Use Of Empirical Methods Research Articles

Theoretical Convergence in Assessment of Cognition

In surveying the literature on assessment of cognitive abilities in adults and children, it is easy to assume that the proliferation of test batteries and terminology reflects a poverty of unifying models. However, the lack of recognition accorded good models of cognitive abilities may reflect inattention to theoretical development and injudicious use of empirical methods to validate models. In contrast, the studies of Weiss and colleagues in this volume reflect an evaluation of a widely cited model of cognitive abilities, the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model for understanding the construct validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for adults and children. Using the CHC model as the basis for evaluating a test battery provides an excellent example of statistical analysis as theoretical evaluation, an approach long advocated by methodologists. In this commentary several specific aspects of model evaluation and refinement are also discussed.

A study on geotechnical characterization and stability of downstream slope of a tailings dam to improve its storage capacity (Turkey)

Tailings, waste products of the ore-dressing processes, are usually stored in a slurry form and pumped into sedimentation pond which is surrounded by natural heights and/or artificial walls. The database of International Commission of Large Dams and United Nations Environment Programme showed that several hundreds of tailings dam have failed since 1910. One of the reasons of these failures is slope instability. Construction of mine tailings dams in Turkey has started to increase, particularly in the recent decade. This paper focuses the study undertaken to assess the geotechnical characteristics and stability of downstream slope of a tailings dam at a copper-zinc mine in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. At the mine site there are two tailings dams located at two different elevations. The upper dam was completely filled and is out of service. Increasing amount of tailings filling the pond of the lower dam resulted in a limited storage, and therefore, it has been decided that heightening of the dam about 7 m to improve its storage facility would be necessary. For the purpose, a series of investigations in the vicinity of the tailings dam and some geomechanical laboratory tests were carried in conjunction with the use of empirical methods to determine mechanical properties of the current dam material, tailings and the rockfill material that will be used for heightening of the dam. The results of the static and pseudo-static stability analyses based on the methods of limit equilibrium and numerical modelling indicated that circular and non-circular failures are the most critical modes of failure for the dam and safety factor gradually decreases when the tailings rise up to a specific elevation in the pond. However, the ranges of the calculated safety factors from both methods are considerably similar and suitable for heightening of the dam by 7 m in terms of stability. The results suggest that any instability is not expected under both static and dynamic conditions after the current height of the tailings dam is increased by 7 m, if the slope geometry considered in the analyses is not changed and the tailings in the pond do not rise up to an elevation of about 475 m. In addition, magnitude of permanent settlement of the dam due to a probable earthquake was also assessed using two empirical methods and the results from both methods showed similar amount of settlements which were in tolerable limits.

Potential applications of peen forming finite element modelling

► A finite element methodology was applied for peen forming of aerospace components. ► The method combines dynamic and static simulations to lower computational cost. ► The response of complex parts to sequential forming treatments was predicted. ► This reduces the dependence of process development upon costly experimental testing. ► This approach has great potential at different stages of the component lifecycle. Peen forming is a versatile and flexible manufacturing process commonly used in the aerospace industry to shape wing skins and rockets panels. Development of peening parameters needed to obtain a specific component shape can be both costly and challenging due to the use of empirical methods which involve large quantities of physical experiments coupled with trial and error processing of prototype components. Many iterations are often required to get the desired shape with no guarantee that a specific component geometry can be achieved. Reliable numerical simulations could substantially reduce the time, cost and risk associated with process development. The purpose of this study is to further investigate the use of numerical tools to model the peen forming process. This work combines static and dynamic simulation techniques to predict the development of curvature on representative wing skin panels that include features such as integral stiffeners. This work illustrates the considerable potential of finite element simulations to determine the process parameters needed to produce a component design, and substantially reduce the dependence upon physical testing.

