Calls For Transparency Research Articles

A Framework for Determining Research Topics and Problems in Mixed Methods Studies: A Call for Transparency

This article addresses the essential yet often overlooked aspect of choosing a research topic in mixed methods research studies. Seven leading mixed methods textbooks are reviewed for insights into choosing a research topic which elucidates the dearth of specific guidance in the existing literature. Utilizing the established 13-step framework proposed by Collins et al. (2006), a new step is proposed that incorporates the process of research topic selection. This addition is intended to encourage thoughtful consideration of the research topic and make transparent decisions regarding topic selection, thereby ensuring coherence with the broader mixed methods research process. The framework is presented alongside an exploration of reasons for choosing a research topic and problem and is derived from the reviewed literature.

Projecting a food insecure world: Equity implications of land-based mitigation in IPCC mitigation pathways

All modelled global mitigation pathways assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report (IPCC AR6) project rapid deployment of land-based mitigation measures for staying within the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C or 2 °C. However, there is sparse literature on the burden-sharing and equity implications of the IPCC-assessed global mitigation pathways. This is a severe lacuna given the influential role of the IPCC assessments in shaping political deliberations about possible futures and in informing the sectoral guidance and strategy documents of multilateral climate funds and organisations. This paper addresses this gap by evaluating the distributional implications of IPCC AR6 global mitigation pathways for land-based mitigation, specifically focusing on the Global North and South and socio-economic and political implications for food security. Our findings reveal that the modelled pathways disproportionately distribute the burden of land-based mitigation onto the Global South with an adverse impact on food security, raising questions about the normative choices embedded in cost-optimizing Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs). Furthermore, we examine existing scenarios and policy recommendations for addressing food security concerns in stringent climate change mitigation pathways and find them both to be inequitable with attendant feasibility concerns. Our analysis underscores the need for equity-based scenarios in IPCC assessments and calls for transparency in communicating regional distributional assumptions and results of the global mitigation pathways.

Who Is Being "Assisted"? A Call for Transparency in Hiring Visiting Assistant Professors (VAPs) in Legal Writing

Who Is Being "Assisted"? A Call for Transparency in Hiring Visiting Assistant Professors (VAPs) in Legal Writing

Democracy Avoidance in Tax Lawmaking

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was the most significant tax law in more than three decades, but the strategy for getting it enacted included a variety of maneuvers to avoid public scrutiny. As a result, many taxpayers did not know how they would be affected until they filed their own tax returns more than a year later. This Article identifies this lack of transparency as part of a persistent pathology of avoiding and constraining democratic inputs and responsiveness in U.S. federal tax lawmaking. Indeed, some scholars and policymakers have sought to channel tax lawmaking away from democratically grounded decisions and towards prescribed outcomes, justifying these moves with strands of public choice theory that are expressly critical of democratic decision making. I critique this democracy avoidance approach to tax lawmaking, and make the case that tax law should be a product of mechanisms that provide greater transparency, accountability and responsiveness to advance democratic legitimacy.
 I propose four reforms to tax lawmaking in the U.S. Congress to make resulting tax laws more democratically legitimate. One proposal is to require Congress to consider (and publicize) precisely how a proposed change in tax law is expected to affect different typical taxpayers, including taxpayers from each congressional district. This would allow actual taxpayers observing the lawmaking process to anticipate their treatment under a proposed law and in turn demand greater responsiveness to their real interests from their representatives. Other proposals build on this approach, calling for transparency as to the reasons why legislators support particular provisions and a radical—but, I argue, entirely achievable—reworking of the types of analysis produced in the federal tax legislative process for consumption by non-experts.

A sociotechnical perspective for the future of AI: narratives, inequalities, and human control

Different people have different perceptions about artificial intelligence (AI). It is extremely important to bring together all the alternative frames of thinking—from the various communities of developers, researchers, business leaders, policymakers, and citizens—to properly start acknowledging AI. This article highlights the ‘fruitful collaboration’ that sociology and AI could develop in both social and technical terms. We discuss how biases and unfairness are among the major challenges to be addressed in such a sociotechnical perspective. First, as intelligent machines reveal their nature of ‘magnifying glasses’ in the automation of existing inequalities, we show how the AI technical community is calling for transparency and explainability, accountability and contestability. Not to be considered as panaceas, they all contribute to ensuring human control in novel practices that include requirement, design and development methodologies for a fairer AI. Second, we elaborate on the mounting attention for technological narratives as technology is recognized as a social practice within a specific institutional context. Not only do narratives reflect organizing visions for society, but they also are a tangible sign of the traditional lines of social, economic, and political inequalities. We conclude with a call for a diverse approach within the AI community and a richer knowledge about narratives as they help in better addressing future technical developments, public debate, and policy. AI practice is interdisciplinary by nature and it will benefit from a socio-technical perspective.

