Field Research Research Articles

Is it even worth it? The ethics of researching armed groups in ‘the field’

ABSTRACT Conflict scholars are increasingly voicing concerns about the risks and challenges of conducting research in violent environments. Yet, this collective effort remains largely driven by the underlying belief that conducting fieldwork in conflict settings is both necessary for knowledge production and social change, and appropriate with regards to mainstream ethical guidelines and practices. In this article, we reflect on our experiences and positionalities conducting field research on armed groups in Afghanistan to question these assumptions. We challenge common understandings of ‘the field’ itself as a bounded, demarcated space in which the consequences of a researcher’s actions can be anticipated, mitigated or prevented. We expose the fallacy of ever controlling ‘the field’ and argue that the likelihood of achieving any unquestionable good through immersive research is therefore quite low. We advocate for a more humble approach to our research endeavours and, overall, more restraint. The bar for ethical field-intensive research might be much higher than we all assume. We must accept that, at times, the risks are not worth it.

The Influence of Changes in the Logo and Slogan of PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa on Achieving Brand Image Among Consumers in Medan City

This study aims to analyze the effect of changing the logo and slogan of PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa on the achievement of brand image among Medan city consumers. The theory used in this study is the theory of communication, new media, advertising, brand, rebranding and brand image. The research method used is a quantitative method with explanatory research. The population in this study are consumers of theGojek application in the city of Medan. The sampling technique uses the Taro Yamane formula so that a total sample of 100 respondents is obtained with the sample criteria, namely consumers of the Gojek application in the city of Medan who know the changes to the Gojek logo andslogan. The data collection technique used in this study was field research by distributing questionnaires and library research. The data analysis technique used is descriptive analysis, classical assumption test, multiple linear regression analysis and hypothesis testing. The results showed that there was an effect of changing the logo and slogan of PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa on the achievement of brand image among Medancity consumers. The magnitude of the influence or the coefficient of determination of changes in the Gojek logo and slogan on brand imageachievement is 46.2%, which means the correlation is quite significant, while the remaining 53.8% is the influence of other factors not examined in this study such as service quality, trust, reliability and speed.

Development of instructional design principles for using ICT in resource-limited learning environments: a case of Bangladesh

The integration of ICT in education in developing countries has become a significant focus in various ODA projects and educational research. With the increasing demand for teachers to incorporate ICT in their classrooms, the precise methods for effectively integrating ICT resources have not been thoroughly explored. Therefore, this research aimed to develop the most optimal instructional design principles that may systematically guide teachers in planning their lessons using ICT, specifically in the context of Bangladesh. By employing the design and development research method, this research developed an initial set of instructional design principles based on literature review and field research, then elaborated on the principles through three sets of internal validation tests and a usability test by conducting in-depth interviews to confirm the applicability of the principles in real classroom settings in Bangladesh. The final version of instructional design principles is composed of five components, ten principles, and 22 specific guidelines. Two distinct features of the principles are discussed for further research. In discussion, this research underscores the necessity of providing practical instructional design principles to guide teachers in effectively utilizing ICT, particularly within a resource-limited learning environment like Bangladesh.

Evolution of Female Leadership: Invisible Barriers and Simulations of Equality

This study is part of the research project “Female Leadership and Its Organizational Barriers to Its Development” which contributes to sustainable development goal number five, gender equality. In this case, three variables are addressed: misogyny, glass ceilings and tokenism, social phenomena, and stereotypes that female leadership has experienced. The objective is to analyze the evolution or transformation of the barriers, walls, and simulations (tokenism) that women experience and that limit their leadership development, as well as how female leaders have overcome them as barriers to their leadership. In this case, the evolution in the last four decades of how misogyny, glass ceilings and now tokenism are manifested is analyzed. The research is carried out from a qualitative approach, as part of the field research, the technique of two "focus groups" was used with profiles of female leaders who have overcome. The study reflects how female leadership development continues to be limited in its growth and development by various factors and stereotypes, as well as tokenism practices at all levels of women's work performance. In this case, the case studies are presented in high-level positions and the aforementioned inequality phenomena occur.