Researchers' Perspectives on Supply Chain Risk Management

Supply chain risk management (SCRM) is a nascent area emerging from a growing appreciation for supply chain risk by practitioners and by researchers. However, there is diverse perception of research in supply chain risk because these researchers have approached this area from different domains. This paper presents our study of this diversity from the perspectives of operations and supply chain management scholars: First, we reviewed the researchers' output, i.e., the recent research literature. Next, we surveyed two focus groups (members of Supply Chain Thought Leaders and International SCRM groups) with open‐ended questions. Finally, we surveyed operations and supply chain management researchers during the 2009 INFORMS meeting in San Diego. Our findings characterize the diversity in terms of three “gaps”: a definition gap in how researchers define SCRM, a process gap in terms of inadequate coverage of response to risk incidents, and a methodology gap in terms of inadequate use of empirical methods. We also list ways to close these gaps as suggested by the researchers.

A Study of Computing Undergraduates Undertaking a Systematic Literature Review

Teaching computing students about the importance of evidence and about the use of empirical methods for evaluating computing technologies can be difficult, especially within dual honors undergraduate degree programs. The aims of this study were to explore the effectiveness of second-year undergraduate computing students in carrying out a systematic literature review and to identify the elements of the process that the students found most difficult. A multicase case study of students carrying out an assignment to perform a systematic literature review (SLR) was undertaken. Students worked in groups and were studying across a range of computing programs. Data was collected from three sources: student grades, the comments made by the teaching staff on the submitted reports, and a debriefing questionnaire. All of the groups successfully completed the assignment. Results on which parts of the process were the most difficult were mixed, although much of the evidence suggests that the students found the conduct phase more problematic than the planning phase. It can be concluded that undergraduates can do SLRs, but the task is clearly quite challenging and time-consuming. SLRs are well suited to being undertaken by groups.

Developing an empirical classification of violent offences for use in the prediction of recidivism in England and Wales

PurposeThe classification of criminal acts as violent or nonviolent should be a keystone of actuarial predictors of violent recidivism, as it affects their outcome measure and scoring of criminal history, thus influencing many decisions about sentencing, release and treatment allocation. Examination of existing actuarial and clinical violence risk assessment tools and research studies reveals considerable variation in the classifications used. This paper aims to use large samples to develop an alternative, empirically grounded classification that can be used to improve actuarial predictive scores within the offender assessment system (OASys), the tool used by the National Offender Management Service of England and Wales to assess static and dynamic risk.Design/methodology/approachTwo analytical steps are implemented. First, to identify offences that frequently involve violent acts, 230,334 OASys cases are analyzed for indicators of violent content. Second, the ability of dynamic and static risk factors to predict reoffending for various offence types is investigated, analyzing 26,619 OASys cases that have official recidivism data.FindingsThe resulting empirical classification of violent offences adds public order, criminal damage, threats/harassment, robbery/aggravated burglary and weapon possession offences to the central group of homicide and assault offences. The need to assess risk of sexual recidivism separately is discussed.Originality/valueThis study has successfully produced an offence classification for use in a new predictor of violent recidivism. The use of empirical methods to select these offences helps to maximise predictive validity.

Analysing Performances of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony: the‘One Movement or Two’ Debate and the Plurality of the Music Object

ABSTRACTThe ambiguity over the number and structure of movements in Sibelius's Fifth Symphony provoked vigorous and far‐reaching discussion in British analytical writings from the 1930s onwards. But do even simple analytical decisions such as these have any impact upon those performing or listening to the work? The use of empirical methods to measure tempo choices in 43 different recordings of this piece reveals that performers do indeed participate in structural debates, affirming a model which places their contributions on an equal level with those from analytical writings and which shows the reciprocity between these modes of activity. Various performing traditions emerge from the data, including a one‐movement, a two‐movement and a ‘recapitulatory’ approach, as well as a Russian national style, some teacher‐pupil influences and some likely correlations with published writings and broader aesthetic movements, suggesting that both structural and cultural questions can productively be addressed by siting performances within the web of discourse. Finally, the pluralistic perspective arising from juxtaposing and accepting so many strongly contrasting interpretations calls into question the notion of a unitary music object, raising issues which may have implications for music analysis and beyond.

