Methodological Pluralism Research Articles

Effect of Lateral Thinking Dispositions on Groupwork

The aim of this study is to compare the effect of lateral thinking dispositions on groupwork in a collaborative learning environment from different angles as quantitatively and qualitatively in line with methodological pluralism. The population of the study included freshmen students studying Gastronomy and Culinary Arts in Tourism Faculty of a state university. The study was conducted in three samples within the scope of methodological pluralism including data triangulation (for SPSS analysis: N= 83- all the students in the study universe-; for thematic analysis: N= 66- selected on a voluntary basis depending on voluntary response sampling-; and for the Rasch analysis: N= 16 students accepting to participate this aspect of the study voluntarily and 3 faculty members who have the responsibilities of the groupwork of the students). In the quantitative phase, descriptive analysis was performed through the Rasch Measurement Model and SPSS program while in the qualitative part of the study, the case study approach was conducted under the checklist of COREQ Statement. Rasch results indicated the LATD (Lateral Thinking Dispositions) scores of the students graduating from tourism or cooking related vocational high schools and having work experience were higher than their counterparts not graduating from tourism related high schools and had no work experience beforehand. Qualitative results showed consistency with the quantitative results. Teachers are suggested to be trained so that lateral thinking skills can be implemented in class environment.

Methodological pluralism through the lens of the buddhist doctrine of time kālacakra: an interview with dr. Jensine Andresen

Modern dialogue between Western science and Buddhism raises an enormous range of cognitive issues that require interdisciplinary research. The idea of methodological pluralism (MP) arises here as an effective solution for such projects. Having immersed in the study of the background of its opponent, Western science touched the fairly old and specific way of reality cognition, which in certain aspects actually can be identified as a Tibetan-Buddhist version of the MP. In an interview with the professor from the United States, who for many decades has been engaged in research on the boundaries of various science disciplines, ethics, and religious studies, we tried to clarify the specifics of this so-called version of MP, which is set out in the Buddhist doctrine of time, K lacakra. Texts of this doctrine are included in the corpus of Buddhist canonical literature and form the basis for two classical Buddhist sciences: the science of stars (which is actually “social astronomy”); and the science of healing (which looks like a certain version of “psycho-medicine”). During the interview, we went directly to the possibility of using the Buddhist version of MP at least within the dialogue “Buddhism-Science”, to the need to understand the specifics of such an implementation, and to the mandatory combination of MP with an integrated approach. The interview was intended to raise the question that deals with transgressing the abovementioned dialogue from the “consumer” level (when we are looking for something that could be useful to the Western neuro-cognitivist) to the philosophical one, in order to formulate a criterion for recognizing a different way of thinking, and finally, to move on toward the semantic discussion, without which the integration phase of any kind of MP is impossible.

Capturing outcomes of competency-based medical education: The call and the challenge

There is an urgent need to capture the outcomes of the ongoing global implementation of competency-based medical education (CBME). However, the measurement of downstream outcomes following educational innovations, such as CBME is fraught with challenges stemming from the complexities of medical training, the breadth and variability of inputs, and the difficulties attributing outcomes to specific educational elements. In this article, we present a logic model for CBME to conceptualize an impact pathway relating to CBME and facilitate outcomes evaluation. We further identify six strategies to mitigate the challenges of outcomes measurement: (1) clearly identify the outcome of interest, (2) distinguish between outputs and outcomes, (3) carefully consider attribution versus contribution, (4) connect outcomes to the fidelity and integrity of implementation, (5) pay attention to unanticipated outcomes, and (6) embrace methodological pluralism. Embracing these challenges, we argue that careful and thoughtful evaluation strategies will move us forward in answering the all-important question: Are the desired outcomes of CBME being achieved?