Friend2User : A new CNN based method for user network and content embedding

Nowadays, social networks have become an integral part of modern society, significantly influencing individuals worldwide due to their extensive reach. Consequently, analyzing the data disseminated within these networks in order to identify online communities presents a major challenge for researchers in the data mining field. To address this challenge, we propose, in this paper, a novel deep user embedding framework for community extraction on social networks. Our method leverages the capability of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to produce abstract representations of users that preserve the semantic information in the data. Specifically, our approach considers both the profile content and the network structure, harnessing the power of unsupervised CNNs. The key concept underlying our proposal is that each user is represented not only by their own content but also by the content of their close friends. We employ a recursive CNN to integrate neighboring users’ content, thereby generating concise and informative user embeddings. The empirical findings obtained by our method demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed user embeddings in efficiently detecting communities within social networks, particularly in the context of cybersecurity.

Research on the Management of Residents in Resettlement Communities in the Yellow River Beach Area: A Case Study of H Community in Jinan City

In recent years, China has attached great importance to the development of the Yellow River coastal areas and formulated many promotion policies for this purpose. The relocation and resettlement of residents in the Yellow River beach area is one of them. The implementation of this measure has enabled the people in the beach area to move out of the Yellow River coast in an orderly manner, ensuring the safety of residents and making their lives more convenient. At the same time, it also promotes the construction of new rural communities. H community is a typical community for relocation in Huanghe Beach District, Jinan City. This study conducted semi-structured interviews with residents of different identities and occupations in the H community, and conducted field research for a period of time to point out the governance status and difficulties of the H community. Based on the research, suggestions were proposed for similar communities and problems.

Research on Strategies to Improve Teachers' Sense of Gain in Private Universities

In the higher education system, private colleges and universities play an increasingly important role, and the stability and development of the teaching team are one of the key factors to ensure the quality of education. This study aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the structure, acquisition paths, evaluation and improvement methods of teachers' sense of gain in private colleges and universities. Through a combination of literature review and field research, a theoretical framework of teachers' sense of gain in private colleges and universities is constructed and its multi-dimensional structure is clarified. By identifying the main factors that affect teachers' sense of gain, this study proposes corresponding improvement strategies, evaluates the current evaluation system of sense of gain, and puts forward specific suggestions for improvement. The study points out that by improving the working environment, optimizing the salary and welfare system, and broadening career development channels, the sense of gain of teachers in private universities can be significantly improved, thus promoting the overall development of private higher education.

Money, methods, and morals: What are development economists up to?

AbstractIn the highly competitive field of publishing in economics journals, methods often become fads sometimes to the detriment of framing meaningful research agendas and of research ethics. In recent times, empirical work based on primary data collection has gained traction. Randomized controlled trials entail not just primary data collection but also interventions involving human subjects. Field research involving data collection is also expensive, raising a number of concerns. In this special symposium we explore questions of research agendas and research ethics, and argue fo rthe acceptance of broader methodological approaches, greater inclusion in the publication process and for a reflection at the disciplinary level of practices related to field research.

