Alternative Research Methodologies Research Articles

Where next for delirium research?

Clinicians who manage delirium must do so without key information required for evidence-based practice, not least lack of any clearly effective treatment for established delirium. Both the nature of delirium and the methods used to research it contribute to difficulties. Delirium is heterogeneous, with respect to motor subtype, aetiology, setting and the co-existence of dementia, and may be almost inevitable towards the end of life. Elements of assessment are subjective, so diagnosis can be uncertain or unreliable. Defining objectives of care and outcomes is sometimes unclear. Better identification and case definition, including seeking biomarkers, stratification by type, or aetiology, and application of more complex models of causation may help. This will likely require further observational epidemiology, imaging and laboratory-based research before further rounds of large-scale randomised controlled trials. Application of trial methodologies designed for drug treatments of better-defined conditions may have failed to take account of the complexities both of diagnosis and complex intervention in delirium. Both drug and complex intervention trials need sufficient preliminary work to ensure that the right dose, duration or intensity of treatment is delivered and a range of 'intermediate' and 'distal' outcome measures assessed. Re-purposing of established drugs may provide a source of investigational products. Greater use of alternative research methodologies (qualitative and realist), or adjuvants to trials (process evaluation), will help answer questions about focus, generalisability and why interventions succeed or fail. Delirium research will have to embrace both a 'back to basics' approach with increased breadth of methodologies to make progress.

Utilizing Bricolage as an Alternative Research Methodology for Installation Art Practice in Postgraduate and Undergraduate Level

Utilizing Bricolage as an Alternative Research Methodology for Installation Art Practice in Postgraduate and Undergraduate Level

MHealth in psychiatry: time for methodological change

A multitude of mental health apps are available to consumers through the Apple and Google app stores. However, evidence supporting the effectiveness of mHealth is scant. We argue this gap...

Alternative Victorian Religion and the Recuperation of Women's Voices

AbstractWhat is Victorian “religion” and how might we define the “alternative” in “alternative religions” of this time period? Dealing with these questions affirms why analyzing so‐called peripheral religions in the Victorian period is necessary to understanding the Victorian cultural landscape. “Alternate” may refer to the proliferation of non‐mainstream forms of belief; the concept that change and difference are inherent to the very structures mainstream of Victorian religions; the range of methods and theories needed to study Victorian belief properly; and the disparate perspectives such studies make available to our engagements with Victorian literature and culture. Recent feminist recuperations of female writers and their alternate understandings, voices, and critique provide enriched readings of Victorian faith. These voices may become available through strong “critical empathy,” belief, and alternative research methodologies.

Infrastructure and the experience of documents

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to understandings of how documents are experienced by looking to work in reception studies for methodological examples. Based on a review of research from literary studies, communication studies and museum studies, it identifies existing approaches and challenges. Specifically, it draws attention to problems cited in relation to small-scale user studies and suggests an alternative approach that focusses on how infrastructures influence experience. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents data collected from over a year of ethnographic work at a cultural archive and exhibition space and analyses the implications of infrastructural features such as institutional organization, database structures and the organization of physical space for making available certain modes of reception. Findings – This research suggests that infrastructure provides a useful perspective on how experiences of documents are influenced by larger systems. Research limitations/implications – This research was conducted to explore the implications of an alternative research methodology. Based on the ethnographic study presented, it suggests that this approach produces results that warrant further work. However, as it is intended only to be a test case, its scope is limited, and future research following the approach discussed here should more fully engage with specific findings in relation to the experience of documents. Originality/value – This paper presents an alternative approach to studying the experience of documents that responds to limitations in previous work. The research presented suggests that infrastructures can reveal ways that the experience is shared across contexts, shifting discussions from individuals and objects to technical systems, institutions and social structures.

No one's discussing the elephant in the room: contemplating questions of research impact and benefit in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian health research.