The role of the socio-technical regime in the sustainable energy transition: A case of the Eurasian Arctic

This study investigates the role of the socio-technical regime in the global energy system transition towards sustainability within the context of exploitation of oil and natural gas resources, illustrated by the case of the Eurasian Arctic. The study design and methodology are inspired by a multi-level perspective framework. The Arctic case is examined through a ‘salient–reverse salient’ approach. The analysis shows that the exploitation is ongoing, independent of global sustainability goals and strong landscape pressures. We observe a lack of alignment between the different levels of the global energy system, where regime salients dominate over other factors. Incumbent actors acknowledge high levels of inertia and dependency within the oil and gas industry. The study concludes that a deeper focus on the capacities and qualities of the socio-technical regime can facilitate the sustainable energy transition. We suggest a more systematic view of transition studies, and theoretical and methodological pluralism via a combination of frameworks. We highlight the need to include the oil and gas industry as an eligible actor and factor in discussions of the sustainable energy transition, and also suggest ‘unlocking’ the regime through greater attention to its inertia and momentum.

Современные подходы к изучению исламской сотериологии

The article is dedicated to the research methodology of Islamic soteriology in the field of re-ligious studies. The main focus is on empirical and theoretical research paths. It is noted that Islamic soteriology as an object of study can be considered through sociological tools, religious and technical terminology as well as from the point of view of religious exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism. Based on the analysis of relevant sources, this paper points out the conceptual series of Islamic sote-riology and highlights key personalities of Muslim theologians whose works contain the issues of salvation. The research demonstrates that the basis of Islamic soteriology study is methodological and ideological pluralism. The author concludes that the pluralism inherent in Islamic thought pro-vides a golden opportunity for modern scholars and Muslim theologians to formulate an optimistic soteriology in the fold of Islam and extrapolate its positive consequences to the area of interreligious dialogue.

Крестьянский протест в Енотаевском уезде Астраханской губернии в годы Гражданской войны

The research aims to study in a comprehensive manner the peasant armed rebellion in Astrakhan Province during the Civil War, using Popov’s detachment as an example. Scientific novelty of the paper lies in the fact that there is no concrete historical study on this issue in the regional historiography; the work is novel in that it introduces sources of different types interpreted within the space of methodological pluralism into scientific use. As a result, it is proved that the main reasons for the peasant rebellion in Astrakhan Province during the considered period consisted in the fact that a part of the peasantry refused to accept the policy of extreme requisitioning, repressive and mobilisation measures that were carried out by the Soviet government, which manifested itself, among other things, in conscription evasion, desertion from the ranks, creation of armed detachments that interacted with military formations of the White Army and engaged in partisan warfare in the rear of the Red Army.

When Methods Meet Motives: methodological pluralism in Social Work research

In Social Work research there is a strong debate on the distinctiveness and methodological quality, and how to address the dilemma of rigour and practice relevance. Given the nature of Social Work the field has developed a characteristic research culture that puts emphasis on giving voice to service users and disseminating research knowledge in practice, especially in a stream of so called practice-based research. However, there is no consensus on how to best contribute to the practice of Social Work through research and at the same time producing rigourous scientific outcomes, resulting in methodological pluralism. Studying the perceptions of Social Work researchers on their role, the aims and values of Social Work research and their research approach, provides insight into the methodological pluralism of Social Work research. Thirty-four professors specialising in practice-based Social Work research participated in a Q methodology study. Q methodology combines qualitative and quantitative methods. It helped reveal and describe divergent views as well as consensus. The analysis led to the identification of three differing viewpoints on Social Work research, which have been given the following denominators: The Substantiator, The Change Agent and The Enlightener. The viewpoints provide researchers in the field of Social Work with a framework in which they can position themselves in the methodological pluralism. Researchers state that the viewpoints are helpful in clarifying perspectives on good research, facilitate the discourse on methodological choices to further develop and strengthen Social Work research as a scientific discipline.

