Tools Of Critical Analysis Research Articles

Hope and Crisis in McCarthy's The Road and Mandel's Station Eleven

Presentation of the duality of hope and crisis for eco-conscious is the main feature of post-apocalyptic fictions. This research work comparatively analyzes the revelation of hope and crisis in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven from ecocritical perspective. These fictional works expose extreme destruction of life, property and even the natural world.Human beings interfere in the course of nature, by violating the web of interdependence between plants and animals and neglecting its autonomous existence. These novels reveal the germination of the different types of apocalypses because of such invasion, which ultimately push our ecosphere in danger.Such displays of the dystopian worlds are purposeful. They aim to strike the thoughts of people and make them serious towards ecological issues. They give the sense of imminent environmental peril to correct their misdeeds. At the same time, such fictional works also include events and situations that signal optimism in the readers. The comparative study reveals that the key point of the post-apocalyptic fictions is to present the dialectics of hope and hopelessness for the eco-conscious in readers and make them ecofriendly.This paper follows qualitative research design focusing on the textual analysis method for the analysis of the primary texts to justify the claim. Critical ideas of Lawrence Buell in relation to the environmental apocalypse are used as analytical tools for critical analysis.

THE HERMENEUTICS INFLUENCE ON FEMINIST EXEGESIS: A CASE STUDY ON AMINA WADUD

This article will discuss how hermeneutic influences the exegesis of the Qur’an initiated by Muslim feminists. Through hermeneutical principles, Muslim feminists develop their own theories and methods in presenting new interpretations of the Qur'an. This research will focus its discussion on one of the well-known Muslim feminists, Amina Wadud. Through a critical study of text analysis, this research will try to answer questions about (1) the necessity of using the hermeneutical method in feminist interpretation, (2) the influence of hermeneutics on Amina Wadud's method of interpretation. This paper will highlight this event using a socio-historical approach and content analysis. In addition, references related to the patterns of Islam integrity and culture will be used with a comparative pattern. The conclusion of this research is that through historical critical analysis tools and text criticism inspired by hermeneutical principles, Amina Wadud succeeded in creating her own interpretation method and developing an interpretation approach that is not gender biased and emphasizes the principal and universal messages contained in the Qur'an.

Rhetorical (ir)responsibility in the Australian Parliament

Abstract In this conceptual paper, we differentiate between political decisions and the conversations where these decisions are discussed and facilitated. We complement existing work on argumentation in political communication by applying Aristotle’s Rhetoric to the study of climate change debate. We show how Aristotle’s principles for ethical and rational political speech work toward audience trust and encourage deliberative debate and decision-making. Our deliberative perspective is supported by a case study analysis of Australia’s parliamentary climate change debate. We resurrect Aristotle’s Rhetoric both as an analytical tool for critical analysis and a potential framework for constructive climate change debate. Following the conceptualisation of parliamentary debate as a conversational space where decision-making processes are facilitated, we introduce Aristotle’s Rhetoric and the concept of ‘rhetorical responsibility’, which is further explored and exemplified in the case study. We conclude with future research questions for discourse and political communication studies.

Do those who listen also speak out? Political and citizen participation of radio newscasts audiences in Mexico

Audience studies highlight the relevance of studying citizens’ participation in the media convergence environment. This study evaluates audience participation in the three foremost local radio newscasts in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where radio remains present in everyday life and public issues trigger audience’s interest to express themselves through this medium. The methodology was designed based on Carpentier’s Analytical Tool for Critical Analysis of Media Processes and UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators (MDI). It consisted of an analysis of modalities of audience participation and interviews with audience members, production teams, activists, and politicians. Findings show that audiences prefer to listen to other citizens on air, but participation is scarce and mainly limited to messages on the radio newscasts’ social networks sites. Audiences’ rights and the role of radio as a platform for democratic conversation among citizens and government need to be promoted and regulated, because commercial interests prevail. Despite technological innovations, the design of newscasts remains unidirectional.

