Methodological Considerations Research Articles

Going Beyond Adaptation: An Integrative Review and Ethical Considerations of Semi-Structured Interviews With Elementary-Aged Children

There are currently no methodological frameworks available to conduct semi-structured interviews in the education and social sciences fields with children of primary school age, between 6–12, having no history of trauma or disabilities. To fill this gap, we conducted an integrative review of the literature to uncover current methodological considerations using the PRISMA procedure to search the ERIC, SAGE, ProQuest CBCA, SciELO and Redined databases. 19 methodological articles across multiple disciplines were retrieved and analyzed through inductive content analysis. We found that using traditional semi-structured interviews with children brings inherent challenges and that adaptation of current methods is not sufficient. A preliminary set of interviewing guidelines emphasizing a flexible and laissez-faire approach as well as a list of alternatives to the semi-structured interview for elementary-aged children are proposed, laying the foundations for a much-needed overhaul of current interviewing methods.

Challenges of nursing research with immigrant and refugee populations: methodological and pragmatic considerations

RESUMO O objetivo do estudo foi identificar os principais desafios na condução de pesquisas com imigrantes e refugiados e fornecer sete estratégias metodológicas e pragmáticas. As análises apresentadas, embasadas na Teoria da Diversidade e Universalidade do Cuidado Cultural, são extraídas de insights das experiências dos autores enquanto pesquisadores e da literatura. Os principais desafios relacionam-se a diferenças culturais, morais, políticas e educacionais entre pesquisador e pesquisado; identificação do universo e amostragem; acesso aos informantes pela barreira da desconfiança; e dificuldade de comunicação e idioma. As estratégias para tornar a pesquisa mais exitosa envolvem: desenvolver um minucioso protocolo de pesquisa; recrutar participantes de forma criativa; elaborar estratégias para facilitar a comunicação; ter olhar sensível; oferecer uma estrutura de reciprocidade; ampliar a confiança e triangular a pesquisa. Foram exploradas as principais questões metodológicas e pragmáticas nos estudos com imigrantes e refugiados, fornecendo orientações valiosas para projetos futuros. Entretanto, em diferentes situações de migração, os pesquisadores devem atentar-se para a possibilidade de surgirem outros desafios durante o processo investigativo.

Challenges of nursing research with immigrant and refugee populations: methodological and pragmatic considerations.

The objective of the study was to identify the main challenges in conducting research with immigrants and refugees and to provide seven methodological and pragmatic strategies. The analyses presented, based on the Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality, are extracted from insights of the authors' experiences as researchers and the literature. The main challenges are related to cultural, moral, political, and educational differences between researcher and researched; identification of the universe and sampling; access to informants through the barrier of distrust; and communication and language difficulties. Strategies to make research more successful involve: developing a thorough research protocol; creatively recruiting participants; developing strategies to facilitate communication; having a sensitive look; offering a structure of reciprocity; increasing trust, and triangulating research. The main methodological and pragmatic issues in studies with immigrants and refugees were explored, providing valuable guidance for future projects. However, in different migration situations, researchers must be aware of the possibility of other challenges arising during the investigative process.

The Art and Politics of Participant-Driven Photo-Elicitation With Muslim Immigrant Older Women

Photo elicitation is a powerful data collection tool that involves using photographs within an interview encounter to articulate, expand on and uncover experiences of the social world. Between 2020 and 2022, 41 Muslim immigrant older women between the ages of 54 and 85 were recruited via community liaisons in an Urban Canadian setting to participate in a qualitative descriptive photo elicitation study on social connectedness. We explore methodological and ethical considerations of using photo elicitation in narrative interviews with Muslim older women with a focus on: (1) selection and access to photographs, (2) informed consent, (3) shared meaning-making, (4) politics of a photograph, and (5) digital opportunities within a pandemic. The discussion highlights the ways gender, age and religion intersect to influence decision-making during research activities.