The phenomenon of methodological pluralism as a sign of the development of historical science

The purpose of the research is to study the influence of methodological pluralism as a meta-approach on the formation of modern historical science; to examine the role that diverse approaches played in the scientific study of the past; to demonstrate the importance of a multi-vector view of history as an integral part of the study of the past. The relevance of the research: these are interdisciplinary interactions between both socio-humanitarian and natural sciences. The consequence of this is the emergence of the phenomenon of methodological pluralism as the basis of modern historical science. Conclusions: in the process of research we discovered that diverse methodological approaches influence the historical science, which ultimately leads to the emergence of the new directions in historical knowledge.

The peculiarities of compositional and semantic arrangement of text in Shakir Selim’s literary-criticism article “About Shamil Alyadin, Charyks and the Pocket Knife”

This article attempts to determine the peculiarities of compositional and semantic arrangement of text of the literary-criticism article by Shakir Selim “About Shamil Alyadin, Charyks and the Pocket Knife” in the context of its genre uniqueness. The article employs the approach of methodological pluralism using the key hermeneutical and a range of auxiliary methods. In analyzing the text, the author reviews the criteria of literary work, such as fabula, plotline, chronotope, author’s modality, etc., which allow revealing the peculiarities compositional and semantic arrangement Shakir Selim’s work. The relevance of this article is defined by the lack systematic research dedicated to compositional and semantic arrangement and genre diversity of the literary-criticism texts in the Crimean Tatar literature. The subject of this research is the compositional and semantic arrangement of text on the example of the literary work “About Shamil Alyadin, Charyks and the Pocket Knife”. The author describes the genre diversity alongside the elements of time and space presented in the article, as well as explores the author’s representations  and modality. This article is first to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the peculiarities of compositional and semantic arrangement and genre diversity of the S. Selim’s work “About Shamil Alyadin, Charyks and the Pocket Knife” by means of methodological pluralism in the aspect of various structural components of the composition and content of the text.

Behind the scenes: Scientific networks driving the operationalization of the Social-Ecological System framework

The analytical framework of Social-Ecological Systems (SES) has been endorsed worldwide because of its ability to describe the complex feedback relationships between social and ecological subsystems. The framework promotes multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity, with the expectation that studies will be carried out through groups and collaborative networks via the application of mixed research methods. In this study, we conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature to understand whether the operationalization of the SES framework has been achieved in this way. For this, we used the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Scopus database. Based on the results, there is wide methodological plurality, although there are few studies that have opted for mixed methods that capture the complexity of an SES. In terms of scientific networks, we found that the community is composed mainly of consolidated groups of scientists from the Global North in which authors-researchers with betweenness centrality roles were identified, who connect the entire network, reaching the Global South, where peripheral groups, which are barely consolidated and develop their studies, mostly in their own regions, prevail.

Theory development in servitization through the application of fsQCA and experiments

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explain how the application of fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and experiments can advance theory development in the field of servitization by generating better causal explanations.Design/methodology/approachFsQCA and experiments are established research methods that are suited for developing causal explanations but are rarely utilized by servitization scholars. To support their application, we explain how fsQCA and experiments represent distinct ways of developing causal explanations, provide guidelines for their practical application and highlight potential application areas for a future research agenda in the servitization domain.FindingsFsQCA enables specification of cause–effects relationships that result in equifinal paths to an intended outcome. Experiments have the highest explanatory power and enable the drawing of direct causal conclusions through reliance on an interventionist logic. Together, these methods provide complementary ways of developing and testing theory when the research objective is to understand the causal pathways that lead to observed outcomes.Practical implicationsApplications of fsQCA help to explain to managers why there are numerous causal routes to attaining an intended outcome from servitization. Experiments support managerial decision-making by providing definitive “yes/no” answers to key managerial questions that address clearly specified cause–effect relationships.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this study is to help advance theory development in servitization by encouraging greater methodological plurality in a field that relies primarily on the qualitative case study methodology.