Factors Limiting Subgroup Analysis in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and a Call for Transparency.

The use of population averages in cost-effectiveness analysis may hide important differences across subgroups, potentially resulting in suboptimal resource allocation, reduced population health and/or increased health inequalities. We discuss the factors that limit subgroup analysis in cost-effectiveness analysis and propose more thorough and transparent reporting. There are many issues that may limit whether subgroup analysis can be robustly included in cost-effectiveness analysis, including challenges with prespecifying and justifying subgroup analysis, identifying subgroups that can be implemented (identified and targeted) in practice, resource and data requirements, and statistical and ethical concerns. These affect every stage of the design, development and reporting of cost-effectiveness analyses. It may not always be possible to include and report relevant subgroups in cost effectiveness, e.g. due to data limitations. Reasons for not conducting subgroup analysis may be heterogeneous, and the consequences of not acknowledging patient heterogeneity can be substantial. We recommend that when potentially relevant subgroups have not been included in a cost-effectiveness analysis, authors report this and discuss their rationale and the limitations of this. Greater transparency of subgroup reporting should provide a starting point to overcoming these challenges in future research.

Visibility in the digital age: Introduction

In the digital age, calls for transparency and openness as well as for privacy and confidentiality prevail: Struggles for visibility occur simultaneously with conflicts regarding invisibility and hidden battles for power and privileges of interpretation. Concerns about a loss of digital self-determination exist, just like those regarding the “right to be forgotten” or the right to become invisible and unseen. While the idea of a “transparent user” – as the ultimate notion of (in)voluntary visibility – has caused a broad outcry in society and in scientific debates a few years ago (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008), the discussion has shifted toward considerations of Internet governance and regulation (Camenisch, Fischer-Hübner, & Hansen, 2015). Brighenti (2010, p. 109) has pointed out that visibility has long been one of the key aspects “associated with the public sphere” and that in today’s digitized publics, the “project of democracy can no longer be imagined without taking into account visibility and its outcomes” (Brighenti, 2010, p. 189). Visibility and invisibility, along with their societal outcomes, are increasingly being discussed and analyzed, as they are becoming important dimensions in the accurate description and explanation of digital communication.

Ethnography, Data Transparency, and the Information Age

The conventions ethnographers follow to gather, write about, and store their data are increasingly out of sync with contemporary research expectations and social life. Despite technological advancements that allow ethnographers to observe their subjects digitally and record interactions, few follow subjects online and many still reconstruct quotes from memory. Amid calls for data transparency, ethnographers continue to conceal subjects’ identities and keep fieldnotes private. But things are changing. We review debates, dilemmas, and innovations in ethnography that have arisen over the past two decades in response to new technologies and calls for transparency. We focus on emerging conversations around how ethnographers record, collect, anonymize, verify, and share data. Considering the replication crisis in the social sciences, we ask how ethnographers can enable others to reanalyze their findings. We address ethical implications and offer suggestions for how ethnographers can develop standards for transparency that are consistent with their commitment to their subjects and interpretive scholarship.

Uncovering missing links in global value chain research – and implications for corporate social responsibility and international business

PurposeAmidst burgeoning attention for global value chains (GVCs) in international business (IB), this paper aims to identify a clear “missing link” in this literature and discusses implications for research and corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy-making and implementation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper combines an overview of relevant literature from different (sub)disciplinary fields, with insights from practitioner and expert interviews and secondary data.FindingsBecause IB GVC research stems from a focus on lead firms and their producing suppliers, it lacks attention for intermediary actors that may significantly impact the organization of production in general, and firms’ CSR commitments in particular. Import intermediaries are often “hidden” in GVCs. This paper indicates the emergence of GVC parallelism with “frontstage” chains managed by lead firms and increasingly exposed to public scrutiny following calls for transparency and CSR, and “backstage” ones in which buyers and intermediaries operate more opaquely.Practical implicationsThis study points at salient yet little known practices and actors that influence the organization of production and the implementation of CSR policies in various ways, and therefore offers ground for reflection on the design of proper supply chain and CSR policies.Originality/valueThis study exposes a hitherto neglected category of actors in GVCs and broader IB research and discusses implications, relevance and areas for further investigation. An illustrative example explicates the importance of carefully considering this “missing link”. The study emphasizes the need for further study into ways in which both lead firms and intermediaries deal with contradicting demands of implementing CSR policies and offering competitive prices with short lead times.