BackgroundThere remains a concern that Indigenous Australians have been over-researched without corresponding improvements in their health; this trend is applicable to most Indigenous populations globally. This debate article has a dual purpose: 1) to open a frank conversation about the value of research to Indigenous Australian populations; and 2) to stimulate ways of thinking about potential resolutions to the lack of progress made in the Indigenous research benefit debate.DiscussionCapturing the meaning of research benefit takes the form of ethical value-oriented methodological considerations in the decision-making processes of Indigenous research endeavours. Because research practices come from Western knowledge bases, attaining such positions in research means reconciling both Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to produce new methodologies that guide planning, evaluating and monitoring of research practices as necessary. Increasingly, more sophisticated performance measures have been implemented to ensure academic impact and benefits are captured. Assessing societal and other non-academic impacts and benefits however, has not been accorded corresponding attention. Research reform has only focussed on research translation in more recent years. The research impact debate must take account of the various standards of accountability (to whom), impact priorities (for whom), positive and negative impacts, and biases that operate in describing impact and measuring benefit.SummaryA perennial question in Indigenous research discourse is whether the abundance of research conducted; purportedly to improve health, is justified and benefits Indigenous people in ways that are meaningful and valued by them. Different research stakeholders have different conceptions of the value and nature of research, its conduct, what it should achieve and the kinds of benefits expected. We need to work collaboratively and listen more closely to the voice of Indigenous Australians to better understand, demonstrate and measure health research benefits. The authors conclude that as an imperative, a systematic benefit assessment strategy that includes identification of research priorities and planning, monitoring and evaluation components needs to be developed and implemented across research projects. In Indigenous health research, this will often mean adopting a benefit-led approach by changing the way research is done and preferencing alternative research methodologies. As a point of departure to improving impact and reaching mutually beneficial outcomes for researchers and partners in Indigenous health research, we need to routinise the assessment of benefit from outset of research as one of the standards toward which we work.

Combining Participatory Action Research (PAR) and Design Thinking (DT) as an Alternative Research Method in Architecture

Architecture as knowledge and practice is expanding its fields more than ever in this now entangled exciting new collaborative world network. We argue that the true nature of architecture is participatory one. Thus, architecture should be positioned as a social situation–it is neither affecting nor within. With this, we propose Participatory Action Research (PAR) that promotes ‘empowerment, equality and social justice for all’ as a framework for an alternative research methodology in architecture. Although PAR is still debatable as an academic research methodology, its growing popularities since the past decades could not be simply overlooked, especially when the reality of the world is now the connected one. With the same spirit, we adopt Design Thinking (DT) as a tool to complement PAR in architectural research method. Undoubtedly, the combination of PAR and DT will eventually enrich architectural research with new social and participatory dimensions.

Critical Analysis on Accounting Information Based On Pancasila Value

This paper is motivated by Young's (2003) question “Do we want accounting to be considered only in terms of its practicality, consistency and perceived connections to reality? If so, to which of these values do we wish to assign primacy? If not, what values/characteristics do we believe should guide us in selecting specific accounting practices?’ This study is trying to answer it by offering alternative value and research methodology, both are derived from Indonesian Ideology, Pancasila. Important implication of this study is requirement to develop accounting based on National Objectives of each nation.

Dialogical Curating: Towards Aboriginal Self‐Representation in Museums

AbstractThis essay proposes the idea of dialogical curating based on Grant Kester's term “dialogical art.” This term refers to the idea of allowing conversation with source communities to influence the process and outcome of an artwork, or in this case, a curated exhibition. I argue that in the examples of The District Six Museum in Cape Town, South Africa and The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, the curatorial strategies used and discourses concerning the display of aboriginal objects can be called dialogical. By exploring methods of aboriginal self‐representation—such as alternative research and education methodologies as well as collaboration—it is possible to imagine a curatorial practice that is not a methodology, but a discourse that contributes to the processes of de‐colonization.

Editorial: AABFJ Volume 9, Issue 1, 2015

There are six excellent and diversified papers published in this edition of the Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal. As highlighted below, these papers’ contributions range from issues relating to accounting standard setting process to the efficient market hypothesis including a paper based on alternative accounting research methodology that explores the issues of career choices by women in a developing economy.

Researching the psychological therapies in prison: considerations and future recommendations.

The psychological therapies are widely considered within the forensic literature as holding a useful role in the prison system, however, despite this, very little research into the psychological therapies has taken place. Further, where research is carried out, it is often associated with the need for evidence-based practice (EBP), involving quantification and randomization. The paper aims to discuss these issues. This paper will initially introduce the importance of research into the psychological therapies in prison, followed by a consideration of EBP which can be thought of as the current movement governing research in the psychological therapies in the UK. However, in providing a focused critique of EBP, particularly within prisons, this paper will attempt to pave the way for a consideration of alternative research methodologies and resultant methods in researching the psychological therapies in prisons in the UK. Through this it is argued that research within the prison setting should act not to promote interventions and create an evidence-based as such, but to provide an accessible body of knowledge for the psychological therapists working in prisons in the UK.