Distribution System State Estimation Using PV Separation Strategy in LV Feeders With High Levels of Unmonitored PV Generation

Distribution system state estimation (DSSE) is a critical analysis tool for active distribution networks (DNs). Unlike weighted least squares techniques, which are static DSSE methods, the augmented complex Kalman filter (ACKF) is a novel technique that considers the system’s dynamic behavior. Currently, most DNs integrate a large number of unmonitored residential photovoltaic (PV) generations. Existing unmeasured PV sources violate the white noise assumption in Kalman and least-squares-based estimators, causing the estimator to be biased. Because the one-step difference of aggregated customer demand is characterized as white noise, the suggested PV estimation technique based on the differencing strategy is used to decouple PV from the measured load. Using the specified contribution factors, the new online pseudo current injections are generated. In addition, the estimator’s accuracy is improved by using a new PV-scaling-aided ACKF approach based on the PV separation strategy. For validation purposes, this method is applied to real DN case studies. This study also makes use of an actual dataset to illustrate the efficacy of the proposed technique. The proposed technique outperforms the existing snapshot and dynamic DSSE techniques, and significant improvements are achieved in terms of accuracy and computational cost.

The paradigm as a tool for critical analysis

The article deals with the use of paradigm categories for substantive and methodological analysis of scientific texts. The author points out that scientific texts from several decades are used in pedagogy. To use them correctly, ones should have knowledge and awareness of the paradigm in which they arose. Using texts for theoretical analysis without paradigmatic awareness can lead to overinterpretation and unauthorized conclusions. The article also draws attention to the existence of publications in which their authors do not specify the paradigm in which they create their research or do it incorrectly. The ability to assess such a situation is crucial for the correct use of these studies as source materials.

Physical activity interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of people experiencing homelessness: a mixed-methods systematic review

BackgroundPeople experiencing homelessness have poor health. Physical activity is known to improve health outcomes. No published systematic review of physical activity interventions in this population exists. We aimed to systematically synthesise evidence for physical activity interventions in people experiencing homelessness. MethodsWe searched EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Library from Jan 1, 1970, to Feb 8, 2021, for studies only published in English. Search terms included “people experiencing homelessness” and “physical interventions”. We included quantitative and qualitative studies of people experiencing homelessness from high-income countries with physical activity interventions in any setting that was compared with or without standard of care, evaluating any health or wellbeing-related outcome—eg, cardiovascular, depression. The Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) critical analysis tools were used for quality assessment, with very poor-quality studies rejected. JBI mixed-methods systematic reviews methodology was followed, with qualitisation of quantitative data and convergent synthesis of evidence. The protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42020216716. FindingsWe screened 2837 records, generating 14 reports (13 studies: eight qualitative and five quantitative [one randomised control trial, three quasi-experimental, one analytical cross-sectional]) of sufficient quality from the UK, USA, Denmark, and Australia, including 403 participants. Interventions included soccer (n=6), group activities (eg, gardening [n=5]), and multi-modal individual interventions (eg, bicycle provision with safety-training [n=2]). Quantitative studies reported 19 outcomes (13 objective, six subjective) quantifying physical health (eg, VO2max; n=13), mental health (eg, Beck Depression Inventory; n=5), and social wellbeing (Outcomes Rating Scale; n=1). Nine quantitative outcomes changed substantially in favour of the intervention. No change was reported in three outcomes, and the relative change of remaining outcomes could not be quantified. Synthesis of qualitative studies found themes reporting predominantly positive perceived impact on physical and mental health and social wellbeing, which corroborated the quantitative findings through convergent synthesis. InterpretationMore qualitative than quantitative studies were identified, with qualitative evidence suggesting physical activity interventions can benefit health and wellbeing. However, quantitative evidence was either positive or inconclusive. Evidence suggests a tentative recommendation for physical activity interventions in people experiencing homelessness. FundingNational Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research.

