Methodological Topics Research Articles

Uses and abuses of statistical control variables: Ruling out or creating alternative explanations?

Although an increasing number of articles examining statistical control variables exist, the use of control variables receives less scrutiny than other methodological topics, and research has yet to show how adding or dropping a control variable can damage causal inferences. By showing the unexpected consequences of including and excluding a control variable, this article challenges the view that additional control variables always strengthens causal conclusions. This study first illustrates the purification role of statistical control variables, and then quantifies the omitted variable bias. Using the Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAG), this essay differentiates confounding bias from overcontrol and endogenous selection bias. While using control variables may at times rule out alternative explanations, it is equally possible that adding control variables introduces overcontrol and endogenous selection biases, creating alternative interpretations rather than ruling them out. This paper concludes by discussing how and whether scholars should include certain control variables.

UNIVERSITY INNOVATIVE HUBS AS POINTS OF GROWTH OF INDUSTRIAL PARKS OF UKRAINE

The purpose of the article is generalization of features of expediency of the creation of innovative parks in Ukraine. Practical output of the results consists in the discovered success factors of the activity of innovative parks in Ukraine in order to create new opportunities of innovation development of the country.
 Current organizational and functional system of innovative entrepreneurship of Ukraine is an imperfect, complex and by all indications, is in the process of formation. It is assumed that infrastructure of international educational innovative hub can structurally corrected according to the area which operates a hub that is: stimulate the dialogue between academics, businessmen and government officials; provide an interactive exchange of explicit and implicit knowledge; generate shared vision on adaptation measures of dynamic environment.
 Evaluation of the results of scientific and pedagogical activities of working group of innovative hub should be made for following indicators: development of skills of teaching and research work; introducing of innovative approaches for practical individual activity; formation of innovative approaches for collective practical activity; working on the chosen scientific and methodological theme.
 Main advantage of proposed university innovative hubs is that laid all necessary foundations in order to high school could be as soon as effectively integrate the results of university, academic and sectoral sciences of Ukraine, well as advanced research results of scientific world community in the development and implementation of innovative projects and development innovation

La Ciencia Política en Colombia. Reflexiones sobre su quehacer investigativo

El artículo se centra en analizar el estado de la investigación científica de la ciencia política en Colombia. Por lo tanto, la investigación ahonda en el examen de los grupos que se encuentran reconocidos y avalados por Colciencias. De esta manera, se provee de información útil sobre las áreas de estudio en las que se encuentran enfocados los grupos de investigación en el país, así como la ubicación geográfica, el carácter público o privado y el género de los miembros adscritos. Entre los principales hallazgos se da cuenta de una disciplina orientada principalmente en la investigación en conflicto, seguridad y paz, junto a relaciones internacionales. A su vez, se evidencia una desatención en los temas de política comparada, metodología y economía política. Finalmente, el estudio plantea la necesidad de propender un mayor liderazgo de mujeres frente a los grupos y consolidar la investigación en ciencia política fuera de las principales urbes de Colombia.

Mapping spatial cultures: contributions of space syntax to research in the urban history of the nineteenth-century city

AbstractThe theory and methods of space syntax can help to rebalance the prevailing cultural perspective, which views maps as ideological representations, with an analytical approach that emphasizes maps as sources for understanding space and spatial relationships embedded in built forms. The quantitative descriptions of urban street networks produced by space syntax analyses can be used to formulate and test hypotheses about patterns of urban movement, encounter and socio-economic activity in the past that can help in the interpretation of other historical source materials to give an overall account of urban spatial culture. In this article, the authors explain how space syntax, a theory and method originally developed in the field of architectural research, is making a distinctive contribution to research in social and urban history. The key principles of the method are explained by clarifying the relationship of space syntax to HGIS (Historical Geographical Information Systems) and through a worked example of research undertaken into political meeting places. A survey of research into the urban history of the nineteenth-century city using space syntax is used to highlight a number of important methodological themes and also demonstrates the range of innovative contributions that this interdisciplinary approach is able to advance. A final, theoretical, section reflects on maps and the practice of ‘mapping’ from a space syntax perspective.

