Suchergebnisse

Researchers, as well as decision-makers and practitioners, often wonder what becomes of the results of research in the social sciences. At present in Australia, we know very little on the subject. This article reports results from a survey of academic sociologists and criminologists about the utilization of their research. It tests an empirical model that derives its dependent and independent variables from prior studies on knowledge utilization, and defines research utilization as a six-stage cumulative process. Results indicate that while there are decreasing reported levels of research utilization across the stages by practitioners and professionals, academic sociologists and criminologists report their research is more often used conceptually. Variables that distinguished respondents who report high levels of utilization were investments in linkage and exchange mechanisms. The discussion is placed in a broader context related to measuring the impact of social research and the factors that inhibit and facilitate this process.

This dissertation studies the impact of the mode of data collection on the quality of answers to survey questions, defined as the product of reliability and validity. Using data from the Netherlands about different topics (media, social and political trust, satisfaction, political orientation, left-right self-placement, attitudes toward immigration), it shows that the quality is similar in a computed assisted face-to-face survey using show cards (the European Social Survey, ESS) and a web survey based on a probability sample (the LISS panel). This is true both at the level of single items and composite scores. It suggests that standardised relationships across variables can be compared across these two modes. On the contrary, telephone interviews lead to some differences in quality. For complex concepts, measurement equivalence also holds, meaning that means and unstandardised relationships can be compared across the faceto- face and web surveys mentioned previously. ; Esta tesis estudia el impacto que el método de recolección de datos en encuestas tiene sobre la calidad de las respuestas, definida como el producto de la fiabilidad y la validez. Utilizando datos de Holanda sobre temas diversos (utilización de los medios de comunicación, confianza social y política, satisfacción, orientaciones políticas, autoubicación en la escala izquierda-derecha, actitudes hacia la inmigración), se muestra que la calidad es similar en una encuesta cara-a-cara asistida con ordenador y utilizando tarjetas (la Encuesta Social Europea) y una encuesta online basada en una muestra probabilística (el panel LISS). Esto se cumple tanto para los indicadores simples, como para indicadores complejos. Los resultados sugieren que las relaciones estandardizadas entre variables son comparables entre los dos métodos de recolección. Al contrario, las entrevistas telefónicas producen diferencias de calidad. Para conceptos complejos, la equivalencia de las mediciones también está garantizada: las medias y las relaciones no estandarizadas son ...

We are now entering a new era of computing in political science. The first era was marked by punched-card technology. Initially, the most sophisticated analyses possible were frequency counts and tables produced on a counter-sorter, a machine that specialized in chewing up data cards. By the early 1960s, batch processing on large mainframe computers became the predominant mode of data analysis, with turnaround time of up to a week. By the late 1960s, turnaround time was cut down to a matter of a few minutes and OSIRIS and then SPSS (and more recently SAS) were developed as general-purpose data analysis packages for the social sciences. Even today, use of these packages in batch mode remains one of the most efficient means of processing large-scale data analysis.

We are now entering a new era of computing in political science. The first era was marked by punched-card technology. Initially, the most sophisticated analyses possible were frequency counts and tables produced on a counter-sorter, a machine that specialized in chewing up data cards. By the early 1960s, batch processing on large mainframe computers became the predominant mode of data analysis, with turnaround time of up to a week. By the late 1960s, turnaround time was cut down to a matter of a few minutes and OSIRIS and then SPSS (and more recently SAS) were developed as general-purpose data analysis packages for the social sciences. Even today, use of these packages in batch mode remains one of the most efficient means of processing large-scale data analysis.

After the 1970s, there has been a growing emphasis on participatory research aimed at capturing people's lived realities of everyday lives. The proponents of participatory research (also called alternative research) build on a critique of what is called "extractive," top-down, and so-called objective empirical research of positivist kind. In contrast, alternative research method embeds research with empowerment and regards survey based conventional research as instrumental. This paper first introduces basic premises of alternative research method together with its philosophical underpinning. Drawing arguments from Robert Chambers the following section compares and contrasts the conventional and alternative research methods. Further, a paradigm shift in social science research in terms of reversals of frame, reversals of modes, reversal of relation and reversal of power is dealt. The final section draws a conclusion that compared to survey based, "objective," conventional research method, participatory researches are superior in facilitating knowledge generation process, eventually empowering the people.Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol.11, 2017; 115-129