Analisis Kondisi Keuangan Pemerintah Kota Sibolga Tahun 2018-2022

This research was aimed to know financial condition of government Sibolga for the years 2018-2022 from efficiency of PAD ratio, effectiveness of PAD ratio, expenditure compatibility ratio and Financial Dependency Ratio. The research used is analitical descriptive. The data collection techniques used in this research were field research and library research. Descriptive and ratio analysis was used to appraise efficiency of PAD ratio, effectiveness of PAD ratio, , expenditure compatibility ratio and Financial Dependency Ratio. The result of this research pointed that (1) efficiency of PAD ratio of Sibolga for each year was 1,59% in average which mean efficiency of PAD was already efficient. (2) The Government of Sibolga is still less effective in managing PAD with an average effectiveness ratio of 76.20%. (3) the highest ratio results from operating expenditures is 85,89% in 2021 and the lowest ratio in 2018 is 77,58%. The highest ratio of capital expenditures to the total expenditure is 22,39% in 2018 and the lowest ratio in 2019 is 14,04%. The Government of Sibolga still prioritizes operational expenditure compared to capital expenditure.(4) Financial Dependency Ratio of Sibolga government during 2018-2022 is 83.88% categorized very high, this condition shows the dependency level of Sibolga Goeverment is very high to the central government.

Research on the Relationship between Urban and Rural Educational Resources Allocation and Educational Equity

This comprehensive study delves deeply into the relationship between the allocation of educational resources in urban and rural areas and educational equity. It takes the unbalanced distribution of educational resources between urban and rural regions as its starting point and employs quantitative analysis and field research methods to explore this complex relationship. The findings reveal that the uneven allocation of educational resources has a significant negative impact on educational equity, resulting in a substantial disparity between urban and rural students in terms of access to high-quality education. Policy attention deviation, an imperfect management mechanism, and insufficient investment in education are identified as the key reasons for this unbalanced allocation. Consequently, this study recommends that policymakers increase investment in rural education, reform the management mechanism, and optimize resource allocation to promote the realization of educational equity. The results of this research hold great significance for understanding the unequal distribution of urban and rural educational resources and providing valuable references for policymaking.

Metagenomic Analysis to Assess the Impact of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria on Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Crop Production and Soil Enzymes and Microbial Diversity.

Peanut production could be increased through plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In this regard, the present field research aimed at elucidating the impact of PGPR on peanut yield, soil enzyme activity, microbial diversity, and structure. Three PGPR strains (Bacillus velezensis, RI3; Bacillus velezensis, SC6; Pseudomonas psychrophila, P10) were evaluated, along with Bradyrhizobium japonicum (BJ), taken as a control. PGPR increased seed yield by 8%, improving the radiation use efficiency (4-14%). PGPR modified soil enzymes (fluorescein diacetate activity by 17% and dehydrogenase activity by 28%) and microbial abundance (12%). However, PGPR did not significantly alter microbial diversity; nonetheless, it modified the relative abundance of key phyla (Actinobacteria > Proteobacteria > Firmicutes) and genera (Bacillus > Arthrobacter > Pseudomonas). PGPRs modified the relative abundance of genes associated with N-fixation and nitrification while increasing genes related to N-assimilation and N-availability. PGPR improved agronomic traits without altering rhizosphere diversity.

Researching armed groups with facilitating researchers: asymmetries, silences, and the extractive economies of research

ABSTRACT The findings from field research on armed actors reach wider audiences through single or multi-authored publications, but it is widely known that the research process involves engaging a large community of people on the ground. These expansive research networks are maintained by researchers for sustained engagement with conflict contexts and for mitigating risks in the field. However, this field research is a multi-directional and asymmetrical experience in knowledge production. There is an extractive political economy between contracting researchers from the Global North (including privileged researchers of the Global South) and facilitating researchers from conflict-affected areas in the Global South. Drawing from our insights and field research on the Maoist insurgency in the state of Jharkhand in India, we examine the contributions and impact of facilitating researchers upon fieldwork in terms of their roles and tasks and how their positionalities and embeddedness in armed insurgencies shape the research process and results. In this paper, we highlight how the three-way power dynamics between contracting and facilitating researchers, and the research subjects contribute to the hierarchies of knowledge production.