Fieldwork in conservation organisations–A review of methodological challenges, opportunities and ethics

Abstract Social science methodologies are increasingly used by conservation organisations to improve social‐ecological outcomes. However, ethnographic approaches seeking to understand organisations themselves and how organisational culture impacts biodiversity and social justice are rarely discussed. By exploring previous studies of the methodological considerations of organisational ethnography in conservation, we provide conservationists and ethnographers with an empirically grounded understanding of the opportunities, challenges and underlying ethical considerations of this approach. We conducted a scoping review of a disparate body of literature where ethnographers were embedded in conservation organisations and discussed their methodology, identifying 26 studies for analysis. We then extracted information on key themes relevant to methodological process and uptake. Our review found such research spanned the globe, with a broad range of methodological and ethical considerations related to how ethnographers and conservationists interact. For example, organisational ethnography was perceived as valuable by conservationists as it allowed tracking progress toward internal goals such as diversification of staff and providing moral and emotional support and valuable information for transforming organisational practices. However, conservationists also worried about ethnographers' presence in their organisations. A key methodological challenge we identify, corroborating with the literature, is how ethnographers can benefit organisations while supplying critique. Based on the results, we provide recommendations and areas of reflection for conservation organisations and ethnographers. Mainstreaming organisational ethnography through attention to certain methodological considerations can be beneficial for the future of conservation organisations and the biodiversity and people they impact.

Синдромы личности в свете исторического кризиса в психологии, позиция культурно-исторической теории деятельности

<p>Following the cultural-historical activity theory guidelines, this study investigates the potential consistency between scientific methodologies and personality syndromes. By minding not falling into rough simplification and misleading generalization, our methodological assumption suggests a line of historical similarity worthy of being investigated deeply in future studies. The study looks into the consistency in the historical development of the methodologies representing ‘the symptoms’ of psychology as a science living through its historical crisis, on one hand, and the personality syndromes representing the ‘implicit methodologies’ of individuals, on the other. Such an approach allows one to draw more on personality syndromes, their taxonomy, and their root, in addition to the potential predictions of their destiny. A crucial methodological consideration that allows such dependency is that science is a <em>special </em>form (highly abstract and generalized) of creative activity sharing a similar nature to the daily ordinary creative activity of personality. So, science might represent an early historically elaborated version of the ordinary-daily form of activity structure, which allows us to hypothesize that personality syndromes, in their own characteristics, might share the developmental tendency of the noted methodologies rooted in the subjective-objective epistemological rupture as a ground of the historical crisis.</p>

Interviewing persons-supported in an evaluation of individual person-centred care plan development for community-care services: practical methodological considerations