ГУМАНІЗАЦІЯ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ НАУКИ, ЛЮДИНИ І ВИРОБНИЧОЇ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ: ПРОБЛЕМИ І ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ

Formulation of the problem. Economic instability, intensification of social problems, uncertainty of economic development guidelines in Ukraine indicate the need in reviewing problems and prospects of economic science and practice. The purpose of the article is to generalize the possibilities of forming sustainable development of society in general and its economic system in particular through new justifications of problems and prospects for restoring a decent standard of living today and its guarantees for future generations. The methodological basis of the study is the ideas of prominent scientists and practitioners, methods of dialectics, system-synergetic and interdisciplinary approaches to the analysis of the humanization of economics, human models and a production organization. The main hypothesis of the study is the assumption that the clarification of the functions and elemental composition of humanization of economics, human models and a production organization will provide constructive discussions to identify the main problems and prospects for its development and adaptation to domestic conditions. Statement of basic materials. The loss of control over the system of economics and practice requires revision of their research technologies based on methodological pluralism, focused on identifying opportunities for transformation of the economy focused on the production of goods into the economy of expanded reproduction of potential human capacity to respond to increasing non-traditional situations. Humanization of economics is possible by involving the recommendations of disciplines that study the behavior and relationships of people, ways to unite them into project teams, opportunities to develop their creative potential, the ability to generate unique ideas to overcome crises. Originality and practical significance of the research. The level of management humanization depends on the ability of managers to unite subordinates into emotionally stable project teams. In personnel activity management, humanization is provided by the ability to diagnose the uniqueness of its potential and to intensify the desire to generate unique ideas for overcoming crises - stratagems. Conclusions and prospects for further research. The effectiveness of economics humanization depends on a constructive dialogue between the parties interested in its development. The initial stage of the dialogue shall be interpretation of its functions and content. Prospects for further research are related to the development of reforms, building their logical matrix, which will contribute to the reform of society in general and its economic subsystem in particular

Ethnocultural code in the Crimean Tatar literary criticism (on the example of Shakir Selim’s literary-criticism article “About Shamil Alyadin, Charyks and a Pocket Knife”)

 Based on the analysis of causality and reasonableness of arguments of such literary scholars as Shakir Selim and Shamil Alyadin, this article attempt to determine the ethnocultural code of the Crimean Tatar literary criticism. The author applies the approach of methodological pluralism, as well as hermeneutical, logical, historical-genetic, comparative-typological, phenomenological, and psychological methods. This allows considering various perspectives of the aforementioned literary scholars upon the variants of critical analysis of the artistic heritage of the classic of Crimean Tatar literature Memet Nuzet. The article outlines the basic principles of literary criticism, declared by Shakir Selim and Shamil Alyadin, as well as their dependence on the ethnocultural code of the Crimean Tatars. The scientific novelty of this research consists in the attempt of carrying out a comprehensive hermeneutical analysis of Shakir Selim’s literary-criticism work “About Shamil Alyadin, Charyks and the Pocket Knife” through the prism of methodological pluralism in the aspect of ethnocultural code. The author’s main contribution consists in the reflection of the “clash of opinions” of three literary critics – this is the critical article by Shakir Selim, based on the response of Pirae Kadri-Zade, written to Shamil Alyadin’s criticism essay on the poem composed by the classic of the Crimean Tatar literature Memet Nuzet. 