A Phenomenographic Study of Students’ Conceptions of Formal Research Procedures

In view of the current inadequacies of design research, a group of art and design researchers have urged for alternative research methodologies, which is challenged by opposing views that a formal research structure and a rigorous research should similarly be applied to design research. To address these divergent views, this paper aims to explore the potential use of formal research procedures in design research. This study uses the phenomenography method as the basis of its research design. Focusing on visual communication studies at undergraduate level, this paper is a documentation of the development and implementation of the formal research procedures on eighteen design research proposals. It shares the insight on how students experience, understand, perceive or conceptualize various aspects of design research. The findings have affirmed aspects of formal research procedures and represent a first step in explaining the different ways in which visual communication students conceive design research.

TQM and financial performance: are findings of direct effects methodological artefacts?

Whether the relationship between total quality management (TQM) and subsequent financial performance is direct or indirect has been one of the most productive research streams in the quality management literature. The current study adds to this important literature stream by demonstrating that findings of a direct relationship between the two constructs may be due to potential data analytic pitfalls associated with the particular longitudinal research techniques employed. The current study briefly reviews six potential pitfalls. Then, to demonstrate how these pitfalls can potentially compromise research results, the current study analyses the relationship between TQM and financial performance in a panel of 93 publicly traded, US firms that won supplier quality awards in the period 1985–1993. The data set is analysed utilising two alternative research methodologies: cross-sectional analysis utilising a series of t-tests (a popular research approach in this literature stream) that does not address any of the potential pitfalls and MANOVA for repeated measures that addresses all six. The study concludes with practical implications for quality management and top management executives.

The question of indigenous origins and the unlevel playing field: outside the boundary of the dominant paradigm

Research production in sports studies comprises a variety of methodologies and procedures linked to a number of paradigms. A crucial element of research output lies with the impact and review of one's work. I delve into the aspect of review and provide an experiential account of how the dominant paradigm of Australian sports history is unable, for the most part, to understand and subsequently dissect alternative research productions. In particular, I conclude that the philosophical essentialism embraced by those occupying the dominant paradigm precludes an understanding of alternative research paradigms and methodologies for and about Indigenous peoples in the context of a colonial history and post-colonial legacy that renders traditional historical approaches highly problematic and ineffective tools in attempts to recapture a past Australia characterized by engagements and entanglements between ‘settler’ and ‘native’.

Effectuation, Causation, and Bricolage: A Behavioral Comparison of Emerging Theories in Entrepreneurship Research

This study provides a critical examination of how different theoretical perspectives in entrepreneurship research translate into individual behavior, and whether such behavior is evident in the creation and development of new ventures. Using an alternative templates research methodology, the behaviors underlying the theories of effectuation, causation, and bricolage are evaluated to see whether such behaviors are observable in case study data describing the early development of six new ventures. The analysis highlights behavioral similarities and differences between the various theoretical perspectives in entrepreneurship research, providing insight into how these perspectives contrast and complement one another, and how they could be integrated in future research.

Bias During the Evaluation of Animal Studies?

Simple SummaryAnimal experimentation evokes strong emotional responses in people on both sides of the debate surrounding its ethical status. However, the true level of its usefulness to society may only be discerned by careful examination of reliable scientific evidence. My recent book, The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments, reviewed more than 500 relevant scientific publications. Recently in this journal, however, a reviewer essentially accused me of bias. Yet the conclusions of my book are based on sound reasoning and strong evidence, and no critic has yet provided any substantive evidence to refute them.My recent book entitled The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments seeks to answer a key question within animal ethics, namely: is animal experimentation ethically justifiable? Or, more precisely, is it justifiable within the utilitarian cost:benefit framework that fundamentally underpins most regulations governing animal experimentation? To answer this question I reviewed more than 500 scientific publications describing animal studies, animal welfare impacts, and alternative research, toxicity testing and educational methodologies. To minimise bias I focused primarily on large-scale systematic reviews that had examined the human clinical and toxicological utility of animal studies. Despite this, Dr. Susanne Prankel recently reviewed my book in this journal, essentially accusing me of bias. However, she failed to provide any substantive evidence to refute my conclusions, let alone evidence of similar weight to that on which they are based. Those conclusions are, in fact, firmly based on utilitarian ethical reasoning, informed by scientific evidence of considerable strength, and I believe they are robust.