The application of scam compliance models to investment fraud offending

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to undertake an exploratory study on mapping the investment fraud methods and tactics used by scammers against the emerging literature on scam compliance.Design/methodology/approachQualitative interviews were conducted with victims of investment fraud supported by the engagement of specialist counsellors and allied health professionals who specialise in scam victim support (including investment fraud).FindingsInvestment fraud offending in the cases sampled exhibited a number of dominant offending traits and methodological themes. These included a strong reliance or dependency on legitimate service provisioning on the part of the fraudster and the use of key trust measures to lure the victim. The empirical data revealed the presence of a number of scam compliance influences captured in the literature, including trust, social influence and urgency, as well as others not previously documented that pave the way for further research attention.Research limitations/implicationsThe research only examined a sample of investment fraud victim experiences that engaged a national victim support service immediately following detection over a 24 month period.Practical implicationsThe research found that offending relied upon the participation of trust-building signals and measures. Legitimate economy participants appear to play a dominant role in enabling investment scam activities, further creating efficiencies for criminals. The offending tended to follow a number of distinct but connected phases. Impacts were influenced by specific offending attributes, such as whether remote access was given to offenders of a victim’s device, as well as the nature of the identity credentials access.Originality/valueThe research has practically applied an emerging view of scam compliance influences and vulnerabilities within an investment fraud context. The study is novel in its thematic analysis of the distinct phases and tactics used by scammers.

La tópica como método en el Derecho público

La tópica, acuñada por Aristóteles en el marco del Organon, tuvo una importante influencia en la elaboración del Derecho en los siglos posteriores, especialmente en la Edad Media. La recopilación de catálogos de tópicos condujo a la creación de libros de máximas jurídicas, que constituyeron el estadio inicial de sistematización del Derecho. La tópica fue, así, una pieza fundamental en la configuración de los sistemas jurídicos contemporáneos. Sin embargo, desde 1700 y, muy especialmente, en el Siglo XIX, las corrientes sistematizadoras del Derecho continental desacreditaron el método tópico, dejándolo de lado. Tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Theodor Viehweg reivindicó la importancia de la tópica en la metodología jurídica, visibilizando las disfunciones derivados de una aproximación puramente lógico-formal al Derecho. Esta construcción evolucionó hacia las teorías de la argumentación jurídica que han alcanzado un alto grado de desarrollo en la actualidad. Sin embargo, el valor de la tópica en la metodología contemporánea del Derecho y, en especial, del Derecho público, no se ha analizado en profundidad. Este estudio realiza una primera aproximación en este sentido, y propone el reconocimiento de un espacio para la tópica compatible con otros enfoques metodológicos. Para ello se analiza el valor metodológico de la tópica y se parte de la distinción entre tópicos formales y tópicos materiales.

Characterizing a legal–intellectual culture: Bacon, Coke, and seventeenth-century England

A characterization of the ideas of Francis Bacon and Edward Coke, two preeminent English lawyer-scholars, provides insights into the nature of the legal–intellectual culture of early seventeenth-century England. This emerging culture remains underexplored, even though it immediately preceded and provided essential input into the ‘culture of growth,' the eighteenth-century cultural paradigm viewed as a catalyst for England's historically unprecedented technological advance and economic growth. To develop insights, we employ a methodology not previously used in this context, applying structural topic modeling to a large corpus comprising the works of both Bacon and Coke. Estimated topics span legal, political, scientific, and methodological themes. Legal topics evidence an advanced structure of common-law thought, straddling ostensibly disparate areas of the law. Interconnections between topics reveal a distinctive approach to the pursuit of knowledge, embodying Bacon's epistemology and Coke's legal methodology. A key similarity between Bacon and Coke overshadows their differences: both sought to build reliable knowledge based on generalizing from particulars. The resulting methodological paradigm can be understood as reflecting a legacy of common-law thought and constituting a key contribution to the era's emerging legal–intellectual culture. More generally, our analysis illustrates how machine learning applied to primary texts can aid in exploration of culture.

Stitching Together: Participatory textile making as an emerging methodological approach to research

Arising from a recently formed research network, Stitching Together, this article introduces a collection of case studies that critically examine participatory textile making as an emerging methodological approach to research. The twenty-first-century resurgence of interest in textile processes such as knitting, sewing and weaving, whether as individual practice or community-based initiative, builds on a long and culturally diverse history of collaborative textile-making activity. This resurgence, combined with the familiarity, accessibility and flexibility of textile practices, has influenced a recent growth in the use of such activities as a means of inquiry within diverse research contexts. The article considers the ways in which collective textile-making projects privilege social encounter as a format for learning skills, creating friendships and consolidating shared interests. It goes on to discuss how researchers are drawing on these characteristics when devising new projects, highlighting the quality of experience afforded by textile making, the diverse forms of data generated and the variety of ways in which these participatory activities can be set up. Recognizing that this research approach is far from straightforward, three key methodological themes are then considered: the multifaceted nature of the researcher’s role and the complexities of relationships with participants and other stakeholders; the difficulties that can arise when using such familiar textile processes; and the opportunities, and complexities, of co-producing knowledge with participants through collaborative textile activity.

