Methodological Pluralism Research Articles

What is a Feminist Quantitative Method? Opportunities for Feminist Econometrics

Though feminist economics encourages methodological plurality, quantitative methods and econometrics have overtaken the discipline in recent years. Many feminist economists have demonstrated reasons to be concerned about the increasing foothold of quantitative methods, and others have provided thoughtful criticisms of specific quantitative measurements. However, few have made distinctions between mainstream econometrics and feminist econometrics, and a succinct set of resources for those trying to do feminist quantitative research is difficult to find. Drawing upon insights from feminist economics, queer methods, and intersectional approaches, this article sets forth practical guidelines for feminists using econometric methods. Namely, it considers issues of data cleaning, replicability, survey weighting, comparison groups, non-binary measures of gender, intersectionality, causality claims, identification problems, atheoretical index composition, and measuring “difference.” It raises questions for contemporary feminist economists to consider as we grapple with the methodological identity of our field. HIGHLIGHTS Gender diagnostic estimation can be used to endogenously measure gender. Separate model approaches and CARTs are useful in intersectional work. Econometric models can be structured so they are “studying up.” Oaxaca–Blinder and PCA methods raise some feminist concerns. Cohen’s D and the Index of Similarity can be used to test gender differences.

Beyond "post," "traumatic," "growth," and prediction in research on posttraumatic growth.

Thirty years after the introduction of posttraumatic growth (PTG), research on the concept has expanded dramatically. Novel theoretical perspectives included in this special issue, however, demonstrate that nearly every element of PTG requires revision. "Post" implies a definitive before and after adversity that simply does not exist, either empirically or in the everyday navigation of adversity, especially for marginalized people. "Trauma" is appropriately scaled to the gravity of some forms of adversity, yet the term is often overly pathologizing or flattening of individual experience. And "growth" is often misleading, difficult to operationalize, and always value-laden. Studying PTG requires grappling with these claims in a way that can inspire pessimism. What is left in PTG after we question the P, T, and G? In asking this question, we ultimately encounter the limits of empiricism. Drawing insights from contemporary research in lifespan development, we suggest that it may be impossible to prospectively predict, using individual-level variables, how people grapple with adversity and develop after it. There are limits to our understanding of PTG that may simply be insurmountable. But complementary perspectives in narrative research, especially those espoused in this issue, as well as in the humanities and the arts, offer a way forward. Retrospectively understanding adverse events and taking an idiographic and qualitative perspective on the ways in which people navigate them can both humanize and bolster inclusivity in PTG research. We conclude by suggesting a period of enhanced divergent exploration, one that embraces disciplinary humility and epistemological and methodological pluralism to further understand PTG. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Digital Technology Applications in Construction Education: A Systematic Review of Methodological Pluralism

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to provide a systematic analysis of the nexus of methodological pluralism and digital technology pedagogies in construction education literature. Recent technological advancements transform the built-environment-related fields rapidly, and this transformation has the potential to improve productivity and efficiency in the industry. Alongside this transformation, the future workforce should be equipped with skills to accelerate the adoption of evolving technologies. Considering these, this study systematically reviewed over 100 papers in the construction education literature with a qualitative analysis. The majority of the reviewed studies use quasi-experimental design, and several technological advancements are utilized in teaching core construction concepts, mainly building information modeling (BIM) and extended reality (XR). With the applied nature of the construction domain, various studies utilized technology to introduce virtual site visits, quantity take-off and estimating, visualization, scheduling, surveying, and communication. Together with these, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by revealing methodological approaches commonly used by researchers to help spur the growth of research efforts in digital technology utilization in construction, with its significant potential to be one of the reference guides in the construction education literature.