In the Black Mirror: Youth Investigations into Artificial Intelligence

Over the past two decades, innovations powered by artificial intelligence (AI) have extended into nearly all facets of human experience. Our ethnographic research suggests that while young people sense they can't “trust” AI, many are not sure how it works or how much control they have over its growing role in their lives. In this study, we attempt to answer the following questions: (1) What can we learn about young people's understanding of AI when they produce media with and about it? and (2) What are the design features of an ethics-centered pedagogy that promotes STEM engagement via AI? To answer these questions, we co-developed and documented three projects at YR Media, a national network of youth journalists and artists who create multimedia for public distribution. Participants are predominantly youth of color and those contending with economic and other barriers to full participation in STEM fields. Findings showed that by creating a learning ecology that centered the cultures and experiences of its learners while leveraging familiar tools for critical analysis, youth deepened their understanding of AI. Our study also showed that providing opportunities for youth to produce ethics-centered interactive stories interrogating invisibilized AI functionalities, and to release those stories to the public, empowered them to creatively express their understandings and apprehensions about AI.

Attention, Music, Dance: Embodying the “Cinema of Attractions”

In this essay I take up the question of whether the “cinema of attractions,” as identified and analyzed by film scholars Tom Gunning and André Gaudreault, might be a useful tool for critical analysis not only of early silent film, its exhibitionist aesthetics, and approach to spectatorship, but of theatrical dance from the period. Certainly, as for its general historical currency, the “cinema of attractions” is thought to encode the culture of modernity from which it arose: the visual spectacle, sensory fascination, bodily engagement, mechanical rhythm, violent juxtapositions, and new experiences of time and space available within the modern urban environment. Moreover, that cinema relied in no small part on dance itself: as a performing art, dance was central to the “attractions” industry, prime raw material starring The Body in Motion, a favorite fascination of contemporary art and popular entertainment. My aim is to push the analogy further, suggesting how cinema and theatrical dance might cue a similar mode of attention: that is, despite the former’s reliance on the camera, its reproductive aesthetic and industrial mechanicity, and the latter’s live theatrical aspect. Indeed, in the latter, I argue, music can be analogized to the camera itself, helping determine and sustain a particular attention economy, while pointing to itself—just as filmed objects stare at the camera—as artifice or contrivance.

Paradigm as a Critical Analysis Tool in Education/Special Education

Familiarity with the concept and the essence of a paradigm allows for analysing a text and assessing the research intention of its author. In this mode, one can trace the correctness of theoretical and conceptual deduction in publications, the mode of combining paradigms by other researchers, including unauthorised borrowings and interpretations. Such knowledge is also necessary to plan research projects. The text draws attention to the problem of incommensurability of paradigms, errors in their application and difficulties with interpreting publications devoid of paradigmatic declarations. The author of the paper highlights the modes and risks of using several years of theoretical achievements of education and special education.

Saudi women driving: images, stereotyping and digital media

This article examines the representations of Saudi women driving that circulated shortly after the lifting of the ban and considers the social, commercial and technological forces that helped to shape those representations . A corpus of images was collected from two international image banks – Getty and Shutterstock – as well as from a Google Image search. The images use Van Leeuwen’s (2008) visual representation framework in Discourse and Practice: New Tools for Critical Analysis, paying particular attention to the similarities and differences between the images available in the image banks and those that were made prominent in the Google search. In addition, semantic metadata accompanying these images were also analysed in order to understand the linguistic constraints that had been put on searches for these images and the ontologies of the issue that they promoted. Finally, a more detailed analysis was performed on images that had been appropriated into different contexts such as news stories and advertisements to investigate how these images were adapted to support different political, cultural and commercial agendas. Findings suggest that images of Saudi women that circulated online internationally shortly after the lifting of the ban were mostly generic and decontextualized, creating simplified and trivialized depictions of gender relations and social change in the Kingdom. The analysis shows how commercial concerns which influence both the creation of stock images and the way they are taken up by news organizations and advertisers can sometimes have the effect of erasing the complexity of political events and reinforcing the very stereotypes they seem to be challenging.