Editors’ Introduction

If we had to pick a theme for this issue, we would emphasize the links between the past, present, and future of Black politics. The three featured articles honor the legacy of a giant in the study of race and politics, provide a current, dynamic vision for our parent organization (NCOBPS), and present some of the newest in Black politics scholarship.On March 13, 2021, the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS) inaugurated Dr. Tiffany Willoughby-Herard of the University of California, Irvine, as its forty-first president. As is customary in other organizations’ flagship journals, we are pleased to publish a written transcript of Dr. Willoughby-Herard’s remarks. We hope that this is the beginning of a venerable tradition in the National Review of Black Politics.In addition to hailing the present, we honor our past in this issue with a reflection on the scholarship of Lucius Jefferson Barker (1928–2020), the first editor of the National Political Science Review, our predecessor journal. Dr. Barker had a remarkable career as a scholar of public law and Black politics. As the article by Barker’s former student H.W. Perry shows, there were clear linkages between these two topics in Barker’s research. Indeed, Barker’s understanding of systemic racism informed his research on judicial politics, and his research on judicial politics informed his scholarship on Black politics.The final article looks forward, presenting new scholarship and upholding our mission to publish the best peer-reviewed scholarship on Black politics. In “Conceptualizing Black Political Disillusionment: Stories from New Orleans,” Marcus Coleman, Marek Steedman, Iliyan Iliev, and Lawless Turner discuss African American attitudes about racial solidarity in the 2010 mayoral election in New Orleans, which elected the city’s first white mayor (Mitch Landrieu) in more than thirty years. Read the article for its substance, but also note other features of this piece. First, the empirical findings for this article are based on qualitative data (focus groups). In the spirit of methodological pluralism, we believe that it is important to highlight our commitment to publishing all kinds of peer-reviewed scholarship on Black politics, regardless of method. Second, this article includes a nonacademic co-author, Lawless Turner (whose identity was not concealed to the reviewers—the academic authors were). Turner was the focus group moderator for the data collection. His collaborators rightfully give him credit as an equal co-author. We applaud the other co-authors for making this decision, which shows them to be true role models when it comes to producing ethical, community-engaged scholarship.Truly, it takes a community to produce this journal. We cannot publish it in a timely fashion without the support of the NCOBPS community. We are grateful to our NCOBPS leadership (Executive Director Kathie Stromile Golden, President Tiffany Willoughby-Herard, and Immediate Past President Sekou Franklin) for their undying support of the journal. And we thank you, NCOBPS members, for your support as well. We hope that you continue to invest in making this journal a success by submitting your articles, reviewing the work of others when asked, and citing work published here. These steps are essential to ensuring the success of the National Review of Black Politics.

Prolegomena of qualitative political science

The topic of this article is methodological pluralism in political science, as a result of widening the scope of political science research. The objective is to reflect on qualitative research and to critically analyze its purpose and rules in political science. This article conceptualized the idea of qualitative political science.

Beyond The Numbers: The Impact of Quantitative Teaching on Overall Student Performance

A number of studies demonstrate that quantitative teaching provides social science students with analytical and critical skills. Accordingly, the skills acquired during quantitative teaching are assumed to enhance students’ progress in and after their degree. However, previous studies rely on subjective measures of students’ evaluations of their skills. So far, no prior studies have examined whether the skills obtained through quantitative teaching can be transferred to an overall better performance at university. In order to address this gap, we use high-quality administrative records to examine the impact of quantitative teaching on undergraduate students’ overall marks. The results show that students subject to additional quantitative teaching obtain significantly better marks throughout their studies. The evidence emphasizes the importance of methodological pluralism for social science students.

La búsqueda de coordenadas para una historiografía materialista

El presente texto muestra las principales opciones teóricas y metodológicas con las cuales el autor ha trabajado temas como los procesos represivos en la historia del presente, las luchas por los derechos humanos o la intersección entre cultura y política en la historia argentina “reciente”. El ensayo parte de un posicionamiento respecto del enfoque general y la concepción de lo social, teniendo como objetivo una visión renovada del materialismo histórico y cultural. Luego se justifica la preferencia por un pluralismo metodológico, en función de la primacía del objeto de estudio por sobre las tradiciones de las distintas disciplinas. A partir de ese aspecto se va pasando por diversas cuestiones teórico-metodológicas tratadas en la reunión científica para la cual fue escrito el texto. La intención general es la de proponer una hibridación teórica y una historiografía que no caiga en narrativas esquemáticas o solipsistas.