Advancing computational thinking education: Insights from systems thinking applications

BACKGROUND: In today’s world, acquiring essential skills is crucial for empowering individuals, particularly children, to handle everyday challenges and tasks in a technologically advanced society. Among these skills, computational thinking (CT) plays a vital role in problem-solving and adapting to the complex and evolving demands of the 21st century. However, it is necessary to explore the role of other thinking skills alongside CT, considering that CT cannot be improved and applied in isolation. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to address the gap in knowledge regarding the application of systems thinking to CT development and its integration into education settings. METHODS: Results from two studies, focusing on CT development using educational robotics and maker technologies, form the basis of this paper. The research findings are synthesized and consolidated using the systemic FMA (framework of ideas, methodology, and area of concern) model. RESULTS: The research findings illustrate that utilizing a diverse set of approaches, methods, and tools can improve CT skill development across different educational settings. CONCLUSIONS: The adapted FMA model promotes methodological pluralism and facilitates a critical examination of CT development boundaries, leading to both conceptual and practical changes. This approach enables the recognition of emergent properties, the design of interventions, and the incorporation of multiple perspectives.

Integrated management systems: a content and bibliometric analysis

PurposeSignificant interest in Integrated Management Systems (IMS), as a key area within ISO-related Management System Standards (MSS) literature, has been evident from both academia and industry over the past three decades. This study aims to map the evolution and current state of IMS research and propose possible directions for future studies.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive content and bibliometric analysis of 846 documents from the Scopus database across the period 1995 to 2023 was conducted. This included performance analysis to track publication trends and identify key contributors, and content analysis to specify dominant research methodologies and the MSS most commonly integrated. Furthermore, science mapping techniques—such as co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and bibliographic coupling—were utilized to outline the collaborative networks and the conceptual and intellectual structure of the field.FindingsThe study identifies three principal IMS research themes: the practical implementation of IMS, their role in promoting sustainability and social responsibility, and their impact on continuous performance improvement. It also highlights the field’s evolution and key research constituents—including influential works, prolific authors, leading academic institutions and countries, and top publishing journals. It further reveals that IMS research exhibits strong collaboration across authors and countries, and a rich methodological plurality, notably with a marked increase in empirical surveys in recent years. Additionally, it identifies the most frequently referenced MSS for integration, prominently featuring ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001/OHSAS 18001.Originality/valueThis study is original in its application of a dual analytical approach—bibliometric and content analysis—to provide a holistic overview of IMS research. It offers new insights into the integration of diverse MSS and proposes several promising paths for future research. Among the most prominent are standardizing IMS fundamental specifications, conducting more empirical research with advanced methods to evaluate the effects of MSS integration, providing practical support for organizations in IMS implementation through tailored methodologies and tools, and exploring the potential of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies to advance IMS practices.

Methodological Pluralism in Team Research

Methodological Pluralism in Team Research

‘Tremendous pressure’: exploring the pressures faced by widening participation evaluators

This paper explores the tensions, disjunctures and politics that evaluators experience when tasked with evaluating widening participation programmes in English Higher Education Institutions (HEI). While much research has been conducted concerning the importance of evaluation in widening participation, comparatively little has been written about how the socio-organisational position that evaluators are situated in may impact the quality and `rigour´ of the evaluation exercises themselves. Consequently, this paper is intended to act as the starting point for discussions within the field of widening participation that critically reflect on the optimal circumstances in which we can evaluate widening participation initiatives. Drawing from the analysis of semi-structured interviews with 21 practitioners at four HEIs, four pressures are identified that act upon evaluators, namely: reputational concerns; personal involvement; accountability for donors, alumni and other interested parties; and position within an organisation. These pressures are outlined and explored in relation to how they shape the evaluation process. The implications of this research concern institutional change at both the HEI and the regulatory body level, movement towards methodological pluralism and an easing of the pressures that confront widening participation practitioners when tasked with evaluation.