To twist or poke? A method for identifying usability issues with the rotary controller and touch screen for control of in-vehicle information systems

In-vehicle information systems (IVIS) can be controlled by the user via direct or indirect input devices. In order to develop the next generation of usable IVIS, designers need to be able to evaluate and understand the usability issues associated with these two input types. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a set of empirical usability evaluation methods for identifying important usability issues and distinguishing between the IVIS input devices. A number of usability issues were identified and their causal factors have been explored. These were related to the input type, the structure of the menu/tasks and hardware issues. In particular, the translation between inputs and on-screen actions and a lack of visual feedback for menu navigation resulted in lower levels of usability for the indirect device. This information will be useful in informing the design of new IVIS, with improved usability. Statement of Relevance: This paper examines the use of empirical methods for distinguishing between direct and indirect IVIS input devices and identifying usability issues. Results have shown that the characteristics of indirect input devices produce more serious usability issues, compared with direct devices and can have a negative effect on the driver–vehicle interaction.

The use of vignettes within a Delphi exercise: a useful approach in empirical ethics?

There has been an increase in recent years in the use of empirical methods in healthcare ethics. Appeals to empirical data cannot answer moral questions, but insights into the knowledge,...

B. F. Skinner's Utopian Vision: Behind and Beyond Walden Two.

This paper addresses B. F. Skinner's utopian vision for enhancing social justice and human well-being in his 1948 novel, Walden Two. In the first part, we situate the book in its historical, intellectual, and social context of the utopian genre, address critiques of the book's premises and practices, and discuss the fate of intentional communities patterned on the book. The central point here is that Skinner's utopian vision was not any of Walden Two's practices, except one: the use of empirical methods to search for and discover practices that worked. In the second part, we describe practices in Skinner's book that advance social justice and human well-being under the themes of health, wealth, and wisdom, and then show how the subsequent literature in applied behavior analysis supports Skinner's prescience. Applied behavior analysis is a measure of the success of Skinner's utopian vision: to experiment.

Ricerca per che cosa? Il discorso europeo sul restructuring e la ricerca sociale

- The article examines the discourse relating to restructuring, as developed by the European Commission since the end of the 1990s, and discusses the implications of the various activities initiated or financed at the European level for social research in this field. The community discourse is characterised by a discursive strategy reversing the negative perceptions linked to restructuring by constructing a generic concept, which ultimately leads to a cognitive framework based on the "naturalisation" of economic change and competitiveness. Given this context for social research, the use of empirical methods has to be accompanied by a constant exercise of deconstruction in order to break up the "cognitive cage" which the actors are confined to.Key words: concepts, deconstruction, discourse, Europe, research, restructuring

/r/-liaison in English: An empirical study

This article presents the results of an empirical study on the phenomenon of /r/-liaison (i.e., linking /r/ and intrusive /r/) in non-rhotic English from the perspective of usage-based Cognitive Linguistics. The study looks into sociolinguistic, phonetic and usage-based factors that condition variability in /r/-liaison through the analysis of news archives from the BBC World Service website (years 2004 and 2005). The paper argues that a thorough understanding of the phenomenon of /r/-liaison requires an analysis of the different aspects that condition its use and the use of empirical methods to study it.

Site-Response Spectra for POLARIS Station Sites in Southern Ontario and Quebec

Local geologic and soil conditions can greatly increase the intensity of earthquake ground shaking (Kramer 1996). These local site effects are particularly significant at sites with deep, soft soil deposits, although hard rock sites may also exhibit amplification (Siddiqqi and Atkinson 2002). Estimation of this localized site response can be accomplished using theoretical or empirical methods. Theoretical modeling requires extensive characterization of a site's near-surface geology, as well as the use of sophisticated computing methods. In contrast, empirical approaches require only ground-motion data records from the site. The relative ease of application has popularized the use of empirical methods in investigating site response. Ground-motion records have become readily available at a number of Canadian sites, owing to the recent deployment and subsequent expansion of the Portable Observatories for Lithospheric Analysis and Research Investigating Seismicity (POLARIS) seismograph network (Eaton et al. 2005). In this study, empirical site-response spectra were produced for 11 stations of the POLARIS Ontario (POLO) array of POLARIS (Figure 1 and Table 1). A variety of near-surface conditions exist at these sites. While most are located on competent Precambrian bedrock, others rest on fractured Paleozoic bedrock, soil, or a combination of soil and manmade fill. An additional, temporary, soil station was also studied (Figure 1 and Table 1). Installed near a cement quarry in St. Marys, Ontario, this station collected data over a weeklong period. View this table: TABLE 1 Seismograph Stations Used for This Study The primary objective of this study was to report the site-response spectra for 11 POLO stations that have not been previously studied. Spectra produced in this study supplement those previously reported by Murphy and Eaton (2005) for 18 other POLO stations. Two popular empirical methods were used to obtain the site-response spectra, allowing for a comparison of the results. The empirical methods employed were Nakamura's (1989) microtremor …