Cartografías de feminicidios en Ciudad Juárez: Ellas Tienen Nombre, análisis de una propuesta articuladora de la memoria colectiva

Ciudad Juárez is characterized, among other elements, by being one of the towns with the highest rates of femicides in Latin America. From this reality multiple self-managed initiatives arise with the purpose of seeking justice and keeping the women and girls who are no longer there in the collective memory of those who remain. In this line, Ellas Tienen Nombre poses a cartographic project that seeks to record the location of this type of crime and contribute to the construction of the victims’ narrative. Thus, from the perspective of feminist geography, this article proposes the interpretation of this cartographic work as a narrative strategy that enhances memory and establishes itself as a multifunctional tool for critical analysis as a resource for visibility and comprehension of the territorial control of violence and impunity, providing the opening of a new space for discussion to understand the impact of femicide on the social tissue.

Coping strategies in health care providers as second victims: A systematic review.

To analyze personal and organizational strategies described in the literature for dealing with the second victim phenomenon among healthcare providers. The second victim phenomenon involves many associated signs and symptoms, which can be physical, psychological, emotional, or behavioral. Personal and organizational strategies have been developed to deal with this phenomenon. A systematic review was carried out in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Science Direct, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases, searching for evidence published between 2010 and 2019 in Spanish, English, German, and Portuguese. Seven hundred and eighty-three articles were identified. After eliminating duplicates, applying inclusion and exclusion criteria and critical analysis tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute, 16 research articles were included: 10 quantitative studies (design: descriptive, correlational, systematic, or integrative review) and six qualitative studies (descriptive, systematic review). There are several different personal and organizational strategies for dealing with the second victim phenomenon. Among these, peer support and learning from adverse events are highly valued. In personal strategies stands out the internal analysis of the adverse event that the professional performs to deal with the generated negative feelings. In organizational strategies, the most valued are second victim support programs with rapid response teams and made up of peers. The main organizational coping strategies for tackling this phenomenon are online programs in countries such as the United States, Spain, and other European countries. Formal evaluation of these programs and research is required in Latin America. Adequately coping with the second victim phenomenon allows health professionals and organizations to learn from adverse events. Furthermore, by supporting health professionals who suffer from the second victim phenomenon, the organization takes care of its most valuable resource, its human capital. This contributes toward building a culture of healthcare quality in organizations, which will reduce adverse events in the future.

Fan fiction comments and their relationship to classroom learning

Reader comments appended to online fan fiction stories provide benefits as close reading and critical analysis tools. Fan fiction provides a space where fans can develop literary analysis skills and literacy through their interactions in comments. This multimethod study combined the interview of a fan author with various digital humanities methods to closely study the value of comments. A web scraping tool was used to collect comments, and documentary, textual, and terminological analyses were performed alongside topic modeling to assess the frequency of words associated with learning. The co-occurrence of certain words was studied to understand the assessments and analyses that readers were performing in their comments. The study found that fan fiction readers apply strategies of literary analysis to their pleasure reading.

La Interseccionalidad como Herramienta de Análisis del Fracaso Escolar y del Abandono Educativo: Claves para la Equidad

El propósito de este trabajo es analizar el fracaso escolar y abandono educativo desde una perspectiva interseccional. La investigación cualitativa ha sido el posicionamiento metodológico asumido, con las estrategias de recogida de información ad hoc y desde el que ha sido posible afrontar el proceso de análisis. Los resultados permiten identificar la matriz de dominación que se configura a partir de los diversos sistemas de dominación que juegan un papel clave en la concurrencia del fracaso escolar y del abandono educativo. Se abordan los cuatros dominios de los que se compone: estructural, disciplinario, interpersonal y hegemónico. Se concluye con la evidencia de que la interseccionalidad nos permite situarnos en los dispositivos que definen y causan desigualdades e injusticias, o por el contrario, provocan experiencias y situaciones de privilegio. Incorporar la herramienta de la interseccionalidad para el análisis del fracaso escolar y del abandono educativo nos permite reforzar la idea de que no son neutrales, estáticos e inmanentes. La interseccionalidad, como herramienta de análisis crítico, resulta de gran valor para luchar por los derechos de quienes son excluidos, discriminados, marginados desde un proyecto educativo, social y político, comprometido con el bien común y la equidad.

Is one narrative enough? Analytical tools should match the problems they address

Jeff Nisker describes his personal experience of a diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer and the kindnesses he received from friendly doctors. He claims that this narrative account supports the promotion...