Integration Potential of Public Diplomacy in Implementation of Social Projects by Patient NPOs in the Field of Orphan Diseases: Eurasian Experience

The subject of the article is the Eurasian experience of the integration potential of public diplomacy in the implementation of social projects by patient NPOs in the field of orphan diseases. The aim of the study is to describe and generalize the project practices of the Association for Assistance to Patients with Rett Syndrome in promoting public diplomacy in the Eurasian space. The initial data consisted of the activities and results of the social projects implementation in the countries of Eurasia (Russian Federation, Republic of Kazakhstan, Armenia, Moldova, Republic of Belarus). The methodological basis of the study was the concept of methodological pluralism, consolidating the approaches of constructivism to public diplomacy and the classical scientific school to positioning the activities of non-profit organizations. Research methods include design, description, evaluation of qualitative and quantitative results, feedback from the target audience of the project in the form of a review. During the implementation of the projects, the knowledge and skills of the parent and professional (medical, pedagogical) audience were strengthened; the geography has been expanded: 4 countries of the Eurasian space have been joined by partners from a fifth country — the Republic of Belarus, with voluntary participation. The scientific contribution consists of verifying the integration potential of NPOs in the development of public diplomacy in the project activities of domestic patient SO NPOs with friendly NPOs in Eurasia in joining forces, holding events, developing communication channels, and helping families. A model of a social resource has been created for replication in all countries of the post-Soviet space (4 countries are covered, but in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, there are children with Rett syndrome, and they all need social resources for a quality life).

Financing infrastructure projects: a review of definitional issues and thematic areas

The purpose of the article is to identify current problems and thematic areas of financing infrastructure projects. To do this, both a systematization of approaches is carried out on the basis of thematic analysis and a review of Russian and foreign sources is done. A methodological plurality of definitions of the main categories was discovered. Inductively identified thematic areas of research cover: general trends in the development of types of economic infrastructure, microanalysis of the creation of specific infrastructure facilities and local needs for infrastructure development, local economic impact of individual types of infrastructure, cross-sectoral effects of infrastructure development, integration aspects of the creation of infrastructure facilities, infrastructure in the context of sustainable development, features of instruments and forms of financing infrastructure projects, infrastructure facilities as a separate class of investment assets.

Charting the Trajectory of Corpus Translation Studies: Exploring Future Avenues for Advancement

Abstract This article delves into the trajectory of corpus translation studies (CTS) over the past two decades, summarizing key areas of existing research and identifying potential gaps and challenges within the field. The review encompasses various research areas, including translation universals, translator style, translation norms, and translation pedagogy. It acknowledges the valuable contributions made in these areas while also highlighting potential areas for improvement, such as the need to incorporate functional aspects in translator style research and align translation training programs with professional requirements. The review introduces (De Sutter, Gert, and Marie-Aude Lefer. 2020. “On the Need for a New Research Agenda for Corpus-Based Translation Studies: A Multi-Methodological, Multifactorial and Interdisciplinary Approach.” Perspectives 28 (1): 1–23) new research agenda for CTS, which advocates for multifactorial designs, methodological pluralism, and interdisciplinarity. This agenda facilitates two analysis modes: one utilizing corpus methods to examine translation products, and the other employing diverse methods to investigate products, processes, participants, and contexts in corpus-assisted translation practices. It is argued that these two analysis modes offer valuable guidance for future corpus-assisted translation studies.

Научные школы на рубеже XX–XXI вв.: разработка истории предпринимательства дореволюционной Сибири

The exploration of scientific schools focusing on the history of entrepreneurship in pre-revolutionary Siberia stands as a crucial endeavor at the intersection of historical research and economic studies. This article delves into the conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches employed by researchers to illuminate the multifaceted dynamics of entrepreneurial activities in Siberia during the late XX and early XXI centuries. Drawing on principles of holism, integrity, historicism, and a value-based approach, scientists have embarked on a comprehensive examination of the historical trajectory of entrepreneurship in Siberia. By integrating insights from various disciplines, including history, economics, and sociology, researchers aim to provide a nuanced understanding of the socio-economic landscape of the region. Utilizing a diverse array of methodological tools, such as comparative-historical analysis, concrete examination, retrospective study, and historical-typological analysis, scientists have endeavored to unravel the complexities of entrepreneurial endeavors in Siberia. Through meticulous archival research and interdisciplinary engagement, researchers have shed light on the activities of merchants across different industries and their impact on the socio-cultural fabric of the region. This article underscores the significance of studying scientific communities dedicated to the history of entrepreneurship in Siberia. By acknowledging the contributions of researchers and elucidating their role in shaping historical narratives, this research aims to highlight the richness and diversity of scientific endeavors in Russian historiography. In conclusion, the study of scientific schools focusing on the history of entrepreneurship in pre-revolutionary Siberia represents a vital aspect of historical scholarship. By embracing interdisciplinary perspectives and methodological pluralism, researchers continue to uncover new insights into the economic, social, and cultural dimensions of entrepreneurial activities in Siberia, thereby enriching our understanding of this pivotal period in Russian history.