Research on the product language construction of China’s twisted porcelain cultural heritage

This paper studies the product language construction of the twisted porcelain cultural heritage. Through field research, we collected and sorted out samples of twisted porcelain products, explored the product language characteristics of twisted porcelain from multiple aspects such as production process, product shape, and product color, interpreted cultural value, captured potential connotations, extracted representative words from user comments, quantified the relationship between users and twisted porcelain culture, realized the construction and transmission of traditional cultural language information, conveyed the traditional cultural information of the product to users, and promoted the sustainable dissemination and development of this cultural heritage. The research results show that after mining and extraction at the level of twisted porcelain characteristics, the core language constructs the cultural expression of twisted porcelain products, which is more in line with the needs of the market and users, and has the potential to be developed and disseminated using the language generation of cultural heritage products.

Perlindungan Hukum Hak Cipta Terhadap Pemutaran Lagu dalam Live Music Performance Perspektif Undang-Undang Hak Cipta dan Hifz Al-Mal di Kafe Purwokerto

Purwokerto has several cafes that use live music to attract customers. In live music, the performers present other people's songs in public with commercial purposes or to seek profit from the song. On the other hand, there are regulations governing the use of other people's creative works. The purpose of this study is to determine the procedure for playing songs at live music performances in cafes in Purwokerto and how the legal protection for playing songs in live music in cafes in Purwokerto is from the perspective of Copyrights Act and hifz al-mal. This study uses an empirical legal approach to analyze the cafe's compliance with economic rights in copyright. The type of research is field research. The results of the study indicate that copyright infringement is more relevant and serious in the context of large concerts that have a significant financial impact, where the use of songs without permission can substantially harm the copyright owner. In contrast, live music performed in cafes with minimal income and driven by humanitarian intentions to entertain or support the community is not considered a significant copyright infringement from a humanitarian perspective and the principle of hifz al-mal. This is due to its small financial impact and underlying good intentions, however, efforts are still needed to respect copyright in the long term in accordance with the principles of justice and protection of property in Copyrights act and hifz al-mal.

Institutional approach for ecotourism collaboration between South Korea and Japan: exploration of criteria for ecotourism joint-certification

ABSTRACT Domestic and international tourism, which was limited due to the pandemic, has exploded since 2023, with neighboring South Korea and Japan experiencing a high rate of mutual tourism exchanges. Ecotourism, which is differentiated from mass tourism, is receiving renewed attention. This study proposes a joint-certification standard that ensures high satisfaction and a desirable ecotourism foundation. Through stakeholder engagement and field research in representative areas, 19 certification criteria across 7 categories were developed, emphasizing resource conservation, tourist management, and community involvement. During this process, both nations proposed joint support measures for promotion and explanation and the creation of platforms for sharing expertise between regions. Importantly, the introduction of ecotourism joint-certification is expected to enhance international exchanges, increase tourist satisfaction, secure economic foundations for regions, and improve trust between countries.

Truths and Reconciliation: Reflections on the University of the West Indies and University of Leicester International Summer School 2023

The University of the West Indies and University of Leicester International Summer School is an annual event, a week-long programme of lectures, workshops and social activities aimed at supporting postgraduate research students and early career researchers predominantly from the UK and Caribbean. It is hosted alternately at the University of Leicester and the different campuses of the University of the West Indies, and since its inception has been spearheaded by Dr Lucy Evans and Professor Martin Halliwell at the University of Leicester, Dr Sonjah Stanley Niaah at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and Professor Michael A. Bucknor at the University of Alberta. The 2023 edition was hosted by University of Leicester’s School of Criminology from 5th to 10th of June, under the theme of ‘Crime, (In)Justice, Human Rights’. Sub-topics included crime and culture, histories and legacies, security, surveillance, the police and the state, human rights, gender and sexualities, reproductive rights, the environment, and race. It promised an opportunity to connect with researchers in similar or related fields from around the world, who we may have otherwise not met.