Regulating Digital Campaigning: The Need for Precision in Calls for Transparency

Calls for transparency have become a prominent response to the challenges of overseeing online political campaigning, however, use of this term by policymakers often lacks precision about what is desired and how impacts can be secured. This article examines key policy documents and debates around digital campaigning in the United Kingdom, in particular, calls by the Electoral Commission, Information Commissioner's Office, and DCMS Select Committee for increased transparency. It argues that current policy prescriptions for transparency lack important detail about the types of information required. Indeed, rather than advocating a common response, we find that policy actors have different desires for financial, source, data, and targeting transparency that are not easy to appreciate. They also often fail to specify the form of transparency that is desired, specifically in relation to the audience, discoverability, comprehensibility, reliability, and impact of the information to be rendered transparent. This represents a clear challenge for those seeking to promote transparency, making it hard to establish clear metrics against which policy proposals can be measured. Future calls for transparency should, therefore, take care to be more precise, and should clearly specify both the type and form of transparency being called for.

Covid -19 and the Future of Healthcare

Covid 19 has been a real test, a shock, a shake up for our healthcare system, Countries, Global Health Organization like W.H.O. It will force us to look at our healthcare system in totally new light. It has exposed not only the healthcare system across the globe but the way in which communication and exchanges takes place in this sector. It calls for transparency in the way countries and related organization share and exchange information. It definitely calls for boosting our health infrastructure, healthcare spending, contingency and emergency planning and readiness, coordinated Global effort, a proactive Global health organization, indigenous development of healthcare equipments, self reliance, greater coordination between health sector and industry in developing cost effective yet quality technology , scaling up operations in short period of time etc. Again, Covid 19 has also brought the focus on collaborative health care, integration of traditional healthcare system like Ayurveda, Yoga and also integration with other departments like mental health etc. Yoga is technique extremely useful in respiratory and mental health diseases and the path clearly is laid out for healthcare integration. It calls for a higher safety for our medical personnel, developing stringent norms for healthcare equipments like masks, PPE kits. The positive light is that the medical community at large inspite of all the shortcomings have burned the midnight oil to save precious human life.

Research Use of Ecological Momentary Assessment for Adverse Event Monitoring Following Amyloid-β Results Disclosure.

As calls for transparency in human subjects research grow, investigators conducting Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarker research are increasingly required to consider their ethical obligations regarding the return of AD biomarker test results to research participants. When disclosing these test results to potentially vulnerable participants, investigators may face unique challenges to identify adverse events, particularly psychological events. The purpose of this paper is to describe our research team’s experience with developing and implementing a process for enhanced adverse event monitoring following the return of amyloid-β (Aβ) imaging results to research participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Ethical and logistical considerations are presented along with preliminary findings from an ongoing randomized controlled trial of Aβ imaging results disclosure in MCI. Following receipt of amyloid imaging results, participants underwent 14 days of adverse event monitoring using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), a strategy to capture health, behaviors, and mood as they occur in participants’ natural settings in real time. EMA telephone calls were placed at random during waking hours to screen for mood changes. Investigators were alerted for positive depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation screenings, or for two days of failed call attempts. Preliminary feasibility of twenty-four participants with MCI who participated in EMA mood assessments was successfully completed 83% (SD = 0.4) of the time over 14 days with no alerts for anxiety or depression screening items. EMA, when used with standard adverse event monitoring, is a promising and novel approach to maximize early detection of negative psychological reactions following AD biomarker results disclosed in research settings.

Full and Open Competition in Public Procurement: Values and Ethics in Contracting Opportunity

ABSTRACT Governments have sought to respond to increasing pressures to accomplish aims with efficiency and at low cost. A perception of the potential for corruption and waste of public resources has been met with calls for transparency and accountability. Competition is believed to lead to impartial, optimal outcomes, but attention paid to competition in the literature suggests that the benefits are not universally clear. This paper considers ‘full and open competition’ as a policy promise, ethical obligation, and a matter of justice, drawing upon work of John Rawls and others, in the United States case. The research question is: What do Federal procurement data tell us about the nature of full and open competition in practice? This study draws upon contract data available from the U.S. Federal government, for fiscal years from 2015 to 2018. Through an ordinal regression, it is suggested that variation in the extent of competition results in part from size of project, size of the business (or potential business) receiving the project, and the industry classification, particularly in cases centering on commercial acquisitions. While ‘full and open competition’ is frequently employed, the difference between the normative value of the concept in statute, and practical outcomes in implementation, is clear. This difference has consequences for both vendors and the government.

Appraising the Performance of Chief Executive Officers of Banking Institutions in Auckland

The financial crunch of 2008/9 occasioning the collapse of companies and financial institutions worldwide, sparked calls for transparency and accountability in the dealings of corporate bodies. It engendered more interests on issues concerning corporate governance among researchers, academicians and practitioners. It is worth noting that Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are usually appointed and entrusted with the responsibility of managing corporate affairs on behalf of shareholders. Dual interests consequently emerge following the appointment of a CEO comprising the interest of shareholders and that of the CEO with a probability that the self-interests of CEO might run counter to the general interest of shareholders. As a result, many firms are actively incorporating into their corporate governance provisions, strategies to control executives’ performance. A strategic tool used in influencing the performance of chief executives towards the desired goals of an organisation is performance appraisal, yet there is little consideration for executive appraisal in the academic literature. This study seeks to complement the dearth of scholarly conversation on executive appraisal using a qualitative single case study approach drawing on an interview with a Chief Executive Officer of an international bank based in New Zealand. Employing stakeholder theory as a theoretical lens, the findings suggest that appraising CEOs can be instrumental in building good relationships, sustain organisation’s performance and enhance their career advancement.