Background: Person-centred care plans (PCPs) have been identified as a promising upstream intervention to address health inequities in the community-care population. Studies in primary care and long-term care have shown that a person-centred approach has the potential to reduce costly and preventable health service utilization, improve health outcomes, and improve person-supported and provider experiences. PHSS Medical and Complex Care in Community (hereafter PHSS) uses an individualized, person-centred, participatory model of care. PHSS creates PCPs through a series of discussions with the person-supported, and with input from family members, friends, staff, and community members. PCPs incorporate personal goals and support participation in activities that are meaningful to each person-supported. PCPs are annually reviewed and updated, and provide a road map to services and supports, with options tailored to individual needs and capacities. PHSS is a partner in the research project and has been involved in team meetings and all project decisions.
 Objectives: As part of a larger project evaluating PCPs, we conducted interviews with person-supported by PHSS which includes individuals with physical and developmental disabilities and complex medical conditions that may pose challenges to conducting traditional qualitative interviews. We describe experiences of conducting interviews with persons-supported, and outline practical steps in gathering data from this population. 
 Methods: Using a descriptive qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 persons-supported. PHSS staff acted as an intermediary to help recruit and consent participants and conduct interviews. Participants chose where interviews took place and whether or not staff was present. Interviews were conducted in person, took up to 30 minutes, were recorded, and transcribed verbatim for analysis. In each interview, we asked about: the process used to create PCPs; examples of how PCPs were tailored to the person-supported’s goals; perceived benefits and challenges of carrying out the PCP on persons-supported, their families, and on staff; and supports/barriers that facilitate/hinder the individualized participatory process. We also gathered relevant demographic data to describe participants. Using correspondence from the research ethics board, field notes (including notes from reflection journals), we outline practical steps in conducting interviews with vulnerable, often non-verbal participants.
 Results: We outline five overarching themes. Interviews with persons-supported were aided by: 1) negotiation with research ethics officers to allow recruitment and consenting by an intermediary (i.e. PHSS); 2) using copies of the PCP in the interview as a common point of reference; 3) the presence of staff who facilitated communication; 4) organizational support in recruiting participants and scheduling interviews; and 5) having a trained interviewer with experience working with persons-supported and knowledge of adapted processes for individual capacity and circumstances.
 Discussion: Conducting interviews with persons-supported is consistent with a “nothing about us without us” approach, but requires attention to ensure ethics requirements are satisfied and individual and practical considerations are incorporated into the research plan. An integrated knowledge translation approach, wherein researchers and providers work closely together to develop the research plan, is integral to facilitating participation of persons-supported in research. 
 Conclusion: Creative and flexible approaches are needed to include persons-supported in research.

Tailoring International Pronunciation Activities for Hungarian Learners of English

Pronunciation teaching is gaining more and more recognition in international contexts, however, empirical research concerning pronunciation teaching is underrepresented in the Hungarian educational context. While there are a few studies that briefly touch upon the learners’ attitudes towards pronunciation, there is limited data concerning the ways in which pronunciation could be integrated into the Hungarian English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. Therefore, to narrow down the gap, this paper aims to investigate how international pronunciation activities could be modified when teaching Hungarian learners specifically, and how these activities could be integrated successfully into the classroom. The case study conducted involved 13 learners, who were taught by the first author of the paper as the teacher-researcher. The timeframe of the research was 11 weeks, throughout which altogether five pronunciation activities were tailored and integrated into the lessons. The results indicate that taking only methodological considerations when deciding on what feature to teach was not sufficient for successful integration. It was concluded that the learners needed to be aware of the goals of the task, its relevance to their development, and most importantly, they had to be motivated and in turn engaged, as all the factors mentioned above are prerequisites of successful integration.

Autistic phenomenology: past, present, and potential future.

We are now at a transition point in autism conceptualisation, science, and clinical practise, where phenomenology could play a key role. This paper takes a broad view of the history of phenomenological perspectives on the autism concept and how this has evolved over time, including contemporaneous theory and methods. Early inquiry from a clinical perspective within the tradition of classical continental phenomenology, linked closely to the consideration of schizophrenia, is contrasted with emerging observations of child development and a period in the second half of the twentieth century of scientific inquiry into a behavioural autistic phenotype where there was little or no phenomenological aspect; a phenotype that has determined the recent scientific and clinical conceptualisation of autism within current nosology. We then mark a more recent reawakening of interdisciplinary interest in subjective experience and phenomenological inquiry, which itself coincides with the increasing prominence and salience of the neurodiversity movement, autistic advocacy, and critical autism studies. We review this emerging phenomenological work alongside a contemporaneous clinical phenomenology perspective and representations of autistic experience from within the extensive literature (including life writing) from autistic people themselves; all perspectives that we argue need now be brought into juxtaposition and dialogue as the field moves forward. We argue from this for a future which could build on such accounts at a greater scale, working toward a more co-constructed, systematic, representative, and empirical autistic phenomenology, which would include citizen and participatory science approaches. Success in this would not only mean that autistic experience and subjectivity would be re-integrated back into a shared understanding of the autism concept, but we also argue that there could be the eventual goal of an enhanced descriptive nosology, in which key subjective and phenomenological experiences, discriminating for autism, could be identified alongside current behavioural and developmental descriptors. Such progress could have major benefits, including increased mutual empathy and common language between professionals and the autistic community, the provision of crucial new foci for research through aspects of autistic experience previously neglected, and potential new supportive innovations for healthcare and education. We outline a programme and methodological considerations to this end.