Managing professionals: exploring the role of the hospital HR function.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of the HR function in the management of professional and non-professional staff in the acute hospital sector. A qualitative approach was adopted. Empirical data from three hospital case studies is utilised to explore the role of the hospital HR function. Cases were compiled from 45 interviews, observation and secondary data analysis. The paper finds that in two of the three cases the human resource (HR) function predominantly provides services to non-professional workforce groups. However, the effective and strategic management of professionals is undertaken in the third case, without a professional HR function. The findings of this paper require some caution in extrapolation, being based on research in one national context. The authors suggest the delivery of service as a useful lens to explore the enacted practice of HRM in hospitals. The paper draws attention to a significant deficit in the role of the HR function in managing core professional staff. The paper applies an existing conceptual framework to explore the role of the HR function in hospitals. It identifies a significant deficit in the management of core professional staff. On this basis the paper suggests alternative research methodologies to investigate the management of all hospital staff.

Using Design Research for Studies on ICT in Classrooms

In recent years, as Information and communication technologies (ICT) are getting more and more widely used in classrooms, researchers have been trying to identify effective ways for ICT to be utilized in school classrooms to enhance teaching and learning. However, it is argued that traditional scientific research methodologies are not really applicable for studies on ICT integration in classrooms, as these research approaches, more often than not, fail to reflect the dynamics and complexity of the school classroom. Some researchers who adopted design research in their research projects advocate the employment of this research methodology as an alternative to overcome the limitations of traditional scientific research in the domain of ICT integration in classrooms. Based on a review of literature, this paper first examines the advantages and problems of adopting ICT in classrooms, and then discusses the use of design research as an alternative research methodology for studies on ICT in classrooms.

Impact of a Temporary Stoma on the Quality of Life of Rectal Cancer Patients Undergoing Treatment

Data from randomized controlled trials support use of a diverting stoma in rectal cancer patients with low anastomoses, but there is little data on how this impacts patient quality of life (QOL). This study prospectively evaluates QOL in stage I-III rectal cancer patients undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery (SPS) with a temporary diverting stoma. Patents were identified from a prospective single-institution study of stage I-III rectal cancer patients undergoing SPS. Patients completed the EORTC C30/CR38 QOL scale preoperatively, at stoma closure, and at 6 months. The Stoma Quality of Life (SQOL) was administered at stoma closure. Subscales of the EORTC hypothesized to be affected by a diverting stoma were identified a priori. Longitudinal trends were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Frequencies for responses on specific SQOL items were tabulated, and correlations between SQOL subscales and EORTC Global QOL assessed with Pearson correlation coefficient. Global QOL was reportedly good (mean score 70.2) and did not change with a temporary stoma (P = .83). Physical (P = .33), role (P = .07), and social function (P = .48) were also stable. Decreased body image was observed (P = .03). Stoma-related difficulties identified by the SQOL included sexual activity (53%), leakage (39%), discomfort in clothing (34%), concerns regarding privacy to empty pouch (32%), and feeling unattractive (31%). "Overall satisfaction with life," Work/social function (P < .001), sexuality/body image (P = .01), and stoma function (P = .01) subscales of the SQOL correlated strongly with the EORTC Global QOL score (P < .001). In this longitudinal study of QOL in rectal cancer patients with a temporary stoma, Global QOL was good despite significant stoma-related difficulties. Use of alternative research methodology is necessary to provide insight into why this contradiction exists.

A Different Kind of Evidence? Looking for ‘What Works’ in Engaging Young Offenders

The skills and knowledge required by practitioners to develop relationships with young offenders that will engage and sustain them in intervention programmes is a core theme of the ‘effective practice’ literature. Yet this question of how to secure young people’s engagement is scarcely examined in research on interventions with young offenders, despite an apparent preoccupation with ‘what works’. The article discusses this disjuncture between the research and practice literatures, arguing that prevailing orthodoxies regarding what constitutes valid research evidence prevent certain questions about what works and how from being studied. It is suggested that both the practice literature and alternative research methodologies can provide rigorous evidence in response to these questions.