Title, abstract, and keyword searching resulted in poor recovery of articles in systematic reviews of epidemiologic practice

ObjectiveArticle full texts are often inaccessible via the standard search engines of biomedical literature, such as PubMed and Embase, which are commonly used for systematic reviews. Excluding the full-text bodies from a literature search may result in a small or selective subset of articles being included in the review because of the limited information that is available in only title, abstract, and keywords. This article describes a comparison of search strategies based on a systematic literature review of all articles published in 5 top-ranked epidemiology journals between 2000 and 2017. Study Design and SettingBased on a text-mining approach, we studied how nine different methodological topics were mentioned across text fields (title, abstract, keywords, and text body). The following methodological topics were studied: propensity score methods, inverse probability weighting, marginal structural modeling, multiple imputation, Kaplan-Meier estimation, number needed to treat, measurement error, randomized controlled trial, and latent class analysis. ResultsIn total, 31,641 Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files were downloaded from the journals’ websites. For all methodological topics and journals, at most 50% of articles with a mention of a topic in the text body also mentioned the topic in the title, abstract, or keywords. For several topics, a gradual decrease over calendar time was observed of reporting in the title, abstract, or keywords. ConclusionLiterature searches based on title, abstract, and keywords alone may not be sufficiently sensitive for studies of epidemiological research practice. This study also illustrates the potential value of full-text literature searches, provided there is accessibility of full-text bodies for literature searches.

Research methodology topics: Cohort studies or prospective and retrospective cohort studies

In health sciences, the epidemiological method can be divided into descriptive and analytical epidemiology and the latter being divided into observational (cross-sectional study, case-control study and cohort study) and experimental studies. Cohort studies may be retrospective or prospective, and both assume that the researcher will follow a population over time to seek a possible association between exposure (s) and outcome(s). These types of studies have as advantages the possibility of measuring several exposure factors and outcomes, both primary and secondary, for both relatively frequent outcomes and rare exposure factors. However, they are often long and therefore expensive studies. They have as main biases those of selection, memory and information. These are studies that may point to statistical associations between exposure and outcome that need other models to prove the casualty of these associations.

Research trends in the study of gamification

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the research design of several publications on the study of gamification and proposes a mixed-method research design for creating a holistic understanding of the gamification phenomenon. It presents an argument in support of combining both qualitative and quantitative data sources through mixed-method design as being equally important in illuminating all aspects of the research problem. Design/methodology/approach The paper covers a number of methodological themes relevant to the study of gamification: research design trends in the study of gamification; the importance of mixed-method design in the study of gamification; methodological challenges; conclusion and recommendations. Findings Majority of the studies on gamification before 2015 are either quantitative or described as mixed method but overly focused on quantitative data sources. However, there is a tendency between 2015 and 2017 to adopt mixed-method design. Research limitations/implications The study does not examine all research done on the topic of gamification but relies on 56 empirical studies reviewed by Hamari, Koivisto, Sarsa (2014) and Seaborn and Fels (2015) between 2009 and 2015. Originality/value The author believes it to be one of the few studies of its kind on proposing a methodological design for the study of gamification as a pedagogical tool.

Surviving in the cracks: a qualitative study with indigenous youth on homelessness and applied community theatre

Indigenous youth are disproportionately impacted by homelessness in Canada. Little is known about Indigenous youths’ lived experiences of homelessness and the dominant methodological orientation in related research uses quantitative research methods. There have been calls for increased engagement in qualitative and arts-based research methods. In this article, we answer this call through exploration of two key issues at the intersection of Indigenous youth, homelessness and arts-based research: (1) theory and (2) method. Using thematic analysis of interviews conducted with youth in an applied community theatre project, this study identifies seven conceptual themes related to youth experiences with homelessness, and nine methodological themes related to decolonizing arts-based research. We explore the entangled relationship of applied community theatre and decolonizing methodologies with youth, considering what is contentious, multifaceted and complex about this relationship.

INTERACTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE EDUCATIONAL TRAINING COURSE FOR PEDAGOGICS STUDENTS

Contemporary student learning is lagging in the use of interactive and computer-based technologies. Therefore, more systematic use of computer-based technologies combined with traditional methods can lead to better results in the academic preparation of student educators. This article discusses teaching and learning methods and techniques that have been designed and tested in working with student educators. They are used in 30% of the study time during the students' exercises and practical work. The methods used include research and development of presentations by students on the main topics of teaching methodology in class - civil, health, environmental and intercultural education. Another group of methods is related to authentic e-learning assignments, assignments, and activities in e-learning textbooks for students. The third group included tasks for digital selection and arrangement of information systems, tasks and activities for conducting lessons and various classes, including working with parents, charitable activities, preparation for holidays, self-organization and more. The last group of methods relates to the development of short digital didactic materials prepared for young students by the student educators - photo galleries, games, videos, test papers, etc. mainly for safe road traffic, disaster and accident protection, environmental protection, sports and tourist activities and more. These methods and techniques were applied over a course of 30 academic hours per semester. The experimental work involved four groups - two experimental ones of 36 students and 2 control groups of 36 students. The work of the students in the experimental groups was both independent and team-based. The teams were dynamic and composed according to different criteria. The results of the study showed the effectiveness of the interactive, computer-based methods and techniques of teaching and learning by three criteria - motivation, academic achievement and teamwork skills. The highest differences of 12% -14% were obtained in the motivation and teamwork skills of the students in the experimental classes. The difference in the knowledge and skills of these students on the topics and problems studied in the methodology is not significant enough. Nevertheless, they show 8% higher results in the performed tests

Sustaining Learning about Qualitative Inquiry: A Book Review on The Craft of Qualitative Research - A Handbook

There are only a handful of articles, books, tools, and resources that are truly accessible to the novice qualitative investigator. The literature contains reams of resources that aid researchers to launch the qualitative learning process. However, there are few opportunities to develop the depth, prowess, and creativity needed to sustain lifelong learning. The Craft of Qualitative Research: A Handbook by Kleinknecht, van den Scott, and Sanders is one resource that assists researchers to achieve this objective. Conceptualized as a “handbook,” this book is meant to be used throughout research projects and professional careers. The practice of qualitative inquiry serves as the focal point for all discussions, and this book creates space and opportunities for learners to acquire experiential knowledge through the vicarious experiences of authors. The vividness with which the cases are presented renders a strong motivation in readers to improve how they conduct qualitative inquiry. Although two minor suggestions would have made this book more useful in the field, this book offers important insight into uncommon or unheard methodological topics that investigators may face.

Estimating a Culture: Bacon, Coke, and Seventeenth-Century England

A characterization of the ideas of Francis Bacon and Edward Coke, two paramount English lawyer-scholars, provides insights into the nature of the legal-intellectual culture of early seventeenth-century England. To develop the insights we employ a methodology not previously used in this context, applying structural topic modeling to a large corpus comprising the works of both Bacon and Coke. Estimated topics span legal, political, scientific, and methodological themes. Legal topics evidence an advanced structure of common-law thought, straddling ostensibly disparate areas of the law. Interconnections between topics reveal a distinctive approach to the pursuit of knowledge, embodying Bacon's epistemology and Coke's legal methodology. A key similarity between Bacon and Coke overshadows their differences: both sought to build reliable knowledge based on generalizing from particulars. The resulting methodological paradigm can be understood as reflecting a legacy of common-law thought and constituting one key contribution of these authors to the era's emerging legal-intellectual culture.

Predicting Learning in a Multi-component Serious Game

The current study investigated predictors of shallow versus deep learning within a serious game known as Operation ARA. This game uses a myriad of pedagogical features including multiple-choice tests, adaptive natural language tutorial conversations, case-based reasoning, and an E-text to engage students. The game teaches 11 topics in research methodology across three distinct modules that target factual information, application of reasoning to specific cases, and question generation. The goal of this investigation is to discover predictors of deep and shallow learning by blending Evidence-Centered Design (ECD) with educational data mining. In line with ECD, time-honored cognitive processes or behaviors of time-on-task, discrimination, generation, and scaffolding were selected because there is a large research history supporting their importance to learning. The study included 192 college students who participated in a pretest-interaction-posttest design. These data were used to discover the best predictors of learning across the training experiences. Results revealed distinctly different patterns of predictors of deep versus shallow learning for students across the training environments of the game. Specifically, more interactivity is important for environments contributing to shallow learning whereas generation and discrimination is more important in training environments supporting deeper learning. However, in some training environments the positive impact of generation may be at the price of decreased discrimination.