Empirical research in systems engineering: challenges and opportunities of a new frontier

AbstractThis paper aims to advance the pedagogy of systems engineering by identifying opportunities and challenges in empirical research in the field. After an introduction to how empirical research could be further utilized in systems engineering, this paper discusses challenges faced when conducting empirical research in the field, threats to validity associated with systems engineering data collection, and considerations for empirical mixed‐methods research. Two recently completed systems engineering empirical studies are used to illustrate specific examples. Finally, suggestions are given on how a professional society might provide additional support for researchers completing empirical research in systems engineering. The overarching goal of this paper is to describe how the increased use of empirical methods can be used to enrich the quality of research results which will in turn enhance the position of systems engineering as a widely recognized academic field. It is proposed that utilizing well‐grounded, valid theory will improve understanding of systems engineering phenomena and advance the maturity of the field. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng

Handbook of antitrust economics

Over the past twenty years, economic theory has begun to play a central role in matters. In earlier days, the application of rules was viewed almost entirely in formal terms; now it is widely accepted that the proper interpretation of these rules requires an understanding of how markets work and how firms can alter their efficient functioning. The Handbook of Antitrust Economics offers scholars, students, administrators, courts, companies, and lawyers the economist's view of the subject, describing the application of newly developed theoretical models and improved empirical methods to and in both the United States and the European Union. (The book uses the U.S. term antitrust law and the European competition law interchangeably, emphasizing the commonalities between the two jurisdictions.) After a general discussion of the use of empirical methods in cases, the Handbook covers mergers, agreements, abuses of dominance (or unilateral conducts), and market features that affect the way firms compete. Chapters examine such topics as analyzing the competitive effects of both horizontal and vertical mergers, detecting and preventing cartels, theoretical and empirical analysis of vertical restraints, state aids, the relationship of to the defense of intellectual property, and the application of to bidding markets, network industries, and two-sided markets. ContributorsMark Armstrong, Jonathan B. Baker, Timothy F. Bresnahan, Paulo Buccirossi, Nicholas Economides, Hans W. Friederiszick, Luke M. Froeb, Richard J. Gilbert, Joseph E. Harrington, Jr., Paul Klemperer, Kai-Uwe Kuhn, Francine Lafontaine, Damien J. Neven, Patrick Rey, Michael H. Riordan, Jean-Charles Rochet, Lars-Hendrick Roller, Margaret Slade, Giancarlo Spagnolo, Jean Tirole, Thibaud Verge, Vincent Verouden, John Vickers, Gregory J. Werden.

Hydraulic effects of ice breakup on bridges

The passage of river ice during the breakup event can have several effects on bridge structures. Design for ice passage at bridges has largely been empirical, such as the determination of superstructure clearance requirements based on historical stage data. As hydrologic and river ice processes in rivers are modified by climatic change, the use of empirical methods based on past observations and measurements could become less reliable. To advance beyond empiricism, it is necessary to develop rational design criteria based on a thorough understanding of the factors governing the interaction between bridges and ice. This concern applies especially during the breakup event when river flows, velocities, and hydrodynamic forces are usually higher and moving ice is thicker and stronger than during freeze-up. This paper provides guidance on the design of bridges to minimize ice impacts on the structure during the breakup period.Key words: breakup, bridges, design, forces, ice jam, impact, river ice, scour, waves.