South Africa’s science academy urges update to nation’s genetics laws

Report calls for transparency over handling of genetic data collected from people in South Africa. Report calls for transparency over handling of genetic data collected from people in South Africa.

Can We Talk About Transparency in Moroccan Public Finances?

The link between good governance and better economic and social outcomes is increasingly acknowledged. Transparency – openness about policy objectives, preparation and application – is a key element of good governance. Availability of reliable, relevant and timely information about the public finances allows the government and the citizens to see clearer. Upgraded public service delivery, including the providing of education, healthcare and sanitation, depends on the transparent and efficient management of public funds. Many nations still face challenges in the effective management of their financial resources. Therefore, Transparency is considered as an income to strengthening governance. For more than a decade, civil society organizations around the world, as well as international financial institutions, have been pushing governments to provide the public with more comprehensive budget information. The movement for greater public finance transparency has been gaining momentum in recent years; the recent global financial crisis has put even more emphasis on the importance of budget transparency. Calls for transparency, accountability, and equality have emerged in the whole world, especially the Arab world, with citizens summoning their governments to reveal their incomes and expenditures, as well as strategies and ambitions. To contribute to these efforts, we will be studying and analyzing the reference tools proposed by the international organizations for measuring the degree of budget transparency, and we will attempt to examine the finance transparency in Morocco.

Officer involved domestic violence

Very little is known about officer-involved domestic violence (OIDV). Although the International Association for Chiefs of Police has developed model policies about OIDV, the extent to which agencies adopted these policies across the United States remains unclear. Similarly, research on and attention to OIDV have diminished substantially since the 1990s. Officer training on OIDV is also rare, but pilot studies examining the use of new curriculum show promise. Yet, there is so much more to be done. This article reviews research and policy on OIDV and seeks to provide motivation for uniformity of policy implementation and officer response to OIDV, calling for transparency via research and reporting.

The impact of online financial disclosure and donations in nonprofits

ABSTRACTDecreased public confidence and trust in the nonprofit sector has fueled increased calls for transparency. In response, federal regulators and watchdog organizations have recommended that nonprofits voluntarily disclose their financial information on their own public websites. Despite the potential benefits of enhanced public confidence and trust, improved donor decision making, and increased donations, many nonprofit organizations have not adopted the recommended disclosure practices. We investigate the disclosure practices of 3,217 nonprofits and find that voluntary web disclosure of the IRS Form 990 is strongly correlated to donations, independent of other variables such as age, size, and fundraising expenditures. Further, fundraising is also clearly related to the performance indicators shown in the 990 disclosures, particularly the program ratio of program expenditures to total expenditures. This is true on a general level and when specifically compared to other nonprofits within particular sectors. As a result, nonprofits should seriously consider voluntarily posting their Form 990 results on their websites when it reflects favorably and strive to improve their financial performance if online disclosure would reflect poorly on the organization.

A Rejoinder to Kwoka's Response to Vita/Osinski's Review of Kwoka's Book

This is a brief rejoinder to Kwoka’s response to a review of his 2015 book. I address a few of Kwoka’s responses that warrant brief clarification, followed by a proposed path forward that calls for transparency.

Transparency: A Tool for Effective Environmental Governance in Nigeria

In the recent past, there have been calls for transparency in governance from different quarters. These calls testify to the importance of transparency to the overall social welfare. There is virtually no aspect of contemporary life that is unaffected by the system of governance, but governance today is almost entirely devoid of transparency. Transparency mechanisms encourage public officials to act in the interest of the public. Corruption has real political, economic, and social costs and as researched in Columbia University and analyzed by Transparency international, perhaps the more expensive cost is the environmental damage which often suffer either direct or indirect from bribery, extortion, unfair policies, and other forms of corruption. Thus, it has been widely acknowledged that increased transparency and public participation significantly enhance the quality of decisions impacting the environment. These findings offer an intervention avenue in the shape of conservation, preservation, and environmental justice—through the tool of transparency. Resurgent interest in the evaluation of development implications on the environment is not usually accompanied by the requisite transparency to address longstanding effectiveness problems. In order to sharpen the effectiveness, this paper examines the transparency instruments of environmental governance. Analytical examples are used to explore the nature and significance of transparency in environmental policy making and implementation. This paper will heighten the discursive consciousness of the transparency instrument which in itself will catalyze the journey to effectiveness.