Understanding asexuality: A sociological review

AbstractAsexuality, a sexual identity that refers to those who experience low/no sexual attraction, has garnered increasing attention in recent years, yet its sociological exploration remains relatively nascent. This review article examines the burgeoning interdisciplinary field of asexuality studies through a sociological lens, examining asexual studies' conceptualizations, theoretical frameworks, and empirical contributions. First, I review how asexuality is defined and conceptualized in existing literature, highlighting diverse understandings and complexities surrounding this sexual orientation. I analyze the various conceptualizations of asexuality, ranging from the absence of sexual attraction to conceptualizations that emphasize the fluidity and spectrum of asexual identities. Next, I identify the subfields in sociology where asexuality studies is making or has the potential to make theoretical and empirical interventions. I examine how asexuality intersects with broader sociological themes such as gender, sexuality, identity, the family, intimacy, relationships, stigma, and community. Drawing on existing research, I examine how asexuality challenges normative assumptions about sexuality and how it contributes to ongoing conversations within sociology. Finally, I offer recommendations for how sociologists can approach the study of asexuality. I advocate for interdisciplinary collaboration, methodological pluralism, and intersectional analyses to capture the complexity and diversity of asexual experiences. Moreover, I emphasize the importance of centering asexual voices and perspectives in research, while also acknowledging the ethical considerations and challenges inherent in studying a marginalized and often misunderstood sexual orientation. Overall, this review provides a scoping overview of the sociology of asexuality, offering insights into its conceptualizations, theoretical implications, and avenues for future research.

Art and Science of ‘Escape’

As authors we draw from our experience of hosting two virtual design and imagination labs, where we took a deep dive into the evolution of our economic system with a diverse group, and had a profound collective experience imagining possible alternatives that promote wellbeing and flourishing of people and planet. These labs were convened by the David Suzuki Foundation in Turtle Island/Canada during the pandemic. In each Lab, approximately 60 participants were invited from across government, First Nations communities, civil society, academia, and activism. Both the process of inviting, and the lab design and process, were carefully curated with an intention to bring different world views and perspectives to take a deep dive into re-imagining our economic system. As pracademics and systems change practitioners, we reflect on what is required to make visible the underlying conditions (including worldviews, myths, and metaphors) that keep our current systems in place, and what might be needed to free ourselves to imagine alternatives. We refer to this liberation as ‘escape’ and propose six elements of ‘escape’ for transformation. The process of unlearning and releasing ourselves from unhelpful limiting assumptions and worldviews applies to those ‘facilitating’ these processes of systemic change, as much as it applies to those participating in the labs. This form of collective practice requires constant vigilance, as no single methodology of framework is fit for purpose. We reflect on what this kind of methodological pluralism invites and offers, as we bring together different ways of knowing and different knowledge systems, and re-imagine alternatives that recognise the limitations and impact of our current economic system on people and planet.

Toward a globally inclusive knowledge base on adolescent development: A charge to the Majority World and a plea for epistemic and paradigmatic pluralism.