The Metal Abundances of Circumnuclear Star Forming Regions in Early Type Spirals

AbstractWe present a spectrophotometric study of circumnuclear star forming regions (CNSFR) in the galaxies: NGC 2903, NGC 3351 and NGC 3504, all of them of over solar metallicity according to standard empirical calibrations. A detailed determination of their abundances is made after careful subtraction of the prominent underlying stellar absorption. It is found that most regions show the highest abundances in HII region-like objects. It is also shown that CNSFR, as a class, segregate from the disk HII region family, clustering around smaller η' values, and therefore higher ionizing temperatures.From [Sii],λλ 6717,6731 Å lines, we have derived an electron density range from 180 to 650 −3, with average values of around 350 cm−3, higher than that found in Giant Extragalactic HII Regions (GEHR). The very low intensity of the [Oiii] lines (λλ 4959, 5007 Å implies high metallicity. Measurement of line temperature of [Oiii] (t[Oiii]) requires detection of auroral [Oiii]λ 4363 Å lines a few percent of [Oiii]λ 5007 Å which is impossible.Therefore, abundances for most of the regions require the use of empirical methods. CNSFRs show values of O23 (=([Oii]3727+[Oiii]4959, 5007)/Hβ; Pagel et al., 1979. MNRAS.189.95) which indicate oversolar metallicities, but the actual values are difficult to estimate since O23 levels off. At times [Oiii] lines are very difficult to measure. The combined parameter S23/O23 (S23 = ([Sii]6717, 6731+[Siii]9069, 9532)/Hβ; Vílchez & Esteban, 1996. MNRAS.280.720) yields values of the oxygen abundances higher than twice solar. Also the N2 parameter (log([Nii]/Hβ; Denicoló, Terlevich & Terlevich, 2002. MNRAS.330.69) renders oversolar abundances. Furthermore, the CNSFRs of our sample show the highest values of the ratio N/O known for the HII region-like objects.When we study the relation between the metallicity and the ionisation degree parametrized by the ratio [Sii]6717, 6731[Siii]9069, 9532 we find that the CNSFRs of our sample are among the HII region-like objects with the lowest ionisation parameter. Moreover, we estimate that the S23 parameter is, in this case, better than N2 to discriminate between different metallicities.The temperature of the ionising stars can be parametrized by the “softness parameter” η' (=([Oii]3727/[Oiii]4959, 5007)/([Sii]6717, 6731/[Siii]9069, 9532); Vílchez & Pagel, 1988. MNRAS.231.257). This parameter can be used as an ionising temperature indicator. Analysing N2 vs. η' we find that the CNSFR of our sample have, in general, lower values of η' than those of the GEHRs, implying higher temperatures. In an Eta Prime Plot (log([Oii]3727/[Oiii]4959, 5007) vs. log([Sii]6717, 6731/[Siii]9069, 9532)) we can see that the CNSFRs follow the behaviour of HII galaxies rather than that of GEHR implying, again, higher temperatures.Some general conclusions are: CNSFR spectra are difficult to analyse; they show prominent underlying stellar populations so a careful subtraction of the absorption spectrum can be critical; abundance determination mostly comes from empirical calibrations. Furthermore, some conclusions derived from line diagnostics are that CNSFR can show very high metal abundances and N/O overabundances too; they show indications of low ionization parameter; regarding the temperature of ionizing stars, CNSFRs seem to share more properties with HII galaxies than with disk GEHR, which is puzzling.

An unsupervised approach based on the generalized Gaussian model to automatic change detection in multitemporal SAR images

We present a novel automatic and unsupervised change-detection approach specifically oriented to the analysis of multitemporal single-channel single-polarization synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. This approach is based on a closed-loop process made up of three main steps: (1) a novel preprocessing based on a controlled adaptive iterative filtering; (2) a comparison between multitemporal images carried out according to a standard log-ratio operator; and (3) a novel approach to the automatic analysis of the log-ratio image for generating the change-detection map. The first step aims at reducing the speckle noise in a controlled way in order to maximize the discrimination capability between changed and unchanged classes. In the second step, the two filtered multitemporal images are compared to generate a log-ratio image that contains explicit information on changed areas. The third step produces the change-detection map according to a thresholding procedure based on a reformulation of the Kittler-Illingworth (KI) threshold selection criterion. In particular, the modified KI criterion is derived under the generalized Gaussian assumption for modeling the distributions of changed and unchanged classes. This parametric model was chosen because it is capable of better fitting the conditional densities of classes in the log-ratio image. In order to control the filtering step and, accordingly, the effects of the filtering process on change-detection accuracy, we propose to identify automatically the optimal number of despeckling filter iterations [Step 1] by analyzing the behavior of the modified KI criterion. This results in a completely automatic and self-consistent change-detection approach that avoids the use of empirical methods for the selection of the best number of filtering iterations. Experiments carried out on two sets of multitemporal images (characterized by different levels of speckle noise) acquired by the European Remote Sensing 2 satellite SAR sensor confirm the effectiveness of the proposed unsupervised approach, which results in change-detection accuracies very similar to those that can be achieved by a manual supervised thresholding.