The Film Sound Analysis Framework: A Conceptual tool to Interpret the Cinematic Experience

Today, the importance of sound and music in film is well established and an integral part of professional workflows within the audio-visual production industry. However, Sound and Music Design in film has been explored creatively since the advent of Talkies in the 1920’s. The most well-established practices for the use of sound in film always came from the inspiration of film directors, editors and composers, but in recent years the systematic use of Sound and Music in this media has become increasingly relevant in academic domains, as a subject of study and research. This article proposes a possible direction in addressing challenges presented by this growing academic field, by introducing a process for codifying and systematizing an initial grammar of Sound in Film, entitled the Film Sound Analysis Framework (FSAF). The FSAF is a tool for critical analysis of Sound and Music in Film, that is based on the relationship between Sound Semantics and Syntax from a Taxonomical and Applied perspective. Using the FSAF in longitudinal studies of film, allows for a systematic analysis by the observation of similar variables through the identification and assessment of patterns or trends, when using Sound to convey meaning and foster emotions.

Development of the 'People-Processes-Paradigm' critical analysis tool for mortality and morbidity reviews: improving understanding of systems factors.

The impact of systems problems and human factors on delivering safe, high-quality patient care is well recognized. In the surgical setting, mortality and morbidity reviews (MMRs) are the key forum for reviewing and analysing adverse events in patient care yet there is a paucity of simple tools for undertaking such analyses. The aim of this study was to develop and pilot a new tool for analysing mortality and morbidity cases incorporating human factors and systems analysis. The published literature, professional standards, guidelines and existing audit tools for MMRs were reviewed. The 'People-Processes-Paradigm' tool was developed and pilot testing was undertaken and stakeholder feedback was obtained. Models found for undertaking systems-based analysis of adverse surgical events included the 3D model, SEIPS and the Queensland Health human error and patient safety (HEAPS) Incident Management Tool. Guidelines for standards in MMRs are provided by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, New South Wales Clinical Excellence Commission and Australia and New Zealand audit of surgical mortality (ANZASM). The People-Processes-Paradigm model incorporates these standards and evidence-based systems analysis tools into a single effective tool. The pilot study evaluating the use of this tool demonstrated it to be practical and easily applicable to regular use by clinicians, with the ability to be tailored to individual health service use. Improvements such as electronic format and clarification of case selection processes were recommended by users. The People-Processes-Paradigm tool has been developed for surgeons by surgeons incorporating current professional, legal and regulatory requirements in Australasia, easily transferrable to electronic platforms. This model requires further testing for validation.

A person-centred observational tool: devising the Workplace Culture Critical Analysis Tool®

A person-centred observational tool: devising the Workplace Culture Critical Analysis Tool®

Healthcare Coverage Index in the Psychosocial Care Network (iRAPS) as a tool for critical analysis of the Brazilian psychiatric reform

Nearly 20 years after the implementation of Brazil's psychiatric reform, the country has a hybrid model of mental health care, in which asylum services are part of the network that should replace them. This study aimed to critically analyze the supply of mental health services in Brazil in order to verify whether there is actually a replacement of asylum-based services by community-based services. A retrospective longitudinal study was performed on the supply of mental health services in Brazil from 2008 to 2017, building a single database on 5,570 municipalities (counties). As an ancillary tool for critical analysis of the psychiatric reform, we developed the Health Coverage Index for the Psychosocial Care Network (iRAPS, in Portuguese), considering the services legal parametrization. The results showed an increase in the supply of community-based services and a reduction in asylum services. However, the iRAPS tool found that 77% of the Brazilian population lives in areas with low or nonexistent coverage of community services. Small towns, with 16% of the Brazilian population, were those with the greatest increase in iRAPS. Only 439 cities, 7.9% of the total, showed total coverage by the Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS, in Portuguese), expressing only 6.69% of the national population. The metropolises, with 46% of the Brazilian population, did not show an increase in community services. The analysis of the supply of mental health services based on the iRAPS tool showed that the increase in community services did not occur homogeneously across the country.