Ongoing internal dialog on the limitations of Euro-American developmental science has opened up space to explore how best to work toward a knowledge base that is adequately representative of the values, cultures, epistemic traditions, and lived experiences of peoples, nations, and regions around the world. So far, recommendations for the advancement of a global developmental science have focused preponderantly on (1) methodological considerations and (2) an architecture to support cross-disciplinary international collaborative inquiry and/or enhance research capacity building for Majority World scholars and institutions. In this commentary, instead of focusing on specific contributions to the Special Issue, I make a case for an explicit commitment to field-building within Majority World contexts as the primary gap-closing path toward the cultivation of a global developmental science knowledge base. I begin with a worldwide population analysis to demonstrate the magnitude of geopolitical, eco-cultural, and epistemic imbalances inherent in the shaping of Euro-American developmental science. In tandem with the Special Issue's central theme, I draw on scholarship from the fields of history, sociology, and political economy to link decolonial theory to the advancement of a global developmental science. Finally, I explore ways in which exemplary research establishments already engaged in prolific inquiry and research training may be ideal candidates to support field-building and help to advance multidisciplinary inquiry within an ethos of epistemic and methodological pluralism.

A credence-based theory-heavy approach to non-human consciousness

Many different methodological approaches have been proposed to infer the presence of consciousness in non-human systems. In this paper, a version of the theory-heavy approach is defended. Theory-heavy approaches rely heavily on considerations from theories of consciousness to make inferences about non-human consciousness. Recently, the theory-heavy approach has been critiqued in the form of Birch’s (Noûs 56(1):133–153, 2022) dilemma of demandingness and Shevlin’s (Mind Lang 36(2):297–314, 2021) specificity problem. However, both challenges implicitly assume an inapt characterization of the theory-heavy approach. I argue that an alternative characterization of the approach, what I call a credence-based theory-heavy approach, avoids these challenges. Theorists can generate interpretations of their theory, at different levels of generality, and operationalize these into theory-informed markers. These theory-informed markers are assigned a likelihood and are used to assess the probability that a target system is conscious. In providing this characterization, and mapping out the possible ways in which a credence-based theory-heavy approach can be fleshed out, the aim is to situate the theory-heavy approach as a more compelling approach than it is currently being perceived as. Our attention, then, needs to shift towards remaining challenges such as the consensus problem and the problem of calibrating the likelihoods associated with theory-informed markers. I also explore methodological pluralism and assess how the credence-based theory-heavy approach can benefit from other methodological approaches.

Importance of methodological pluralism in deriving counterfactuals for evidence-based conservation.

Most protected area impact research that uses counterfactuals draws heavily on quantitative methods, data, and knowledge types, making it valuable in producing generalizations but limited in temporal scope, historical detail, and habitat diversity and coverage of ecosystem services. We devised a methodological pluralistic approach, which supports social science qualitative methods, narratives, mixed methods, and interdisciplinarity, to fully unlock the potential of counterfactuals in ensuring a place-based and detailed understanding of the socioecological context and impacts of protected areas. We applied this approach to derive possible counterfactual conditions for the impact of a montane protected area on 40years of vegetation change in the Cape Floristic Region-a global biodiversity hotspot and UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa. We incorporated diverse methods, knowledge, and information sources, drawing on before-after protected area comparisons for inside and outside the protected area. A significant increase in shrubland vegetation (17-30%) was observed and attributed primarily to a decline in frequent burning for grazing. This also occurred outside the protected area and was driven by socioeconomic drivers and not by concerns over biodiversity conservation or land degradation. Had the protected area not been established the area would have seen intensification of cultivation and increased road networks, buildings, and water storage in dams. Our approach increased historical temporal coverage of socioecological change and contextualized assumptions around causality. Protected area impact evaluation should reengage in place-based research that fully incorporates pluralism in methodologies for constructing counterfactuals in a way that builds regional and global understanding from the local level upward. We devised 10 key principles for deriving counterfactuals grounded in methodological pluralism, covering aspects of collaboration, cocreation, inter- and transdisciplinarity, diverse values and lived experiences, multiple knowledge types, multiple possible causal mechanisms, social science qualitative methods, perceptions, perspectives, and narratives.