Imitation games. Review of the book “Ethnography of Bogus. Who and How Writes Custom Academic Papers in Russia” by A. Davydov and P. Abramov

The reviewed book is based on field research supported by the Khamovniki Foundation for Social Research. The unique nature of the material is emphasized, since this type of activity cannot be viewed externally, representing illegal practices in Russian higher education. The review briefly outlines the main sections of the monograph. A social portrait of authors of commissioned works is described in detail (in the terminology proposed by Aleksandr Davydov and Pavel Abramov – scriptors, i.e. literally the creators of text arrays). Methods identified by the authors for searching customers and the rules for interacting with them are presented. The basic approach of the authors is discussed. They consider imitation practices, including the presence of custom-made works, as a reflection of the shortcomings of higher education in Russia. The review concludes that the approach proposed by the authors certainly deserves public discussion. At the same time, the reviewer expresses confidence that the practices under study are not widespread; the atmosphere existing at a university plays a big role, especially informal internal rules of behavior of students and professors, the level of teaching staff, etc.

Assessing Nitrate Leaching in Crop Production through the Application of Crop Simulation Models with Experimental Data from Florida

Lysimeters are often used in research concerning nutrient leachate all over the globe. However, due to factors such as Florida's high water table (a condition when the water level stays relatively close to the soil surface) in some production areas, the assessment and collection of leachate are not feasible. Another obstacle to the use of lysimeters in field research is the fact that several types of irrigation methods are used in Florida (e.g., subirrigation with seepage or drain-tile, overhead, microsprinkler, and drip irrigation) requiring different strategies for leachate assessment. This publication focuses on the use of crop models as alternatives to estimate nitrate leaching from cropping systems at a field scale. This publication's target audience is growers, extension agents, crop consultants, representatives of the fertilizer industry, state and local agencies, students, instructors, researchers, and interested Florida citizens.

Single-shot quantitative phase microscopy: a multi-functional tool for cell analysis.

This study showcases the multifunctionality of a single-shot quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) system for comprehensive cell analysis. The system captures four high-contrast images in one shot, enabling tasks like cell segmentation, measuring cell confluence, and estimating cell mass. We demonstrate the usability of the QPM system in routine biological workflows, showing how its integration with computational algorithms enables automated, precise analysis, achieving accuracy scores between 85% and 97% across samples with varying cell densities, even those with low signal-to-noise ratios. This cost-effective tool operates under low-intensity light and resists vibrations, making it highly versatile for researchers in both optical and biological fields.

The effect of essential skills on perceived employability: a case of Malaysian undergraduates in energy-focused universities

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effect of technical skills, soft skills and social mobility skills on the perceived employability of Malaysian undergraduates in energy-focused universities. This study also aims to investigate the moderating effects of academic performance on such relationships.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish these objectives, this study employed partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse data obtained from 247 Malaysian undergraduates from public and private energy-focused universities across Malaysia. The Human Capital Theory served as the overarching theoretical framework for the study.FindingsThe study reveals that even if an undergraduate has stellar grades, they will not help him/her to land a job if they lack basic technical and computing skills. This study also indicates that undergraduates’ current academic performance affects their perceived employability despite already possessing the necessary soft skills. Along with academic performance, social mobility skills can be a determining factor in how graduates see their own employability. This is because social mobility has a significant impact on graduates’ chances of finding gainful employment.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides insights into how technical skills, soft skills and social mobility skills influence the perceived employability of Malaysian undergraduates, especially in energy-focused universities, and the role of various parties involved. These parties, such as higher education institutions, are the key players that can initiate strategies to enhance specific skills and steer a public conversation towards a more methodical strategy for boosting graduates’ employability for future employment. This research also sheds light on how to better prepare for emerging job opportunities in the energy sector.Originality/valueThe study examines the effect of technical skills, soft skills and social mobility skills on the perceived employability of Malaysian undergraduates in energy-focused universities for future employment among Malaysia’s universities’ graduates. By providing a multidisciplinary viewpoint, this study paves the way for future research partnerships among experts in higher education, researchers in related fields and career researchers.