If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail: Operationalization matters

AbstractOperationalization has been the focus of less research than many other methodological topics. In this article, we argue that considering operational decisions is particularly critical for those who study stratification, because measures of inequality often involve multiple layers of operationalization: researchers first decide how to assign individuals to social groups (e.g., race), which are then themselves used to construct measures of group‐level differences and inequality (e.g., racial segregation). We provide examples of this by drawing on contemporary debates about how to operationalize social groups based on class, race, gender, and religion. Then we discuss three examples (religion, racial segregation, and family type) of second layer operationalization decisions, focusing on the consequences of operational decisions for research findings. We conclude by discussing the broader implications of operational decisions, focusing particularly on issues of power and applications for policy makers.

Using weak supervision to scale the development of machine-learning models for social media-based marketing research

Marketers have expressed substantial enthusiasm about the potential of social media data to enhance marketing research, and the computer science literature provides many examples of using the text and network connections of social media users to infer measurements of interest to marketers. Despite this, the adoption of such machine-learning approaches has been surprisingly limited in marketing practice, in part due to the hurdle of procuring the labelled training data typically used to build such models. This paper discusses how the organic structure of social media can often be leveraged to circumvent the need for such curated data labels. It describes two emerging methodological themes of weak supervision — training on exemplars and training on groups — that are broadly promising towards this goal, providing examples of how they have been applied towards a variety of marketing tasks without requiring any manually labelled training data, and in some cases, requiring nothing more than a single keyword as input. This paper presents these approaches in the hope that examples will inspire and facilitate the development of a broader range of flexible, scalable and cost-effective models for social media-based marketing research, and stimulate additional research in this area.

A MODEL FOR FORMING SOFT SKILLS THROUGH COGNITIVE MATHEMATICAL ACTIVITIES IN PRESCHOOL AGE

The modern children grow and develop in an extremely dynamic environment. They are surrounded by a variety of information and many digital devices. The ways of processing and using knowledge, as well as the formation of specific skills, are based on the child's personal experiences and social contacts. The community responsible for the development and upbringing of the growing generation - parents, school, kindergarten, educational institutions - are confronted with the complex task of preparing children for their lives in the future. The dynamic with which all spheres of social life are developing makes it difficult to predict how to educate children today so they will be ready for the life that awaits them. Traditional learning, which has proven its importance, needs to build on so-called 21st century skills - communication skills, critical thinking, collaboration, digital literacy. It is necessary to identify important and up-to-date knowledge and skills that should be proposed to children in their current cognitive activities. Contextual competencies or so-called "soft skills" are part of the key competences for human success at every stage of its development. Under soft skills, we understand competences for: communication, tolerance, tolerance, mutual assistance, empathy, teamwork, leadership, negotiation, decision making, creativity, etc. The formation of these important personality skills starts at an early age and key factors are the family, community, educational and social institutions with which the child interacts. The modern society based on technology and information forms a digital generation of children. Technologies offer and support communication and team interaction models. To protect the teenage generation from the dangers of technology - cyber-dependence, isolation, and associal behavior - a variety of cognitive and training patterns need to be applied to seek balance between tradition, modernity and the future. Educators who work with children are directly involved in the process of their preparation for their future lives. This fact determines the importance of the professional training of future teachers. They have to be prepared to bring out the most important theoretical and methodological themes and to present them to the children in an interesting and entertaining way. This article proposes a model for the organization of cognitive mathematical activities for children from a preschool age (5-7 years), in which soft skills such as critical thinking, knowledge transfer, creativity, etc. are being developed. An interdisciplinary approach is underpinned in the model. The proposed methodological solutions are derived from work in the 2018/19 school year with students who are taught for kindergarten and elementary school teachers.

On Unbalanced Sampling in Bankruptcy Prediction

The paper discusses methodological topics of bankruptcy prediction modelling—unbalanced sampling, sample bias, and unbiased predictions of bankruptcy. Bankruptcy models are typically estimated with the use of non-random samples, which creates sample choice biases. We consider two types of unbalanced samples: (a) when bankrupt and non-bankrupt companies enter the sample in unequal numbers; and (b) when sample composition allows for different ratios of bankrupt and non-bankrupt companies than those in the population. An imbalance of type (b), being more general, is examined in several sections of the paper. We offer an extended view of the relationship between the biased and unbiased estimated probabilities of bankruptcy—probability of default (PD). A common error in applications is neglecting the possibility of calibrating the PD obtained from a bankruptcy model to the unbiased PD that is population adjusted. We show that Skogsviks’ formula of 2013 coincides with prior correction known for the logit model. This, together with solutions for other binomial models, serves as practical advice for obtaining the calibration of unbiased PDs from popular bankruptcy models. In the final section, we explore sample bias effects on classification.