Quantitative Research

This study compared the attitudes towards ‘Western’ counselling and counselling services of Indians living in the United Kingdom for more than 10 years with British citizens of white origin and Indians living in India. