ethnography. Strongly influenced by discourses and models of intercultural education, the so called “intercultural higher education” in Mexico is emerging as a new university sub-system, aimed at providing a culturally pertinent university training to ethically, linguistically and/or culturally diverse students. The ethnographic analysis starts with the official intercultural discourse and contrasts it with the praxis of educational diversity management, as offered in a non-conventional B.A. program. From the “glocal” dialogue between different academic and peasant, external and internal ways of knowledge we develop a series of proposals to modify the curriculum of this B.A. program. Accordingly, a “dialogue of knowledge”, which implies “inter-cultural”, “inter-lingual” and “inter-actor” dimensions, obliges academic anthropology to revise its methodological practice. This paper therefore concludes with a proposal to redefine ethnographic practice in terms of dialogues and shared reflexivity among diverse actors.

  8. Expatriate Compound Living: An Ethnographic Field Study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauring, Jakob; Selmer, Jan

    2009-01-01

    In certain countries, closed expatriate compounds have developed.  They serve to provide resident expatriates and accompanying family members with a comfortable and safe environment. Unfortunately, not much is known about compound life since associated empirical research is scarce. Through...... ethnographic field-work methodology, including interviews and participant observation during a period of three months, this exploratory study investigated 16 Danish business expatriates of a large Danish corporation and their families living in the same compound in Saudi Arabia. They shared their spare time...... and the expatriates had the same working hours in the same subsidiary. Results show that a Danish national group was established and maintained. This in-group dominated life in the compound and at work it may have contributed to the perceptual bias and discriminatory behaviour demonstrated by the Danish expatriates...

  9. Researching media through practices: an ethnographic approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antoni Roig

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Anthropological and ethnographic research on media have been largely focused on analyzing reception of media products (television, radio, press and film and media consumption related to domestic appropriation of technologies (Rothenbuhler et al., 2005. There is also a wide body of research devoted to the study of the political dimension of alternative and indigenous media (Ginsburg, 2002. However, there has been a separation between media and internet studies, and between the analysis of media reception and practices of self-production, such as family photography or home video. Current digital media practices urge reexamination of self-produced content and media flows from a broader perspective that cuts across divisions between public and private, corporative media products and people's releases, home production and cultural industry, political activism and everyday life.

  10. Embodied Design Ideation methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wilde, Danielle; Vallgårda, Anna; Tomico, Oscar

    2017-01-01

    Embodied design ideation practices work with relationships between body, material and context to enliven design and research potential. Methods are often idiosyncratic and – due to their physical nature – not easily transferred. This presents challenges for designers wishing to develop and share ...

  11. Quantitative methods for studying design protocols

    CERN Document Server

    Kan, Jeff WT

    2017-01-01

    This book is aimed at researchers and students who would like to engage in and deepen their understanding of design cognition research. The book presents new approaches for analyzing design thinking and proposes methods of measuring design processes. These methods seek to quantify design issues and design processes that are defined based on notions from the Function-Behavior-Structure (FBS) design ontology and from linkography. A linkograph is a network of linked design moves or segments. FBS ontology concepts have been used in both design theory and design thinking research and have yielded numerous results. Linkography is one of the most influential and elegant design cognition research methods. In this book Kan and Gero provide novel and state-of-the-art methods of analyzing design protocols that offer insights into design cognition by integrating segmentation with linkography by assigning FBS-based codes to design moves or segments and treating links as FBS transformation processes. They propose and test ...

  12. Generating Ethnographic Research Questions: An Anthropological Contribution to the Study of Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friberg, Torbjörn

    2016-01-01

    As part of recent complex transformations, it seems that higher educational organisations are being forced to reorganise, standardise and streamline in order to survive in the new political and economic context. How are ethnographers in general going to approach these contemporary phenomena? By drawing on the conceptual history of anthropology,…

  13. An ethnographic study of the construction of science on television

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhingra, Koshi

    1999-10-01

    The medium of television is an important manifestation of popular culture. Television stories and images frequently represent the position occupied by science and scientists in society. This study focuses on three questions. First, what is the form and content of the science that is constructed on television programs in which high school students see science? Second, how do television practitioners who deal with science approach and think about their work? Third, in what ways do high school students appropriate the science in these programs? Ethnographic methods, which did not include the technique of participant observation, were used to address these questions. Two types of text provided the basis for ethnographic analysis. First, text whose production was beyond the control of the researcher was used in the form of approximately 10 hours of programming, which included both fictional and non-fictional genres. Selection was based upon the results of questionnaires, in which students were asked to list those programs in which they saw the most science together with their reasons for each choice. Second, text whose production was somewhat within my control as researcher was used in the form of transcripts of interviews with television practitioners and students. In addition, written responses to the researcher's questions and transcripts of student discussion groups are texts that fall into this second category. The findings point to the centrality of the notion of the nature of science, which is constructed by a variety of factors. These include, first, story---representing events, people and the process of science on television. Story is shaped by plot, discourse, characters and genre. Second, images work to construct a nature of science and, in turn, constitute choices made about the composition, sequence and duration of shots. Third, who the television practitioners who produce a program are in conjunction with the culture of the institution they work for

  14. The Design Social: Framing social research methods for design postgraduates.

    OpenAIRE

    Evans, Martyn

    2010-01-01

    This paper discusses approaches for framing social research methods within postgraduate design curricula, details the responses of postgraduate design students to the possibilities presented by social research methods, and concludes with a case study of the adoption experiences of PhD students in design when engaging with social research methods. Analysis of semi-structured interviews is employed to draw out perceptions and experiences of design postgraduates when engaging with social researc...

  15. Problematising Ethnography and Case Study: Reflections on Using Ethnographic Techniques and Researcher Positioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker-Jenkins, Marie

    2018-01-01

    This paper was prompted by the question, what do we mean by conducting "ethnography"? Is it in fact "case study" drawing on ethnographic techniques? My contention is that in many cases, researchers are not actually conducting ethnography as understood within a traditional sense but rather are engaging in case study, drawing on…

  16. Managing the Complexity of Design Problems through Studio-Based Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cennamo, Katherine; Brandt, Carol; Scott, Brigitte; Douglas, Sarah; McGrath, Margarita; Reimer, Yolanda; Vernon, Mitzi

    2011-01-01

    The ill-structured nature of design problems makes them particularly challenging for problem-based learning. Studio-based learning (SBL), however, has much in common with problem-based learning and indeed has a long history of use in teaching students to solve design problems. The purpose of this ethnographic study of an industrial design class,…

  17. Dual Value Creation and Business Model Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Turcan, Romeo V.

    This ethnographic research explores the process of business model design in the context of an NGO internationalizing to an emerging market. It contributes to the business model literature by investigating how this NGO - targeting multiple key stakeholders - was experimenting (1) with value...

  18. Music, bodies and relationships: An ethnographic contribution to embodied cognition studies

    OpenAIRE

    Moran, Nikki

    2013-01-01

    This article sets out the methodology and results of part of an ethnographic study of North Indian music performance where qualitative interviews were analyzed with grounded theory to explore how musicians conceive of musical communication. The findings highlight the importance of socially-responsive movement cues that musicians use to co-ordinate their participation in musical events. Effective musical communication, as explored in this article, is seen to depend on the manifestation and mai...

  19. An Ethnographic Study of New Venture and New Sector Legitimation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Turcan, Romeo V.; Fraser, Norman

    2016-01-01

    This study explores the process of legitimation of international new ventures from an emerging economy and the effect such ventures have on the process of creation and legitimation of a new industry in that economy. It is a longitudinal ethnographic case study. Following an inductive theory......-political legitimacies, the model theorizes temporal emergence of these at organizational and industry levels, leading ultimately to institutionalization. The authors advocate for further research at the intersection between legitimation, international entrepreneurship and emerging markets in order to further advance...

  20. Ethnography in design: Tool-kit or analytic science?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bossen, Claus

    2002-01-01

    The role of ethograpyh in system development is discussed through the selective application of an ethnographic easy-to-use toolkit, Contextual design, by a computer firm in the initial stages of the development of a health care system....

  1. Method for control-room display design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montmayeul, R.

    1988-01-01

    This document describes a method for control-room displays design. It can be used either for isolated display to add to an existing system either for the design of a full system of operator aids. The method is a top-down design with steps of possible iteration. The emphasis is put on display design rather than on system design; system aspects are just mentioned. Advantages of using a method are described [fr

  2. The racialization of ethnic minority police officers and researchers : on positionality and (auto)ethnographic fieldwork

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cankaya, S.

    2017-01-01

    This article reflects on the personal, epistemological and methodological dilemmas of conducting (auto)ethnographic fieldwork within the police organisation. The argument is that positionality and ascribed identities complicate existing dilemmas of using participant observation within the police

  3. Echoes from the Field: An Ethnographic Investigation of Outdoor Science Field Trips

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boxerman, Jonathan Zvi

    As popular as field trips are, one might think they have been well-studied. Nonetheless, field trips have not been heavily studied, and little research has mapped what actually transpires during field trips. Accordingly, to address this research gap, I asked two related research questions. The first question is a descriptive one: What happens on field trips? The second question is explanatory: What field trip events are memorable and why? I employed design research and ethnographic methodologies to study learning in naturally occurring contexts. I collaborated with middle-school science teachers to design and implement more than a dozen field trips. The field trips were nested in particular biology and earth sciences focal units. Students were tasked with making scientific observations in the field and then analyzing this data during classroom activities. Audio and video recording devices captured what happened during the field trips, classroom activities and discussions, and the interviews. I conducted comparative microanalysis of videotaped interactions. I observed dozens of events during the field trips that reverberated across time and place. I characterize the features of these events and the objects that drew interest. Then, I trace the residue across contexts. This study suggests that field trips could be more than one-off experiences and have the potential to be resources to seed and enrich learning and to augment interest in the practice of science.

  4. Passing the baton: Community-based ethnography to design a randomized clinical trial on the effectiveness of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention among Black men who have sex with men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Jonathan; Colson, Paul W; Parker, Caroline; Hirsch, Jennifer S

    2015-11-01

    Although HIV interventions and clinical trials increasingly report the use of mixed methods, studies have not reported on the process through which ethnographic or qualitative findings are incorporated into RCT designs. We conducted a community-based ethnography on social and structural factors that may affect the acceptance of and adherence to oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM). We then devised the treatment arm of an adherence clinical trial drawing on findings from the community-based ethnography. This article describes how ethnographic findings informed the RCT and identifies distilled themes and findings that could be included as part of an RCT. The enhanced intervention includes in-person support groups, online support groups, peer navigation, and text message reminders. By describing key process-related facilitators and barriers to conducting meaningful mixed methods research, we provide important insights for the practice of designing clinical trials for 'real-world' community settings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. GoPro as an Ethnographic Tool: A Wayfinding Study in an Academic Library

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinsley, Kirsten M.; Schoonover, Dan; Spitler, Jasmine

    2016-01-01

    In this study, researchers sought to capture students' authentic experience of finding books in the main library using a GoPro camera and the think-aloud protocol. The GoPro provided a first-person perspective and was an effective ethnographic tool for observing a student's individual experience, while also demonstrating what tools they use to…

  6. Challenging Segregational Practices in a Spanish Secondary School: Results from an Ethnographic Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez-Valero, Joan-Anton; Padilla-Petry, Paulo

    2016-01-01

    This article presents partial results of a multi-sited ethnographic study about the role of multiple literacies in young people's learning in and outside school. In one of the five participant secondary schools, fourth grade students were segregated in groups according to their special needs. We start with a critical review on segregated and…

  7. Culture, Interface Design, and Design Methods for Mobile Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kun-Pyo

    Aesthetic differences and similarities among cultures are obviously one of the very important issues in cultural design. However, ever since products became knowledge-supporting tools, the visible elements of products have become more universal so that the invisible parts of products such as interface and interaction are getting more important. Therefore, the cultural design should be extended to the invisible elements of culture like people's conceptual models beyond material and phenomenal culture. This chapter aims to explain how we address the invisible cultural elements in interface design and design methods by exploring the users' cognitive styles and communication patterns in different cultures. Regarding cultural interface design, we examined users' conceptual models while interacting with mobile phone and website interfaces, and observed cultural difference in performing tasks and viewing patterns, which appeared to agree with cultural cognitive styles known as Holistic thoughts vs. Analytic thoughts. Regarding design methods for culture, we explored how to localize design methods such as focus group interview and generative session for specific cultural groups, and the results of comparative experiments revealed cultural difference on participants' behaviors and performance in each design method and led us to suggest how to conduct them in East Asian culture. Mobile Observation Analyzer and Wi-Pro, user research tools we invented to capture user behaviors and needs especially in their mobile context, were also introduced.

  8. Different Strokes for Different Folks: Visual Presentation Design between Disciplines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez, S R; Jianu, R; Ziemkiewicz, C; Guo, Hua; Laidlaw, D H

    2012-12-01

    We present an ethnographic study of design differences in visual presentations between academic disciplines. Characterizing design conventions between users and data domains is an important step in developing hypotheses, tools, and design guidelines for information visualization. In this paper, disciplines are compared at a coarse scale between four groups of fields: social, natural, and formal sciences; and the humanities. Two commonplace presentation types were analyzed: electronic slideshows and whiteboard "chalk talks". We found design differences in slideshows using two methods - coding and comparing manually-selected features, like charts and diagrams, and an image-based analysis using PCA called eigenslides. In whiteboard talks with controlled topics, we observed design behaviors, including using representations and formalisms from a participant's own discipline, that suggest authors might benefit from novel assistive tools for designing presentations. Based on these findings, we discuss opportunities for visualization ethnography and human-centered authoring tools for visual information.

  9. Work-Identity in Ethnographic Research: Developing Field Roles in a Demanding Workplace Setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gunilla Jansson PhD

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available In this article we problematize our field roles as two linguistic ethnographers who aim to study the communication and documentation practices drawn upon by care workers in elderly care facilities in Sweden. Our field roles are discussed in relation to the complex nature of care workers' knowledge and competence, which results from three different aspects of their work-identities: institutional, professional, and individual. As researchers, we found ourselves in constant dialogue with the research participants, and our field roles were continuously shaped and reshaped according to the individuals and the situations in which we became involved. Even aspects of our own identities taken into the field, such as our background and personal qualities, proved to be important in establishing good relations with the care staff. Coming closer to the participants' professional identity proved to be of utmost importance for interpreting their choices and decisions in the workplace. Identity negotiation is presented here as a constructive way of discussing ethnographic field roles in the research field.

  10. Gaining Access to Hidden Populations: Strategies for Gaining Cooperation of Drug Sellers/Dealers and Their Families in Ethnographic Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunlap, Eloise; Johnson, Bruce D.

    2009-01-01

    Summary This article examines strategies for gaining the cooperation of drug sellers and their families in order to conduct ethnographic research. The strategies were developed during an eight year study of drug dealers in New York City. A key element in gaining the ability to talk with and observe drug dealers and their family members was the availability of funds to compensate respondents for interviews and other expenses associated with building and maintaining rapport. Access to more successful crack sellers and dealers rested upon the right contacts. The “right contact” is a critical element. Locating a trusted “go-between” was adapted from strategies employed by cocaine sellers to arrange transactions involving large quantities of drugs. Such transactions rely upon a trusted associate of a dealer, the “go-between,” who performs various roles and assumes risks the dealer wishes to avoid. The role of the go-between became important when ethnographers attempted to reach drug dealers for research purposes. Favors and trust are central components in the equation of access to the dealer and his family. Favors are a part of drug dealers' interaction patterns: everyone owes someone else a favor. Such reciprocity norms exist independently of the amount of drugs involved and outlast any particular transaction. Reputations and favors are related. This framework of favors, trust, and reciprocity provides a basis for the ethnographer to gain an introduction to dealers and sellers. The “go-between” is critical because he/she explains the ethnographer's role to the dealer and helps arrange an initial meeting between the ethnographer and the seller. Once the go-between has provided an initial introduction, the ethnographer marshals the communication skills necessary to convince the dealer to allow further contact and conversations. This article examines the ritual of initial conversation within its cultural framework. Developing rapport requires showing

  11. Urban pram strolling: a mobilities design perspective

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Martin Trandberg

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores a neglected mode of mobility through an ethnographic study of pram strollers in Copenhagen. I illustrate the analytic advantages of mobilities design thinking to explore how pram strolling is shaped by material designs and experienced through affective atmospheres, embodied...... the affordances of surfaces. In this process, I relate pram strolling to questions of urban accessibility issues, and more generally, reflect on the future applications and potentials of mobilities design thinking....

  12. Mystic esoteric tourism in Uritorco Zone (Cordoba, Argentina: ethnographical approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandro Otamendi

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to synthesize the social construction and changes held in symbolic representations of Capilla del Monte dwellers, during the last two decades at that tourist area in Cordoba Province, Argentina. It will also describe from an ethnographic perspective how esoteric tourists, newcomers from the last migration waves and local authorities collaborated in its own way for the Uritorco Zone development, at the Uritorco Hill, where a peculiar mystic-esoteric discourse has been born combined with narratives of supernatural, ethnic, natural and extra terrestrial issues.

  13. Accident Investigation on a Large Construction Project: An Ethnographic Case Study

    OpenAIRE

    Oswald, David; Smith, Simon; Sherratt, Fred

    2015-01-01

    Unsafe acts are believed to account for approximately 80 to 90 percent of accidents. This paper will investigate this issue through exploring the reasoning behind the unsafe acts that resulted in a minor accident on a large construction project (+$1B) in the UK. The study described here, part of a wider PhD project, was undertaken using an ethnographic approach. Participant observation enabled the researcher to be involved in the whole accident investigation process including witness statemen...

  14. Patterns of Indigenous Learning: An Ethnographic Study on How Kindergartners Learn in Mana, Fiji

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Chih-Yih; Sparks, Paul

    2015-01-01

    Technology has greatly impacted educational systems around the world, even in the most geographically isolated places. This study utilizes an ethnographic approach to examine the patterns of learning in a kindergarten in Mana, Fiji. Data comprised of interviews, observations and examination of related artifacts. The results provide baseline data…

  15. Korean-American Student Perceptions on Literacy and Identity: Perspectives from an Ethnographic Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jeonghee; Godina, Heriberto; Ro, Yeon Sun

    2014-01-01

    This ethnographic case study examines perceptions of literacy and identity for a Korean-American student in a third-grade classroom. The researchers examine how teachers can misinterpret Asian identity in the classroom due to perceptions related to the "Model Minority Myth" and other stereotypical representations of Asian culture. By…

  16. A stroller ethnography of mobilities design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Martin Trandberg

    This paper explores a neglected mode of mobility through an ethnographic study of pram strollers in Copenhagen. I illustrate the analytic advantages of using the recent mobilities design turn to explore how pram strolling is conditioned by material designs and experienced through affective...... properties and experiential effects of urban surfaces. In this process, I relate pram mobility to questions of urban accessibility issues and discuss urban design interventions, not as transient inconveniencies, but enduring predicaments for wheeled-based mobility in the contemporary city....

  17. Macrocognition in the Healthcare Built Environment (mHCBE): A Focused Ethnographic Study of "Neighborhoods" in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Hara, Susan; Klar, Robin Toft; Patterson, Emily S; Morris, Nancy S; Ascenzi, Judy; Fackler, James C; Perry, Donna J

    2018-04-01

    The objectives of this research were to describe the interactions (formal and informal), in which macrocognitive functions occur and their location on a pediatric intensive care unit, to describe challenges and facilitators of macrocognition using space syntax constructs (openness, connectivity, and visibility), and to analyze the healthcare built environment (HCBE) using those constructs to explicate influences on macrocognition. In high reliability, complex industries, macrocognition is an approach to develop new knowledge among interprofessional team members. Although macrocognitive functions have been analyzed in multiple healthcare settings, the effect of the HCBE on those functions has not been directly studied. The theoretical framework, "macrocognition in the healthcare built environment" (mHCBE) addresses this relationship. A focused ethnographic study was conducted including observation and focus groups. Architectural drawing files used to create distance matrices and isovist field view analyses were compared to panoramic photographs and ethnographic data. Neighborhoods comprised of corner configurations with maximized visibility enhanced team interactions as well as observation of patients, offering the greatest opportunity for informal situated macrocognitive interactions (SMIs). Results from this study support the intricate link between macrocognitive interactions and space syntax constructs within the HCBE. These findings help increase understanding of how use of the framework of Macrocognition in the HCBE can improve design and support adaptation of interprofessional team practices, maximizing macrocognitive interaction opportunities for patient, family, and team safety and quality.

  18. Favela as a Brazilian Heritage Site : The complexities and shifting realities from an ethnographic perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chagas Cavalcanti, A.R.

    2016-01-01

    Favelas are a world heritage site since 2012. This particular fact triggers a binary opposition in informal settlements study: from the materialist perspective to the idealist one. That includes neoliberal effects, such as commodification, and a romantic depiction of the favela. An ethnographic

  19. Ethnographic strategies for making the familiar strange: Struggling with "distance" and "immersion" among Moroccan students

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frans Kamsteeg; Sierk Ybema; dr. Machteld de Jong

    2013-01-01

    Ethnographic fieldwork is a balancing act between distancing and immersing. Fieldworkers need to come close to meaningfully grasp the sense-making efforts of the researched. In methodological textbooks on ethnography, immersion tends to be emphasized at the expense of its counterpart. In fact,

  20. Teaching Healthcare Design. Methods for Empathy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dankl, Kathrina

    2017-01-01

    discussed in design. By evidence of a design course focusing on shared decision making (SDM), this paper promotes a blended set of methods, supporting enhanced understanding amongst stakeholders. The empirical data and the comparison with contemporary SDM studies indicate that student designers were able......Healthcare design requires empathetic understanding among all stakeholders and consequently the development of design for empathy. While design anthropological approaches are broadly discussed, spanning from social design to social innovation, analysis methods for human insights are less widely...... to address some of the most vividly discussed issues in the field: the adaption of SDM to the diversity of patients, the flow of information between the different stakeholders and the general knowledge on SDM by clinicians and the wider public. This paper provides design educators with a series of methods...

  1. Advocating Commodification: An Ethnographic Look at the Policing of Irish as a Commercial Asset

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, Sara C.

    2018-01-01

    Based on ethnographic fieldwork in two towns in the Republic of Ireland, this article explores the local negotiation, endorsement, and contestation of two community-level Irish language advocacy organizations' attempts to regulate the use of Irish in business by mobilizing discourses of language commodification to position Irish as a commercial…

  2. Ethnographic analysis: a study of classroom environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griswold, L A

    1994-05-01

    Occupational therapists assess and adapt an environment to enhance clients' abilities to function. Therapists working in schools may assess several classroom environments in a week. Identifying relevant information in an efficient manner is essential yet presents a challenge for school therapists. In this study, ethnographic research methodology was used to analyze the plethora of data gained from observations in eight classrooms. Three major categories were identified to structure observations: activities, people, and communication. These categories were used to compile a Classroom Observation Guide that gives therapists relevant questions to ask in each category. Using the Classroom Observation Guide, occupational therapists can recommend classroom activities that suit a particular teacher's style. For example, working with a teacher who prefers structural activities with clear time and space boundaries for one specific purpose, a therapist might suggest organized sensorimotor games with a distinct purpose to be carried out for a given time period.

  3. Arts and design as translational mechanisms for academic entrepreneurship

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simeone, Luca; Secundo, Giustina; Schiuma, Giovanni

    2018-01-01

    This paper proposes arts and design as translational mechanisms to connect and align stakeholders, particularly in the context of academic entrepreneurship where multiple stakeholders with different expertise and interests work together in joint endeavors. Insights gathered from an ethnographic...

  4. Biomimetic design method for innovation and sustainability

    CERN Document Server

    Helfman Cohen, Yael

    2017-01-01

    Presenting a novel biomimetic design method for transferring design solutions from nature to technology, this book focuses on structure-function patterns in nature and advanced modeling tools derived from TRIZ, the theory of inventive problem-solving. The book includes an extensive literature review on biomimicry as an engine of both innovation and sustainability, and discusses in detail the biomimetic design process, current biomimetic design methods and tools. The structural biomimetic design method for innovation and sustainability put forward in this text encompasses (1) the research method and rationale used to develop and validate this new design method; (2) the suggested design algorithm and tools including the Findstructure database, structure-function patterns and ideality patterns; and (3) analyses of four case studies describing how to use the proposed method. This book offers an essential resource for designers who wish to use nature as a source of inspiration and knowledge, innovators and sustain...

  5. Doing the month in a Taiwanese postpartum nursing center: an ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, Yueh-Chen; St John, Winsome; Venturato, Lorraine

    2014-09-01

    Traditionally Chinese and Taiwanese postpartum women conducted postpartum ritual practices, called "doing the month," at home. Today, many Taiwanese women undertake this ritual in postpartum nursing centers. However, little is known about how the traditional practices are being transformed in relation to contemporary health care in Taiwan. In this ethnographic study observations were carried out in a large post-partum center attached to a major hospital in Taipei for nine months, and 27 postpartum women were interviewed. Data were analyzed using ethnographic approaches to extract codes and categories. Doing the month was reshaped by being relocated from the home to a healthcare setting. Midwives took on roles traditionally taken by family members, which had an impact on family roles and relationships. Some postpartum practices were maintained, based on traditional explanations. However, many were modified or challenged, based on explanations from contemporary scientific knowledge. Midwives need to be aware that there could be differences between their culture of care and the cultural values of the women they care for. This study informs culturally appropriate postpartum care and support for women with traditional and contemporary cultural beliefs and attitudes to doing the month in a range of healthcare contexts. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  6. Con Respeto. Bridging the Distances between Culturally Diverse Families and Schools. An Ethnographic Portrait.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valdes, Guadalupe

    As part of a larger ethnographic study, this book focuses on Mexican American family life, parental attitudes toward school, and efforts to increase student achievement by changing families. Exploration of the daily life of the 10 immigrant families sheds light on what educators have interpreted as the disinterest of newly arrived immigrants in…

  7. Participatory design methods in telemedicine research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Danbjørg, Dorthe Boe; Clemensen, Jane; Rothmann, Mette Juel

    together with the patients. Participatory design is a research design and methodology that encourages the participation of users in the design process of technological solutions. Therefore, it has a potential for designing technologies that actually reflect the needs of the users, why it is relevant within...... telemedicine. The aim of this presentation is to explain the process and theoretical framework of a PD project; give an example of a project including the applied methods, and to determine its application to telemedicine with focus on the rationale for genuine participation. Theory: Participation implies....... Methods: Key activities of a Participatory Design project comprise methods such as fieldwork; literature reviewing; development and testing, and user activities as workshops. Methods that support telling, making, enacting. For instance telling activities as drivers for participation, where practitioners...

  8. Current Issues in Art and Design Education: Modularization and Course Ethos: The Case of Art and Design Higher Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wayte, Gillian; Wayte, Nick

    1990-01-01

    Examines why art and design educators resist the modularization of degree-level courses. Identifies key characteristics of art education in England through an ethnographic study. Discusses government policy and rationales for modular and integrated courses. Concludes that the holistic approach to education allows students to expound and develop…

  9. Algebraic Methods to Design Signals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-08-27

    to date on designing signals using algebraic and combinatorial methods. Mathematical tools from algebraic number theory, representation theory and... combinatorial objects in designing signals for communication purposes. Sequences and arrays with desirable autocorrelation properties have many...multiple access methods in mobile radio communication systems. We continue our mathematical framework based on group algebras, character theory

  10. [The nursing process at a burns unit: an ethnographic study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, L A; Casagrande, L D

    2001-01-01

    This ethnographic study aimed at understanding the cultural meaning that nursing professionals working at a Burns Unit attribute to the nursing process as well as at identifying the factors affecting the implementation of this methodology. Data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that, to the nurses from the investigated unit, the nursing process seems to be identified as bureaucratic management. Some factors determining this perception are: the way in which the nursing process has been taught and interpreted, routine as a guideline for nursing activity, and knowledge and power in the life-world of the Burns Unit.

  11. Jovan Mišković: A forgotten ethnographer and geographer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Đapović Lasta

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes the life and work of Jovan Mišković, a forgotten ethnographer and geographer. Born in Negotin (1844-1908, he had received military education and took on several important functions in the government and had served bravely in three wars. In addition, he was also a gifted scientist, whose interests included geography, ethnography, history archeology and topography. He was a distinguished member of Serbian medical society, Serbian Royal Academy and several other important associations. The paper presents Misković’s contribution to science and discuses cultural/scientific environment where he worked and lived.

  12. Ethnographic Intimacy: Thinking Through the Ethics of Social Research in Sex Worlds

    OpenAIRE

    Maria Pérez-y-Pérez; Tony Stanley

    2011-01-01

    Ethnographic researchers entering sensitive fields of research become entangled in ethical dilemmas when they encounter 'sticky' questions, situations and issues. In undertaking research within two distinct sex worlds: female sex work and male sexual negotiation/risk and HIV, we struggled to manage the contingent links between our relationships with the people who inhabit these worlds, the ethical requirements of our institutional ethics committees, and our hybrid selves. In the context of 'd...

  13. People with learning disabilities who have cancer: an ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuffrey-Wijne, Irene; Bernal, Jane; Hubert, Jane; Butler, Gary; Hollins, Sheila

    2009-07-01

    Cancer incidence among people with learning disabilities is rising. There have been no published studies of the needs and experiences of people with learning disabilities and cancer, from their own perspective. To provide insight into the experiences and needs of people with learning disabilities who have cancer. Prospective qualitative study, using ethnographic methods. Participants' homes, hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices in London and surrounding areas. The participants were 13 people with learning disabilities ranging from mild to severe, who had a cancer diagnosis. The main method of data collection was participant observation (over 250 hours). The median length of participation was 7 months. Participants' cancer experiences were shaped by their previous experience of life, which included deprivation, loneliness, and a lack of autonomy and power. They depended on others to negotiate contact with the outside world, including the healthcare system. This could lead to delayed cancer diagnosis and a lack of treatment options being offered. Most participants were not helped to understand their illness and its implications. Doctors did not make an assessment of capacity, but relied on carers' opinions. Urgent action is warranted by findings of late diagnosis, possible discrimination around treatment options, and lack of patient involvement and assessment of capacity in decision making. There are significant gaps in knowledge and training among most health professionals, leading to disengaged services that are unaware of the physical, emotional, and practical needs of people with learning disabilities, and their carers.

  14. Imagination in Creative Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wiltschnig, Stefan

    2011-01-01

    This paper unpacks the notion of imagination presented in the I5-system of knowledge creation along several theoretical contributions and process models from “knowledge science”, creativity research and design studies. It aims at conceptual clarification and integration around the key notion...... of “insight moments” across various levels of abstraction from system perspectives through foci on groups and individuals to mental activity. This work is meant to serve as a conceptual foundation for micro-analyses of in-vivo data of creative design processes based on protocols of participatory ethnographic...

  15. Imagination in Creative Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wiltschnig, Stefan

    2013-01-01

    This paper unpacks the notion of imagination presented in the I5-system of knowledge creation along several theoretical contributions and process models from “knowledge science”, creativity research and design studies. It aims at conceptual clarification and integration around the key notion...... of “insight moments” across various levels of abstraction from system perspectives through foci on groups and individuals to mental activity. This work is meant to serve as a conceptual foundation for micro-analyses of in-vivo data of creative design processes based on protocols of participatory ethnographic...

  16. Lived experiences and challenges of older surgical patients during hospitalization for cancer: An ethnographic fieldwork

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisbeth Uhrenfeldt

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the lived experiences of older surgical patients’ (aged 74 years and older experienced challenges during a brief admission to hospital. Age, gender, polypharmacy, and the severity of illness are also factors known to affect the hospitalization process. For an ethnographic study using participant observation and interviews, surgical cancer patients (n = 9, aged 74 years and older were recruited during admission to a Danish teaching hospital. Using ethnographic strategies of participant observation and interviews, each patient was followed through the course of 1 day during their stay at the hospital. Interviews were carried out with all patients during this time. Three areas of concern were identified as prominent in the patients’ experiences and challenges during their short hospital stay: teeth and oral cavity, eating in a hospital setting, and medication during hospitalization. Short-term hospitalization requires focused collaboration between staff and patient concerning individual challenges from their teeth and oral cavity as support of nutritional needs during surgical treatment for cancer.

  17. Review: Gregory C. Stanczak (Ed. (2007. Visual Research Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boris Traue

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available In this edited volume, research methods employing the camera as a means of documentation in the context of ethnographic research are presented and discussed. To a lesser extent, the volume deals with research strategies for dealing with images produced by social actors, such as propaganda photography and video diaries. Special attention is given to the way the camera facilitates the process of communication in ethnographic research. This collection may be very helpful for readers looking for a discussion of methodological problems and practical advice for the use of cameras, especially in the context of ethnographic research. Theoretical issues of visuality and visual performance in contemporary societies are mentioned, but not treated in depth. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs090265

  18. Flexible Design Research to validate communication in persons with dementia in advanced stages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ridder, Hanne Mette Ochsner

    2003-01-01

    . The method is an ethnographical process research using Atlas.ti as qualitative research software for the analysis and administration of transcribed data, and using physiological data to validate observational data in a case study design. In a flexible design both quantitative and qualitative data collection...... enable ways of communication adjusted to the person. The songs function to structure, motivate, stimulate, and regulate, and finally as means of enabling communication and dialogue. The research is trying to investigate if songs have regulative effects and to outline different levels of communication...... methods are used as a rich approach to understanding communication. The qualitative analysis is based on principles of grounded theory using selective, open, and axial coding techniques. The quantitative data is combined with time scales, sequence measures and event coding adding different perspectives...

  19. A Systematic Optimization Design Method for Complex Mechatronic Products Design and Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Jiang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Designing a complex mechatronic product involves multiple design variables, objectives, constraints, and evaluation criteria as well as their nonlinearly coupled relationships. The design space can be very big consisting of many functional design parameters, structural design parameters, and behavioral design (or running performances parameters. Given a big design space and inexplicit relations among them, how to design a product optimally in an optimization design process is a challenging research problem. In this paper, we propose a systematic optimization design method based on design space reduction and surrogate modelling techniques. This method firstly identifies key design parameters from a very big design space to reduce the design space, secondly uses the identified key design parameters to establish a system surrogate model based on data-driven modelling principles for optimization design, and thirdly utilizes the multiobjective optimization techniques to achieve an optimal design of a product in the reduced design space. This method has been tested with a high-speed train design. With comparison to others, the research results show that this method is practical and useful for optimally designing complex mechatronic products.

  20. A cookbook method for Persuasive Game Design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Panote Siriaraya

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Despite the growing interest in persuasive game design, there have been few methods which cover the complete process of game design that designers could draw upon in their practice. In this paper, the Persuasive Game Design method(PGD is presented as a non-directive approach for designing persuasive games including a practical hand-out. To better fit with the practical constraints encountered in game design, this method adopts a “cookbook” approach. A set of essential PGD components and tools are provided from which game designers can choose from, given their specific context and resources. Designers first consider the game design steps(“dishes” to use in creating their game and in each step, select which components(“ingredients” to take into account and tools(“utensils” to use. The proposed method, based on our experience as persuasive game researchers and design practitioners, is further refined using feedback from professional game designers. The paper concludes with a case study illustrating how to put the meal into practice. Overall, the method provides a useful contribution to the existing research domain by combining knowledge from game theory, game design and design methodology to create a structured yet flexible approach which covers the complete persuasive game design process for researchers, students and practitioners. 

  1. Proxy-Produced Ethnographic Work: What Are the Problems, Issues, and Dilemmas Arising from Proxy-Ethnography?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinussen, Marie; Højbjerg, Karin; Tamborg, Andreas Lindenskov

    2018-01-01

    This article addresses the implications of researcher-student cooperation in the production of empirical material. For the student to replace the experienced researcher and work under the researcher's supervision, we call such work proxy-produced ethnographic work. Although there are clear advantages, the specific relations and positions arising…

  2. A Self-Ethnographic Investigation of Continuing Education Program in Engineering Arising from Economic Structural Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaihlavirta, Auri; Isomöttönen, Ville; Kärkkäinen, Tommi

    2015-01-01

    This paper provides a self-ethnographic investigation of a continuing education program in engineering in Central Finland. The program was initiated as a response to local economic structural change, in order to offer re-education possibilities for a higher educated workforce currently under unemployment threat. We encountered considerable…

  3. “Drift Sailing”: ethnographic notes about Tourism in Ilhéus, Bahia

    OpenAIRE

    Roque Pinto

    2008-01-01

    This paper attempts to discuss some issues on tourism in Ilhéus City, located in south Bahia State, Brazil, focusing mainly on relations between local entrepreneurs and the place and trying to analyze in which ways those relations influence the local touristic system itself. It stems from a qualitative research based on data from ethnographic descriptions. Research techniques such as participant observation, semi-structured survey and non-structured survey were used, and the subjects were con...

  4. The Effect of School Culture on Science Education at an Ideologically Innovative Elementary Magnet School: An Ethnographic Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, Lori T.

    2012-11-01

    This ethnographic case study investigated the science practices of teachers at one public elementary magnet school in light of how school culture influenced science curriculum design and instruction. The purpose of the study was to address how school culture impacted the school's overall treatment of science as a viable content area. Key informant teachers were interviewed to explore their personal beliefs and values, teaching, access to materials, and views of the adopted integrated thematic curriculum model and magnet structure. The resulting data, triangulated with informal observation and artifact collection, were analyzed using a theoretical framework that emphasized five interdependent school culture indicators (values, beliefs, practices, materials, and problems). Findings suggest that the school's culture adversely influenced the treatment of science.

  5. Destination, Imagination and the Fires within: Design Thinking in a Middle School Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Maureen; Goldman, Shelley; Britos, Leticia; Koh, Jaime; Royalty, Adam; Hornstein, Michael

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of the Taking Design Thinking to Schools Research Project was to extend the knowledge base that contributes to an improved understanding of the role of design thinking in K-12 classrooms. The ethnographic qualitative study focused on the implementation of an interdisciplinary design curriculum by a team of university instructors in a…

  6. Comparison of Traditional Design Nonlinear Programming Optimization and Stochastic Methods for Structural Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patnaik, Surya N.; Pai, Shantaram S.; Coroneos, Rula M.

    2010-01-01

    Structural design generated by traditional method, optimization method and the stochastic design concept are compared. In the traditional method, the constraints are manipulated to obtain the design and weight is back calculated. In design optimization, the weight of a structure becomes the merit function with constraints imposed on failure modes and an optimization algorithm is used to generate the solution. Stochastic design concept accounts for uncertainties in loads, material properties, and other parameters and solution is obtained by solving a design optimization problem for a specified reliability. Acceptable solutions were produced by all the three methods. The variation in the weight calculated by the methods was modest. Some variation was noticed in designs calculated by the methods. The variation may be attributed to structural indeterminacy. It is prudent to develop design by all three methods prior to its fabrication. The traditional design method can be improved when the simplified sensitivities of the behavior constraint is used. Such sensitivity can reduce design calculations and may have a potential to unify the traditional and optimization methods. Weight versus reliabilitytraced out an inverted-S-shaped graph. The center of the graph corresponded to mean valued design. A heavy design with weight approaching infinity could be produced for a near-zero rate of failure. Weight can be reduced to a small value for a most failure-prone design. Probabilistic modeling of load and material properties remained a challenge.

  7. Modification of design methods to suit computer aided design of pumps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumaraswamy, S.

    1994-01-01

    Engineering designs involve a large number of repetitive calculations to achieve optimisation. So, computers which are fast and accurate lend themselves as an aid for the design process. However, certain modifications in the steps of conventional design method become necessary for easier adaptation. In addition, it will be advantageous if the empirical coefficients of design are allowed to be chosen by the designer with prompting of ranges taken from design charts by the program itself. This paper describes two examples of modification in pump design. In the first case Anderson's area ratio method and Pfleiderer's Slip power methods are combined to achieve an integrated design of impeller and casing. The second case is the design of a Mixed flow pump impeller by considering it as an assembly of a number of radial flow pump impellers called part impellers. In addition, these modifications are useful in redesign for a different operating condition or in matching of impellers to existing casings. (author). 13 refs., 4 figs

  8. Researching School Choice in Regional Australia: What Can This Tell Us about the Ethnographic Imaginary?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsolidis, Georgina

    2016-01-01

    This is an exploration of methodological debates related to ethnographic research. Reflection on conducting research on school choice in an Australian regional centre is the beginning point for a discussion of what Appadurai describes as a dialectical relationship between the neighbourhood and its capacity to exist and reshape itself in relation…

  9. Ethnographic Study at a Music Library Found Students Prefer Short Stopovers and Longer Solitary Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominique Daniel

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective – To identify patterns of patron behaviour in the library in order to improve space utilization. DesignEthnographic data-gathering, including observations and a qualitative survey. Setting – Music library of a large public university. Subjects – Library patrons, primarily music students but also music faculty, other students and faculty, and regional music professionals and amateurs. Methods – In the exploratory phase, complete (i.e., incognito participant observers recorded patron characteristics and behaviours in four zones of the library (the technology lab, the stacks, the reference area, and study carrels. They conducted a series of five-minute-long visual sweeps of these zones at five-minute intervals. Observers were not given any checklist, but were told to record anything they saw regarding the personal characteristics, behaviours, and activities of patrons. The data collected resulted in what the investigators called “flip books” (a series of images recorded in close succession, which, when flipped, could give the illusion of movement. The data was analyzed using the grounded theory approach, a qualitative method to identify recurring themes on space use. A statistical analysis based on these themes was then conducted. In the second, explanatory phase, observers conducted new “sweeps,” or observations of the same library zones, this time using checklists to indicate the occurrence of specific activities identified in the first phase (solo vs. group activity, social interaction vs. study discussion, and use of technology. In addition, observers recorded patron entry and exit on “time cards,” and had all exiting patrons answer five brief questions about the types and volume of activities they had conducted in the various zones of the library. Main Results – The vast majority of the patrons were students. Most (at least three-quarters engaged in solitary activity, and a large majority used electronic

  10. A flexible layout design method for passive micromixers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Yongbo; Liu, Zhenyu; Zhang, Ping; Liu, Yongshun; Gao, Qingyong; Wu, Yihui

    2012-10-01

    This paper discusses a flexible layout design method of passive micromixers based on the topology optimization of fluidic flows. Being different from the trial and error method, this method obtains the detailed layout of a passive micromixer according to the desired mixing performance by solving a topology optimization problem. Therefore, the dependence on the experience of the designer is weaken, when this method is used to design a passive micromixer with acceptable mixing performance. Several design disciplines for the passive micromixers are considered to demonstrate the flexibility of the layout design method for passive micromixers. These design disciplines include the approximation of the real 3D micromixer, the manufacturing feasibility, the spacial periodic design, and effects of the Péclet number and Reynolds number on the designs obtained by this layout design method. The capability of this design method is validated by several comparisons performed between the obtained layouts and the optimized designs in the recently published literatures, where the values of the mixing measurement is improved up to 40.4% for one cycle of the micromixer.

  11. Expanding the clinical role of community pharmacy: A qualitative ethnographic study of medication reviews in Ontario, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patton, Sarah J; Miller, Fiona A; Abrahamyan, Lusine; Rac, Valeria E

    2018-03-01

    Medication reviews by community pharmacists are an increasingly common strategy to improve medication management for chronic conditions, and are part of wider efforts to make more effective use of community-based health professionals. To identify opportunities to optimize the medication review program in Ontario, Canada, we explored how providers and clients interpret and operationalize medication reviews within everyday community pharmacy practice. We conducted a qualitative ethnographic study at four pharmacies in Ontario, Canada, including non-participant observation of provider and client activities and interactions with specific attention to medication reviews, as well as brief ethnographic interviews with providers and clients, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with providers. We report on 72h of field research, observation of 178 routine pharmacist-client interactions and 29 medication reviews, 62 brief ethnographic interviews with providers and clients, and 7 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with providers. We found that medication reviews were variably conducted across the dimensions of duration, provider type, location, and interaction style, and that local contexts and system-wide developments influence their meaning and practice. Medication reviews are exemplary of policy efforts to enhance the role of community pharmacies within health systems and the scope of practice of pharmacists as healthcare professionals. Our study highlights the importance of the local structure of community pharmacy practice and the clinical aspirations of pharmacists in the delivery of medication reviews. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Design theory methods and organization for innovation

    CERN Document Server

    Le Masson, Pascal; Hatchuel, Armand

    2017-01-01

    This textbook presents the core of recent advances in design theory and its implications for design methods and design organization. Providing a unified perspective on different design methods and approaches, from the most classic (systematic design) to the most advanced (C-K theory), it offers a unique and integrated presentation of traditional and contemporary theories in the field. Examining the principles of each theory, this guide utilizes numerous real life industrial applications, with clear links to engineering design, industrial design, management, economics, psychology and creativity. Containing a section of exams with detailed answers, it is useful for courses in design theory, engineering design and advanced innovation management. "Students and professors, practitioners and researchers in diverse disciplines, interested in design, will find in this book a rich and vital source for studying fundamental design methods and tools as well as the most advanced design theories that work in practice". Pro...

  13. From Ethnography to Items: A Mixed Methods Approach to Developing a Survey to Examine Graduate Engineering Student Retention

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crede, Erin; Borrego, Maura

    2013-01-01

    As part of a sequential exploratory mixed methods study, 9 months of ethnographically guided observations and interviews were used to develop a survey examining graduate engineering student retention. Findings from the ethnographic fieldwork yielded several themes, including international diversity, research group organization and climate,…

  14. The Innovative Bike Conceptual Design by Using Modified Functional Element Design Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nien-Te Liu

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study is to propose a new design process by modifying functional element design approach which can commence a large amount of innovative concepts within a short period of time. Firstly, the original creative functional elements design method is analyzed and the drawbacks are discussed. Then, the modified is proposed and is divided into 6 steps. The creative functional element representations, generalization, specialization, and particularization are used in this method. Every step is described clearly, and users could design by following the process easily. In this paper, a clear and accurate design process is proposed based on the creative functional element design method. By following this method, a lot of innovative bicycles will be created quickly.

  15. INFRASTRUCTURING DESIGN

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ertner, Sara Marie

    The fact that the average citizen in Western societies is aging has significant implications for national welfare models. What some call ’the grey tsunami’ has resulted in suggestions for, and experiments in, re-designing healthcare systems and elderly care. In Denmark, one attempted solution...... that are imagined as the target group for welfare technology, and where are they located? Based on ethnographic explorations of ’welfare technology’ and related figures that include not only ’the elderly’, but also ’prototypes’ and ’partnership’ the dissertation analyses the processes and socio...... for collaborative design to happen. The implication of this is that technological design should not be imagined as the foundation for shaping more effective health care practices and better welfare. Instead, possibilities for improving practices through welfare technology emerge out of heterogeneous assemblages...

  16. Ethnographic video narratives inviting various personal and professional interpretations in the area of care for older people

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørtoft, Kamilla Pernille Johansen; Jakobsen, Helle Nordentoft

    The purpose of this paper is to discuss the potential of ethnographic video narratives to initiate informal interdisciplinary learning by exposing the diversity in how different professionals interpret the same situation. In the paper we draw on data from a pilot study in Denmark in which we showed...... two ethnographic video narratives to interdisciplinary focus groups with health care professionals at 3 care centres. The video narratives are about Bodil in her home and Benny in a senior centre. When the participants had watched the video narratives they were asked to write down their impressions...... her medicine and the way Benny moves and talks make the research participants draw on embodied knowledge and professional values and goals in various ways depending on their professional background and personal experiences. When they meet each other’s interpretation of the video narratives...

  17. Patient-Centered Handovers: Ethnographic Observations of Attending and Resident Physicians: Ethnographic Observations of Attending and Resident Physicians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mount-Campbell, Austin F; Rayo, Michael F; OʼBrien, James J; Allen, Theodore T; Patterson, Emily S

    Handover communication improvement initiatives typically employ a "one size fits all" approach. A human factors perspective has the potential to guide how to tailor interventions to roles, levels of experience, settings, and types of patients. We conducted ethnographic observations of sign-outs by attending and resident physicians in 2 medical intensive care units at one institution. Digitally audiotaped data were manually analyzed for content using codes and time spent using box plots for emergent categories. A total of 34 attending and 58 resident physician handovers were observed. Resident physicians spent more time for "soon to be discharged" and "higher concern" patients than attending physicians. Resident physicians spent less time discussing patients which they had provided care for within the last 3 days ("handbacks"). The study suggested differences for how handovers were conducted for attending and resident physicians for 3 categories of patients; handovers differ on the basis of role or level of expertise, patient type, and amount of prior knowledge of the patient. The findings have implications for new directions for subsequent research and for how to tailor quality improvement interventions based upon the role, level of experience, level of prior knowledge, and patient categories.

  18. A meta-ethnographic synthesis of midwives' and nurses' experiences of adverse labour and birth events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elmir, Rakime; Pangas, Jackie; Dahlen, Hannah; Schmied, Virginia

    2017-12-01

    Health professionals are frequently exposed to traumatic events due to the nature of their work. While traumatic and adverse labour and birth events experienced by women are well researched, less attention has been given to midwives' and nurses' experiences of these events and the impact it has on their lives. To undertake a meta-ethnographic study of midwives' and nurses' experiences of adverse labour and birth events. Scopus, CINHAL PLUS, MEDLINE and PUBMED databases were searched using subject headings and keywords. The search was limited to papers published in peer-reviewed journals from 2004-October 2016. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Papers had to be qualitative or have a substantial qualitative component. Studies were included if they primarily focused on midwives' or nurses' perspectives or experiences of complicated, traumatic or adverse labour and birth events. A meta-ethnographic approach was used incorporating methods of reciprocal translation guided by the work of Noblit and Hare (1988, Meta-Ethnography: Synthesizing qualitative studies (Vol. 11). Newbury Park: Sage publications). Eleven qualitative studies were included in the final sample. Four major themes were (i) feeling the chaos; (ii) powerless, responsible and a failure; (iii) "It adds another scar to my soul"; and (iv) finding a way to deal with it. Midwives and nurses feel relatively unprepared when faced with a real-life labour and birth emergency event. While many of the midwives and nurses were traumatised by the experience, some were able to view their encounter as an opportunity to develop their emergency response skills. Witnessing and being involved in a complicated or adverse labour and birth event can be traumatic for nurses and midwives. Organisational and collegial support needs to be available to enable these health professionals to talk about their feelings and concerns. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Designing a qualitative methods syllabus

    OpenAIRE

    Kier, Elizabeth

    2003-01-01

    After some initial trepidation, I was excited about teaching a graduate seminar in qualitative methods. It could hardly be a more interesting time. The publication of King, Keohane, and Verba’s Designing Social Inquiry reinvigorated interest in qualitative methods, and I wanted to design the course to profit from this emerging debate. Whereas KKV appealed to qualitative researchers to do their best to adopt quantitative methodological guidelines, I wanted to encourage students to think about ...

  20. Competition between Public Supervision and Professional Management: An Ethnographic Study of School Governance Reforms in Switzerland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hangartner, Judith; Svaton, Carla Jana

    2014-01-01

    This article discusses insights from an ethnographic study of local governance practices in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, under changing policy conditions. Recent reforms introduced and strengthened the position of head teachers, enhanced the responsibility of the municipalities and introduced new quality management procedures in local…

  1. Latina/o Parent Organizing for Educational Justice: An Ethnographic Account of Community Building and Radical Healing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nygreen, Kysa

    2017-01-01

    This article describes a parent organizing effort with Latina/o immigrant parents in a large, high-poverty, racially and linguistically diverse urban school district. Drawing from ethnographic research and the theoretical framework of "mujerismo," it examines the relational processes of community building and radical healing that…

  2. Mechatronic Systems Design Methods, Models, Concepts

    CERN Document Server

    Janschek, Klaus

    2012-01-01

    In this textbook, fundamental methods for model-based design of mechatronic systems are presented in a systematic, comprehensive form. The method framework presented here comprises domain-neutral methods for modeling and performance analysis: multi-domain modeling (energy/port/signal-based), simulation (ODE/DAE/hybrid systems), robust control methods, stochastic dynamic analysis, and quantitative evaluation of designs using system budgets. The model framework is composed of analytical dynamic models for important physical and technical domains of realization of mechatronic functions, such as multibody dynamics, digital information processing and electromechanical transducers. Building on the modeling concept of a technology-independent generic mechatronic transducer, concrete formulations for electrostatic, piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and electrodynamic transducers are presented. More than 50 fully worked out design examples clearly illustrate these methods and concepts and enable independent study of th...

  3. Improving access to emergent spinal care through knowledge translation: an ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webster, Fiona; Fehlings, Michael G; Rice, Kathleen; Malempati, Harsha; Fawaz, Khaled; Nicholls, Fred; Baldeo, Navindra; Reeves, Scott; Singh, Anoushka; Ahn, Henry; Ginsberg, Howard; Yee, Albert J

    2014-04-14

    For patients and family members, access to timely specialty medical care for emergent spinal conditions is a significant stressor to an already serious condition. Timing to surgical care for emergent spinal conditions such as spinal trauma is an important predictor of outcome. However, few studies have explored ethnographically the views of surgeons and other key stakeholders on issues related to patient access and care for emergent spine conditions. The primary study objective was to determine the challenges to the provision of timely care as well as to identify areas of opportunities to enhance care delivery. An ethnographic study of key administrative and clinical care providers involved in the triage and care of patients referred through CritiCall Ontario was undertaken utilizing standard methods of qualitative inquiry. This comprised 21 interviews with people involved in varying capacities with the provision of emergent spinal care, as well as qualitative observations on an orthopaedic/neurosurgical ward, in operating theatres, and at CritiCall Ontario's call centre. Several themes were identified and organized into categories that range from inter-professional collaboration through to issues of hospital-level resources and the role of relationships between hospitals and external organizations at the provincial level. Underlying many of these issues is the nature of the medically complex emergent spine patient and the scientific evidentiary base upon which best practice care is delivered. Through the implementation of knowledge translation strategies facilitated from this research, a reduction of patient transfers out of province was observed in the one-year period following program implementation. Our findings suggest that competing priorities at both the hospital and provincial level create challenges in the delivery of spinal care. Key stakeholders recognized spinal care as aligning with multiple priorities such as emergent/critical care, medical through

  4. Plant identification credibility in ethnobotany: a closer look at Polish ethnographic studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Łuczaj Łukasz J

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This paper is an attempt to estimate the percentage of erroneously identified taxa in ethnographic studies concerning the use of plants and to propose a code for recording credibility of identification in historical ethnobotany publications. Methods A sample of Polish-language ethnobotanical literature (45 published sources from 1874-2005 and four collections of voucher specimens (from 1894-1975 were analyzed. Errors were detected in the publications by comparing the data with existing knowledge on the distribution of plant names and species ranges. The voucher specimens were re-examined. A one-letter code was invented for quick identification of the credibility of data published in lists of species compiled from historical or ethnographic sources, according to the source of identification: voucher specimen, Latin binominal, botanical expert, obvious widespread name, folk name, mode of use, range, physical description or photograph. To test the use of the code an up-to-date list of wild food plants used in Poland was made. Results A significant difference between the ratio of mistakes in the voucher specimen collections and the ratio of detectable mistakes in the studies without herbarium documentation was found. At least 2.3% of taxa in the publications were identified erroneously (mean rate was 6.2% per publication, and in half of these mistakes even the genus was not correct. As many as 10.0% of voucher specimens (on average 9.2% per collection were originally erroneously identified, but three quarters of the identification mistakes remained within-genus. The species of the genera Thymus, Rumex and Rubus were most often confused within the genus. Not all of the invented credibility codes were used in the list of wild food plants, but they may be useful for other researchers. The most often used codes were the ones signifying identification by: voucher specimen, botanical expert and by a common name used throughout the

  5. O método etnográfico em pesquisas na área da saúde: uma reflexão antropológica The ethnographic method in health researches: an anthropological thinking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eunice Nakamura

    2011-03-01

    are three theoretical and conceptual keys to the consolidation of the ethnographic method in its origin, in conjunction with the very assertion of anthropological science, assuming that by understanding what is the ethnographic practice, we also understand the importance of the anthropological explanation of the different socio-cultural phenomena, among them health, illness and strategies for treatment or cure. These assumptions - ethnocentrism, relativism and culture - marked so the research and production of anthropological knowledge, theory and method that have become inseparable. Thinking of repetition and constant replenishment of inseparability in a dialectical movement of concrete experience with learned theories can be a major strength of the social sciences, particularly anthropology, for research in health. The absence of this reflection seems to risk the compromise that can interface with the theoretical and methodological rigor in the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge, the reduction and simplification of the technique. On the other hand, this same inseparability leads us to inquire about possible contributions of the incorporation of ethnographic method in research in the health of anthropological knowledge.

  6. Tuberculosis among the Xavante Indians of the Brazilian Amazon: an epidemiological and ethnographic assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basta, Paulo Cesar; Coimbra, Carlos E A; Welch, James R; Corrêa Alves, Luiz Carlos; Santos, Ricardo Ventura; Bastos Camacho, Luiz Antonio

    2010-01-01

    Despite broad availability of a national tuberculosis (TB) control program that has proved effective in Brazil, TB remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among indigenous peoples. We report the results of an interdisciplinary investigation of TB epidemiology, healthcare services, and ethnomedicine among the Xavante Indians of Central Brazil. Fieldwork components included clinical assessment of TB (479 subjects, 89.3% of the population = 1 year of age), analysis of medical health records, and ethnographic research. We found TB to constitute a major health risk, with moderately high annual risk of infection (0.94%), moderate prevalence of infection, high percentage of X-ray images suggestive of TB (14.2% in subjects > or = 10 years of age), and a relatively low percentage of individuals with reactive TB skin tests (16.6% of reactions > or = 10 mm) despite high BCG vaccine coverage. We also found a high rate of TB patients showing no evidence of prior infection. Ethnographic interviews show that Xavante and biomedical health perspectives are simultaneously divergent in their etiologies but pragmatically compatible. Ineffective diagnosis procedures compromise the efficacy of existing TB prevention efforts and threaten to undermine otherwise favorable institutional and cultural conditions.

  7. An ethnographic account of a snapshot in Professor Graham Duncan’s journey of educational professionalism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pieter Hertzog Du Toit

    2016-08-01

    Through an ethnographic lens that informed my action research over many years, I document my numerous scholarly encounters with my colleague and former student. My meta-reflection is typical of my ontological-epistemological stance, mirroring some of the questions and ways of thinking Professor Duncan as lecturer continuously asked himself. Two main questions are focused on. Ontological: Who is Graham Duncan as scholar of teaching in higher education? Epistemological: What epistemological grounding informs his view of his teaching practice? As the nature of the article is ethnographic, I drew on texts created by Professor Duncan. These included a drafted article and emails that had been sent to me. I engaged with these texts in such a way that the article has become a living theory and affirmation of his and my educational values regarding facilitating and assessing learning in an innovative fashion. My analysis of his scholarly journey and texts offers rich qualitative data that are reported. The conclusion drawn is that Graham Duncan is an exemplar of a constructivist professional.

  8. Designed Places

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stender, Marie

    The 2008 financial crisis has left traces in the built environment of Copenhagen like many other places: Building projects are left unfinished or their function or finish is changed due to new economic circumstances. An ethnographic exploration of these traces exposes central aspects of what is a......, and when the ceilings leak water, the residents suspect it to be a consequence of the crisis. The paper discusses how market forces interact with the material surroundings we inhabit and explores the relationship between controlled and uncontrollable in the design of places....

  9. CAPABILITY LEARNING ON SPEAKING IN ARABIC (An Ethnographic Study at Arabic Department Of FITK UIN Syarifhidayatullah Jakarta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Akmal Walad Ahkas

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to obtain an extensive understanding regarding to learning ability on to speak in Arabic at Department of Arabic Education Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training UIN SyarifHidayatullah Jakarta. This study involves qualitative method comprehending ethnographic method by Spradley model. This study lasted from November 2015 to June 2016. The data was obtained from participatory observation, interview, documentary analysis, and audio-visual material. This study proves that: (1. the learning objective is considered by the level of Muhâdatsahthat is divided into level 1, level 2, and level 3. (2. Curriculum applies on KKNI basis (National Education Quality Standard. And the syllabus applies Functional Syllabus. (3. Scenario of the learning material covers themes on conversation, vocabulary, the maqala concerning to the most recent development and attractive topic on argumentative debate relating to educational issues. (4. The method involves Eclectic Method that organises Grammar-Translation method, Direct Method, Audio-Lingual Method, and Debating Method. (5. The media of learning is equipped by powerpoint presentation, video (native speaker, and printed materials. (6 the evaluation is conducted on the performance basis to assess the ability on Arabic through communicative activity, orally and in writing. (7 the lingual environment is supported by formal and informal environment.

  10. Using real objects to teach about climate change: an ethnographic perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conner, L.; Perin, S.; Coats, V.; Sturm, M.

    2017-12-01

    Informal educators frequently use real objects to connect visitors with science content that can otherwise seem abstract. Our NSF-funded project, "Hot Times in Cold Places," leverages this premise to teach about climate change through real objects associated with the nation's only permafrost tunnel, located in Fox, Alaska. We posit that touching real ice, holding Pleistocene bones, and seeing ice wedges in context allows learners to understand climate change in a direct and visceral manner. We are conducting ethnographic research to understand visitor experience at both the tunnel itself and at a permafrost museum exhibit that we are creating as part of the project. Research questions include: 1) What is the nature of visitor talk with respect to explanations about permafrost, tipping points, climate change, and geological time? 2) How do attributes of "realness" (scale, resolution, uniqueness, history and adherence to an original) affect visitor's experience of objects, as perceived through the senses and emotions? We use naturalistic observation, interviews, and videotaping to answer these questions. Analysis focuses on child-to-child talk, reciprocal talk between educator and child, and reciprocal talk between parent and child. Our results elucidate the value of real, vs. replicated and virtual objects, in informal learning, especially in the context of climate change education. An understanding of these factors can help informal learning educators make informed choices about program and exhibit design.

  11. General method for designing wave shape transformers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Hua; Qu, Shaobo; Xu, Zhuo; Wang, Jiafu

    2008-12-22

    An effective method for designing wave shape transformers (WSTs) is investigated by adopting the coordinate transformation theory. Following this method, the devices employed to transform electromagnetic (EM) wave fronts from one style with arbitrary shape and size to another style, can be designed. To verify this method, three examples in 2D spaces are also presented. Compared with the methods proposed in other literatures, this method offers the general procedure in designing WSTs, and thus is of great importance for the potential and practical applications possessed by such kinds of devices.

  12. From the Form to the Face to Face: IRBs, Ethnographic Researchers, and Human Subjects Translate Consent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metro, Rosalie

    2014-01-01

    Based on my fieldwork with Burmese teachers in Thailand, I describe the drawbacks of using IRB-mandated written consent procedures in my cross-cultural collaborative ethnographic research on education. Drawing on theories of intersubjectivity (Mikhail Bakhtin), ethics (Emmanuel Levinas), and translation (Naoki Sakai), I describe face-to-face…

  13. Methodical Design of Software Architecture Using an Architecture Design Assistant (ArchE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-04-01

    PA 15213-3890 Methodical Design of Software Architecture Using an Architecture Design Assistant (ArchE) Felix Bachmann and Mark Klein Software...DATES COVERED 00-00-2005 to 00-00-2005 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Methodical Design of Software Architecture Using an Architecture Design Assistant...important for architecture design – quality requirements and constraints are most important Here’s some evidence: If the only concern is

  14. CHOREOGRAPHIC METHODS FOR CREATING NOVEL, HIGH QUALITY DANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Kirsh

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available We undertook a detailed ethnographic study of the dance creation process of a noted choreographer and his distinguished troupe. All choreographer dancer interactions were videoed, the choreographer and dancers were interviewed extensively each day, as well as other observations and tests performed. The choreographer used three main methods to produce high quality and novel content: showing, making-on, and tasking. We present, analyze and evaluate these methods, and show how these approaches allow the choreographer to increase the creative output of the dancers and him. His methods, although designed for dance, apply more generally to other creative endeavors, especially where brainstorming is involved, and where the creative process is distributed over many individuals. His approach is also a case study in multi-modal direction, owing to the range of mechanisms he uses to communicate and direct.

  15. Empirical pillar design methods review report: Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-02-01

    This report summarizes and evaluates empirical pillar design methods that may be of use during the conceptual design of a high-level nuclear waste repository in salt. The methods are discussed according to category (i.e, main, submain, and panel pillars; barrier pillars; and shaft pillars). Of the 21 identified for main, submain, and panel pillars, one method, the Confined Core Method, is evaluated as being most appropriate for conceptual design. Five methods are considered potentially applicable. Of six methods identified for barrier pillars, one method based on the Load Transfer Distance concept is considered most appropriate for design. Based on the evaluation of 25 methods identified for shaft pillars, an approximate sizing criterion is proposed for use in conceptual design. Aspects of pillar performance relating to creep, ground deformation, interaction with roof and floor rock, and response to high temperature environments are not adequately addressed by existing empirical design methods. 152 refs., 22 figs., 14 tabs

  16. The Profitable Adventure of Threatened Middle-Class Families: An Ethnographic Study on Homeschooling in South Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Deok-Hee

    2009-01-01

    South Korean society in the late 1990s was confronted with socio-economic setbacks and discursive turbulence concerning the quality of education being provided. It was at such a particular historical juncture of South Korean society that I conducted ethnographic research on homeschooling families. Based on field data collected from four…

  17. Software Design Methods for Real-Time Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    1989-12-01

    This module describes the concepts and methods used in the software design of real time systems . It outlines the characteristics of real time systems , describes...the role of software design in real time system development, surveys and compares some software design methods for real - time systems , and

  18. A day in the life of third-year medical students: using an ethnographic method to understand information seeking and use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Twiss-Brooks, Andrea B; Andrade, Ricardo; Bass, Michelle B; Kern, Barbara; Peterson, Jonna; Werner, Debra A

    2017-01-01

    The authors undertook this project to learn how third-year medical students seek and use information in the course of daily activities, especially activities conducted in clinical settings in a variety of institutions. We recruited sixty-eight third-year undergraduate medical school students to create a mapping diary of a day that included clinical activities. We conducted semi-structured interviews based on the mapping diaries. Using content and thematic analyses of the resulting interview transcripts, we developed an ethnographic case study for each participant. In the studied sample, we identified a broad range of information resources used for personal, clinical, and educational use. Participants relied heavily on technology throughout their day, including desktop computers, smart phones, handheld tablets, and laptops. Time management was a pervasive theme in the interviews, with participants squeezing in time to study for exams wherever and whenever they could. Selection of a particular information resource or technology to use was governed largely by the convenience of using that resource or technology. When obstacles were encountered, workarounds might be sought, but in many cases, the resource or technology would be abandoned in favor of a more convenient solution. Convenience was also a consideration in choosing spaces to use for clinical duties or for study, with specific considerations of available technology, proximity to clinical areas, and security for belongings contributing to choices made. Some of our results align with those of other recent studies of information use among medical students, residents, and practicing physicians. In particular, the fast-paced clinical setting favors use of information resources that are fast and easy to use. We demonstrated that the methods used are suitable to better understand clinicians' discovery and use of information.

  19. Almost like being there; the Power of Personas when designing for foreign Cultures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestergaard, Lise; Hauge, Bettina; Hansen, Claus Thorp

    2016-01-01

    a three-month stay in the village, personas based on real people and the villagers’ everyday life and practices were developed by getting to know people and their ways of life through the use of ethnographic methods (observations, interviews, workshops and a film). The personas created a substantial......Much research on personas focuses on how to develop and use personas, less on the validation and concrete value of them in the development of products for cultures far away from the actual design site. This article illustrates how such a validation was accomplished through producing a film...

  20. “Are You From The Police, Or What?” Critical Remarks On Ethnographic Fieldwork Among (Disadvantaged) Urban Youth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gravesen, David Thore; Frostholm, Peter Hornbæk

    2016-01-01

    studies. In the fall of 2014 we carried out ethnographic fieldwork (Hastrup 2010, Spradley 1980) in the city of Horsens in Denmark in relation to our research on unstructured socialization among urban youth in urban public spaces. Despite our efforts to explain the young people about our field work......“Are You From The Police, Or What?” Critical Remarks On Ethnographic Fieldwork Among (Disadvantaged) Urban Youth As pointed out by Hammersley and Atkinson (2007) the field observer can experience being perceived as a spy and feeling undeniably unwelcome, especially in the beginning of observation...... and our role as non-SSP (a special Social services, School and Police unit) and non-police, we repeatedly experienced the youngsters questioning our presence. The confusion and skepticism that we experienced emphasized the importance of reflecting our position as researchers (Bourdieu 1999, Goodson...

  1. Educating Instructional Designers: Different Methods for Different Outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowland, Gordon; And Others

    1994-01-01

    Suggests new methods of teaching instructional design based on literature reviews of other design fields including engineering, architecture, interior design, media design, and medicine. Methods discussed include public presentations, visiting experts, competitions, artifacts, case studies, design studios, and internships and apprenticeships.…

  2. Misery in Dark Shadows behind the High Achievement Scores in South Korean Schooling: An Ethnographic Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Soonjung; Kristjánsson, Kristján; Walker, David I.

    2017-01-01

    This article explores some of the hidden background behind the highly praised school results in South Korea. An ethnographic case study is used to cast light on how schooling is actually experienced by South Korean students. Two main results are reported from these data. First, evidence is presented of damaging "cultural elements" such…

  3. Ayahuasca's entwined efficacy: An ethnographic study of ritual healing from 'addiction'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talin, Piera; Sanabria, Emilia

    2017-06-01

    A range of studies has demonstrated the efficacy of the psychoactive Amazonian brew ayahuasca in addressing substance addiction. These have revealed that physiological and psychological mechanisms are deeply enmeshed. This article focuses on how interactive ritual contexts support the healing effort. The study of psychedelic-assisted treatments for addiction has much to gain from ethnographic analyses of healing experiences within the particular ecologies of use and care, where these interventions are rendered efficacious. This is an ethnographically grounded, qualitative analysis of addiction-recovery experiences within ayahuasca rituals. It draws on long-term fieldwork and participant observation in ayahuasca communities, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews of participants with histories of substance misuse. Ayahuasca's efficacy in the treatment of addiction blends somatic, symbolic and collective dimensions. The layering of these effects, and the direction given to them through ritual, circumscribes the experience and provides tools to render it meaningful. Prevailing modes of evaluation are ill suited to account for the particular material and semiotic efficacy of complex interventions such as ayahuasca healing for addiction. The article argues that practices of care characteristic of the ritual spaces in which ayahuasca is collectively consumed, play a key therapeutic role. The ritual use of ayahuasca stands in strong contrast to hegemonic understandings of addiction, paving new ground between the overstated difference between community and pharmacological interventions. The article concludes that fluid, adaptable forms of caregiving play a key role in the success of addiction recovery and that feeling part of a community has an important therapeutic potential. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. 'Le moment de la lune'. an auto-ethnographic tale of practice about menarche in a children's hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denshire, Sally

    2011-08-01

    Auto-ethnographic accounts can highlight unsaid moments of professional practice. In this case, my auto-ethnographic tale 'Le moment de la lune' re-inscribes subjugated knowledge about menstruation and occupational therapy practice in the era before adolescent wards. This fictional tale is written in direct dialogue with an article that was published in this journal at a particular point in my own career as an occupational therapist. In the tale I am 'writing in' what was not written about in my article and in occupational therapy generally. This 'writing-in'/re-inscribing is the research method. My previous article 'Normal spaces' published in this journal in 1985, was organised around principles and generalities of youth-specific practice. The original article had little locating the personal or evoking the body and a heavy reliance on the literature. Issues of gender and culture were largely absent, or, perhaps, 'written out'. The corresponding tale of embodied sexuality, 'Le moment de la lune', articulates something of local complex practice and the particularity of individual therapeutic work to do with menstruation in self-care. Points of tension in 'Normal spaces' are elaborated and I explain how 'Le moment de la lune' problematises supporting menarche in a children's hospital. Now practice has moved on with dedicated adolescent wards in all major children's hospitals. Nevertheless, occupational therapy practice around issues of menstrual self-management is still under-documented. Writing about unspoken moments of practice can have ethical implications for expanding the ways occupational therapy practice can be written and understood. © 2011 The Author. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2011 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  5. Displays of authority in the clinical consultation: a linguistic ethnographic study of the electronic patient record.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swinglehurst, Deborah

    2014-10-01

    The introduction of computers into general practice settings has profoundly changed the dynamics of the clinical consultation. Previous research exploring the impact of the computer (in what has been termed the 'triadic' consultation) has shown that computer use and communication between doctor and patient are intricately coordinated and inseparable. Swinglehurst et al. have recently been critical of the ongoing tendency within health communication research to focus on 'the computer' as a relatively simple 'black box', or as a material presence in the consultation. By re-focussing on the electronic patient record (EPR) and conceptualising this as a complex collection of silent but consequential voices, they have opened up new and more nuanced possibilities for analysis. This orientation makes visible a tension between the immediate contingencies of the interaction as it unfolds moment-by-moment and the more standardised, institutional demands which are embedded in the EPR ('dilemma of attention'). In this paper I extend this work, presenting an in-depth examination of how participants in the consultation manage this tension. I used linguistic ethnographic methods to study 54 video recorded consultations from a dataset collected between 2007 and 2008 in two UK general practices, combining microanalysis of the consultation with ethnographic attention to the wider organisational and institutional context. My analysis draws on the theoretical work of Erving Goffman and Mikhail Bakhtin, incorporating attention to the 'here and now' of the interaction as well as an appreciation of the 'distributed' nature of the EPR, its role in hosting and circulating new voices, and in mediating participants' talk and social practices. It reveals - in apparently fleeting moments of negotiation and contestation - the extent to which the EPR shapes the dynamic construction, display and circulation of authority in the contemporary consultation. Copyright © 2014 The Author. Published by

  6. Relationships between the generalized functional method and other methods of nonimaging optical design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bortz, John; Shatz, Narkis

    2011-04-01

    The recently developed generalized functional method provides a means of designing nonimaging concentrators and luminaires for use with extended sources and receivers. We explore the mathematical relationships between optical designs produced using the generalized functional method and edge-ray, aplanatic, and simultaneous multiple surface (SMS) designs. Edge-ray and dual-surface aplanatic designs are shown to be special cases of generalized functional designs. In addition, it is shown that dual-surface SMS designs are closely related to generalized functional designs and that certain computational advantages accrue when the two design methods are combined. A number of examples are provided. © 2011 Optical Society of America

  7. The Role of the Culture of Japanese Students in Acquisition of Academic English: An Ethnographic Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mertin, Patricia Anne

    2014-01-01

    This ethnographic study examines the role of Japanese students' culture and its effects on the rate of acquisition of academic English. It is based on observation of classes in Japanese schools, both in Japan and Germany, as well as in an international school, together with interviews, questionnaires, student responses and case studies over a…

  8. The Junior High School Integrated Science: The Actual Teaching Process in the Perspective of an Ethnographer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adu-Gyamfi, Kenneth; Ampiah, Joseph Ghartey

    2016-01-01

    Science education at the Basic School (Primary and Junior High School) serves as the foundation upon which higher levels of science education are pivoted. This ethnographic study sought to investigate the teaching of Integrated Science at the Junior High School (JHS) level in the classrooms of two science teachers in two schools of differing…

  9. HTGR analytical methods and design verification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neylan, A.J.; Northup, T.E.

    1982-05-01

    Analytical methods for the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) include development, update, verification, documentation, and maintenance of all computer codes for HTGR design and analysis. This paper presents selected nuclear, structural mechanics, seismic, and systems analytical methods related to the HTGR core. This paper also reviews design verification tests in the reactor core, reactor internals, steam generator, and thermal barrier

  10. Khush Hal Nameh: dal teatro all’emozione etnografica - Khush Hal Nameh: from theatre to ethnographic emotion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veronica Boldrin

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available During the summer of 2011 the theatre company of an Italian High School puts on “Khush Hal Nameh”, an ethnographic drama by Ariane Baghaï, which through the tale of the rivalry between two Pashtun brothers projects both actors and spectators in the heart of Afghan society and in its kinship structures and dynamics of power. The article concentrates on the protagonists of this initiative, above all on the young actors, in order to understand what their “structure of experience” was like. It therefore follows the various phases of the staging process starting with the motivations of the students to take part to the experiment and the assessment of additional knowledge and competence; it also analyzes a wide range of relationships such as between actors and characters, between the theatre company and outside world and also between students and schoolinstitution. The theatre laboratory reveals itself as an ideal space to reflect about social relations and ethnographic drama as in Victor Turner’s performing ethnography: a valid instrument reach to an emotional and cognitive comprehension of the Other.

  11. Coping with traumatic stress in journalism: a critical ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buchanan, Marla; Keats, Patrice

    2011-04-01

    Journalists who witness trauma and disaster events are at risk for physical, emotional, and psychological injury. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a critical ethnographic study among 31 Canadian journalists and photojournalists with regard to coping strategies used to buffer the effects of being exposed to trauma and disaster events and work-related stress. The findings are the result of in-depth individual interviews and six workplace observations with journalists across Canada. The most commonly reported coping strategies were: avoidance strategies at work, use of black humor, controlling one's emotions and memories, exercise and other physical activities, focusing on the technical aspects, and using substances. Recommendations for addressing the effects of work-related stress within this population are provided.

  12. Rare models: Roger Casement, the Amazon, and the ethnographic picturesque.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wylie, Lesley

    2010-01-01

    In 1910 Roger Casement was sent by the British government to investigate the alleged humanitarian abuses of the Peruvian Amazon Company in the Putumayo, a disputed border zone in North West Amazonia. Casement brought more than verbal and written testimony back to London. On 26 June, some six months after he returned from the Amazon, Casement collected two Amerindian boys - Omarino and Ricudo - from Southampton docks. This paper will reconstruct the brief period that these young men spent in Britain in the summer of 1911 and assess, in particular, to what extent they were treated as 'exhibits' by Casement, who not only introduced them to leading members of the British establishment but also arranged for them to be painted and photographed following contemporary ethnographic conventions.

  13. Patients’ approaches to students’ learning at a clinical education ward-an ethnographic study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background It is well known that patients’ involvement in health care students’ learning is essential and gives students opportunities to experience clinical reasoning and practice clinical skills when interacting with patients. Students encounter patients in different contexts throughout their education. However, looking across the research providing evidence about learning related to patient-student encounters reveals a lack of knowledge about the actual learning process that occurs in encounters between patients and students. The aim of this study was to explore patient-student encounters in relation to students’ learning in a patient-centered health-care setting. Methods An ethnographic approach was used to study the encounters between patients and students. The setting was a clinical education ward for nursing students at a university hospital with eight beds. The study included 10 observations with 11 students and 10 patients. The observer followed one or two students taking care of one patient. During the fieldwork observational and reflective notes were taken. After each observation follow-up interviews were conducted with each patient and student separately. Data were analyzed using an ethnographic approach. Results The most striking results showed that patients took different approaches in the encounters with students. When the students managed to create a good atmosphere and a mutual relationship, the patients were active participants in the students’ learning. If the students did not manage to create a good atmosphere, the relationship became one-way and the patients were passive participants, letting the students practice on their bodies but without engaging in a dialogue with the students. Conclusions Patient-student encounters, at a clinical education ward with a patient-centred pedagogical framework, can develop into either a learning relationship or an attending relationship. A learning relationship is based on a mutual relationship between

  14. Buddhism in the United States: an Ethnographic Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaeyeon Choe

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on Buddhism in America, an neglected area of inquiry in anthropological study. There is a need for modern ethnographic studies to shed light on historical issues, paradigms for comparative inquiry, and thus, explore the impact of Buddhism on modern American society (Glazier, 1997. The enormous growth of Buddhism in the last quarter century (Smith, 2002 makes this an especially pertinent topic in American anthropology. We utilize Glazier’s model to add Buddhism as a topic in the area of modernity studies. This is a preliminary study of the nature of Buddhism in America. We conducted participant observation with a Buddhist meditation group in a north eastern state in the US for four months in the spring of 2010. Based on our preliminary ethnographic data, we believe that a unique perspectives of Buddhism in America can be identified: non-religious and therapeutic involvement or use of Buddhism. Also, new forms of practice become evident, for example, ‘walking meditation’ and ‘bowing to other Buddhists,’ are identified as characteristics of Buddhism in America. It is interesting to note that at the end of meditation sessions, participants not only bow to the Buddha statue, but also bow to each other. This is a unique ritual dynamic which appears to be consistent with the worldview of American people - being equal and individual. The meditation group also practiced ‘walking meditation’ which is easy to do in everyday life. Additionally, we observed that American meditation rooms provide additional cushions to sit on which are a further element, along with walking meditation, which help American beginners to meditate more easily. These study observations shed light on the current situation by providing new lenses from which to understand and focus on different ritual performances/interpretations of Buddhism, and their meanings and functions in society. The most important reflection is that religious change is not an

  15. Tensions in Creating Possibilities for Youth Voice in School Choice: An Ethnographer's Reflexive Story of Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotnam-Kappel, Megan

    2014-01-01

    The following article relates a reflexive ethnographic research project that focuses on youth voice in relation to the process of choosing a high school and a language of instruction in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this methodological article is to relate a story of research and explore the tensions between theory and practice experienced by a…

  16. Why is patient safety so hard? A selective review of ethnographic studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dixon-Woods, Mary

    2010-01-01

    Ethnographic studies are valuable in studying patient safety. This is a narrative review of four reports of ethnographic studies of patient safety in UK hospitals conducted as part of the Patient Safety Research Programme. Three of these studies were undertaken in operating theatres and one in an A&E Department. The studies found that hospitals were rarely geared towards ensuring perfect performances. The coordination and mobilization of the large number of inter-dependent processes and resources needed to support the achievement of tasks was rarely optimal. This produced significant strain that staff learned to tolerate by developing various compensatory strategies. Teamwork and inter-professional communication did not always function sufficiently well to ensure that basic procedural information was shared or that the required sequence of events was planned. Staff did not always do the right things, for a wide range of different reasons, including contestations about what counted as the right thing. Structures of authority and accountability were not always clear or well-functioning. Patient safety incidents were usually not reported, though there were many different reasons for this. It can be concluded that securing patient safety is hard. There are multiple interacting influences on safety, and solutions need to be based on a sound understanding of the nature of the problems and which approaches are likely to be best suited to resolving them. Some solutions that appear attractive and straightforward are likely to founder. Addressing safety problems requires acknowledgement that patient safety is not simply a technical issue, but a site of organizational and professional politics.

  17. Ethnographic study of ICT-supported collaborative work routines in general practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swinglehurst, Deborah; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Myall, Michelle; Russell, Jill

    2010-12-29

    Health informatics research has traditionally been dominated by experimental and quasi-experimental designs. An emerging area of study in organisational sociology is routinisation (how collaborative work practices become business-as-usual). There is growing interest in the use of ethnography and other in-depth qualitative approaches to explore how collaborative work routines are enacted and develop over time, and how electronic patient records (EPRs) are used to support collaborative work practices within organisations. Following Feldman and Pentland, we will use 'the organisational routine' as our unit of analysis. In a sample of four UK general practices, we will collect narratives, ethnographic observations, multi-modal (video and screen capture) data, documents and other artefacts, and analyse these to map and compare the different understandings and enactments of three common routines (repeat prescribing, coding and summarising, and chronic disease surveillance) which span clinical and administrative spaces and which, though 'mundane', have an important bearing on quality and safety of care. In a detailed qualitative analysis informed by sociological theory, we aim to generate insights about how complex collaborative work is achieved through the process of routinisation in healthcare organisations. Our study offers the potential not only to identify potential quality failures (poor performance, errors, failures of coordination) in collaborative work routines but also to reveal the hidden work and workarounds by front-line staff which bridge the model-reality gap in EPR technologies and via which "automated" safety features have an impact in practice.

  18. Development of probabilistic fast reactor fuel design method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozawa, Takayuki

    1997-01-01

    Under the current method of evaluating fuel robustness in FBR fuel rod design, a variety of uncertain quantities including fuel production tolerance and power density are estimated conservatively. In the future, in order to proceed with improvements in the FBR core's performance and optimize the fuel's specifications, a rationalization of fuel design tolerance is required. Among the measures aimed at realizing this rationalization, the introduction of a probabilistic fast reactor fuel design method is currently under consideration. I have developed a probabilistic fast reactor fuel design code named BORNFREE, in order to make use of this method in FBR fuel design. At the same time, I have carried out a trial calculation of the cladding stress using this code and made a study and an evaluation of the possibility of employing tolerance rationalization in fuel rod design. In this paper, I provide an outline description of BORNFREE and report the results of the above study and evaluation. After performing cladding stress trial calculations using the probabilistic method, I was able to confirm that this method promises more rational design evaluation results than the conventional deterministic method. (author)

  19. "Who Are You, and What Are You Doing Here": Methodological Considerations in Ethnographic Health and Physical Education Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jachyra, Patrick; Atkinson, Michael; Washiya, Yosuke

    2015-01-01

    In the pursuit of understanding declining levels of participation from scholastic Health and Physical Education (HPE), ethnographic research has been increasingly utilised as a tool to explore the intersubjective and intrasubjective meaning-making processes that concurrently invite or dissuade participation. Despite the ostensible epistemological…

  20. A tailored strategy for designing the Walk-Copenhagen (WALK-Cph) intervention to increase mobility in hospitalised older medical patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirk, Jeanette Wassar; Bodilsen, Ann Christine; Tjørnhøj-Thomsen, Tine

    2018-01-01

    patients during acute hospitalisations and following discharge. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is based on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews. Workshops are used to develop and co-design the intervention in collaboration with key stakeholders (patients, relatives, health professionals and researchers...... to the directives of the Helsinki Declaration. Ethical approval was not required for the study since formal ethical approval is not mandatory for studies that do not involve biomedical issues (I-Suite no: 05078) according to Danish law. Informed consent was obtained for all participants. The results...

  1. A Review of Design Optimization Methods for Electrical Machines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gang Lei

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Electrical machines are the hearts of many appliances, industrial equipment and systems. In the context of global sustainability, they must fulfill various requirements, not only physically and technologically but also environmentally. Therefore, their design optimization process becomes more and more complex as more engineering disciplines/domains and constraints are involved, such as electromagnetics, structural mechanics and heat transfer. This paper aims to present a review of the design optimization methods for electrical machines, including design analysis methods and models, optimization models, algorithms and methods/strategies. Several efficient optimization methods/strategies are highlighted with comments, including surrogate-model based and multi-level optimization methods. In addition, two promising and challenging topics in both academic and industrial communities are discussed, and two novel optimization methods are introduced for advanced design optimization of electrical machines. First, a system-level design optimization method is introduced for the development of advanced electric drive systems. Second, a robust design optimization method based on the design for six-sigma technique is introduced for high-quality manufacturing of electrical machines in production. Meanwhile, a proposal is presented for the development of a robust design optimization service based on industrial big data and cloud computing services. Finally, five future directions are proposed, including smart design optimization method for future intelligent design and production of electrical machines.

  2. The application of mixed methods designs to trauma research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Creswell, John W; Zhang, Wanqing

    2009-12-01

    Despite the use of quantitative and qualitative data in trauma research and therapy, mixed methods studies in this field have not been analyzed to help researchers designing investigations. This discussion begins by reviewing four core characteristics of mixed methods research in the social and human sciences. Combining these characteristics, the authors focus on four select mixed methods designs that are applicable in trauma research. These designs are defined and their essential elements noted. Applying these designs to trauma research, a search was conducted to locate mixed methods trauma studies. From this search, one sample study was selected, and its characteristics of mixed methods procedures noted. Finally, drawing on other mixed methods designs available, several follow-up mixed methods studies were described for this sample study, enabling trauma researchers to view design options for applying mixed methods research in trauma investigations.

  3. Supervisors' pedagogical role at a clinical education ward - an ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manninen, Katri; Henriksson, Elisabet Welin; Scheja, Max; Silén, Charlotte

    2015-01-01

    Clinical practice is essential for health care students. The supervisor's role and how supervision should be organized are challenging issues for educators and clinicians. Clinical education wards have been established to meet these challenges and they are units with a pedagogical framework facilitating students' training in real clinical settings. Supervisors support students to link together theoretical and practical knowledge and skills. From students' perspectives, clinical education wards have shown potential to enhance students' learning. Thus there is a need for deeper understanding of supervisors' pedagogical role in this context. We explored supervisors' approaches to students' learning at a clinical education ward where students are encouraged to independently take care of patients. An ethnographic approach was used to study encounters between patients, students and supervisors. The setting was a clinical education ward for nursing students at a university hospital. Ten observations with ten patients, 11 students and five supervisors were included in the study. After each observation, individual follow-up interviews with all participants and a group interview with supervisors were conducted. Data were analysed using an ethnographic approach. Supervisors' pedagogical role has to do with balancing patient care and student learning. The students were given independence, which created pedagogical challenges for the supervisors. They handled these challenges by collaborating as a supervisory team and taking different acts of supervision such as allowing students their independence, being there for students and by applying patient-centredness. The supervisors' pedagogical role was perceived as to facilitate students' learning as a team. Supervisors were both patient- and student-centred by making a nursing care plan for the patients and a learning plan for the students. The plans were guided by clinical and pedagogical guidelines, individually adjusted and

  4. Travelling with the traveller': an ethnographic framework for the study of migrants' digital inclusion

    OpenAIRE

    Tsatsou, Panayiota; Boursinou, Maria-Nerina

    2017-01-01

    This paper argues that researchers who study immigrants’ digital inclusion need to shed light on immigrants’ use of digital technologies within the time frame and context of the ‘immigration travel’ and while immigrants are in transition to a new or safer place for resettlement. In support of this argument, the paper proposes a ‘travelling with the traveller’ research framework that applies the ethnographic methodology and aims at the researcher experiencing or even becoming an integral part ...

  5. Gender Determinants of Vaccination Status in Children: Evidence from a Meta-Ethnographic Systematic Review.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonja Merten

    Full Text Available Using meta-ethnographic methods, we conducted a systematic review of qualitative research to understand gender-related reasons at individual, family, community and health facility levels why millions of children in low and middle income countries are still not reached by routine vaccination programmes. A systematic search of Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Anthropological Lit, CSA databases, IBSS, ISI Web of Knowledge, JSTOR, Soc Index and Sociological Abstracts was conducted. Key words were built around the themes of immunization, vaccines, health services, health behaviour, and developing countries. Only papers, which reported on in-depth qualitative data, were retained. Twenty-five qualitative studies, which investigated barriers to routine immunisation, were included in the review. These studies were conducted between 1982 and 2012; eighteen were published after 2000. The studies represent a wide range of low- to middle income countries including some that have well known coverage challenges. We found that women's low social status manifests on every level as a barrier to accessing vaccinations: access to education, income, as well as autonomous decision-making about time and resource allocation were evident barriers. Indirectly, women's lower status made them vulnerable to blame and shame in case of childhood illness, partly reinforcing access problems, but partly increasing women's motivation to use every means to keep their children healthy. Yet in settings where gender discrimination exists most strongly, increasing availability and information may not be enough to reach the under immunised. Programmes must actively be designed to include mitigation measures to facilitate women's access to immunisation services if we hope to improve immunisation coverage. Gender inequality needs to be addressed on structural, community and household levels if the number of unvaccinated children is to substantially decrease.

  6. Another Look at the Relative Impact of Workplace Design on Training Transfer for Supervisory Communication Skills

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hillsman, Terron L.; Kupritz, Virginia W.

    2010-01-01

    This ethnographic study extends the findings of earlier research that authenticated the impact of workplace design features on newly acquired communication skills back on the job. The qualitative nature of the earlier study, however, limited quantitative measurement of workplace design features that may have an impact on learned skills. This study…

  7. How Do They Research? An Ethnographic Study of Final Year Undergraduate Research Behavior in an Irish University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunne, Siobhán

    2016-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to identify how, when, and where students research; the impact of learning environments on research productivity, and to recommend improved supports to facilitate research. An ethnographic approach that entailed following five students in the final six weeks of their program enabled deep level analysis. The study…

  8. Concurrent semantics for structured design methods

    OpenAIRE

    Nixon, Patrick

    1996-01-01

    Also in Jelly, I., Gordon, I., & Groll, P. Software Engineering for Parallel and Distributed Systems. London: Chapman Hall. Design methods can be ambiguous due to di#11;erent interpretations of symbols or concepts. This paper presents a formal semantics for the Ward/Mellor Structured Analysis Method for Real Time systems. These semantics ensures that an unambiguous meaning can be attributed to a particular design. Speci#12;cally, it ensures that concurrent and real-time propert...

  9. Spaces for Citizen Involvement in Healthcare: An Ethnographic Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renedo, Alicia; Marston, Cicely

    2015-06-01

    This ethnographic study examines how participatory spaces and citizenship are co-constituted in participatory healthcare improvement efforts. We propose a theoretical framework for participatory citizenship in which acts of citizenship in healthcare are understood in terms of the spaces they are in. Participatory spaces consist of material, temporal and social dimensions that constrain citizens' actions. Participants draw on external resources to try to make participatory spaces more productive and collaborative, to connect and expand them. We identify three classes of tactics they use to do this: 'plotting', 'transient combination' and 'interconnecting'. All tactics help participants assemble to a greater or lesser extent a less fragmented participatory landscape with more potential for positive impact on healthcare. Participants' acts of citizenship both shape and are shaped by participatory spaces. To understand participatory citizenship, we should take spatiality into account, and track the ongoing spatial negotiations and productions through which people can improve healthcare.

  10. Drafting method of electricity and electron design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gungbon, Junchun

    1989-11-01

    This book concentrates on drafting of electricity and electron design. It deals with The meaning of electricity and electron drafting JIS standard regulation the types of drafting and line and letter, basics drafting with projection drafting method, plan projection and development elevation, Drafting method of shop drawing, practical method of design and drafting, Design and drafting of technic and illustration, Connection diagram, Drafting of wiring diagram for light and illumination, Drafting of development connection diagram for sequence control, Drafting of logic circuit sign of flow chart and manual, drafting for a electron circuit diagram and Drawing of PC board.

  11. Ethnographers, clinicians and ethnoventionists. Organising reflexivity in design oriented change programmes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Marrewijk, A.H.; Veenswijk, M.B.; Clegg, S.R.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon the role of intervention/oriented scientists in the process of organisation development. The paper seeks to contribute to the growing interest in design studies for organisation development and argues that a focus on reflexivity is missing in

  12. Benefits of collective intelligence: Swarm intelligent foraging, an ethnographic research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sivave Mashingaidze

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Wisdom of crowds; bees, colonies of ants, schools of fish, flocks of birds, and fireflies flashing synchronously are all examples of highly coordinated behaviors that emerge from collective, decentralized intelligence. This article is an ethnographic study of swarm intelligence foraging of swarms and the benefits derived from collective decision making. The author used using secondary data analysis to look at the benefits of swarm intelligence in decision making to achieve intended goals. Concepts like combined decision making and consensus were discussed and four principles of swarm intelligence were also discussed viz; coordination, cooperation, deliberation and collaboration. The research found out that collective decision making in swarms is the touchstone of achieving their goals. The research further recommended corporate to adopt collective intelligence for business sustainability.

  13. Application of analytical target cascading method in multidisciplinary design optimization of ship conceptual design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WANG Jian

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available [Objectives] Ship conceptual design requires the coordination of many different disciplines for comprehensive optimization, which presents a complicated system design problem affecting several fields of technology. However, the development of overall ship design is relatively slow compared with other subjects. [Methods] The decomposition and coordination strategy of ship design is presented, and the analytical target cascading (ATC method is applied to the multidisciplinary design optimization of the conceptual design phase of ships on this basis. A tank ship example covering the 5 disciplines of buoyancy and stability, rapidity, maneuverability, capacity and economy is established to illustrate the analysis process in the present study. [Results] The results demonstrate the stability, convergence and validity of the ATC method in dealing with the complex coupling effect occurring in ship conceptual design.[Conclusions] The proposed method provides an effective basis for optimization of ship conceptual design.

  14. Protocol design and implementation using formal methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Sinderen, Marten J.; Ferreira Pires, Luis; Pires, L.F.; Vissers, C.A.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports on a number of formal methods that support correct protocol design and implementation. These methods are placed in the framework of a design methodology for distributed systems that was studied and developed within the ESPRIT II Lotosphere project (2304). The paper focuses on

  15. Designing adaptive intensive interventions using methods from engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagoa, Constantino M; Bekiroglu, Korkut; Lanza, Stephanie T; Murphy, Susan A

    2014-10-01

    Adaptive intensive interventions are introduced, and new methods from the field of control engineering for use in their design are illustrated. A detailed step-by-step explanation of how control engineering methods can be used with intensive longitudinal data to design an adaptive intensive intervention is provided. The methods are evaluated via simulation. Simulation results illustrate how the designed adaptive intensive intervention can result in improved outcomes with less treatment by providing treatment only when it is needed. Furthermore, the methods are robust to model misspecification as well as the influence of unobserved causes. These new methods can be used to design adaptive interventions that are effective yet reduce participant burden. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  16. Bifurcation-free design method of pulse energy converter controllers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolokolov, Yury; Ustinov, Pavel; Essounbouli, Najib; Hamzaoui, Abdelaziz

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, a design method of pulse energy converter (PEC) controllers is proposed. This method develops a classical frequency domain design, based on the small signal modeling, by means of an addition of a nonlinear dynamics analysis stage. The main idea of the proposed method consists in fact that the PEC controller, designed with an application of the small signal modeling, is tuned after with taking into the consideration an essentially nonlinear nature of the PEC that makes it possible to avoid bifurcation phenomena in the PEC dynamics at the design stage (bifurcation-free design). Also application of the proposed method allows an improvement of the designed controller performance. The application of this bifurcation-free design method is demonstrated on an example of the controller design of direct current-direct current (DC-DC) buck converter with an input electromagnetic interference filter.

  17. Single-Case Designs and Qualitative Methods: Applying a Mixed Methods Research Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hitchcock, John H.; Nastasi, Bonnie K.; Summerville, Meredith

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this conceptual paper is to describe a design that mixes single-case (sometimes referred to as single-subject) and qualitative methods, hereafter referred to as a single-case mixed methods design (SCD-MM). Minimal attention has been given to the topic of applying qualitative methods to SCD work in the literature. These two…

  18. The sea: place of ultimate freedom? Ethnographic reflection on in-between places and practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataša Rogelja

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available As a result of the rapid development of navigation and communication technology, boat building technology, popularity of travel and the sea, increased living standards, mobile work opportunities, as well as recessions and disillusionment with the nation-state system and postindustrial economy, a constantly increasing number of people adopt mobility on the sea as a way of life. The paper explores the connection between sea imaginaries and maritime lifestyle migration, discussing the process by which sea imaginaries are translated into practice but also how the physical maritime environment influences the experience of lifestyle migrants. In doing so, the concept of liminality, as previously tailored to the lifestyle migration literature and initially introduced by Arnold Van Gennep and Victor Turner, will be put in a dialogue with the ethnographic material. First, the paper explains the theoretical foundations of lifestyle migration, emphasizing the relation between the social construction of places and choices of lifestyle migrants, while also introducing the debate on liminality; second, it discusses the importance of these cultural dimensions in the specific ethnographic setting among Westerners in the Mediterranean who live, travel and work on sailing boats. Finally, the sea images, the maritime environment and details from individualized biographies will be put in a dialogue with each other in order to discuss in-between practices and places.

  19. Incorporating ethnographic methods in multidisciplinary approaches to risk assessment and communication: cultural and religious uses of mercury in Latino and Caribbean communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, Donna M; Newby, C Alison; Leal-Almeraz, Tomás O

    2006-10-01

    The potential risk from cultural and religious practices involving mercury in Latino and Caribbean communities raises central methodological and ethical questions for risk assessment and risk communication. Here, specific cultural practices unfamiliar to most risk professionals carry significant inherent risks in the eyes of those professionals but not necessarily in the eyes of practitioners. Practitioners' past experience and history as targets of religious suppression and anti-immigrant sentiment create a reluctance to engage with researchers or public health officials in risk assessment or preventive risk communication efforts. The potential for the risk--in this case mercury contamination in dwellings--to extend beyond the practicing community to future occupants adds to public health concern. Understanding the risks of these practices requires both an understanding of the cultural and political context, beliefs, and behaviors of mercury users and an understanding of the fate and transport of mercury in typical use scenarios. In this study, we employed ethnographic methods (interviews and participant observation) to understand beliefs and behavior about mercury use as well as quantitative modeling and measurement to estimate and assess potential exposures. This represents a new methodology tailored to situations in which traditional activities or observances that are integral components of cultural identity pose risks in and of themselves. Our findings indicate that there are different types of mercury use stemming from different cultural and religious traditions that result in different levels of exposure. Many of the mercury uses that can result in the highest exposures to mercury vapors have previously been attributed to the religious tradition of Santeria, but appear instead to have their roots outside of the religion.

  20. Review of design optimization methods for turbomachinery aerodynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Zhihui; Zheng, Xinqian

    2017-08-01

    In today's competitive environment, new turbomachinery designs need to be not only more efficient, quieter, and ;greener; but also need to be developed at on much shorter time scales and at lower costs. A number of advanced optimization strategies have been developed to achieve these requirements. This paper reviews recent progress in turbomachinery design optimization to solve real-world aerodynamic problems, especially for compressors and turbines. This review covers the following topics that are important for optimizing turbomachinery designs. (1) optimization methods, (2) stochastic optimization combined with blade parameterization methods and the design of experiment methods, (3) gradient-based optimization methods for compressors and turbines and (4) data mining techniques for Pareto Fronts. We also present our own insights regarding the current research trends and the future optimization of turbomachinery designs.

  1. From the teachers' eyes: An ethnographic-case study on developing models of Informal Formative Assessments (IFA) and understanding the challenges to effective implementation in science classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sezen, Asli

    The emphasis on socio-cultural theories of learning has required the understanding of multi-dimensional, dynamic and social nature of acquiring the scientific knowledge and practices. Recent policy documents suggest a focus on formative and dynamic assessment practices that will help understand and improve the complex nature of scientific learning in classrooms. This study focuses on teachers' use of "Informal Formative Assessments (IFA)" aimed at improving students' learning and teachers' frequent recognition of students' learning process. The study was designed as an ethnographic case study of four middle school teachers and their students at a local charter school. The data of the study included (a) teachers' responses to history of teaching questionnaire (b) video and audio records of teachers' assessment practices during two different scientific projects (c) video and audio records of ethnographic interviews with teachers during their reflections on their practices, and (d) field notes taken by the researcher to understand the assessment culture of the school. The analytical tools from sociolinguistics (e.g., transcripts and event maps) were prepared and discourse analysis based in an ethnographic perspective was used to analyze the data. Moreover, Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was also introduced as an alternative data analysis framework for understanding the role of division of labor among the elements of the community on the challenges and the outcomes of IFA practices. The findings from the analysis of the classroom discourse showed three different types of IFA cycles: connected, non-connected, and repeating. The analysis of the teachers' reflections showed that the effectiveness of these cycles did not only depend on whether the cycles were connected, but also on other variables such as the phase of the lessons and student's identities and abilities. Teachers' reflections during researcher-teacher meetings on the concept and the aims of IFA

  2. Moral landscapes and everyday life in families with Huntington's disease: aligning ethnographic description and bioethics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huniche, Lotte

    2011-06-01

    This article is concerned with understanding moral aspects of everyday life in families with Huntington's Disease (HD). It draws on findings from an empirical research project in Denmark in 1998-2002 involving multi-sited ethnography to argue that medical genetics provides a particular framework for conducting life in an HD family. A framework that implies that being informed and making use of genetic services expresses greater moral responsibility than conducting life without drawing on these resources. The moral imperative of engagement in medical genetics is challenged here by two pieces of ethnographic analysis. The first concerns a person who, as described by a family member, does not engage with medical genetics but who brings to the fore other culturally legitimate concerns, priorities and areas of responsibility. The second figures a genetic counselling session where neither the knowledge nor the imagined solutions of medical genetics are as unproblematic and straightforward as might be thought. To assist our understanding of the moral aspects of living with severe familial disease, the ethnographic analysis is aligned with bioethical reflections that place the concrete concerns of those personally involved centre stage in the development of theoretical stances that aim to assist reflections in practice. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Household energy studies: the gap between theory and method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Crosbie, T.

    2006-09-15

    At the level of theory it is now widely accepted that energy consumption patterns are a complex technical and socio-cultural phenomenon and to understand this phenomenon, it must be viewed from both engineering and social science perspectives. However, the methodological approaches taken in household energy studies lag behind the theoretical advances made in the last ten or fifteen years. The quantitative research methods traditionally used within the fields of building science, economics, and psychology continue to dominate household energy studies, while the qualitative ethnographic approaches to examining social and cultural phenomena traditionally used within anthropology and sociology are most frequently overlooked. This paper offers a critical review of the research methods used in household energy studies which illustrates the scope and limitations of both qualitative and quantitative research methods in this area of study. In doing so it demonstrates that qualitative research methods are essential to designing effective energy efficiency interventions. [Author].

  4. Happiness in the neonatal intensive care unit: Merits of ethnographic fieldwork

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jónína Einarsdóttir

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Research has focused on the destructive effects of distress on professionals who work in ethically complex wards such as neonatal intensive units (NICUs. This article examines the accounts of health professionals, including nurses, pediatricians and assistant nurses, of their work at a NICU in Iceland. The aim is to understand how health professionals, who work under stressful conditions in an ethically sensitive ward, can counteract the negative sides of work too such a degree that they experience happiness. The collection of data was based on the ethnographic fieldwork, and the methods used were participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The professionals evaluated their wellbeing in line with conventional definitions of happiness. Working with children and opportunities to help others, engage in social relations and experience professional pride contributed to their happiness at work. Nonetheless, they did not dismiss the difficult experiences, and when confronted with these the professionals negotiated their meanings and the goals and priorities of work. In contrast to the findings of much quantitative and survey-based research, the professionals attributed constructive meanings to stress and argued that the positive experiences at work buffered the negative ones. Research on happiness would benefit from multifaceted methodological and theoretical perspectives. Thanks to its openness to the unforeseen, controversial, contradictory, and ambiguous aspects of human life, ethnography can contribute to happiness research and research on job satisfaction.

  5. The socio-materiality of designing organizational change

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stang Våland, Marianne; Georg, Susse

    2014-01-01

    Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the managerial implications of adopting a design attitude to organizational change. Design/methodology/approach – Based on an ethnographic study of a merger, the paper investigates the intricate interplay between architectural design...... and organizational change in the context of physically relocating an organization to a new office building. Emphasis is given to the socio-materiality of this double design process. Findings – The data suggests that taking a design attitude toward managing organizational change can allow different actors...... to participate in organizational design processes, releasing management from its traditional role as the keeper of the design solution. Research limitations/implications – Although based on a single case, the paper provides insights into the socio-materiality of organizational change that is relevant in other...

  6. Spaces for Citizen Involvement in Healthcare: An Ethnographic Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marston, Cicely

    2015-01-01

    This ethnographic study examines how participatory spaces and citizenship are co-constituted in participatory healthcare improvement efforts. We propose a theoretical framework for participatory citizenship in which acts of citizenship in healthcare are understood in terms of the spaces they are in. Participatory spaces consist of material, temporal and social dimensions that constrain citizens’ actions. Participants draw on external resources to try to make participatory spaces more productive and collaborative, to connect and expand them. We identify three classes of tactics they use to do this: ‘plotting’, ‘transient combination’ and ‘interconnecting’. All tactics help participants assemble to a greater or lesser extent a less fragmented participatory landscape with more potential for positive impact on healthcare. Participants’ acts of citizenship both shape and are shaped by participatory spaces. To understand participatory citizenship, we should take spatiality into account, and track the ongoing spatial negotiations and productions through which people can improve healthcare. PMID:26038612

  7. Ethnopedagogy And Local Genius: An Ethnographic Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ardiawan I Ketut Ngurah

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Preserving local genius is one of the ways to keep values existed in a society. In relation to that this present study aims to identify the procedures of traditional games called megoak-goakan , and reveal the ethno-pedagogy values contained within megoak-goakan. This study employs a qualitative view and utilizes ethnographic study. The setting of the study is in Buleleng regency, Bali. In order to collect the data, the researcher utilizes interview, observation sheet, and field notes. The interviewees were decided through purposive s sampling. Further, there are three main components of the data analysis comprising data reduction, data modelling, and conclusion. Based on the investigation, it is revealed that the procedures of traditional game of megoak-goakan are as follows: form a group, decide the snake group and the crow groups, line up and holding each other, determine the tail of the snake, the crow starts hunting the snake tail, while the head of the snake prevents it, the crow and the snake move freely as the agreement stated, the crow shouts as it catch the tail, and winning and losing are decided by whether or not the crow is able to catch the tail. In addition, this game is also expected to bring philosophical, anthropological, sociological, and psychological values.

  8. Comparing early design methods for children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sluis - Thiescheffer, R.J.W.; Bekker, M.M.; Eggen, J.H.; Robertson, J.; Skov, M.B.; Bekker, M.M.

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes a study which compares the outcome of two early design methods for children: brainstorming and prototyping. The hypothesis is that children will uncover more design ideas when prototyping than when brainstorming, because prototyping requires the use of a wider range of

  9. Design of cooling towers by the effectiveness-NTU method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaber, H.; Webb, R.L.

    1989-01-01

    This paper develops the effectiveness-NTU, number of transfer units, design method for cooling towers. The definitions for effectiveness and NTU are totally consistent with the fundamental definitions used in heat exchanger design. Sample calculations are presented for counter and crossflow cooling towers. Using the proper definitions, a person competent in heat transfer design can easily use the same basic method to design a cooling tower of counter, cross, or parallel flow configuration. The problems associated with the curvature of the saturated air enthalpy line are also treated. A one-increment design ignores the effect of this curvature. Increased precision can be obtained by dividing the cooling range into two or more increments. The standard effectiveness-NYU method is then used for each of the increments. Calculations are presented to define the error associated with different numbers of increments. This defines the number of increments required to attain a desired degree of precision. The authors also summarize the LMED method introduced by Berman, and show that this is totally consistent with the effectiveness-NTU method. Hence, using proper and consistent terms, heat exchanger designers are shown how to use either the standard Log-Mean Enthalpy Method (LMED) or effectiveness-NTU design methods to design cooling towers

  10. A systematic design method for robust synthetic biology to satisfy design specifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Bor-Sen; Wu, Chih-Hung

    2009-06-30

    Synthetic biology is foreseen to have important applications in biotechnology and medicine, and is expected to contribute significantly to a better understanding of the functioning of complex biological systems. However, the development of synthetic gene networks is still difficult and most newly created gene networks are non-functioning due to intrinsic parameter uncertainties, external disturbances and functional variations of intra- and extra-cellular environments. The design method for a robust synthetic gene network that works properly in a host cell under these intrinsic parameter uncertainties and external disturbances is the most important topic in synthetic biology. In this study, we propose a stochastic model that includes parameter fluctuations and external disturbances to mimic the dynamic behaviors of a synthetic gene network in the host cell. Then, based on this stochastic model, four design specifications are introduced to guarantee that a synthetic gene network can achieve its desired steady state behavior in spite of parameter fluctuations, external disturbances and functional variations in the host cell. We propose a systematic method to select a set of appropriate design parameters for a synthetic gene network that will satisfy these design specifications so that the intrinsic parameter fluctuations can be tolerated, the external disturbances can be efficiently filtered, and most importantly, the desired steady states can be achieved. Thus the synthetic gene network can work properly in a host cell under intrinsic parameter uncertainties, external disturbances and functional variations. Finally, a design procedure for the robust synthetic gene network is developed and a design example is given in silico to confirm the performance of the proposed method. Based on four design specifications, a systematic design procedure is developed for designers to engineer a robust synthetic biology network that can achieve its desired steady state behavior

  11. Utopia in Exile: A Try for Ethnographic Writing ‘Against Culture’

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    del Olmo, Margarita

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper provides the reader with an analysis of ethnographic writing based upon two different texts produced from a single fieldwork. This fieldwork, which was done in Madrid and Buenos Aires between January, 1985 and December, 1988, concerned Argentine exiles from the Junta Militar dictatorship of 1976 to 1983.El objetivo de este artículo es ofrecer al lector una reflexión sobre la escritura etnográfica basándome en dos textos diferentes producidos a partir del mismo trabajo de campo, realizado en Buenos Aires y en Madrid entre enero de 1985 y diciembre de 1988, sobre los exilados argentinos en España a causa de la dictadura de la Junta militar entre 1976 y 1983.

  12. Building a Dignified Identity: An Ethnographic Case Study of LGBT Catholics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radojcic, Natasha

    2016-10-01

    This ethnographic case study offers insight into religiously devout sexual minorities and the reasons behind their continued participation in an anti-gay religious institution, the Roman Catholic Church. I demonstrate how members of Dignity, an organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Catholics, strategically use their identity as gay Catholics to initiate action, to build community, and to destigmatize other religious sexual minorities. Members leverage this unique identity to push for change and equality within the Church. At the same time, this identity also allows members to see their continued participation in the anti-gay Roman Catholic Church as activism, a positive and affirming identity, thereby alleviating potential conflict and contradiction between their sexuality and their spirituality as Roman Catholics.

  13. Design methods for high temperature power plant structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Townley, C.H.A.

    1984-01-01

    The subject is discussed under the headings: introduction (scope of paper - reviews of design methods and design criteria currently in use for both nuclear and fossil fuelled power plant; examples chosen are (a) BS 1113, representative of design codes employed for power station boiler plant; (b) ASME Code Case N47, which is being developed for high temperature nuclear reactors, especially the liquid metal fast breeder reactor); design codes for power station boilers; Code Case N47 (design in the absence of thermal shock and thermal fatigue; design against cyclic loading at high temperature; further research in support of high temperature design methods and criteria for LMFBRs); concluding remarks. (U.K.)

  14. AN ANTHROPOLOGY OF THINGS: ETHNOGRAPHY AND METHOD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    messias basques

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available This bibliographic essay is based on the book that resulted from a series of discussions promoted by a group of doctoral students in the Department of Social Anthropology at Cambridge University in late 1990s. Despite the diversity of ethnographic contexts, all authors share the challenge of recasting the relationship between anthropological theory and ethnographic method in relation to the study of what is conventionally called material culture. Hence the title Thinking Through Things, besides denoting an anthropological question about what informants do, and how the authors could develop versions on the ways from which they perceive and conceive of things also includes the main character of the meetings that led to the writing of this book.

  15. The paradox of IDs: an account of an ethnographic experience in the US

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariza Peirano

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In the modern world, IDs are indispensable objects, without which we cannot prove that we are who we say we are. We need material substantiation that attests to the authenticity of our self-identification. This paper is an account of an ethnographic experience about IDs and identification processes in the US, based on the examination of two events in which Eliot Spitzer, the New York State governor from January 2007 to March 2008, was a central figure. A comparison with the Brazilian scenario is present throughout the paper, and it ends by focusing on the ID theft phenomenon.

  16. Deficiency of the Space Syntax method as an urban design tool in designing traditional urban space and the need for some supplementary methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Bahrainy

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Urban design problems have become so complex that no single designer is able to consider all aspects of a design area simultaneously. Lately the application of computerized and scientific methods have helped designers analyze complex problems. One of these new methods is Space Syntax. The purpose of this study is to first investigate the strengths and weaknesses of this method and then suggest some supplementary methods to cover its pitfalls. On the next phase Space Syntax and supplementary methods will be used to design a pedestrian pathway in the Imamzade Ghasem neighborhood as a traditional context. Space Syntax will identify the existing spatial structure and direct future changes toward its strengthening. The case study reveals that Space Syntax can be successfully used in analysis of traditional spaces, but in order to successfully design a neighborhood in such a complex context, it involves logistical shortcomings which could be eliminated through supplementary methods.

  17. Airfoils and method for designing airfoils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2010-01-01

    The present invention relates to airfoils and design and design optimization of airfoils, in particular airfoils of rotor blades for wind turbines. One aspect of the invention relates to an airfoil with an external shape provided by an airfoil profile defined by a limited number of parameters......, such as a set of parameters. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for designing an airfoil by means of an analytical airfoil profile, said method comprising the step of applying a conformal mapping to a near circle in a near circle plane, wherein the near circle is at least partly expressed...... by means of an analytical function, said conformal mapping transforming the near circle in the near circle plane to the airfoil profile in an airfoil plane. L...

  18. Different generalizations of the elderly in design of welfare technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ertner, Marie

    2016-01-01

    ’ into design, is that it shows how Science and Technology Studies (STS) can be useful in order to better recognize differences between different enactments of an imagined user, in this case the elderly. The contribution of the paper to STS is a discussion of how I as an STS-informed ethnographer was invited......This article explores problems of representing the elderly in a User Driven Innovation (UDI) project developing Welfare Technology. Drawing on Helen Verran’s concept of the dual logics of generalization I attend to differences in enactments of the elderly. I engage with situations where the objects...... to participate in a User Driven Innovation project. Based on my reflections on this role, the paper reflects on the ethnographic account as a tool with particular qualities and limitations when inhabiting a position as mediator between users and an innovation project....

  19. Workflow in clinical trial sites & its association with near miss events for data quality: ethnographic, workflow & systems simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Carvalho, Elias Cesar Araujo; Batilana, Adelia Portero; Claudino, Wederson; Reis, Luiz Fernando Lima; Schmerling, Rafael A; Shah, Jatin; Pietrobon, Ricardo

    2012-01-01

    With the exponential expansion of clinical trials conducted in (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) and VISTA (Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey, and Argentina) countries, corresponding gains in cost and enrolment efficiency quickly outpace the consonant metrics in traditional countries in North America and European Union. However, questions still remain regarding the quality of data being collected in these countries. We used ethnographic, mapping and computer simulation studies to identify/address areas of threat to near miss events for data quality in two cancer trial sites in Brazil. Two sites in Sao Paolo and Rio Janeiro were evaluated using ethnographic observations of workflow during subject enrolment and data collection. Emerging themes related to threats to near miss events for data quality were derived from observations. They were then transformed into workflows using UML-AD and modeled using System Dynamics. 139 tasks were observed and mapped through the ethnographic study. The UML-AD detected four major activities in the workflow evaluation of potential research subjects prior to signature of informed consent, visit to obtain subject́s informed consent, regular data collection sessions following study protocol and closure of study protocol for a given project. Field observations pointed to three major emerging themes: (a) lack of standardized process for data registration at source document, (b) multiplicity of data repositories and (c) scarcity of decision support systems at the point of research intervention. Simulation with policy model demonstrates a reduction of the rework problem. Patterns of threats to data quality at the two sites were similar to the threats reported in the literature for American sites. The clinical trial site managers need to reorganize staff workflow by using information technology more efficiently, establish new standard procedures and manage professionals to reduce near miss events and save time/cost. Clinical trial

  20. New or improved computational methods and advanced reactor design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakagawa, Masayuki; Takeda, Toshikazu; Ushio, Tadashi

    1997-01-01

    Nuclear computational method has been studied continuously up to date, as a fundamental technology supporting the nuclear development. At present, research on computational method according to new theory and the calculating method thought to be difficult to practise are also continued actively to find new development due to splendid improvement of features of computer. In Japan, many light water type reactors are now in operations, new computational methods are induced for nuclear design, and a lot of efforts are concentrated for intending to more improvement of economics and safety. In this paper, some new research results on the nuclear computational methods and their application to nuclear design of the reactor were described for introducing recent trend of the nuclear design of the reactor. 1) Advancement of the computational method, 2) Reactor core design and management of the light water reactor, and 3) Nuclear design of the fast reactor. (G.K.)

  1. Positioning oneself and being positioned in the 'community': an essay on Jewish ethnography as a 'Jew-ish' ethnographer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ben Kasstan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This article offers a reflexive and anthropological contribution to the current volume of Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis. It reflects on the experience of conducting anthropological work at home – or across homes – I considered this research to be an experience of ‘Jewish ethnog-raphy’ as a Jewish ethnographer. However, my own ‘Jew-ish’ background meant that I had become ‘neither- fish nor fowl’ within the field-site, which proved both to be an obstacle to, and an opportunity for, conducting the research. It utilises this experience to challenge the conceptual use of the term ‘community’, which encapsulates considerable diversity but obscures the nuanced differences that can pervade a social body. These reflections demonstrate how positionality can be used as a tool for postgraduate students to untangle the complexities of conducting ethnographic research at ‘home’ or in relation to religious minority groups, where significant intra-group differences of practice and worldviews exist, but may otherwise be concealed by the image of ‘community’.

  2. The co-constructing stories method : feedback of designers on use of the method in real design cases

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buskermolen, D.; Terken, J.M.B.; Eggen, J.H.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we present the "Co-constructing Stories" method, aiming to elicit feedback from end-users on novel design concepts in the early phases of the design process. In sessions of less than an hour, participants are prompted by a storyboard depicting the current situation to recollect

  3. Collaborative ethnography for information systems research Studying knowledge work practices and designing supportive information systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald Maier

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Understanding knowledge work and supporting it with information systems (ISs are challenging tasks. Knowledge work has changed substantially recently and studies on how knowledge work is currently performed are scarce. Ethnography is the most suitable qualitative research method for studying knowledge work, yet too time-consuming, costly and unfocused for the fast changing IS domain. Moreover, results from qualitative studies need to be transformed into artefacts useful for IS requirements engineering and design. This paper proposes a procedure for collaborative ethnography to study knowledge work practices and inform IS requirements gathering and design illustrated with the case of a collaborative ethnographic study of seven organisations in four European countries performed in a large-scale international IS research and development project. The paper also critically discusses the procedure’s applicability and limitations.

  4. Capitalized design of smart medicine box for elderly person based on quality function deployment (QFD)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lestari, Brina Cindy; Dewi, Dyah Santhi; Widodo, Rusminto Tjatur

    2017-11-01

    The elderly who has a particular disease need to take some medicines in everyday with correct dosages and appropriate by time schedules. However, the elderly frequently forget to take medicines because of their memory weakened. Consequently, the product innovation of elderly healthcare is required for helping elderly takes some medicine more easily. This research aims to develop a smart medicine box by applying quality function deployment method. The first step is identifying elderly requirements through an ethnographic approach by interviewing thirty-two of elderly people as respondents. Then, the second step is translated elderly requirements to technical parameter for designing a smart medicine box. The smart box design is focused on two main requirements which have highest importance rating including alarm reminder for taking medicine and automatic medicine box. Finally, the prototype design has been created and tested by using usability method. The result shown that 90% from ten respondents have positive respond on the feature of smart medicine box. The voice of alarm reminder smart medicine box is easy to understand by elderly people for taking medicines.

  5. Shades of the Rainbow Serpent? A KhoeSan Animal between Myth and Landscape in Southern Africa—Ethnographic Contextualisations of Rock Art Representations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sian Sullivan

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The snake is a potent entity in many cultures across the world, and is a noticeable global theme in rock art and inscribed landscapes. We mobilise our long-term ethnographic research with southern African KhoeSan peoples to situate and interpret the presence of snake motifs in the region’s rock art. We contextualise the snake as a transformative ontological mediator between everyday and “entranced” KhoeSan worlds (those associated with “altered states of consciousness”, to weave together both mythological and shamanistic interpretations of southern African rock art. Ethnographic explorations of experiences of snakes as both an aspect of natural history and the physical environment, and as embodiments of multiplicitous and mythical meaning by which to live and understand life, shed light on the presence of snakes and associated snake-themes in southern African rock art. By drawing on ethnographic material, and in conjunction with review of literature, we highlight a dynamic assemblage of extant associations between snakes, rain, water, fertility, blood, fat, transformation, dance and healing. We suggest that these extant associations have explanatory potential for understanding the meaning of these themes in the rock art created by the ancestors of contemporary KhoeSan peoples. Our paper contributes to a live debate regarding the interpretive relevance of ethnography for understanding rock art representations from the past.

  6. User experience in libraries applying ethnography and human-centred design

    CERN Document Server

    Borg, Matt

    2016-01-01

    Modern library services can be incredibly complex. Much more so than their forebears, modern librarians must grapple daily with questions of how best to implement innovative new services, while also maintaining and updating the old. The efforts undertaken are immense, but how best to evaluate their success? In this groundbreaking new book from Routledge, library practitioners, anthropologists, and design experts combine to advocate a new focus on User Experience (or UX ) research methods. Through a combination of theoretical discussion and applied case studies, they argue that this ethnographic and human-centred design approach enables library professionals to gather rich evidence-based insights into what is really going on in their libraries, allowing them to look beyond what library users say they do to what they actually do. Edited by the team behind the international UX in Libraries conference, "User Experience in Libraries" will ignite new interest in a rapidly emerging and game-changing area of resear...

  7. Numerical methods for metamaterial design

    CERN Document Server

    2013-01-01

    This book describes a relatively new approach for the design of electromagnetic metamaterials.  Numerical optimization routines are combined with electromagnetic simulations to tailor the broadband optical properties of a metamaterial to have predetermined responses at predetermined wavelengths. After a review of both the major efforts within the field of metamaterials and the field of mathematical optimization, chapters covering both gradient-based and derivative-free design methods are considered.  Selected topics including surrogate-base optimization, adaptive mesh search, and genetic algorithms are shown to be effective, gradient-free optimization strategies.  Additionally, new techniques for representing dielectric distributions in two dimensions, including level sets, are demonstrated as effective methods for gradient-based optimization.  Each chapter begins with a rigorous review of the optimization strategy used, and is followed by numerous examples that combine the strategy with either electromag...

  8. Ethnographic Contributions to Method Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leander, Anna

    2014-01-01

    Program paper title: The Reversal of Value Neutrality: Research Ethics in Critical Approaches to Security......Program paper title: The Reversal of Value Neutrality: Research Ethics in Critical Approaches to Security...

  9. The ethnography of virtual reality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gavrilović Ljiljana 1

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper discusses possible application of ethnographic research in the realm of virtual reality, especially in the relationship between cultures in virtual communities. This represents an entirely new area of ethnographic research and therefore many adjustments in the research design are needed for example, a development of a specific method of data gathering and tools for their verification. A virtual, cyber space is a version of social space more or less synchronous with it, but without the, "real", that is, physical presence of the people who create it. This virtual reality, defined and bounded by virtual space, is in fact real - and though we are not able to observe real, physical parameters of its existence, we can perceive its consequences. In sum, an innovative ethnographic research method is fully applicable for exploring the realm of virtual reality; in order to do so we need to expand, in addition to the new research design and methods, the field of science itself.

  10. 3.6 simplified methods for design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nickell, R.E.; Yahr, G.T.

    1981-01-01

    Simplified design analysis methods for elevated temperature construction are classified and reviewed. Because the major impetus for developing elevated temperature design methodology during the past ten years has been the LMFBR program, considerable emphasis is placed upon results from this source. The operating characteristics of the LMFBR are such that cycles of severe transient thermal stresses can be interspersed with normal elevated temperature operational periods of significant duration, leading to a combination of plastic and creep deformation. The various simplified methods are organized into two general categories, depending upon whether it is the material, or constitutive, model that is reduced, or the geometric modeling that is simplified. Because the elastic representation of material behavior is so prevalent, an entire section is devoted to elastic analysis methods. Finally, the validation of the simplified procedures is discussed

  11. Making room in engineering design practices

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Rikke Premer; Buch, Anders

    2016-01-01

    This article aims to explore the challenges that occur from a practice perspective when a new approach to engineering design enters an existing ecology of professional practices in a workplace. Using four empirical episodes, the article illustrates a concrete effort to challenge what counts...... as ‘real engineering’ or what is recognized as part of the engineering expertise. Using an ethnographic, case-studybased research design the article documentshowholistically minded professionals do engineering design ‘by other means’, in ways that strive to promote user experience approaches. The article...... aims to show how engineering practices do not exist in isolation within an organization and how ambitions to transform professional engineering work practices require a change in the very ecologies of practices that exist across an organization...

  12. Do organisational constraints explain the use of restraint? A comparative ethnographic study from three nursing homes in Norway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Øye, Christine; Jacobsen, Frode Fadnes; Mekki, Tone Elin

    2017-07-01

    To investigate (1) what kind of restraint is used in three nursing homes in Norway and (2) how staff use restraint under what organisational conditions. Restraint use in residents living with dementia in nursing homes is controversial, and at odds with fundamental human rights. Restraint is a matter of hindering residents' free movement and will by applying either interactional, physical, medical, surveillance or environmental restraint. Previous research has identified use of restraint related to individual resident characteristics such as agitation, aggressiveness and wandering. This model is embedded in an overall mixed-method education intervention design study called Modelling and evaluating evidence-based continuing education program in dementia care (MEDCED), applying ethnography postintervention to examine the use of restraint in 24 nursing homes in Norway. Based on restraint diversity measured in the trial, ethnographic investigation was carried out in three different nursing homes in Norway over a 10-month period to examine restraint use in relation to organisational constraints. Several forms of restraint were observed; among them, interactional restraint was used most frequently. We identified that use of restraint relates to the characteristics of individual residents, such as agitation, aggressiveness and wandering. However, restraint use should also be explained in relation to organisational conditions such as resident mix, staff culture and available human resources. A fluctuating and dynamic interplay between different individual and contextual factors determines whether restraint is used - or not in particular situations with residents living with dementia. Educational initiatives targeting staff to reduce restraint must be sensitive towards fluctuating organisational constraints. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Design methods in solid rocket motors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1987-03-01

    A compilation of lectures summarizing the current state-of-the-art in designing solid rocket motors and and their components is presented. The experience of several countries in the use of new technologies and methods is represented. Specific sessions address propellant grains, cases, nozzles, internal thermal insulation, and the general optimization of solid rocket motor designs.

  14. A design method for process design kit based on an SMIC 65 nm process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Haiyan; Chen Lan; Yin Minghui

    2010-01-01

    The frame structure of a process design kit (PDK) is described in detail, and a practical design method for PDK is presented. Based on this method, a useful SMIC 65 nm PDK has been successfully designed and realized, which is applicable to native EDA software of Zeni. The design process and difficulties of PDK are introduced by developing and analyzing these parameterized cell (Pcell) devices (MOS, resistor, etc.). A structured design method was proposed to implement Pcell, which makes thousands upon thousands of source codes of Pcell concise, readable, easy-to-upkeep and transplantable. Moreover, a Pcase library for each Pcell is designed to verify the Pcell in batches. By this approach, the Pcell can be verified efficiently and the PDK will be more reliable and steady. In addition, the component description format parameters and layouts of the Pcell are optimized by adding flexibility and improving performance, which benefits analog and custom IC designers to satisfy the demand of design. Finally, the SMIC 65 nm PDK was applied to IC design. The results indicate that the SMIC 65 nm PDK is competent to support IC design. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

  15. CREATIVITY METHODS IN TEACHING THE ARCH-DESIGN STUDIO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    EIGBEONAN Andrew B.

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to search and find methods of fostering creativity or ideas relating to creativity in teaching the arch-design studio. Teaching creativity through its methods will be making the students grounded in designing with creativity ideas and therefore we can have professionals that design and build with satisfaction, safety and complementary. It means we can have real buildings and places that satisfy our clients, the society and in harmony with the environment. Although there are similarities in the curricula of training architects all over the world, but educators go about it in their own convenient and suitable ways and styles. The ideas of creativity have been part of architecture from the onset, but are not deligently applied and also not formally incorporated in the curricula of training. The topic is also very relevant and timely as arch-educators and other stakeholders are of the opinion that something has to be done to improve the ways and methods of training architects, especially the teaching of the arch-design studio with regards to creativity. Through exploration of literature and interviews (physical and telephone call this paper finds methods of stimulating creativity ideas in the teaching of arch-design studio. Some of the methods of motivating creativity found in teaching the arch-design studio are: analogy, metaphors, biomimicry, brainstorming, attribute listing, mental map, TRIZ, restrictions, charrette, browsing, excursions, focus groups, other peoples viewpoints, using crazy ideas, using experts, visualizing a goal, working with dreams and images and giving students design tools such as drawings CAD and model making.

  16. New knowledge network evaluation method for design rationale management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Shikai; Zhan, Hongfei; Liu, Jihong; Wang, Kuan; Jiang, Hao; Zhou, Jingtao

    2015-01-01

    Current design rationale (DR) systems have not demonstrated the value of the approach in practice since little attention is put to the evaluation method of DR knowledge. To systematize knowledge management process for future computer-aided DR applications, a prerequisite is to provide the measure for the DR knowledge. In this paper, a new knowledge network evaluation method for DR management is presented. The method characterizes the DR knowledge value from four perspectives, namely, the design rationale structure scale, association knowledge and reasoning ability, degree of design justification support and degree of knowledge representation conciseness. The DR knowledge comprehensive value is also measured by the proposed method. To validate the proposed method, different style of DR knowledge network and the performance of the proposed measure are discussed. The evaluation method has been applied in two realistic design cases and compared with the structural measures. The research proposes the DR knowledge evaluation method which can provide object metric and selection basis for the DR knowledge reuse during the product design process. In addition, the method is proved to be more effective guidance and support for the application and management of DR knowledge.

  17. Identifying interventions to help rural Kenyan mothers cope with food insecurity: results of a focused ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelto, Gretel H; Armar-Klemesu, Margaret

    2015-12-01

    An ethnographic study was conducted in two areas in southern and western Kenya to identify potential interventions to improve the quality, availability and affordability of foods consumed by infants and young children. A cultural-ecological model of determinants of nutrition identified the sectors of information for data collection related to infant and young child (IYC) diet and feeding-related behaviours, and the focused ethnographic study manual was used to guide the research. The results provide qualitative evidence about facilitators and constraints to IYC nutrition in the two geographical areas and document their inter-connections. We conclude with suggestions to consider 13 potential nutrition-sensitive interventions. The studies provide empirical ethnographic support for arguments concerning the importance of combining nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach to improve the nutrition of infants and young children in low-income, resource-constrained populations. They also document the value of ethnography as a component of landscape analysis in nutrition programme and policy planning. Key messages In addition to constraints on infant and young child diet that originate in environmental and technological conditions in both agro-ecological zones, other factors that affect feeding practices include features of social organisation, household access to social support, caregivers income-earning activities and their own health. The results of the ethnographies, which highlight the importance of obtaining the knowledge and perspectives of caregivers of infants and young children, reveal the interactions of the multiple factors that affect child nutrition and the need for simultaneous nutrition-sensitive interventions to complement nutrition-specific intervention actions. Most caregivers in both areas not only understood the importance of diet and food quality for child survival, they also regarded it as

  18. Problem Solving Methods in Engineering Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartvig, Susanne C

    1999-01-01

    This short paper discusses typical engineering tasks and problem solving methods, based on a field study of engineering tasks at a Danish engineering firm. The field study has identified ten classes of design tasks and in this paper these classes are related to problem solving methods. The descri...

  19. 78 FR 67360 - Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of Five New Equivalent Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-12

    ... Methods: Designation of Five New Equivalent Methods AGENCY: Office of Research and Development; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of the designation of five new equivalent methods for...) has designated, in accordance with 40 CFR Part 53, five new equivalent methods, one for measuring...

  20. Human-centred Methods of Social and Technical Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Lauge Baungaard

    Different inderstandings of design are presented.The historical background of human-centred designis described.Methods of social shaping are described in detailand the author's research experiences with using these methods in differentinternational projects presented and a model tointegrate...... technical and social perspective of design is suggested....

  1. Towards a culturally independent participatory design method: Fusing game elements into the design process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Mika Yasuoka; Nakatani, Momoko; Ohno, Takehiko

    2013-01-01

    Historically, Participatory Design (PD) was introduced and applied in the Scandinavian and American context as a practical design method for collective creativity and stakeholder involvement. In this paper, by fusing game elements into PD, we suggest a first step towards a culturally independent ...... imply that the introduction of game elements allows PD to be effectively utilized in culturally diverse settings.......Historically, Participatory Design (PD) was introduced and applied in the Scandinavian and American context as a practical design method for collective creativity and stakeholder involvement. In this paper, by fusing game elements into PD, we suggest a first step towards a culturally independent PD...... method called the ICT Service Design Game to ease the prevailing concern that PD has limited applicability in other cultural settings. We conduct four experiments on ICT Service Design Game in Scandinavia and Asia to evaluate its feasibility. The experiments identify some differences in the PD process...

  2. Youth Studies and Timescapes: Insights from an Ethnographic Study of "Young Night Drifters" in Hong Kong's Public Housing Estates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groves, Julian M.; Ho, Wai-Yip; Siu, Kaxton

    2012-01-01

    This article draws on insights from the sociology of time to examine how scheduling influences social interaction and identity among young people and those who work with them. Drawing on an ethnographic analysis of "Young Night Drifters" and youth outreach social workers in Hong Kong's public housing estates, we create a framework to…

  3. The Ethnographer as "Impresario-Joker" in the (Re)presentation of Educational Research as Performance Art: Towards a Performance Ethic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagley, Carl

    2009-01-01

    The paper reflects critically on the use of arts-based approaches to (re)present ethnographic educational research data, positing that the use of these artistic genres while creating new opportunities for engaging and enacting the complexities of twenty-first century realities also pose new challenges particularly in relation to the application of…

  4. A rapid method for soil cement design : Louisiana slope value method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1964-03-01

    The current procedure used by the Louisiana Department of Highways for laboratory design of cement stabilized soil base and subbase courses is taken from standard AASHO test methods, patterned after Portland Cement Association criteria. These methods...

  5. A comparison of a 3 dimensional probabilistic method of berthing structure design and the traditional method of a berthing structure design

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kool, J.J.; De Gijt, J.G.; Groenewegen, L.

    2013-01-01

    Finite element method (FEM) is increasingly applied as a first choice tool for designing structures. The same trend is seen in probabilistic designing. Consequently, the application of the combination of these two methods is discussed in this paper.In this study the presence of potential

  6. Commons management and ecotourism: Ethnographic evidence from the Amazon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda Lee Stronza

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper evaluates the relationship between ecotourism and commons management. Social and economic impacts of ecotourism in an indigenous village in the Peruvian Amazon are considered in relation to opportunities for collective action to manage common pool resources, including wildlife, forests, and river habitats. Longitudinal, ethnographic data gathered over 12 years about a joint venture ecotourism project between a private company and a local community show three outcomes that support commons management and three outcomes that challenge it. The outcomes in favor of commons management include: direct economic returns that act as conservation incentives, strengthened organization resulting from participatory management of ecotourism, and expanded networks of support from outside actors. Outcomes that are challenging the potential for collective action include: direct economic returns that enable expanded individual production and extraction, a new spirit of individual entrepreneurship that threatens to debilitate traditional social relations and institutions, and a conservation ethic that fosters dualistic thinking about people and nature and the zoning of places where resources are used vs. where they are preserved.

  7. How to Construct a Mixed Methods Research Design

    OpenAIRE

    Schoonenboom, Judith; Johnson, R. Burke

    2017-01-01

    This article provides researchers with knowledge of how to design a high quality mixed methods research study. To design a mixed study, researchers must understand and carefully consider each of the dimensions of mixed methods design, and always keep an eye on the issue of validity. We explain the seven major design dimensions: purpose, theoretical drive, timing (simultaneity and dependency), point of integration, typological versus interactive design approaches, planned versus emergent desig...

  8. Fuel cell design using a new heuristic method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perusquia, R.; Montes T, J. L.; Ortiz S, J. J.; Castillo M, A.

    2014-10-01

    In this paper a new method for the pre-design of a typical fuel cell with a structural array of 10 x 10 fuel elements for a BWR is presented. The method is based on principles of maximum dispersion and minimum peaks of local power within the array of fuel elements. The pre-design of the fuel cells is made by simulation in two dimensions (2-D) through the cells physics code CASMO-4. For this purpose of pre-design the search process is guided by an objective function which is a combination of the main neutronic parameters of the fuel cell. The results show that the method is a promising tool that could be used for the design of fuel cells for use in a nuclear plant BWR. (Author)

  9. Inverse design-momentum, a method for the preliminary design of horizontal axis wind turbines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Battisti, L; Soraperra, G; Fedrizzi, R; Zanne, L

    2007-01-01

    Wind turbine rotor prediction methods based on generalized momentum theory BEM routinely used in industry and vortex wake methods demand the use of airfoil tabulated data and geometrical specifications such as the blade spanwise chord distribution. They belong to the category of 'direct design' methods. When, on the other hand, the geometry is deduced from some design objective, we refer to 'inverse design' methods. This paper presents a method for the preliminary design of wind turbine rotors based on an inverse design approach. For this purpose, a generalized theory was developed without using classical tools such as BEM. Instead, it uses a simplified meridional flow analysis of axial turbomachines and is based on the assumption that knowing the vortex distribution and appropriate boundary conditions is tantamount to knowing the velocity distribution. The simple conservation properties of the vortex components consistently cope with the forces and specific work exchange expressions through the rotor. The method allows for rotor arbitrarily radial load distribution and includes the wake rotation and expansion. Radial pressure gradient is considered in the wake. The capability of the model is demonstrated first by a comparison with the classical actuator disk theory in investigating the consistency of the flow field, then the model is used to predict the blade planform of a commercial wind turbine. Based on these validations, the authors postulate the use of a different vortex distribution (i.e. not-uniform loading) for blade design and discuss the effect of such choices on blade chord and twist, force distribution and power coefficient. In addition to the method's straightforward application to the pre-design phase, the model clearly shows the link between blade geometry and performance allowing quick preliminary evaluation of non uniform loading on blade structural characteristics

  10. Forming a method mindset: The role of knowledge and preference in facilitating heuristic method usage in design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Daalhuizen, Jaap; Person, Oscar; Gattol, Valentin

    2013-01-01

    Both systematic and heuristic methods are common practice when designing. Yet, in teaching students how to design, heuristic methods are typically only granted a secondary role. So, how do designers and students develop a mindset for using heuristic methods? In this paper, we study how prior...... knowledge (about heuristic methods and their usage) and preference (for using heuristic methods) relate to the reported use of heuristic methods when designing. Drawing on a survey among 304 students enrolled in a master-level course on design theory and methodology, we investigated method usage for five...... indirectly influenced method usage through a 'complementary' mediation of method preference....

  11. Formal methods in design and verification of functional specifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaelisuo, H.

    1995-01-01

    It is claimed that formal methods should be applied already when specifying the functioning of the control/monitoring system, i.e. when planning how to implement the desired operation of the plant. Formal methods are seen as a way to mechanize and thus automate part of the planning. All mathematical methods which can be applied on related problem solving should be considered as formal methods. Because formal methods can only support the designer, not replace him/her, they must be integrated into a design support tool. Such a tool must also aid the designer in getting the correct conception of the plant and its behaviour. The use of a hypothetic design support tool is illustrated to clarify the requirements such a tool should fulfill. (author). 3 refs, 5 figs

  12. How to Construct a Mixed Methods Research Design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoonenboom, Judith; Johnson, R Burke

    2017-01-01

    This article provides researchers with knowledge of how to design a high quality mixed methods research study. To design a mixed study, researchers must understand and carefully consider each of the dimensions of mixed methods design, and always keep an eye on the issue of validity. We explain the seven major design dimensions: purpose, theoretical drive, timing (simultaneity and dependency), point of integration, typological versus interactive design approaches, planned versus emergent design, and design complexity. There also are multiple secondary dimensions that need to be considered during the design process. We explain ten secondary dimensions of design to be considered for each research study. We also provide two case studies showing how the mixed designs were constructed.

  13. Anthropology with algorithms? An exploration of online drug knowledge using digital methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krieg, L.J.; Berning, M.; Hardon, A.

    2017-01-01

    Based on a study of more than twenty thousand reports on drug experiences from the online drug education portal Erowid, this article argues that the integration of ethnographic methods with computational methods and digital data analysis, including so-called big data, is not only possible but highly

  14. Multi-objective optimization design method of radiation shielding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Shouhai; Wang Weijin; Lu Daogang; Chen Yixue

    2012-01-01

    Due to the shielding design goals of diversification and uncertain process of many factors, it is necessary to develop an optimization design method of intelligent shielding by which the shielding scheme selection will be achieved automatically and the uncertainties of human impact will be reduced. For economical feasibility to achieve a radiation shielding design for automation, the multi-objective genetic algorithm optimization of screening code which combines the genetic algorithm and discrete-ordinate method was developed to minimize the costs, size, weight, and so on. This work has some practical significance for gaining the optimization design of shielding. (authors)

  15. Project Lifespan-based Nonstationary Hydrologic Design Methods for Changing Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, L.

    2017-12-01

    Under changing environment, we must associate design floods with the design life period of projects to ensure the hydrologic design is really relevant to the operation of the hydrologic projects, because the design value for a given exceedance probability over the project life period would be significantly different from that over other time periods of the same length due to the nonstationarity of probability distributions. Several hydrologic design methods that take the design life period of projects into account have been proposed in recent years, i.e. the expected number of exceedances (ENE), design life level (DLL), equivalent reliability (ER), and average design life level (ADLL). Among the four methods to be compared, both the ENE and ER methods are return period-based methods, while DLL and ADLL are risk/reliability- based methods which estimate design values for given probability values of risk or reliability. However, the four methods can be unified together under a general framework through a relationship transforming the so-called representative reliability (RRE) into the return period, i.e. m=1/1(1-RRE), in which we compute the return period m using the representative reliability RRE.The results of nonstationary design quantiles and associated confidence intervals calculated by ENE, ER and ADLL were very similar, since ENE or ER was a special case or had a similar expression form with respect to ADLL. In particular, the design quantiles calculated by ENE and ADLL were the same when return period was equal to the length of the design life. In addition, DLL can yield similar design values if the relationship between DLL and ER/ADLL return periods is considered. Furthermore, ENE, ER and ADLL had good adaptability to either an increasing or decreasing situation, yielding not too large or too small design quantiles. This is important for applications of nonstationary hydrologic design methods in actual practice because of the concern of choosing the emerging

  16. Rite de transition : a design choreographic exploration of cultural value exchange, through development of intercultural ritual artefacts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kint, J.M.L.; Klooster, S.; Levy, P.D.; Levy, P.D.; Schütte, S.; Yamanaka, T.

    2014-01-01

    This research project is called Rite de transition. By means of DesignChoreography; an approach developed by Sietske Klooster; we explore the rituals revolving around traditional Turkish marriage. In due course; inspired by an emotional and auto-ethnographic interpretation of the explored rituals;

  17. Comprehensive evaluation method in application of nuclear DCS product design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Weixin; Zhao Zhemin; Shi Yingbin

    2014-01-01

    In order to select the best design proposal in short time, the TOPSIS comprehensive evaluation method in the nuclear power plant DCS product design was introduced. It can intuitively show the different design proposals good or not good by data and shorten the time of the design proposal optimization. The design proposal selected by this method will be more reasonable and has good comprehensive performance indexes. The TOPSIS comprehensive evaluation method achieves good result in one of the nuclear power plant DCS cabinet design proposal optimization. (authors)

  18. An Ethnographic Field Study of the Influence of Social Interactions during the School Day for Children Diagnosed with ADHD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feder, Kim Michéle; Bak, Carsten Kronborg; Petersen, Kirsten Schultz; Vardinghus-Nielsen, Henrik; Kristiansen, Tine Mechlenborg

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this ethnographic field study was to investigate the influence of school-day social interactions on the well-being and social inclusion of children diagnosed with ADHD. The empirical data consisted of participant observations and informal interviews over a three-month period at a Danish primary school. Two ADHD-diagnosed 11-year-old…

  19. Compelled to Be Connected: An Ethnographic Exploration of Organizational Culture, Work-Life Balance, and the Use of Mobile Workplace Technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Kristopher J.

    2013-01-01

    This study is an ethnographic exploration of organizational culture, work-life balance, and the use of information and communication technology ("ICT") in the work and home settings. The researcher was embedded for nine weeks within the Information Technology ("IT") department at the corporate headquarters of a mid-sized…

  20. An ethnographic study of nurses' experience with nursing research and its integration in practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupin, Cécile Marie; Borglin, Gunilla; Debout, Christophe; Rothan-Tondeur, Monique

    2014-09-01

    To report from a study aimed at illuminating how French Registered Nurses experience and engage in nursing research in clinical practice. Nursing research in France is mainly conducted by nurses working at clinical research units rather than by dedicated nurse researchers. Education, i.e. advanced degrees, in the field of nursing research is still in its infancy and not yet consistent with the international context. Outside France, the general perception is that nursing research is a unified part of professional nursing. Consequently, in-depth knowledge about how nurses in a French clinical context might experience and engage in nursing research is still lacking. The design of this study was influenced by an ethnographic approach as described by the French anthropologists Beaud and Weber. Data, participatory observations, field notes and interviews (n = 6) were collected in a teaching hospital between April-August 2012. The field consisted of a wound-care unit and clinical research units. Collected data were analysed based on Beaud and Weber's description of analysis. Three beliefs were identified: being a unified part of a research team, being an integral part of 'crosswise - across' activities and being part of research activities. Commitment to nursing research was strengthened by patient-related issues. Based on this context, nursing research would likely benefit from the support of a naturalized reciprocity between clinical practice and research. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Turning Over Patient Turnover: An Ethnographic Study of Admissions, Discharges, and Transfers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mowinski Jennings, Bonnie; Sandelowski, Margarete; Boshamer, Cary C.; Higgins, Melinda K.

    2014-01-01

    The impact on nursing work of patient turnover (admissions, discharges, and transfers) became evident in an ethnographic study of turbulence. The patient turnover data were generated from extensive observations, 21 formal interviews, and a year of admission and discharge records on one medical and one surgical unit. Timing of turnover events on the two units differed, but on both units admissions typically interrupted workflow more than did discharges, clustered admissions were more disruptive than staggered admissions, and patient turnover during change of shift was more disruptive than during medication administration. Understanding the complexity of patient turnover will elucidate the work involved and improve the evidence base for nurse staffing, a key determinant of quality and safety of care. PMID:24242196

  2. Privacy, boundaries and smart homes for health: An ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burrows, Alison; Coyle, David; Gooberman-Hill, Rachael

    2018-03-01

    This article explores how people negotiate borders and boundaries within the home, in the context of health and the introduction of new technologies. We draw on an ethnographic study involving a socially diverse group of people, which included people with experience of telecare or smart home energy systems. Participants engaged in various strategies to regulate the borders of their home, even though new technologies have begun to change the nature of these borders. Participants managed health conditions but also their use of technology through boundary work that permitted devices to be more or less visible and integrated within the home. Findings highlight that if smart healthcare technologies are to be accepted in the home then there is a need for mechanisms that allow people to control the interpretation of data and flow of information generated about them and their households. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  3. Enhancing health care equity with Indigenous populations: evidence-based strategies from an ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browne, Annette J; Varcoe, Colleen; Lavoie, Josée; Smye, Victoria; Wong, Sabrina T; Krause, Murry; Tu, David; Godwin, Olive; Khan, Koushambhi; Fridkin, Alycia

    2016-10-04

    Structural violence shapes the health of Indigenous peoples globally, and is deeply embedded in history, individual and institutional racism, and inequitable social policies and practices. Many Indigenous communities have flourished, however, the impact of colonialism continues to have profound health effects for Indigenous peoples in Canada and internationally. Despite increasing evidence of health status inequities affecting Indigenous populations, health services often fail to address health and social inequities as routine aspects of health care delivery. In this paper, we discuss an evidence-based framework and specific strategies for promoting health care equity for Indigenous populations. Using an ethnographic design and mixed methods, this study was conducted at two Urban Aboriginal Health Centres located in two inner cities in Canada, which serve a combined patient population of 5,500. Data collection included in-depth interviews with a total of 114 patients and staff (n = 73 patients; n = 41 staff), and over 900 h of participant observation focused on staff members' interactions and patterns of relating with patients. Four key dimensions of equity-oriented health services are foundational to supporting the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples: inequity-responsive care, culturally safe care, trauma- and violence-informed care, and contextually tailored care. Partnerships with Indigenous leaders, agencies, and communities are required to operationalize and tailor these key dimensions to local contexts. We discuss 10 strategies that intersect to optimize effectiveness of health care services for Indigenous peoples, and provide examples of how they can be implemented in a variety of health care settings. While the key dimensions of equity-oriented care and 10 strategies may be most optimally operationalized in the context of interdisciplinary teamwork, they also serve as health equity guidelines for organizations and providers working in

  4. Passing the Baton: Community-based ethnography to design a randomized clinical trial on the effectiveness of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention among Black men who have sex with men

    OpenAIRE

    Garcia, Jonathan; Colson, Paul W.; Parker, Caroline; Hirsch, Jennifer S.

    2015-01-01

    Although HIV interventions and clinical trials increasingly report the use of mixed methods, studies have not reported on the process through which ethnographic or qualitative findings are incorporated into RCT designs. We conducted a community-based ethnography on social and structural factors that may affect the acceptance of and adherence to oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black men who have sex with men (BMSM). We then devised the treatment arm of an adherence clinical trial dr...

  5. From dioramas to the dinner table: An ethnographic case study of the role of science museums in family life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellenbogen, Kirsten M.

    What we know about learning in museums tends to come from studies of single museum visits evaluating success according to the museum's agenda, neglecting the impressive cooperative learning strategies and resources that families bring to their museum experiences. This is a report of an ethnographic case study of four families that visit science museums frequently. The study used ethnographic research and discourse analysis as combined methodological approaches, and was grounded in a sociocultural perspective that frames science as a socially and culturally constituted activity. Over eighteen months, data were collected during observations of the families in science museums, at home, and at other leisure sites. The study generated two types of findings. First, macroanalysis based on established frameworks for understanding learning in museums revealed differences in the orientation and extent of the museum visits. Additionally, a hierarchical framework for measuring science learning in museums proved insensitive. These findings underscore limitations of some of the traditional frameworks for understanding family learning in science museums. Second, microanalysis of interactions around science objects at home and in museums revealed that parents provided children with opportunities to understand the "middle ground" of science. Analysis also revealed that families adapted the science content of the museum to renegotiate family identities. Interestingly, the types of discourse most valued in science education were least important for establishing family identity. These frequent museumgoers eliminated the distance between them and science objects by transforming their meanings to establish family identity. This study demonstrates that the families' mediating strategies shape not just an understanding of science, but also a family identity that is constructed in and through interactions with science. The results of this study provide a foundation for examining how

  6. Construction of anthropological knowledge and ethnographic co-research. Problems and challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena L. Achilli

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Discussing anthropological knowledge construction processes entails reflecting upon different connected dimensions. Epistemological and theoretical-methodological  positionings with different political consequences are intertwined. In addition, institutional conditions and the socio-historical context in which certain local and global disciplinary trends are inscribed must be taken into account. This paper looks into the processes of socio-anthropological research I have participated in over the last decades with schools, teachers, teacher unions, indigenous peoples and groups in conditions of structural poverty. I will particularly focus on the modalities of ethnographic co-research that we have implemented in several projects. I will attempt to show some of the theoretical-methodological potentialities that ethnography contributes to group/collective processes of research as well as limits in its development. Finally, I will mention some of the contemporary challenges anthropological knowledge faces in present Latin America.

  7. Getting a taste for food waste: a mixed methods ethnographic study into hospital food waste before patient consumption conducted at three New Zealand foodservice facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goonan, Sarah; Mirosa, Miranda; Spence, Heather

    2014-01-01

    Foodservice organizations, particularly those in hospitals, are large producers of food waste. To date, research on waste in hospitals has focused primarily on plate waste and the affect of food waste on patient nutrition outcomes. Less focus has been placed on waste generation at the kitchen end of the hospital food system. We used a novel approach to understand reasons for hospital food waste before consumption and offer recommendations on waste minimization within foodservices. A mixed methods ethnographic research approach was adopted. Three New Zealand hospital foodservices were selected as research sites, all of which were contracted to an external foodservice provider. Data collection techniques included document analyses, observations, focus groups with kitchen staff, and one-on-one interviews with managers. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate common themes. Most food waste occurred during service and as a result of overproduction. Attitudes and habits of foodservice personnel were considered influential factors of waste generation. Implications of food waste were perceived differently by different levels of staff. Whereas managers raised discussion from a financial perspective, kitchen staff drew upon social implications. Organizational plans, controls, and use of pre-prepared ingredients assisted in waste minimization. An array of factors influenced waste generation in hospital foodservices. Exploring attitudes and practices of foodservice personnel allowed an understanding of reasons behind hospital food waste and ways in which it could be minimized. This study provides a foundation for further research on sustainable behavior within the wider foodservice sector and dietetics practice. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Evolutionary optimization methods for accelerator design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poklonskiy, Alexey A.

    Many problems from the fields of accelerator physics and beam theory can be formulated as optimization problems and, as such, solved using optimization methods. Despite growing efficiency of the optimization methods, the adoption of modern optimization techniques in these fields is rather limited. Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) form a relatively new and actively developed optimization methods family. They possess many attractive features such as: ease of the implementation, modest requirements on the objective function, a good tolerance to noise, robustness, and the ability to perform a global search efficiently. In this work we study the application of EAs to problems from accelerator physics and beam theory. We review the most commonly used methods of unconstrained optimization and describe the GATool, evolutionary algorithm and the software package, used in this work, in detail. Then we use a set of test problems to assess its performance in terms of computational resources, quality of the obtained result, and the tradeoff between them. We justify the choice of GATool as a heuristic method to generate cutoff values for the COSY-GO rigorous global optimization package for the COSY Infinity scientific computing package. We design the model of their mutual interaction and demonstrate that the quality of the result obtained by GATool increases as the information about the search domain is refined, which supports the usefulness of this model. We Giscuss GATool's performance on the problems suffering from static and dynamic noise and study useful strategies of GATool parameter tuning for these and other difficult problems. We review the challenges of constrained optimization with EAs and methods commonly used to overcome them. We describe REPA, a new constrained optimization method based on repairing, in exquisite detail, including the properties of its two repairing techniques: REFIND and REPROPT. We assess REPROPT's performance on the standard constrained

  9. Design of large Francis turbine using optimal methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores, E.; Bornard, L.; Tomas, L.; Liu, J.; Couston, M.

    2012-11-01

    Among a high number of Francis turbine references all over the world, covering the whole market range of heads, Alstom has especially been involved in the development and equipment of the largest power plants in the world : Three Gorges (China -32×767 MW - 61 to 113 m), Itaipu (Brazil- 20x750 MW - 98.7m to 127m) and Xiangjiaba (China - 8x812 MW - 82.5m to 113.6m - in erection). Many new projects are under study to equip new power plants with Francis turbines in order to answer an increasing demand of renewable energy. In this context, Alstom Hydro is carrying out many developments to answer those needs, especially for jumbo units such the planned 1GW type units in China. The turbine design for such units requires specific care by using the state of the art in computation methods and the latest technologies in model testing as well as the maximum feedback from operation of Jumbo plants already in operation. We present in this paper how a large Francis turbine can be designed using specific design methods, including the global and local optimization methods. The design of the spiral case, the tandem cascade profiles, the runner and the draft tube are designed with optimization loops involving a blade design tool, an automatic meshing software and a Navier-Stokes solver, piloted by a genetic algorithm. These automated optimization methods, presented in different papers over the last decade, are nowadays widely used, thanks to the growing computation capacity of the HPC clusters: the intensive use of such optimization methods at the turbine design stage allows to reach very high level of performances, while the hydraulic flow characteristics are carefully studied over the whole water passage to avoid any unexpected hydraulic phenomena.

  10. Design of large Francis turbine using optimal methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flores, E; Bornard, L; Tomas, L; Couston, M; Liu, J

    2012-01-01

    Among a high number of Francis turbine references all over the world, covering the whole market range of heads, Alstom has especially been involved in the development and equipment of the largest power plants in the world : Three Gorges (China −32×767 MW - 61 to 113 m), Itaipu (Brazil- 20x750 MW - 98.7m to 127m) and Xiangjiaba (China - 8x812 MW - 82.5m to 113.6m - in erection). Many new projects are under study to equip new power plants with Francis turbines in order to answer an increasing demand of renewable energy. In this context, Alstom Hydro is carrying out many developments to answer those needs, especially for jumbo units such the planned 1GW type units in China. The turbine design for such units requires specific care by using the state of the art in computation methods and the latest technologies in model testing as well as the maximum feedback from operation of Jumbo plants already in operation. We present in this paper how a large Francis turbine can be designed using specific design methods, including the global and local optimization methods. The design of the spiral case, the tandem cascade profiles, the runner and the draft tube are designed with optimization loops involving a blade design tool, an automatic meshing software and a Navier-Stokes solver, piloted by a genetic algorithm. These automated optimization methods, presented in different papers over the last decade, are nowadays widely used, thanks to the growing computation capacity of the HPC clusters: the intensive use of such optimization methods at the turbine design stage allows to reach very high level of performances, while the hydraulic flow characteristics are carefully studied over the whole water passage to avoid any unexpected hydraulic phenomena.

  11. Where Anthropology Meets History—A Review of "Tracing China: A Forty-Year Ethnographic Journey," by Helen F. Siu

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    May Bo Ching

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Helen F. Siu. Tracing China: A Forty-Year Ethnographic Journey. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2016. ISBN: 9789888083732. For years, Helen Siu tangoed with history and trekked the fields of South China. "Tracing China: A Forty-Year Ethnographic Journey"(Hong Kong University Press, 2016—a collection of Siu’s work published over the last twenty years—is not a grandiose showpiece splotched with a lot of paint and colors. Instead, she uses a 2B pencil to leave fine marks on wafer-thin parchment and smudges them ever so slightly, gradually letting the image emerge through the back of the page. If I have understood correctly, though plurality exists in the meanings of “trace,” Siu’s intention with the title Tracing China is less to track the history of China, and more to scrupulously examine every footstep she comes across, no matter how indistinct—to “look for plum blossoms in the snow,” as the Chinese saying goes. This saying might have inspired the Chinese version of the title of the collection, one that preserves a sense of graceful subtlety...

  12. Revision of South African pavement design method

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Kannemeyer, L

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available an improved mechanistic-empirical design method has been developed, based on the latest available local and international research and design trends. The process followed during revision as well as some of the key outcomes of this process are presented...

  13. Theory and design methods of special space orbits

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, Yasheng; Zhou, Haijun

    2017-01-01

    This book focuses on the theory and design of special space orbits. Offering a systematic and detailed introduction to the hovering orbit, spiral cruising orbit, multi-target rendezvous orbit, initiative approaching orbit, responsive orbit and earth pole-sitter orbit, it also discusses the concept, theory, design methods and application of special space orbits, particularly the design and control method based on kinematics and astrodynamics. In addition the book presents the latest research and its application in space missions. It is intended for researchers, engineers and postgraduates, especially those working in the fields of orbit design and control, as well as space-mission planning and research.

  14. The experience of women with an eating disorder in the perinatal period: a meta-ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogarty, Sarah; Elmir, Rakime; Hay, Phillipa; Schmied, Virginia

    2018-05-02

    Pregnancy is a time of enormous body transformation. For those with an eating disorder during pregnancy this time of transformation can be distressing and damaging to both the mother and the child. In this meta-ethnographic study, we aimed to examine the experiences of women with an Eating Disorder in the perinatal period; that is during pregnancy and two years following birth. A meta-ethnographic framework was used in this review. After a systematic online search of the literature using the keywords such as pregnancy, eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, perinatal, postnatal and post-partum, 11 papers, involving 94 women, were included in the review. A qualitative synthesis of the papers identified 2 key themes. The key theme that emerged during pregnancy was: navigating a 'new' eating disorder. The key that emerged in the perinatal period was return to the 'old' eating disorder. Following a tumultuous pregnancy experience, many described returning to their pre-pregnancy eating behaviors and thoughts. These experiences highlight the emotional difficulty experienced having an eating disorder whilst pregnant but they also point to opportunities for intervention and a continued acceptance of body image changes. More research is needed on the experiences of targeted treatment interventions specific for pregnant and postpartum women with an eating disorder and the effectiveness of putative treatment interventions during this period.

  15. Design and Evaluation Methods for Underwater Control Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chi, Lin

    1996-12-31

    This thesis on underwater control systems is written with the designer in mind, assuming that the reader has some knowledge of control theory. It can be used as a text for undergraduate students and engineers. To help readers better understand the system they will be working with, the thesis is organised in a stepwise way. The reader will gain basic knowledge about underwater operations, equipment and control systems. Then the reader will be able to follow the steps to develop a required control system for an underwater equipment by first understanding the characteristics of the design problem, customer requirement, functional requirement, and possible solution, and then to present a mathematical model of the control problem. Having developed the concept, the thesis guides the reader to develop evaluation criteria and different ways to make the decision. The thesis gives an overview of how to achieve a successful design rather than giving the techniques for detailed control system design. Chapter 1 describes underwater operations and systems. Chapter 2 discusses issues of underwater control systems and control methods. Chapter 3 deals with design method and control systems theory, focusing on human-centered control. Chapter 4 discusses methods used to evaluate and rank products, and chapter 5 applies the methods to an example. 113 refs., 115 figs., 80 tabs.

  16. Design and Evaluation Methods for Underwater Control Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chi, Lin

    1997-12-31

    This thesis on underwater control systems is written with the designer in mind, assuming that the reader has some knowledge of control theory. It can be used as a text for undergraduate students and engineers. To help readers better understand the system they will be working with, the thesis is organised in a stepwise way. The reader will gain basic knowledge about underwater operations, equipment and control systems. Then the reader will be able to follow the steps to develop a required control system for an underwater equipment by first understanding the characteristics of the design problem, customer requirement, functional requirement, and possible solution, and then to present a mathematical model of the control problem. Having developed the concept, the thesis guides the reader to develop evaluation criteria and different ways to make the decision. The thesis gives an overview of how to achieve a successful design rather than giving the techniques for detailed control system design. Chapter 1 describes underwater operations and systems. Chapter 2 discusses issues of underwater control systems and control methods. Chapter 3 deals with design method and control systems theory, focusing on human-centered control. Chapter 4 discusses methods used to evaluate and rank products, and chapter 5 applies the methods to an example. 113 refs., 115 figs., 80 tabs.

  17. Innovative design method of automobile profile based on Fourier descriptor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Shuyong; Fu, Chaoxing; Xia, Fan; Shen, Wei

    2017-10-01

    Aiming at the innovation of the contours of automobile side, this paper presents an innovative design method of vehicle side profile based on Fourier descriptor. The design flow of this design method is: pre-processing, coordinate extraction, standardization, discrete Fourier transform, simplified Fourier descriptor, exchange descriptor innovation, inverse Fourier transform to get the outline of innovative design. Innovative concepts of the innovative methods of gene exchange among species and the innovative methods of gene exchange among different species are presented, and the contours of the innovative design are obtained separately. A three-dimensional model of a car is obtained by referring to the profile curve which is obtained by exchanging xenogeneic genes. The feasibility of the method proposed in this paper is verified by various aspects.

  18. Gross Anatomy classroom and dissection laboratory. An ethnographic approach to the study of human anatomy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Belén López Castro

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The academic areas that rely on university chairs articulate teaching and research in particular ways. The aim of this paper is to describe the ways in which knowledge about the body is built from the work of the laboratories of dissection, without losing sight of its articulation with the anatomy lessons as a regular signature. From an ethnographic perspective, the proposal is to focus in the interventions over the dead body in the dissection laboratory based on the object of didactic transposition of the class.

  19. SSFI and SSOMI new method of evaluating design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tolson, G.M.

    1992-01-01

    The NRC has developed a new inspection method which has proven its effectiveness in evaluating design organizations. The new method is used in two types of NRC inspections, Safety System Functional Inspection (SSFI), and Safety System Outage Modification Inspection (SSOMI). The SSFI/SSOMI audits were developed following an event which brought a nuclear power plant close to a core meltdown. That event was caused by a series of problems which would not have been found using conventional methods. The SSFI and SSOMI audits involve intense technical evaluation of a nuclear system to determine wheter the system will function as designed. The SSFI/SSOMI method normally uses eight to fifteen engineers with different fields of expertise to evaluate a system, or a change to a system in the case of a SSOMI. The effectiveness of each engineer's input is amplified in a series of open, questioning, free-wheeling, brainstorming-type team meetings. During the team meetings, all aspects of the audit are controlled by a consensus of the team members. The findings from these new methods are surprisingly consistent, regardless of which organization is audited or which organization performs the audit. This consistency implies a widespread generic weakness in the manner design is being performed. This paper addresses generic findings and recommends increased use of these new methods to evaluate design organizations. These audit methods can be readily used to evaluate any process or system. (orig.)

  20. The synthesis method for design of electron flow sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexahin, Yu I.; Molodozhenzev, A. Yu

    1997-01-01

    The synthesis method to design a relativistic magnetically - focused beam source is described in this paper. It allows to find a shape of electrodes necessary to produce laminar space charge flows. Electron guns with shielded cathodes designed with this method were analyzed using the EGUN code. The obtained results have shown the coincidence of the synthesis and analysis calculations [1]. This method of electron gun calculation may be applied for immersed electron flows - of interest for the EBIS electron gun design.

  1. Leading to engage : An ethnographically informed case study into musicians and participants facilitating inclusion in collaborative music making activities with elderly people

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Karolien Dons

    2015-01-01

    In Leading to engage Karolien Dons explores the ways in which musicians and elderly participants of a collaborative music activity experience and contribute to the sense of inclusion. Through qualitative research strategies involving a theory-generating ethnographic exploration of existing practices

  2. Optimization methods applied to hybrid vehicle design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donoghue, J. F.; Burghart, J. H.

    1983-01-01

    The use of optimization methods as an effective design tool in the design of hybrid vehicle propulsion systems is demonstrated. Optimization techniques were used to select values for three design parameters (battery weight, heat engine power rating and power split between the two on-board energy sources) such that various measures of vehicle performance (acquisition cost, life cycle cost and petroleum consumption) were optimized. The apporach produced designs which were often significant improvements over hybrid designs already reported on in the literature. The principal conclusions are as follows. First, it was found that the strategy used to split the required power between the two on-board energy sources can have a significant effect on life cycle cost and petroleum consumption. Second, the optimization program should be constructed so that performance measures and design variables can be easily changed. Third, the vehicle simulation program has a significant effect on the computer run time of the overall optimization program; run time can be significantly reduced by proper design of the types of trips the vehicle takes in a one year period. Fourth, care must be taken in designing the cost and constraint expressions which are used in the optimization so that they are relatively smooth functions of the design variables. Fifth, proper handling of constraints on battery weight and heat engine rating, variables which must be large enough to meet power demands, is particularly important for the success of an optimization study. Finally, the principal conclusion is that optimization methods provide a practical tool for carrying out the design of a hybrid vehicle propulsion system.

  3. Design of nuclear power generation plants adopting model engineering method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waki, Masato

    1983-01-01

    The utilization of model engineering as the method of design has begun about ten years ago in nuclear power generation plants. By this method, the result of design can be confirmed three-dimensionally before actual production, and it is the quick and sure method to meet the various needs in design promptly. The adoption of models aims mainly at the improvement of the quality of design since the high safety is required for nuclear power plants in spite of the complex structure. The layout of nuclear power plants and piping design require the model engineering to arrange rationally enormous quantity of things in a limited period. As the method of model engineering, there are the use of check models and of design models, and recently, the latter method has been mainly taken. The procedure of manufacturing models and engineering is explained. After model engineering has been completed, the model information must be expressed in drawings, and the automation of this process has been attempted by various methods. The computer processing of design is in progress, and its role is explained (CAD system). (Kako, I.)

  4. Establishing a faith-based organisation nursing school within a national primary health care programme in rural Tanzania: an auto-ethnographic case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Bischoff

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: In 2007, the Tanzanian government called for improvements in its primary health care services. Part of this initiative was to accelerate the training rate for nurses qualified to work in rural areas. The aim of this study was to reflect on the issues experienced whilst establishing and implementing a faith-based organisation (FBO nursing school and make recommendations for other similar initiatives. Design: This paper describes an auto-ethnographic case study design to identify the key difficulties involved with establishing and implementing a new nursing school, and which factors helped the project achieve its goals. Results: Six themes emerged from the experiences that shaped the course of the project: 1 Motivation can be sustained if the rationale of the project is in line with its aims. Indeed, the project's primary health care focus was to strengthen the nursing workforce and build a public–private partnership with an FBO. All these were strengths, which helped in the midst of all the uncertainties. 2 Communication was an important and often underrated factor for all types of development projects. 3 Managing the unknown and 4 managing expectations characterised the project inception. Almost all themes had to do with 5 handling conflicts. With so many participants having their own agendas, tensions were unavoidable. A final theme was 6 the need to adjust to ever-changing targets. Conclusions: This retrospective auto-ethnographic manuscript serves as a small-scale case study, to illustrate how issues that can be generalised to other settings can be deconstructed to demonstrate how they influence health development projects in developing countries. From this narrative of experiences, key recommendations include the following: 1 Find the right ratio of stakeholders, participants, and agendas, and do not overload the project; 2 Be alert and communicate as much as possible with staff and do not ignore issues hoping they will solve

  5. Integration of educational methods and physical settings: Design ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... setting without having an architectural background. The theoretical framework of the research allows designers to consider key features and users' possible activities in High/ Scope settings and shape their designs accordingly. Keywords: daily activity; design; High/Scope education; interior space; teaching method ...

  6. Deconstructing fatalism: ethnographic perspectives on women's decision making about cancer prevention and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drew, Elaine M; Schoenberg, Nancy E

    2011-06-01

    Researchers have long held that fatalism (the belief in a lack of personal power or control over destiny or fate) constitutes a major barrier to participation in positive health behaviors and, subsequently, adversely affects health outcomes. In this article, we present two in-depth, ethnographic studies of rural women's health decisions surrounding cancer treatments to illustrate the complexity and contestability of the long-established fatalism construct. Narrative analyses suggest that for these women, numerous and complex factors--including inadequate access to health services, a legacy of self-reliance, insufficient privacy, combined with a culturally acceptable idiom of fatalism--foster the use of, but not necessarily a rigid conviction in, the notion of fatalism.

  7. Development of New Bituminous Pavement Design Method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ullidtz, Per

    The report and work of COST Action 333 sets in place the foundation for a coherent, cost-effective and harmonised European pavement design method. In order to do this, the work programme focused on information gathering, identification of requirements and the selection of the necessary design...

  8. Mixed Methods Research Designs in Counseling Psychology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanson, William E.; Creswell, John W.; Clark, Vicki L. Plano; Petska, Kelly S.; Creswell, David J.

    2005-01-01

    With the increased popularity of qualitative research, researchers in counseling psychology are expanding their methodologies to include mixed methods designs. These designs involve the collection, analysis, and integration of quantitative and qualitative data in a single or multiphase study. This article presents an overview of mixed methods…

  9. Contextual facilitators and maintaining of compassion-based care: An ethnographic study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sima Babaei

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Compassion is an important part of nursing. It fosters better relationships between nurses and their patients. Moreover, it gives patients more confidence in the care they receive. Determining facilitators of compassion are essential to holistic care. The purpose of this study was to explore these facilitators. Materials and Methods: This ethnographic study was conducted in 2014–2015 with 20 nurses, 12 patients, and 4 family members in the medical and surgical wards. Data collection was done through observations and in-depth semi-structured interviews with purposive sampling. The study was carried out in 15 months. Data analysis was performed using constant comparison based on Strauss and Corbin. Results: Data analysis defined three main themes and eight subthemes as the fundamentals of compassion-based care. Nurses' personal factors with subcategories of personality, attitudes, and values and holistic view; and socio-cultural factors with subcategories of kindness role model, religious, and cultural values are needed to elicit compassionate behaviors. Initiator factors, with subcategories of patient suffering, patient communication demands, and patient emotional and psychological necessity are also needed to start compassionate behaviors. Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that nurses' communication with patients is nurse's duty in order to understand and respect the needs of patients. Attention should be paid to issues relating to compassion in nursing and practice educational programs. Indeed, creating a care environment with compassion, regardless of any shortcomings in the work condition, would help in the development of effective nursing.

  10. Engineering design of systems models and methods

    CERN Document Server

    Buede, Dennis M

    2009-01-01

    The ideal introduction to the engineering design of systems-now in a new edition. The Engineering Design of Systems, Second Edition compiles a wealth of information from diverse sources to provide a unique, one-stop reference to current methods for systems engineering. It takes a model-based approach to key systems engineering design activities and introduces methods and models used in the real world. Features new to this edition include: * The addition of Systems Modeling Language (SysML) to several of the chapters, as well as the introduction of new terminology * Additional material on partitioning functions and components * More descriptive material on usage scenarios based on literature from use case development * Updated homework assignments * The software product CORE (from Vitech Corporation) is used to generate the traditional SE figures and the software product MagicDraw UML with SysML plugins (from No Magic, Inc.) is used for the SysML figures This book is designed to be an introductory reference ...

  11. Design Method for Channel Diffusers of Centrifugal Compressors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mykola Kalinkevych

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The design method for channel diffusers of centrifugal compressors, which is based on the solving of the inverse problem of gas dynamics, is presented in the paper. The concept of the design is to provide high pressure recovery of the diffuser by assuming the preseparation condition of the boundary layer along one of the channel surfaces. The channel diffuser was designed with the use of developed method to replace the vaned diffuser of the centrifugal compressor model stage. The numerical simulation of the diffusers was implemented by means of CFD software. Obtained gas dynamic characteristics of the designed diffuser were compared to the base vaned diffuser of the compressor stage.

  12. Demystifying Mixed Methods Research Design: A Review of the Literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caruth, Gail D.

    2013-01-01

    Mixed methods research evolved in response to the observed limitations of both quantitative and qualitative designs and is a more complex method. The purpose of this paper was to examine mixed methods research in an attempt to demystify the design thereby allowing those less familiar with its design an opportunity to utilize it in future research.…

  13. Harnessing the Power of Collaborative Relationships to Improve National Preparedness and Responsiveness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-01

    Journal of Qualtiy Improvement, 24: 518–540 McLaughlin, D. and LeCompte, M. (1993). Ethnography and qualitative design in educational research (2nd...METHODOLOGY This thesis uses a combination of the ethnographic research methods and qualitative data analysis including participant observation and...Ethnographic Research Center: http://www.nps.gov/history/ ethnography /aah/AAheritage/ERCf.htm NGB. (2011, March 7). National Guard News. Retrieved July

  14. Social ruptures and the everyday life of homeless people: an ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiorati, Regina Célia; Carretta, Regina Yoneko Dakuzaku; Kebbe, Leonardo Martins; Cardoso, Beatriz Lobato; Xavier, Joab Jefferson da Silva

    2017-07-20

    To discover the generators of disruptions in social support networks and identify the everyday life and projects of life of homeless people. Ethnographic study conducted between 2012 and 2013 in Ribeirão Preto -SP, Brazil. The participants were fifteen homeless people. Data were collected through video-recorded interviews addressing histories of life and a field diary. Data analysis was based on Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action. Results revealed that the participants' families have faced inequalities for many generations and that everyday life is marked by violence and death, poverty and exclusion, disrupted social networks, loneliness, alcohol and drug consumption, and other socially determined diseases. The situation of living on the streets stems from several factors present in the organization of the Brazilian society and social determinants condition the life and health of homeless people.

  15. The Social Relations of a Health Walk Group: An Ethnographic Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Gordon; Pollard, Nick; Allmark, Peter; Machaczek, Kasia; Ramcharan, Paul

    2017-09-01

    It is already well established that regular walks are conducive to health and well-being. This article considers the production of social relations of regular, organized weekly group walks for older people. It is based on an ethnographic study of a Walking for Health group in a rural area of the United Kingdom. Different types of social relations are identified arising from the walk experience. The social relations generated are seen to be shaped by organizational factors that are constitutive of the walks; the resulting culture having implications for the sustainability of the experience. As there appears to be no single uniting theory linking group walk experiences to the production of social relations at this time, the findings are considered against therapeutic landscape, therapeutic mobility, and social capital theorizing. Finally, implications for the continuance of walking schemes for older people and for further research are considered.

  16. Demystifying Mixed Methods Research Design: A Review of the Literature

    OpenAIRE

    Gail D. Caruth

    2013-01-01

    Mixed methods research evolved in response to the observed limitations of both quantitative and qualitative designs and is a more complex method. The purpose of this paper was to examine mixed methods research in an attempt to demystify the design thereby allowing those less familiar with its design an opportunity to utilize it in future research. A review of the literature revealed that it has been gaining acceptance among researchers, researchers have begun using mixed methods research, it ...

  17. The culture of an emergency department: an ethnographic study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Person, John; Spiva, Leeanna; Hart, Patricia

    2013-10-01

    In an environment of change and social interaction, hospital emergency departments create a unique sub-culture within healthcare. Patient-centered care, stressful situations, social gaps within the department, pressure to perform, teamwork, and maintaining a work-life balance were examined as influences that have developed this culture into its current state. The study aim was to examine the culture in an emergency department. The sample consisted of 34 employees working in an emergency department, level II trauma center, located in the Southeastern United States. An ethnographic approach was used to gather data from the perspective of the cultural insider. Data revealed identification of four categories that included cognitive, environmental, linguistic, and social attributes that described the culture. Promoting a culture that values the staff is essential in building an environment that fosters the satisfaction and retention of staff. Findings suggest that efforts be directed at improving workflow and processes. Development and training opportunities are needed to improve relationships to promote safer, more efficient patient care. Removing barriers and improving processes will impact patient safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Findings show that culture is influenced and created by multiple elements. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Professional conceptualisation and accomplishment of patient safety in mental healthcare: an ethnographic approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Braithwaite Jeffrey

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background This study seeks to broaden current understandings of what patient safety means in mental healthcare and how it is accomplished. We propose a qualitative observational study of how safety is produced or not produced in the complex context of everyday professional mental health practice. Such an approach intentionally contrasts with much patient safety research which assumes that safety is achieved and improved through top-down policy directives. We seek instead to understand and articulate the connections and dynamic interactions between people, materials, and organisational, legal, moral, professional and historical safety imperatives as they come together at particular times and places to perform safe or unsafe practice. As such we advocate an understanding of patient safety 'from the ground up'. Methods/Design The proposed project employs a six-phase data collection framework in two mental health settings: an inpatient unit and a community team. The first four phases comprise multiple modes of focussed, unobtrusive observation of professionals at work, to enable us to trace the conceptualisation and enactment of safety as revealed in dialogue and narrative, use of artefacts and space, bodily activity and patterns of movement, and in the accomplishment of specific work tasks. An interview phase and a social network analysis phase will subsequently be conducted to offer comparative perspectives on the observational data. This multi-modal and holistic approach to studying patient safety will complement existing research, which is dominated by instrumentalist approaches to discovering factors contributing to error, or developing interventions to prevent or manage adverse events. Discussion This ethnographic research framework, informed by the principles of practice theories and in particular actor-network ideas, provides a tool to aid the understanding of patient safety in mental healthcare. The approach is novel in that it

  19. Ethnographic case study of a high school science classroom: Strategies in stem education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohn, Lucinda N.

    Historically, science education research has promoted that learning science occurs through direct physical experiences. In recent years, the need for best practices and student motivation have been highlighted in STEM research findings. In response to the instructional challenges in STEM education, the National Research Council has provided guidelines for improving STEM literacy through best practices in science and mathematics instruction. A baseline qualitative ethnographic case study of the effect of instructional practices on a science classroom was an opportunity to understand how a teacher and students work together to learn in an International Baccalaureate life science course. This study was approached through an interpretivist lens with the assumption that learning science is socially constructed. The following were the research questions: 1.) How does the teacher implement science instruction strategies in the classroom? 2.) In what ways are students engaged in the classroom? 3.) How are science concepts communicated in the classroom? The total 35 participants included a high school science teacher and two classes of 11th grade students in the International Baccalaureate program. Using exploratory qualitative methods of research, data was collected from field notes and transcripts from a series of classroom observations, a single one-on-one interview with the teacher and two focus groups with students from each of the two classes. Three themes emerged from text coded using initial and process coding with the computer assisted qualitative data analysis software, MAXQDA. The themes were: 1.) Physical Forms of Communication Play Key Role in Instructional Strategy, 2.) Science Learning Occurs in Casual Environment Full of Distractions, and 3.) Teacher Persona Plays Vital Role in Classroom Culture. The findings provided insight into the teacher's role on students' motivation to learn science. The recommendation for STEM programs and new curriculum is a

  20. Professional conceptualisation and accomplishment of patient safety in mental healthcare: an ethnographic approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background This study seeks to broaden current understandings of what patient safety means in mental healthcare and how it is accomplished. We propose a qualitative observational study of how safety is produced or not produced in the complex context of everyday professional mental health practice. Such an approach intentionally contrasts with much patient safety research which assumes that safety is achieved and improved through top-down policy directives. We seek instead to understand and articulate the connections and dynamic interactions between people, materials, and organisational, legal, moral, professional and historical safety imperatives as they come together at particular times and places to perform safe or unsafe practice. As such we advocate an understanding of patient safety 'from the ground up'. Methods/Design The proposed project employs a six-phase data collection framework in two mental health settings: an inpatient unit and a community team. The first four phases comprise multiple modes of focussed, unobtrusive observation of professionals at work, to enable us to trace the conceptualisation and enactment of safety as revealed in dialogue and narrative, use of artefacts and space, bodily activity and patterns of movement, and in the accomplishment of specific work tasks. An interview phase and a social network analysis phase will subsequently be conducted to offer comparative perspectives on the observational data. This multi-modal and holistic approach to studying patient safety will complement existing research, which is dominated by instrumentalist approaches to discovering factors contributing to error, or developing interventions to prevent or manage adverse events. Discussion This ethnographic research framework, informed by the principles of practice theories and in particular actor-network ideas, provides a tool to aid the understanding of patient safety in mental healthcare. The approach is novel in that it seeks to articulate an 'anatomy

  1. The Ash Soap making in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil: from the status of ethnoscience to its mediation for the classroom using an ethnographic hypermedia system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo César Pinheiro

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The ash soap making process developed by women from the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is described and analyzed in order to typify it as ethnoscience. Some of the major conceptions related to folk knowledge, ethnoscience and the chemistry of saponification are presented in order to justify this enterprise. The theoretical and methodological aspects of the ethnographic research carried out with the group of women investigated is discussed and an approximation between the knowledge of these women, the Chemistry knowledge and that of the students of the secondary level is proposed by means of an ethnographic hypermedia as mediational mean for the classroom.

  2. Living the Past in the Present: An Ethnographic Study of Norwegian Americans’ Expression of Identity in Minneapolis

    OpenAIRE

    Bakken, Hege

    2016-01-01

    The study of American identity has generally been concerned with the concept of hyphenated identity, a dual identity of sorts. The Norwegian-American identity is a clear example of a hyphenated identity. This thesis will offer some perspectives on the American identity construction in general and the Norwegian-American in particular. A focal point is how the Norwegian-American identity is maintained in contemporary USA. This thesis is based on five and a half months ethnographic fieldwork con...

  3. 77 FR 60985 - Ambient Air Monitoring Reference and Equivalent Methods: Designation of Three New Equivalent Methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-05

    ... Methods: Designation of Three New Equivalent Methods AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice of the designation of three new equivalent methods for monitoring ambient air quality. SUMMARY... equivalent methods, one for measuring concentrations of PM 2.5 , one for measuring concentrations of PM 10...

  4. Ethnographic exercises as activities in public space: Social Occupational Therapy in art, culture and politics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Debora Galvani

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Ethnographic exercises are discussed - as proposed by the Metuia Project/ USP between 2007 and 2013 - as an activity able to enhance the recognition of the compound, plural and sometimes contradictory knowledge, but produced creatively in the intellectual and social do, in the interaction among students, occupational therapists, researchers and homeless people. It starts from the need to develop an understanding of the significant activities of artists working in the public spaces in São Paulo, as it persists as a plurality of meanings that the street acquires amid disputes of interests and cultural tensions, but also interconnections and creativity. The itinerant life and social areas’ characteristics, combined with reflections of urban anthropology and ethnographic research favored the theoretical and practical teaching in dialogic territorial shares of social occupational therapy. This article is the result of reflections built from the research Circuits and religious practices in life trajectories of adult homeless people in city of São Paulo, associated with university extension project linked to Metuia Project/USP, called Point meeting and culture: social networks, culture and social occupational therapy. In conclusion, on the one hand, there is need for renewed reflection about the occupational therapist’s place, considering the asymmetries of the relations in the construction of knowledge. On the other hand, it indicates that the produced activities, necessarily, in dialogical relations, only share meanings when inserted into the experience of the difference in consistent proposals with its own plasticity and in the middle of specific social and cultural contexts.

  5. Parada ng Lechon in Balayan, Batangas Philippines to Honor St. John the Baptist: An Ethnographic Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dr. Maria Luisa A. Valdez

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Thisstudy generally aimed to document the existing practice of the “Parada ng Lechon” in Balayan, Batangas Philippines to honor St. John the Baptist and the implications of the findings in relation to the study of Philippine culture. This paper employed the ethnographic research method which involved the use of documentary materials, participant observation method, questionnaires, and interviews with 150 purposively selected respondents. The results of the study revealed the world-famous “Parada ng Lechon” which originated as an old thanksgiving custom of the working class in what-used-to-be the poor and depressed area of the western district of Balayan, Batangas, Philippines. It was noteworthy to mention that during the Spanish and American regimes, families who were fortunate enough to receive some significant blessings during the past year would parade a lechon in the town plaza every June 24 - the Feast of St. John the Baptist. For the Balayeños, the parading of lechon is the best expression of thanksgiving and veneration to their patron saint. Even during these times, the sight of people parading lechons in Balayan - coupled with centuries-old practice of water dousing - was quite a spectacle to behold. The “Parada ng Lechon” is considered an invaluable asset that encapsulates the Philippine culture which may be cherished for posterity.

  6. A new method for designing dual foil electron beam forming systems. I. Introduction, concept of the method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adrich, Przemysław, E-mail: Przemyslaw.Adrich@ncbj.gov.pl

    2016-05-01

    In Part I of this work existing methods and problems in dual foil electron beam forming system design are presented. On this basis, a new method of designing these systems is introduced. The motivation behind this work is to eliminate the shortcomings of the existing design methods and improve overall efficiency of the dual foil design process. The existing methods are based on approximate analytical models applied in an unrealistically simplified geometry. Designing a dual foil system with these methods is a rather labor intensive task as corrections to account for the effects not included in the analytical models have to be calculated separately and accounted for in an iterative procedure. To eliminate these drawbacks, the new design method is based entirely on Monte Carlo modeling in a realistic geometry and using physics models that include all relevant processes. In our approach, an optimal configuration of the dual foil system is found by means of a systematic, automatized scan of the system performance in function of parameters of the foils. The new method, while being computationally intensive, minimizes the involvement of the designer and considerably shortens the overall design time. The results are of high quality as all the relevant physics and geometry details are naturally accounted for. To demonstrate the feasibility of practical implementation of the new method, specialized software tools were developed and applied to solve a real life design problem, as described in Part II of this work.

  7. A new method for designing dual foil electron beam forming systems. I. Introduction, concept of the method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adrich, Przemysław

    2016-01-01

    In Part I of this work existing methods and problems in dual foil electron beam forming system design are presented. On this basis, a new method of designing these systems is introduced. The motivation behind this work is to eliminate the shortcomings of the existing design methods and improve overall efficiency of the dual foil design process. The existing methods are based on approximate analytical models applied in an unrealistically simplified geometry. Designing a dual foil system with these methods is a rather labor intensive task as corrections to account for the effects not included in the analytical models have to be calculated separately and accounted for in an iterative procedure. To eliminate these drawbacks, the new design method is based entirely on Monte Carlo modeling in a realistic geometry and using physics models that include all relevant processes. In our approach, an optimal configuration of the dual foil system is found by means of a systematic, automatized scan of the system performance in function of parameters of the foils. The new method, while being computationally intensive, minimizes the involvement of the designer and considerably shortens the overall design time. The results are of high quality as all the relevant physics and geometry details are naturally accounted for. To demonstrate the feasibility of practical implementation of the new method, specialized software tools were developed and applied to solve a real life design problem, as described in Part II of this work.

  8. Value Innovation in Learner-Centered Design. How to Develop Valuable Learning Tools.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henning Breuer

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper shows how to address technological, cultural and social transformations with empirically grounded innovation. Areas in transition such as higher education and learning techniques today bring about new needs and opportunities for innovative tools and services. But how do we find these tools? The paper argues for using a strategy of (user value innovation that creatively combines ethnographic methods with strategic industry analysis. By focusing on unmet and emerging needs ethnographic research identifies learner values, needs and challenges but does not determine solutions. Blue-ocean strategy tools can identify new opportunities that alter existing offerings but give weak guidance on what will be most relevant to users. The triangulation of both is illustrated through an innovation project in higher education.

  9. Parental adaptation to adolescent drug abuse: an ethnographic study of role formulation in response to courtesy stigma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barton, J A

    1991-03-01

    Community based nurses have increasingly been involved in caring for the parents of drug abusing adolescents. They are in need of research data about how parents are coping with the problem. This study analyzed parental role formulation in response to their position as parents of deviant children. The method of inquiry was ethnographic. Data were gathered from nonparticipant observations, parent informant journals, and interviews with parents involved in a survival group. Parents move through three phases of role formation, the content of which has implications for nursing assessments. The similarities of these parents to those of physically and mentally handicapped children is striking. Both are outside the conventional norm and are constantly involved in interpreting situations with others as to their different parenting role. A pecularity in the findings is that the parents were less discredited by their family and friends than had been anticipated. They met their greatest discreditation from community institutions, including the school, police, and court systems, institutions that were expected to assist them in bringing their child's drug abuse under control.

  10. Lightweight hull surface self-design vertical parameterization method based on NURBS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ZHANG Yanru

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available [Objectives] At present, conventional design is limited to parent ship design space, and cannot drive ship hull design using as few parameters as possible. In order to solve the above problems, [Methods] by combining the draught function with NURBS, a ship hull surface self-design method based on vertical parameterization is proposed. In this method, the waterline is designated as the basic design unit; the bottom flat end line, designed waterline, stem and stern contours, side flat end line and maximum section line are designated as the characteristic constraints of the ship hull; and the draught function values corresponding to the characteristic parameters are designated as the design objectives. In this way, a waterline approximation model is built, and an evolutionary algorithm can be used to solve the approximation model. Finally, the ship hull surface is generated on the basis of the waterline using the NURBS skinning technique.[Results] The design examples of the characteristic curves of the full-scale ship hull surface indicate the practicable and advanced nature of this method.[Conclusions] The hull surface can be designed with as little data as possible using this method, making it much more suitable for the self-design of new ship forms.

  11. Introducing the Collaborative E-Learning Design Method (CoED)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ryberg, Thomas; Buus, Lillian; Nyvang, Tom

    2015-01-01

    In this chapter, a specific learning design method is introduced and explained, namely the Collaborative E-learning Design method (CoED), which has been developed through various projects in “e-Learning Lab – Centre for User Driven Innovation, Learning and Design” (Nyvang & Georgsen, 2007). We br...

  12. Study on design method for seismically isolated FBR plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirata, Kazuta; Yabana, Shuichi; Ohtori, Yasuki; Ishida, Katsuhiko; Sawada, Yoshihiro; Shiojiri; Hiroo; Mazda, Taiji

    1998-01-01

    CRIEPI conducted 'Demonstration test on FBR seismic isolation system' from 1987 to 1996 under contract with Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Japan. In the demonstration test, base isolation technologies are prepared and demonstrated to apply to FBR and the design guidelines are proposed. In this report overall contents of the design guidelines entitled Design guidelines for seismically base isolated FBR plants' are included. The design guidelines, as a rule, are limited to apply to FBR plants where entire reactor building is isolated in the horizontal direction using laminated rubber bearings as isolators. The design guidelines and its concepts, however, will be useful for the development of similar guidelines for other isolation systems using different type of isolation methods and other nuclear facilities. The design guidelines consist of three parts and appendices. The first part is 'Policy for Safety Design of Base Isolated FBR Plants' specifying the principles and the requirements in the planning and the design for the safety of base isolated FBR plants. The second part is Policy for Seismic Design of Base Isolated FBR' describing the principles and the requirements in the seismic design and the evaluation of safety for base isolated FBR plants. The third part is 'Design Methods for Seismic Isolated FBR Plants' detailing the methods, procedures and parameters to be used in the design and the evaluation of safety fro base isolated FBR plants. In appendices examples of design procedures for base isolated reactor building and laminated rubber bearings as well as various test data on laminated rubber bearings, etc. are shown. (author)

  13. Slovene Ethnographic Museum Web Collections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miha Špiček

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available EXTENDED ABSTRACT:Are you interested in the night view of Ljubljana or in the view on the Ljubljana skyscraper in the 30- ies of the 20th century? What did Cerknica look like in that time? What did a typical alpine house look like? What beds were used fifty years ago? Are you a sports fan interested in the training of Yugoslav athletic team in 1953? Is it true that Anton Codelli and his colleague Leo Poljanec set up the first wireless telegraph station for the company Telefunken in the West African German colony of Togo? What is a Palm Sunday bundle? Is a duel between a woman of Carinthia and Carniola really painted on a wooden bee hive panel? What on earth is an object called »roš«? What chimneys were built on the roofs of the Artiže village? The answers to these unusual questions can be found on the SEM (Slovene Ethnographic Museum website. The SEM documentation comprises numerous collections of photographs which are of interest to ethnologists as well as to the general public. To facilitate the access to them SEM bought the first scanner and started to scan individual photos in 1997. In 2007 SEM continued with systematic digitisation of the most frequently used collections of photos. In 2009 the activities were continued (partly in cooperation with external partners and we joined the Athena EU project. In order to be promoted the entire collections were published on the SEM website and made accessible to a broad audience. The MINOK software enabling the creation of html catalogues was used. As static catalogues were unsuitable for inclusion on the website, a new application using dynamic html was designed to create the gallery view of museum objects and photos, photo slide show, keyword filter, geolocation filter, display of geolocation on a map, and to offer the possibility of advanced searching. The Galerist software was designed by an external partner. It enables html catalogue import, sorting and editing XML files; it is possible to

  14. Control system design method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, David G [Tijeras, NM; Robinett, III, Rush D.

    2012-02-21

    A control system design method and concomitant control system comprising representing a physical apparatus to be controlled as a Hamiltonian system, determining elements of the Hamiltonian system representation which are power generators, power dissipators, and power storage devices, analyzing stability and performance of the Hamiltonian system based on the results of the determining step and determining necessary and sufficient conditions for stability of the Hamiltonian system, creating a stable control system based on the results of the analyzing step, and employing the resulting control system to control the physical apparatus.

  15. A Template for Design for eXcellence (DfX) methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jauregui Becker, Juan Manuel; Wits, Wessel Willems; Abramovici, Michael; Stark, Rainer

    2013-01-01

    Design for eXcellence (DfX) entails a wide range of goal specific design methods targeting different phases of a product’s lifecycle. These methods are often not standardized and sometimes even have contradicting rules among them. As a consequence, design processes experience an increase in

  16. Forming a method mindset : The role of knowledge and preference in facilitating heuristic method usage in design

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Daalhuizen, J.J.; Person, F.E.O.K.; Gattol, V.

    2013-01-01

    Both systematic and heuristic methods are common practice when designing. Yet, in teaching students how to design, heuristic methods are typically only granted a secondary role. So, how do designers and students develop a mindset for using heuristic methods? In this paper, we study how prior

  17. Making Design Decisions Visible: Applying the Case-Based Method in Designing Online Instruction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heng Luo,

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The instructional intervention in this design case is a self-directed online tutorial that applies the case-based method to teach educators how to design and conduct entrepreneurship programs for elementary school students. In this article, the authors describe the major decisions made in each phase of the design and development process, explicate the rationales behind them, and demonstrate their effect on the production of the tutorial. Based on such analysis, the guidelines for designing case-based online instruction are summarized for the design case.

  18. Social Orders and Interactions among Children in Age-Mixed Classes in Primary Schools--New Perspectives from a Synthesis of Ethnographic Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huf, Christina; Raggl, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    The article synthesises data from two ethnographic projects, which both explore interactions of children in age-mixed groups in primary schools. It illuminates critical perspectives on social orders and children's interactions in age-mixed classes by showing how pupils in age-mixed groups become involved in power relations and how the teacher's…

  19. Evaluation of Information Requirements of Reliability Methods in Engineering Design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marini, Vinicius Kaster; Restrepo-Giraldo, John Dairo; Ahmed-Kristensen, Saeema

    2010-01-01

    This paper aims to characterize the information needed to perform methods for robustness and reliability, and verify their applicability to early design stages. Several methods were evaluated on their support to synthesis in engineering design. Of those methods, FMEA, FTA and HAZOP were selected...

  20. Simple design of slanted grating with simplified modal method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shubin; Zhou, Changhe; Cao, Hongchao; Wu, Jun

    2014-02-15

    A simplified modal method (SMM) is presented that offers a clear physical image for subwavelength slanted grating. The diffraction characteristic of the slanted grating under Littrow configuration is revealed by the SMM as an equivalent rectangular grating, which is in good agreement with rigorous coupled-wave analysis. Based on the equivalence, we obtained an effective analytic solution for simplifying the design and optimization of a slanted grating. It offers a new approach for design of the slanted grating, e.g., a 1×2 beam splitter can be easily designed. This method should be helpful for designing various new slanted grating devices.

  1. The EDIE method – towards an approach to collaboration-based persuasive design

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Sandra Burri Gram

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents the initial steps towards a collaboration-based method for persuasive design – the EDIE method (Explore, Design, Implement, Evaluate). The method is inspired by Design-Based Research, but developed to combine different design approaches that have dominated the persuasive...... technology field over the past decade. The rhetorical notion of Kairos is considered a key element in the EDIE method, resulting in a distinct focus on participatory design and constructive ethics. The method is explained through a practical example of developing persuasive learning designs in collaboration...

  2. Valve cam design using numerical step-by-step method

    OpenAIRE

    Vasilyev, Aleksandr; Bakhracheva, Yuliya; Kabore, Ousman; Zelenskiy, Yuriy

    2014-01-01

    This article studies the numerical step-by-step method of cam profile design. The results of the study are used for designing the internal combustion engine valve gear. This method allows to profile the peak efficiency of cams in view of many restrictions, connected with valve gear serviceability and reliability.

  3. Interactive methods to involve users into workspace design process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Souza da Conceição, Carolina; Broberg, Ole; Banke, Palle

    2013-01-01

    This paper addresses the question of whether the use of a combination of interactive methods involving workers can lead to a useful input to the (re)design of their workspace. The workbook and the layout design game methods were tested, and a comparison between their use and the ergonomic analysi...