#Academicchatter: methodological and ethical considerations for conducting Twitter research in education

ABSTRACT As Twitter’s (or X’s) influence permeates aspects of education, researchers must consider how to ethically and effectively leverage the unique types of data that this social media platform offers. This paper provides recommended methodological practice considerations for working with qualitative Twitter data toward the advancement of education research. To inform our methodological protocol, we draw from a larger study that investigated disability disclosure during graduate school on Twitter. We use examples from our study to highlight similar protocol considerations that future researchers might take when working with qualitative Twitter data, including use of the website’s advanced search feature and use of multifaceted analysis approaches for capturing this data’s often unique complexity. We further provide ethical considerations for conducting social media research in education. Finally, we discuss the utility of the practices described in this article for moving education research forward via qualitative Twitter data.

INVESTIGATING DREAMING IN COGNITIVELY DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Dreaming changes across the lifespan. While our understanding of how dreaming relates to aging and well-being has developed with respect to early and middle phases of the lifespan, the dreams of older adults remain under-studied. Reviews of the literature suggest decreases in dream recall and the emotionality of dream content that often precede age-related changes in sleep architecture, with few changes in dreaming occurring between ages 45-75, after which dream recall declines steeply. However, these findings are based on relatively few studies. This point is underscored when considering the effects of secondary aging on dreaming, where virtually no literature exists on the dreams of older adults experiencing mild cognitive impairment. Studying the dreams of older adults experiencing cognitive impairment may seem trivial when compared to other processes implicated in secondary aging, but recent studies examining the relationship between frequency of negative dream content and the increased risk of onset and acceleration of cognitive decline beg a closer examination of how dreaming contributes to a broader understanding of health and functioning across the lifespan. The scoping review of sleep, dreams, well-being and cognition across the lifespan, and the subsequent proposed study design seeks to employ the Hall and Van de Castle Coding System of content analysis to contribute to the literature on the dream frequency and content of cognitively typical older adults while also exploring the feasibility and methodological considerations of studying the dream content of older adults with mild cognitive impairment.

Aren’t Research Questions and Hypotheses Indispensable for Literature Research, too?

Many English literature researchers in India commonly operate under the assumption that they lack a specific research methodology exclusive to literature studies, apart from what is outlined in the regularly updated MLA Handbook. Consequently, their dissertations often resemble lengthy college essays divided into five chapters, with limited emphasis on the Introduction and Conclusion chapters. The concluding section is routinely labeled as ‘Summation.’ These researchers typically overlook identifying knowledge gaps, even during the literature review phase, and often neglect the framing of research questions and formulation of hypotheses. There seems to be a prevailing belief that literary research is inherently distinct, exempting them from adopting methodologies employed in other disciplines. This paper explores the reasons behind the development of an anti-methodological stance among literature researchers, utilizing a structured questionnaire administered to PhD holders in literature. The findings suggest that this attitude stems from a steadfast adherence to the MLA Handbook, which prioritizes documentation procedures over methodological considerations. The paper recommends that literature scholars should embrace books and stylesheets designed for general research as the fundamental objectives of research in any discipline are the pursuit of truth and the appropriate means to achieve it.

Methodological Considerations in AI Predictions of Hearing Outcomes After Intact Canal Wall Mastoidectomy.

Methodological Considerations in AI Predictions of Hearing Outcomes After Intact Canal Wall Mastoidectomy.

Burden of Disease in Psoriatic Arthritis in Latin America: a SystematicLiterature Review.

Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory pathology that generates a substantial and progressive deterioration of functionality and quality of life. It is associated with comorbidities (cardiovascular and metabolic) and involvement of mental health. In Latin America, information regarding the disease is limited. This study reviews the burden of disease (disease activity, functional involvement, clinical manifestations, comorbidities, patient-reported outcomes, quality of life, and use of health resources) in PsA patients in Latin America. Systematic literature review of publications in PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews-CDSR/Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, LILACS, Scielo, Redalyc, conference abstracts, and grey literature. Two independent assessors selected studies and extracted information. Quality was assessed according to the type of study. We identified 692 references, selecting 50 studies: 41 cross-sectional, four economic-studies, four cohort studies and one systematic review. The information comes mainly from Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. The estimated disease prevalence for Latin America ranges from 0.004 to 0.08% (95% CI 0.02-0.20). Measurements with validated instruments suggest suboptimal assessment of disease domains, significant functional compromise, loss of productivity, and high frequency of comorbidities, including mental health. Methodological and population considerations limit the generalizability of the findings. The available information reports a considerable burden of disease in patients with PsA in Latin America, with involvement of quality of life associated with disability in relation to disease activity and its various manifestations. Future research and funding efforts should be aimed at generating more standardized information about the impact of PsA in the region. Key Points •The functional involvement related to disease activity, the impact on the quality of life, and the frequency of cardiometabolic and psychological comorbidities are remarkable in Latin American patients with PsA. •The current synthesis offers an overview of the burden of disease (disease activity, functional involvement, clinical manifestations, comorbidities, patient-reported outcomes, quality of life, and use of health resources) in PsA patients in Latin America. •Future research efforts and clinical strategies are required in order to generate standardized data on the patients and better estimate the burden of disease in the region.

Methodological and analytical considerations for intra-operative microdialysis

BackgroundMicrodialysis is a technique that can be utilized to sample the interstitial fluid of the central nervous system (CNS), including in primary malignant brain tumors known as gliomas. Gliomas are mainly accessible at the time of surgery, but have rarely been analyzed via interstitial fluid collected via microdialysis. To that end, we obtained an investigational device exemption for high molecular weight catheters (HMW, 100 kDa) and a variable flow rate pump to perform microdialysis at flow rates amenable to an intra-operative setting. We herein report on the lessons and insights obtained during our intra-operative HMW microdialysis trial, both in regard to methodological and analytical considerations.MethodsIntra-operative HMW microdialysis was performed during 15 clinically indicated glioma resections in fourteen patients, across three radiographically diverse regions in each patient. Microdialysates were analyzed via targeted and untargeted metabolomics via ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.ResultsUse of albumin and lactate-containing perfusates impacted subsets of metabolites evaluated via global metabolomics. Additionally, focal delivery of lactate via a lactate-containing perfusate, induced local metabolic changes, suggesting the potential for intra-operative pharmacodynamic studies via reverse microdialysis of candidate drugs. Multiple peri-operatively administered drugs, including levetiracetam, cefazolin, caffeine, mannitol and acetaminophen, could be detected from one microdialysate aliquot representing 10 min worth of intra-operative sampling. Moreover, clinical, radiographic, and methodological considerations for performing intra-operative microdialysis are discussed.ConclusionsIntra-operative HMW microdialysis can feasibly be utilized to sample the live human CNS microenvironment, including both metabolites and drugs, within one surgery. Certain variables, such as perfusate type, must be considered during and after analysis.Trial registration NCT04047264

Corrections for Rabi oscillations in cardiac chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI under the influence of very short preparation pulses.