Method in relational-explanatory geography

Human geography’s onto-epistemological expansion in recent decades has not been well matched by methodological development. Learning from the methodological pluralism in four relational approaches, this paper reflects on key issues in relational-explanatory theorizing before introducing a social science method of process tracing in relation to a comparative methodology. I argue that contrastive explanations can be developed through deploying comparable methodological practices as different ‘moments’ of a research process in appropriate evidential contexts. This research process-based comparative methodology can better trace actors and their relational networks through in situ research and generate explanatory theoretical insights into the complexity of socio-spatial life.

Building project resilience: A critical systems practice approach

AbstractConsisting of multifaceted interactions between various human and non‐human actors, projects are prime illustrations of complex systems. Such complexity amplifies the negative effect of disruptive events—common in projects owing to their high level of uncertainty. Therefore, building project resilience to provide a quick recovery process with minimal adverse consequences is of critical importance. However, literature lacks an effective framework for such. This paper argues that methodological pluralism is necessary for solving complex practical problem situations, based on the view of Mike C. Jackson—a seminal figure in the field of systems thinking. Accordingly, this paper takes a critical systems practice (CSP) approach to develop a framework for building resilience in projects. The application of the proposed framework is illustrated through a case of supply shortages in the automotive industry. The results underscore the significance of portraying a comprehensive view of both human and non‐human contributors to projects, surpassing conventional project‐driven management methods, which rely on science and experimentation. Additionally, the study emphasises how CSP, as an ideal type of multimethodological practice, broadens our perspective by offering insights into the multidimensional characteristics of resilience.

Культурно-историческая концепция О. Шпенглера в современной российской историографии

The article examines the main trends in the analysis of the cultural and historical concept of the author of the “Decline of Europe” in Russian humanitarian thought of the late XX–XXI centuries. The authors of the article have studied the modern stage of Russian humanitarian thought, within the framework of which the process of transition from Soviet ideological and methodological monism to methodological pluralism in the study of O. Spengler’s legacy is taking place. Having studied the works of historians, philosophers, cultural scientists, sociologists, political scientists and other representatives of Russian humanitarian thought, the authors analyzed modern interpretations and modern perception of O. Spengler’s cultural and historical concept in the Russian humanities. The article proves that the crisis of the methodology of humanitarian cognition of Soviet Marxism opens up for domestic researchers completely new theoretical and methodological approaches to the interpretation of O. Spengler’s cultural-historical concept, which, as a result, will affect the development of modern Russian historiography.

Theorising European integration: the four phases since Ernst Haas’ original contribution

ABSTRACT Ever since Ernst Haas’ ground-breaking work on European integration, scholars have been theoretically divided over who or what are the drivers of European integration, mainly between supranationalism or intergovernmentalism. Cutting across the substantive divides have also been differences in analytic frameworks, including rationalist/rational choice institutionalism, historical institutionalism, and constructivist/discursive institutionalism. These cross-cutting methodological cleavages have played out in successive phases of substantive scholarly theorisation, even as alternative developments in theory and practice involving deepening integration and increasing politicisation have complicated such theorizations. While the first phase (late 1950s-1970s) was methodologically pluralist as it divided between neofunctionalist supranationalism and realist intergovernmentalism, subsequent phases were clearly divided also by methodological approach. The second phase (beginning in the 1990s) mainly divided between historical institutionalist supranationalists and rational choice institutionalist liberal intergovernmentalists. The third phase (beginning in the 2010s) divided between ‘new’ constructivist/discursive institutionalist supranationalists and ‘new’ constructivist/discursive institutionalist intergovernmentalists. The fourth phase (in the mid to late 2010s) takes greater stock of increasing politicisation while dividing between rationalist/historical institutionalist post-functionalists and constructivist/discursive institutionalist post-functionalists. The conclusion asks how these divides could be more fully bridged in order to achieve more substantive and methodological pluralism.