The Conflict Between Legal, Political and Religious Truth

This essay focuses on the nature of legal, political and religious truth, a trilogy of forms through which we express fundamental values that is more interconnected than we might think. The first part of the analysis examines traditional arguments that have been made about the nature of truth, its functions and sources, and how it is that humans perceive what is consensually true as well as that which different people come to believe is true. The final part of the essay develops the analysis in the context of the competing positions, arguments and conclusions applied in the Roe v. Wade decision regarding the conflicts in values and beliefs applicable to the power of a woman to elect to terminate a pregnancy versus the power of the community to inhibit that individual choice. The primary inquiry involves intellectual historian Crane Brinton's concept of noncumulative knowledge. Noncumulative knowledge represents the kinds of knowledge achievable in areas of inquiry such as philosophy, morality, religion, politics and ethics. Like Arnold Toynbee, Brinton concluded that we can never prove the fundamental propositions in noncumulative areas by use of empirical methods or logic. He contrasts the inherent uncertainty associated with noncumulative knowledge with the pursuit of knowledge in the cumulative domains of science. The noncumulative dimension symbolizes the relevant conditions of what constitutes truth in a discipline such as law. Law is a form of noncumulative knowledge in virtually all its contexts. While limited elements of such matters can be studied empirically, at their heart they are matters of socially constructed choice, not empirical proof. Non-cumulative forms of truth are particularly interesting and problematic in the context of constitutional interpretation involving controversial political and religious values. At the level of constitutional interpretation and argument these seemingly distinct dimensions are intertwined in ways that are not necessarily coherent or predictable. Certainly this was the case with Roe v. Wade, a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that was considerably more political than legal. Roe is a critical point at which worldviews collide and continue to collide. Roe is a transformative force that for three decades has generated powerful streams of social pressure. The pressure wave set in motion by Roe has impacted on our laws, political organizations, and social and religious passions. Roe v. Wade transcended the normal boundaries of what judges do. We see on all sides of the Roe equation, including the judicial, a virtually complete absence of truth-seeking, no honest discourse, and the use of propaganda, sloganeering and ideology rather than evidence, credible analytic method, or full consideration by anyone of the complete range of implications of the competing positions. Roe v. Wade is thus an exercise of raw political power ostensibly justified by legal analysis and backed by the power of law. Given the positions taken by the dissent the same conclusions about the political nature of the Roe v. Wade controversy would be valid if the Roe Court had reached the opposite conclusion. My intent in writing about this issue in the context of legal, political and religious and revealed truth is to attempt to analyze the conflict in its fuller dimensions, not to take a position on the issue itself.

B. F. Skinner's utopian vision: behind and beyond walden two

This paper addresses B. F. Skinner's utopian vision for enhancing social justice and human well‐being as it was introduced in his 1948 novel, Walden Two. In the first part, we address the historical, intellectual, and social context that situates the book in the utopian genre, the critiques of its premises and practices, and the fate of intentional communities patterned on the book. In the second part, we review practices in Skinner's book that advance social justice and human well‐being under the themes of health, wealth, and wisdom, and then focus on contemporary practices that are the legacy of his vision. His vision was neither the a priori truth of a particular premise about human behavior or a necessary practice (blueprint) for an intentional community but rather the use of empirical methods to discover premises and practices that work to advance the health, wealth, and wisdom of individuals and survival of the culture.