Very short chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) pulses are beneficial in cardiac continuous wave (cw) CEST MRI, especially in small animals because of their rapid heartbeat; however, they result in signal modulations caused by Rabi oscillations. Therefore, we implemented two different filter techniques, DOwnsampling by SEparation of CEST spectrum into two parts (DOSE) and time domain (TD)-based filtering, to correct for these signal corruptions, allowing a reliable quantification of glucose-weighted CEST (glucoCEST) MRI contrast. In our study, cw CEST measurements were performed on a 9.4-T small animal BioSpec system using CEST pulses in the range of 10 to 200 ms. Experimental dependencies of Rabi oscillations on key MRI parameters were validated by Bloch-McConnell (BM) simulations. Filter efficiency was explored in a glucose concentration series as well as in the myocardium of healthy mice (n = 8), and glucoCEST contrast was subsequently quantified. The experimental results showed that the impact of Rabi oscillations on CEST spectra increased with decreasing CEST pulse length, optimized B0 homogeneity, and shorter T2 relaxation time, in accordance with results from BM simulations. Both investigated filter techniques reduced these signal modulations significantly, with DOSE filtering preserving the amplitude and TD filtering the spectral information of CEST data more accurately. Upon filter application, a significant decrease in glucoCEST contrast in the myocardium of healthy mice was observed after glucose infusion (pTD = 0.0079, pDOSE = 0.0044). To conclude, this study offers comprehensive experimental insights into Rabi oscillations within CEST MRI data along with methodological considerations that could be further advanced into a robust and precise cardiac cw CEST protocol by integrating DOSE and TD filtering into the standard CEST analysis pipeline.

Performance Autoethnography: EM Not Afraid to Utter Their Emotional Truth

In this performance autoethnography, the author uses the poetic language, rather than silence, to express the emotional truth associated with their lived experience. Exploring the convergence of multiple identities, they use Tweets as prompts to elicit deepest inner experiences, striving to elucidate situated knowledges that emerge from within. This creative-relational-and-performative process of producing an aesthetic text serves as a cathartic outlet, bringing forth the deeply personal, cultural, and political dimensions of being-in-the-world. The methodological consideration accentuates the significance of individual expression and encompasses the truth-seeking and poetical examination of everyday engagement with this (in)visible lifeworld.

Using Partnerships and Multiple Data Sources to Surveil Agricultural Injuries: Considerations and Recommendations

ABSTRACT This article describes an interprofessional collaboration between Sanford Health and North Dakota State University that strengthens agricultural injury surveillance in the upper Midwest by using multiple sources of health data and geographic information systems (GIS) technology. We provide methodological insights and considerations for using and combining facility-level trauma registry (FLTR) data, national data sets, and GIS to identify areas with disproportionate agricultural injury prevalence. Additionally, we discuss the benefits of FLTR data, how and why it is collected, the data it contains, and how it can be combined with national datasets to fill-in surveillance gaps. Lastly, we offer recommendations for building cross-institutional and interprofessional partnerships.

Compilation or Redaction in the Pentateuch: Reassessing Numbers 25

Abstract Although Num 25 is clearly a composite text, the manner of its compilation is still debated. This article presents a new analysis of the chapter as a test case for a fundamental issue in contemporary pentateuchal studies: whether the Pentateuch represents mainly a compilation of independent sources or a series of redactional strata. The analysis is focused on internal considerations of Num 25, suspending any theory of the formation of the Pentateuch, the nature of the Priestly writings, or the status of the book of Numbers. I conclude that Num 25 is more likely to consist of three independent narratives than several layers placed one on top of the other, and suggest several methodological considerations that can be helpful in analyzing other texts in the Pentateuch.

Investigation of motor unit behavior in exercise and sports physiology: challenges and perspectives.

Several methods are in use to record and analyze neuronal activation, each with specific advantages and challenges. New developments like the decomposition of high-density surface electromyography (HDsEMG) have enabled novel insights into discharge characteristics noninvasively in laboratory settings but face certain challenges to be applied in sports physiology in a broader scope. Several challenges can be accounted for by methodological considerations, others require further technological developments to allow this technology to be used in more applied settings. This paper aims to describe the developments of surface electromyography and identify the challenges and perspectives of HDsEMG in the context of an application in sports physiology. We further discuss methodological possibilities to overcome some of the challenges to investigate specific research questions and identify areas that require further advancements.