A Reflection on SSM as a Critical Social Action Research Method: Towards Improvement of Project Governance

Academic research is often regarded as less than helpful for practice, while knowledge practitioners are accused of failing to apply relevant research in their industries. This study successfully bridged the theory‑practice gap in that it resolved a real‑world problem and added to the body of knowledge, i.e. it aided to: identify underlying social root causes of a flawed project governance process and associated decision support software; define actions for improvement; and realise generalisable theoretical and applied knowledge to improve both theory and practice. It illustrates that collaborative academic research adds value to both academia and industry. This paper discusses an empirical study where soft systems methodology (SSM) was applied as an interventionist action research (AR) method, positioned in the critical systems thinking (CST) and critical social research (CSR) paradigm. SSM is defined as a learning system that facilitates the identification of actions for improvement of problematical social contexts—it gives epistemological guidance to systematically explore perspectives of individuals involved in and affected by social (e.g. organisational) settings, to identify actions for improvement. However, SSM is found to be most often applied interpretively by academia, i.e., to understand a problem context, rather than to improve it, and by practitioners as a consulting tool. SSM successfully facilitates exploring of problematical social contexts, but, according to users of it, fail to effect real and lasting change. It is also quite difficult to extract generalisable learning from its output. In this study, the researcher argues that SSM have the potential to live up to its original intent. So, she positioned SSM in the CST/CSR paradigm by applying an enriched version of it. She guided participants to reflect on inherent flaws in the scrutinised project governance business process and associated decision support software. Hence, by applying methodological pluralism, she also guided them to reflect on actions for change in light of the organisation’s socially constructed structures and their effects on involved and affected stakeholders of the process. SSM was enriched by also reflecting on the output of facilitated workshops, which aimed to identify required transformation to improve upon deficient project governance, from the perspectives of: the role of the participant(s) in the organisation; the effects that identified organisational decisions and changes may have on them; and by asking probing questions about the crux of statements made, e.g. if it is presumed to be true, what would the effect be, or vice versa. The outcome was emancipation, as key underlying social and structural causes for the organisational deficiencies surfaced.

Effect Confirmed, Patient Dead

This article is a commentary on Hoffman 8 Zhao’s “A Primer for Conducting Experiments in Human-robot Interaction.” I argue that a too-narrow view of HRI methodology fails to address the dynamic systems properties of interaction. Furthermore, the focus on addressing the so-called “replicability crisis” makes field studies next to impossible, inhibits interdisciplinarity and methodological pluralism, and draws our attention and resources away from the fact that contexts, people, cultures, expectations, and interaction itself may influence how social signals are interpreted. Therefore, in spite of its great benefits, the “Primer” may not be taken as an instruction on “how to carry out research in HRI” in general.

Beyond Hypothesis Testing

Recent reforms in science education have promoted students’ understanding of how science works, including the methodological approaches used by scientists. Given that teachers are expected to teach and promote methodological pluralism, it is worth examining how teachers understand and view scientific methods, particularly when scientific methods are presented as a diverse array and not as a linear model based exclusively on hypothesis testing. The empirical study presented in the paper examines science teachers’ understanding of scientific methods, particularly the diversity of scientific methods. Brandon’s Matrix, a philosopher’s account of scientific methods, has been adapted for educational purposes, and two tasks were developed in order to investigate teachers’ understanding of scientific methods. Fifty-six science teachers (25% male, 75% female) from different regions in the UK responded to an online survey. The results showed that the majority of the teachers showed satisfactory understanding of basic components of Brandon’s Matrix. However, more than half of the sample held naïve understanding of scientific methods. By providing insight into teachers’ misconceptions about scientific methods, the study provides suggestions for the design of teacher training programmes and highlights the need for explicit instruction about scientific methods. In addition, we suggest the use of heuristics such as Brandon’s Matrix for the development of pedagogical tools as well as research instruments.