  4. Addressing Research Design Problem in Mixed Methods Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alavi, Hamed; Hąbek, Patrycja

    2016-03-01

    Alongside other disciplines in social sciences, management researchers use mixed methods research more and more in conduct of their scientific investigations. Mixed methods approach can also be used in the field of production engineering. In comparison with traditional quantitative and qualitative research methods, reasons behind increasing popularity of mixed research method in management science can be traced in different factors. First of all, any particular discipline in management can be theoretically related to it. Second is that concurrent approach of mixed research method to inductive and deductive research logic provides researchers with opportunity to generate theory and test hypothesis in one study simultaneously. In addition, it provides a better justification for chosen method of investigation and higher validity for obtained answers to research questions. Despite increasing popularity of mixed research methods among management scholars, there is still need for a comprehensive approach to research design typology and process in mixed research method from the perspective of management science. The authors in this paper try to explain fundamental principles of mixed research method, its typology and different steps in its design process.

  5. Making sense of gender from digital game play in three-year-old children’s everyday lives: An ethnographic case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Youn Jung Huh

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This study explores very young children performing and talking about game characters in their everyday life. In this study, young children’s digital game play is considered as a hybrid and complex site for the children to meet popular culture and their everyday family experiences. This article represents a case study of six three-year-old children and their families, which combines ethnographic methods (spending time with the families, being a participant observer and critical perspectives analysis with Bakhtinian perspectives to construct analyses that have the potential to understand how young children make sense of their everyday roles as a boy or a girl through their game play. This study shows that young children do not directly receive ideological messages from the game media, but they make sense of the messages by decoding and interpreting the game media based on their own theories of everyday life.

  6. Space systems conceptual design : Analysis methods for engineering-team support

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ridolfi, G.

    2013-01-01

    The research can be placed in the framework of designing methods for complex systems focused on the conceptual design phase of the systems’ life-cycle. More specifically, the methods presented in the dissertation belong to the category of Operational Research methods. They aim at the creation of

  7. Monte Carlo methods for shield design calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grimstone, M.J.

    1974-01-01

    A suite of Monte Carlo codes is being developed for use on a routine basis in commercial reactor shield design. The methods adopted for this purpose include the modular construction of codes, simplified geometries, automatic variance reduction techniques, continuous energy treatment of cross section data, and albedo methods for streaming. Descriptions are given of the implementation of these methods and of their use in practical calculations. 26 references. (U.S.)

  8. Advances in product family and product platform design methods & applications

    CERN Document Server

    Jiao, Jianxin; Siddique, Zahed; Hölttä-Otto, Katja

    2014-01-01

    Advances in Product Family and Product Platform Design: Methods & Applications highlights recent advances that have been made to support product family and product platform design and successful applications in industry. This book provides not only motivation for product family and product platform design—the “why” and “when” of platforming—but also methods and tools to support the design and development of families of products based on shared platforms—the “what”, “how”, and “where” of platforming. It begins with an overview of recent product family design research to introduce readers to the breadth of the topic and progresses to more detailed topics and design theory to help designers, engineers, and project managers plan, architect, and implement platform-based product development strategies in their companies. This book also: Presents state-of-the-art methods and tools for product family and product platform design Adopts an integrated, systems view on product family and pro...

  9. Creative design inspired by biological knowledge: Technologies and methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Runhua; Liu, Wei; Cao, Guozhong; Shi, Yuan

    2018-05-01

    Biological knowledge is becoming an important source of inspiration for developing creative solutions to engineering design problems and even has a huge potential in formulating ideas that can help firms compete successfully in a dynamic market. To identify the technologies and methods that can facilitate the development of biologically inspired creative designs, this research briefly reviews the existing biological-knowledge-based theories and methods and examines the application of biological-knowledge-inspired designs in various fields. Afterward, this research thoroughly examines the four dimensions of key technologies that underlie the biologically inspired design (BID) process. This research then discusses the future development trends of the BID process before presenting the conclusions.

  10. A Conceptual Design and Analysis Method for Conventional and Unconventional Airplanes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elmendorp, R.J.M.; Vos, R.; La Rocca, G.

    2014-01-01

    A design method is presented that has been implemented in a software program to investigate the merits of conventional and unconventional transport airplanes. Design and analysis methods are implemented in a design tool capable of creating a conceptual design based on a set of toplevel requirements.

  11. Development of inelastic design method for liquid metal reactor plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Yukio; Take, Kohji; Kaguchi, Hitoshi; Fukuda, Yoshio; Uno, Tetsuro.

    1991-01-01

    Effective utilization of inelastic analysis in structural design assessment is expected to play an important role for avoiding too conservative design of liquid metal reactor plants. Studies have been conducted by the authors to develop a guideline for application of detailed inelastic analysis in design assessment. Both fundamental material characteristics tests and structural failure tests were conducted. Fundamental investigations were made on inelastic analysis method and creep-fatigue life prediction method based on the results of material characteristics tests. It was demonstrated through structural failure tests that the design method constructed based on these fundamental investigations can predict failure lives in structures subjected to cyclic thermal loadings with sufficient accuracy. (author)

  12. Scenarios, personas and user stories: user-centered evidence-based design representations of communicable disease investigations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Anne M; Reeder, Blaine; Ramey, Judith

    2013-08-01

    Despite years of effort and millions of dollars spent to create unified electronic communicable disease reporting systems, the goal remains elusive. A major barrier has been a lack of understanding by system designers of communicable disease (CD) work and the public health workers who perform this work. This study reports on the application of user-centered design representations, traditionally used for improving interface design, to translate the complex CD work identified through ethnographic studies to guide designers and developers of CD systems. The purpose of this work is to: (1) better understand public health practitioners and their information workflow with respect to CD monitoring and control at a local health agency, and (2) to develop evidence-based design representations that model this CD work to inform the design of future disease surveillance systems. We performed extensive onsite semi-structured interviews, targeted work shadowing and a focus group to characterize local health agency CD workflow. Informed by principles of design ethnography and user-centered design we created persona, scenarios and user stories to accurately represent the user to system designers. We sought to convey to designers the key findings from ethnographic studies: (1) public health CD work is mobile and episodic, in contrast to current CD reporting systems, which are stationary and fixed, (2) health agency efforts are focused on CD investigation and response rather than reporting and (3) current CD information systems must conform to public health workflow to ensure their usefulness. In an effort to illustrate our findings to designers, we developed three contemporary design-support representations: persona, scenario, and user story. Through application of user-centered design principles, we were able to create design representations that illustrate complex public health communicable disease workflow and key user characteristics to inform the design of CD information

  13. Design Analysis Method for Multidisciplinary Complex Product using SysML

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Jihong

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In the design of multidisciplinary complex products, model-based systems engineering methods are widely used. However, the methodologies only contain only modeling order and simple analysis steps, and lack integrated design analysis methods supporting the whole process. In order to solve the problem, a conceptual design analysis method with integrating modern design methods has been proposed. First, based on the requirement analysis of the quantization matrix, the user’s needs are quantitatively evaluated and translated to system requirements. Then, by the function decomposition of the function knowledge base, the total function is semi-automatically decomposed into the predefined atomic function. The function is matched into predefined structure through the behaviour layer using function-structure mapping based on the interface matching. Finally based on design structure matrix (DSM, the structure reorganization is completed. The process of analysis is implemented with SysML, and illustrated through an aircraft air conditioning system for the system validation.

  14. Interactive design optimization of magnetorheological-brake actuators using the Taguchi method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erol, Ozan; Gurocak, Hakan

    2011-10-01

    This research explored an optimization method that would automate the process of designing a magnetorheological (MR)-brake but still keep the designer in the loop. MR-brakes apply resistive torque by increasing the viscosity of an MR fluid inside the brake. This electronically controllable brake can provide a very large torque-to-volume ratio, which is very desirable for an actuator. However, the design process is quite complex and time consuming due to many parameters. In this paper, we adapted the popular Taguchi method, widely used in manufacturing, to the problem of designing a complex MR-brake. Unlike other existing methods, this approach can automatically identify the dominant parameters of the design, which reduces the search space and the time it takes to find the best possible design. While automating the search for a solution, it also lets the designer see the dominant parameters and make choices to investigate only their interactions with the design output. The new method was applied for re-designing MR-brakes. It reduced the design time from a week or two down to a few minutes. Also, usability experiments indicated significantly better brake designs by novice users.

  15. Interactive design optimization of magnetorheological-brake actuators using the Taguchi method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erol, Ozan; Gurocak, Hakan

    2011-01-01

    This research explored an optimization method that would automate the process of designing a magnetorheological (MR)-brake but still keep the designer in the loop. MR-brakes apply resistive torque by increasing the viscosity of an MR fluid inside the brake. This electronically controllable brake can provide a very large torque-to-volume ratio, which is very desirable for an actuator. However, the design process is quite complex and time consuming due to many parameters. In this paper, we adapted the popular Taguchi method, widely used in manufacturing, to the problem of designing a complex MR-brake. Unlike other existing methods, this approach can automatically identify the dominant parameters of the design, which reduces the search space and the time it takes to find the best possible design. While automating the search for a solution, it also lets the designer see the dominant parameters and make choices to investigate only their interactions with the design output. The new method was applied for re-designing MR-brakes. It reduced the design time from a week or two down to a few minutes. Also, usability experiments indicated significantly better brake designs by novice users

  16. New trends in reactor physics design methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jagannathan, V.

    1993-01-01

    Reactor physics design methods are aimed at safe and efficient management of nuclear materials in a reactor core. The design methodologies require a high level of integration of different calculational modules of many a key areas like neutronics, thermal hydraulics, radiation transport etc in order to follow different 3-D phenomena under normal and transient operating conditions. The evolution of computer hardware technology is far more rapid than the software development and has rendered such integration a meaningful and realizable proposition. The aim of this paper is to assess the state of art of the physics design codes used in Indian thermal power reactor applications with respect to meeting the design, operational and safety requirements. (author). 50 refs

  17. Postmodern Software Design with NYAM: Not Yet Another Method

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wieringa, Roelf J.; Broy, M.; Rumpe, B.

    1998-01-01

    This paper presents a conceptual toolbox for software specification and design that contains techniques from structured and object-oriented specification and design methods. The toolbox is called TRADE (Toolkit for Requirements and Design Engineering). The TRADE tools are used in teaching

  18. Main flexible pavement and mix design methods in Europe and challenges for the development of an European method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Pereira

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Pavement and mix design represent one of the key components within the life cycle of a road infrastructure, with links to political, economic, technical, societal and environmental issues. Recent researches related to the characteristics of materials and associated behavior models both for materials and pavement, made it appropriate to consider updating current pavement design methods, and especially in the USA this has already been in process while in Europe uses of the methods developed in the early 1970s. Thus, this paper firstly presents a brief historical overview of pavement design methods, highlighting early limitations of old empirical methods. Afterwards, French, UK and Shell methods currently in use in Europe will be presented, underlining their main components in terms of methodology, traffic, climatic conditions and subgrade. The asphalt mix design and modeling in Europe are presented with their inclusion in the pavement design methods. Finally, the main challenges for the development of a European pavement design method are presented as well as the recent research developments that can be used for that method.

  19. Mixed methods research design for pragmatic psychoanalytic studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tillman, Jane G; Clemence, A Jill; Stevens, Jennifer L

    2011-10-01

    Calls for more rigorous psychoanalytic studies have increased over the past decade. The field has been divided by those who assert that psychoanalysis is properly a hermeneutic endeavor and those who see it as a science. A comparable debate is found in research methodology, where qualitative and quantitative methods have often been seen as occupying orthogonal positions. Recently, Mixed Methods Research (MMR) has emerged as a viable "third community" of research, pursuing a pragmatic approach to research endeavors through integrating qualitative and quantitative procedures in a single study design. Mixed Methods Research designs and the terminology associated with this emerging approach are explained, after which the methodology is explored as a potential integrative approach to a psychoanalytic human science. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are reviewed, as well as how they may be used in Mixed Methods Research to study complex human phenomena.

  20. Education and Training for Young People at Risk of Becoming NEET: Findings from an Ethnographic Study of Work-Based Learning Programmes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmons, Robin; Thompson, Ron

    2011-01-01

    This report provides a summary of findings from an ethnographic study of work-based learning provision for 16-18-year-olds who would otherwise fall into the UK Government category of not in education, employment or training (NEET). The research project took place in the north of England during 2008-2009, and investigated the biographies,…

  1. The Sources and Methods of Engineering Design Requirement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xuemeng; Zhang, Zhinan; Ahmed-Kristensen, Saeema

    2014-01-01

    to be defined in a new context. This paper focuses on understanding the design requirement sources at the requirement elicitation phase. It aims at proposing an improved design requirement source classification considering emerging markets and presenting current methods for eliciting requirement for each source...

  2. Plant identification credibility in ethnobotany: a closer look at Polish ethnographic studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Łuczaj, Łukasz J

    2010-12-17

    This paper is an attempt to estimate the percentage of erroneously identified taxa in ethnographic studies concerning the use of plants and to propose a code for recording credibility of identification in historical ethnobotany publications. A sample of Polish-language ethnobotanical literature (45 published sources from 1874-2005) and four collections of voucher specimens (from 1894-1975) were analyzed. Errors were detected in the publications by comparing the data with existing knowledge on the distribution of plant names and species ranges. The voucher specimens were re-examined.A one-letter code was invented for quick identification of the credibility of data published in lists of species compiled from historical or ethnographic sources, according to the source of identification: voucher specimen, Latin binominal, botanical expert, obvious widespread name, folk name, mode of use, range, physical description or photograph. To test the use of the code an up-to-date list of wild food plants used in Poland was made. A significant difference between the ratio of mistakes in the voucher specimen collections and the ratio of detectable mistakes in the studies without herbarium documentation was found. At least 2.3% of taxa in the publications were identified erroneously (mean rate was 6.2% per publication), and in half of these mistakes even the genus was not correct. As many as 10.0% of voucher specimens (on average 9.2% per collection) were originally erroneously identified, but three quarters of the identification mistakes remained within-genus.The species of the genera Thymus, Rumex and Rubus were most often confused within the genus.Not all of the invented credibility codes were used in the list of wild food plants, but they may be useful for other researchers. The most often used codes were the ones signifying identification by: voucher specimen, botanical expert and by a common name used throughout the country. The results of this study support the rigorous use

  3. Optimization methods in structural design

    CERN Document Server

    Rothwell, Alan

    2017-01-01

    This book offers an introduction to numerical optimization methods in structural design. Employing a readily accessible and compact format, the book presents an overview of optimization methods, and equips readers to properly set up optimization problems and interpret the results. A ‘how-to-do-it’ approach is followed throughout, with less emphasis at this stage on mathematical derivations. The book features spreadsheet programs provided in Microsoft Excel, which allow readers to experience optimization ‘hands-on.’ Examples covered include truss structures, columns, beams, reinforced shell structures, stiffened panels and composite laminates. For the last three, a review of relevant analysis methods is included. Exercises, with solutions where appropriate, are also included with each chapter. The book offers a valuable resource for engineering students at the upper undergraduate and postgraduate level, as well as others in the industry and elsewhere who are new to these highly practical techniques.Whi...

  4. HIV/AIDS-related stigma and information behaviour: an ethnographic study in the UK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namuleme, Robinah Kalemeera

    2015-03-01

    This feature explores the information behaviour of people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. It investigates specifically the difficult issue of stigma and how this shapes the ways in which people interact with vital information. The study adopted an ethnographic whereby the researcher worked as a part-time volunteer at an HIV support centre in the North of England for over a year. This is the first time that such an approach has been reported in this feature and is interesting from this perspective alone. The very rich data which was gathered as a result of the approach is also instructive. The study formed part of a PhD thesis, which Robinah Kalemeera Namuleme completed at the University of Sheffield in March 2013. © 2015 Health Libraries Journal.

  5. Generic methods for design of small-bore pipe supports

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, G.L.; LaSalle, F.R.

    1981-01-01

    Large numbers of supports for small-bore, low-temperature pipe are utilized in nuclear power plants. These supports often must meet ASME code and project seismic design requirements. Detailed analysis for each support is time consuming and costly. This paper describes some economical generic methods developed to design and qualify supports for two-inch and smaller pipe operating at temperatures less than 300 0 F (185 0 C), on the Fast Flux Test Facility. Use of standard designs, standard support spacing tables, anchor bolt and baseplate considerations, and field qualification methods are discussed

  6. Phenomenological Research Method, Design and Procedure: A ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Phenomenological Research Method, Design and Procedure: A Phenomenological Investigation of the Phenomenon of Being-in-Community as Experienced by Two Individuals Who Have Participated in a Community Building Workshop.

  7. Novel Methods for Electromagnetic Simulation and Design

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-08-03

    modeling software that can handle complicated, electrically large objects in a manner that is sufficiently fast to allow design by simulation. 15. SUBJECT...electrically large objects in a manner that is sufficiently fast to allow design by simulation. We also developed new methods for scattering from cavities in a...basis for high fidelity modeling software that can handle complicated, electrically large objects in a manner that is sufficiently fast to allow

  8. Multivariable control in nuclear power stations -survey of design methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mcmorran, P.D.

    1979-12-01

    The development of larger nuclear generating stations increases the importance of dynamic interaction between controllers, because each control action may affect several plant outputs. Multivariable control provides the techniques to design controllers which perform well under these conditions. This report is a foundation for further work on the application of multivariable control in AECL. It covers the requirements of control and the fundamental mathematics used, then reviews the most important linear methods, based on both state-space and frequency-response concepts. State-space methods are derived from analysis of the system differential equations, while frequency-response methods use the input-output transfer function. State-space methods covered include linear-quadratic optimal control, pole shifting, and the theory of state observers and estimators. Frequency-response methods include the inverse Nyquist array method, and classical non-interactive techniques. Transfer-function methods are particularly emphasized since they can incorporate ill-defined design criteria. The underlying concepts, and the application strengths and weaknesses of each design method are presented. A review of significant applications is also given. It is concluded that the inverse Nyquist array method, a frequency-response technique based on inverse transfer-function matrices, is preferred for the design of multivariable controllers for nuclear power plants. This method may be supplemented by information obtained from a modal analysis of the plant model. (auth)

  9. A concept for a usability focused design method

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoolhorst, F.W.B.; van der Voort, Mascha C.

    2009-01-01

    Many user-centered design methods (UCDM) have been developed within the last decades. However, industry increasingly demands for a new-generation UCDM since only few of the existing UCDM seem to be applicable to the daily design practice. This paper first discusses the main criteria regarding such

  10. Ethnographic context and spatial coherence of climate indicators for farming communities – A multi-regional comparative assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincent Moron

    2015-01-01

    The ethnographic surveys, as well as yield–climate functions, emphasized the role played by various intra-seasonal characteristics of the rainy seasons beyond the seasonal rainfall amounts, in both actual yields and people’s representations and/or crop management strategies. For instance, the onset of the rainy season in East Africa and North Cameroon, the season duration in the driest district of the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, or rains at the core (August and at the end of the rainy season in North Cameroon have been highlighted. The dynamics of farming systems (i.e. soybeanization in Central Argentina, increasing popularity of maize in East Africa, recent decline of cotton in North Cameroon were also emphasized as active drivers; these slow changes could increase climatic vulnerability (i.e. soybean is far more sensitive to rainfall variations than wheat, maize is less drought-resistant than sorghum or millet, at least for the least flexible actors (such as the non-capitalized farmers in Central Argentina. The cross between ethnographic surveys and climatic analyses enabled us to identify climate variables that are both useful to farmers and potentially predictable. These variables do not appear to be common across the surveyed fields. The best example is the rainy season onset date whose variations, depending on regions, crop species and farming practices may either have a major/minor role in crop performance and/or crop management, or may have a high/low potential predictability.

  11. Enhancing user experience design with an integrated storytelling method

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peng, Qiong; Matterns, Jean Bernard; Marcus, A.

    2016-01-01

    Storytelling has been known as a service design method and been used broadly not only in service design but also in the context of user experience design. However, practitioners cannot yet fully appreciate the benefits of storytelling, and often confuse storytelling with storyboarding and scenarios.

  12. A Frequency Domain Design Method For Sampled-Data Compensators

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Niemann, Hans Henrik; Jannerup, Ole Erik

    1990-01-01

    A new approach to the design of a sampled-data compensator in the frequency domain is investigated. The starting point is a continuous-time compensator for the continuous-time system which satisfy specific design criteria. The new design method will graphically show how the discrete...

  13. Using mixed methods effectively in prevention science: designs, procedures, and examples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wanqing; Watanabe-Galloway, Shinobu

    2014-10-01

    There is growing interest in using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to generate evidence about the effectiveness of health prevention, services, and intervention programs. With the emerging importance of mixed methods research across the social and health sciences, there has been an increased recognition of the value of using mixed methods for addressing research questions in different disciplines. We illustrate the mixed methods approach in prevention research, showing design procedures used in several published research articles. In this paper, we focused on two commonly used mixed methods designs: concurrent and sequential mixed methods designs. We discuss the types of mixed methods designs, the reasons for, and advantages of using a particular type of design, and the procedures of qualitative and quantitative data collection and integration. The studies reviewed in this paper show that the essence of qualitative research is to explore complex dynamic phenomena in prevention science, and the advantage of using mixed methods is that quantitative data can yield generalizable results and qualitative data can provide extensive insights. However, the emphasis of methodological rigor in a mixed methods application also requires considerable expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods. Besides the necessary skills and effective interdisciplinary collaboration, this combined approach also requires an open-mindedness and reflection from the involved researchers.

  14. Development of computational methods of design by analysis for pressure vessel components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bao Shiyi; Zhou Yu; He Shuyan; Wu Honglin

    2005-01-01

    Stress classification is not only one of key steps when pressure vessel component is designed by analysis, but also a difficulty which puzzles engineers and designers at all times. At present, for calculating and categorizing the stress field of pressure vessel components, there are several computation methods of design by analysis such as Stress Equivalent Linearization, Two-Step Approach, Primary Structure method, Elastic Compensation method, GLOSS R-Node method and so on, that are developed and applied. Moreover, ASME code also gives an inelastic method of design by analysis for limiting gross plastic deformation only. When pressure vessel components design by analysis, sometimes there are huge differences between the calculating results for using different calculating and analysis methods mentioned above. As consequence, this is the main reason that affects wide application of design by analysis approach. Recently, a new approach, presented in the new proposal of a European Standard, CEN's unfired pressure vessel standard EN 13445-3, tries to avoid problems of stress classification by analyzing pressure vessel structure's various failure mechanisms directly based on elastic-plastic theory. In this paper, some stress classification methods mentioned above, are described briefly. And the computational methods cited in the European pressure vessel standard, such as Deviatoric Map, and nonlinear analysis methods (plastic analysis and limit analysis), are depicted compendiously. Furthermore, the characteristics of computational methods of design by analysis are summarized for selecting the proper computational method when design pressure vessel component by analysis. (authors)

  15. New evaluation methods for conceptual design selection using computational intelligence techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Hong Zhong; Liu, Yu; Li, Yanfeng; Wang, Zhonglai [University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu (China); Xue, Lihua [Higher Education Press, Beijing (China)

    2013-03-15

    The conceptual design selection, which aims at choosing the best or most desirable design scheme among several candidates for the subsequent detailed design stage, oftentimes requires a set of tools to conduct design evaluation. Using computational intelligence techniques, such as fuzzy logic, neural network, genetic algorithm, and physical programming, several design evaluation methods are put forth in this paper to realize the conceptual design selection under different scenarios. Depending on whether an evaluation criterion can be quantified or not, the linear physical programming (LPP) model and the RAOGA-based fuzzy neural network (FNN) model can be utilized to evaluate design alternatives in conceptual design stage. Furthermore, on the basis of Vanegas and Labib's work, a multi-level conceptual design evaluation model based on the new fuzzy weighted average (NFWA) and the fuzzy compromise decision-making method is developed to solve the design evaluation problem consisting of many hierarchical criteria. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is demonstrated via several illustrative examples.

  16. New evaluation methods for conceptual design selection using computational intelligence techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Hong Zhong; Liu, Yu; Li, Yanfeng; Wang, Zhonglai; Xue, Lihua

    2013-01-01

    The conceptual design selection, which aims at choosing the best or most desirable design scheme among several candidates for the subsequent detailed design stage, oftentimes requires a set of tools to conduct design evaluation. Using computational intelligence techniques, such as fuzzy logic, neural network, genetic algorithm, and physical programming, several design evaluation methods are put forth in this paper to realize the conceptual design selection under different scenarios. Depending on whether an evaluation criterion can be quantified or not, the linear physical programming (LPP) model and the RAOGA-based fuzzy neural network (FNN) model can be utilized to evaluate design alternatives in conceptual design stage. Furthermore, on the basis of Vanegas and Labib's work, a multi-level conceptual design evaluation model based on the new fuzzy weighted average (NFWA) and the fuzzy compromise decision-making method is developed to solve the design evaluation problem consisting of many hierarchical criteria. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is demonstrated via several illustrative examples.

  17. Symphony: A case study for exploring and describing design methods and guidelines for learner-centered design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quintana, Christopher

    Learner-centered design is an evolving software design perspective addressing the needs of learners---a specific audience trying to work in and understand new work practices in which they have a novice or naive understanding. Learner-centered design involves designing software that incorporates work support features (or scaffolding features) informed by social constructivist learning theories. By adopting a constructivist "learning by doing" perspective, scaffolds should support learners so they can mindfully engage in previously inaccessible work activity, which in turn allows those learners to progressively gain a better understanding of the new work. While there is an intuitive notion of "learner-centered design", there is less specific design information for developing learner-centered software. As a result, learner-centered software results from "educated guesses" and ad-hoc design approaches rather than from systematic design methods. Thus there is a need for specific design guidance to facilitate the development of learner-centered tools that help learners see the tasks, terminology, tools, etc. in the new work context and engage in that work. The research in this dissertation provides a more specific base of learner-centered design descriptions, methods, and guidelines to analyze work practices and design and evaluate scaffolds. The research approach involves using the development of Symphony---a scaffolded integrated tool environment for high-school students learning the work of computational science inquiry---as a case study to develop the learner-centered design approach. Symphony incorporates a variety of science tools with process scaffolding to support students in performing complex air pollution investigations. Six ninth-grade students used Symphony to investigate air quality questions for several weeks in an environmental science class. The student testing helped assess the effectiveness of the software scaffolding and in turn, the learner

  18. Ethnographic analysis on the use of the electronic medical record for clinical handoff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Philippa; Bell, Anthony J; Nathanson, Larry; Sanchez, Leon D; Fisher, Jonathan; Anderson, Philip D

    2017-12-01

    The objective of this study was to understand the social elements of clinical and organizational interactions of the key stakeholders in the specific context of an electronic dashboard used by the emergency department (ED) and inpatient medicine teams at the time of clinical referral and handover. An electronic handover function is utilised at the ED-inpatient interface at this institution and has given clinicians the ability to better communicate, monitor the department and strive to improve patient safety in streamline the delivery of care in the acute phase. This study uses an ethnographic qualitative research design incorporating semistructured interviews, participant observation on the ED floor and fieldwork notes. The setting for this research was in the ED at a tertiary University affiliated hospital. Triangulation was used to combine information obtained from multiple sources and information from fieldwork and interviews refined into useable chunks culminating in a thematic analysis. Thematic analysis yielded five central themes that reflected how the clinical staff utilised this IT system and why it had become embedded in the culture of clinical referral and handover. Efficient time management for improved patient flow was demonstrated, value added communication (at the interpersonal level), the building trust at the ED-inpatient interface, the maintenance of mutual respect across medical cultures and an overall enhancement of the quality of ED communication (in terms of the information available). A robust electronic handover process, resulted in an integrated approach to patient care by removing barriers to admission for medical inpatients, admitted via ED. The value proposition for patients was a more complete information transfer, both within the ED and between departments.

  19. Trust, Responsiveness and Communities of Care: An Ethnographic Study of the Significance and Development of Parent-Caregiver Relationships in Irish Early Years Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrity, Sheila; Canavan, John

    2017-01-01

    Conceptualising early years settings as "communities of care" reflects the narrative arising from recent ethnographic research conducted in the West and Midlands areas of Ireland. Drawing on the ethic of care as an underpinning theoretical framework, this article outlines the potential of early years settings to represent reliable,…

  20. ROMANIAN FOLKLORE MOTIFS IN FASHION DESIGN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MOCENCO Alexandra

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The traditional Romanian costume such as the entire popular art (architecture, woodcarvins, pottery etc. was born and lasted in our country since ancient times. Closely related to human existence, the traditional costume reflected over the years as reflected nowadays, the mentality and artistic conception of the people. Today the traditional Romanian costume became an inspiration source to the wholesale fashion production industry designers, both Romanian and international. Although the contemporary designers are working in accordance with a vision, using a wide area of styles, methods and current technology, they usually return to traditional techniques and ethnic folklore motifs, which converts and resize them, integrating them in their contemporary space. Adrian Oianu is a very appreciated Romanian designer who launched two collections inspired by his native’s country traditional costumes: “Suflecata pan’ la brau” (“Turned up ‘til the belt” and “Bucurie” (“Joy”. Dorin Negrau had as inspiration for his “Lost” collection the traditional costume from the Bihor region. Yves Saint Laurent had a collection inspired by the Romanian traditional flax blouses called “La blouse roumaine”. The paper presents the traditional Romanian values throw fashion collections. The research activity will create innovative concepts to support the garment industry in order to develop their own brand and to bring the design activities in Romania at an international level. The research was conducted during the initial stage of a project, financed through national founds, consisting in a documentary study on ethnographic characteristics of the popular costume from different regions of the country.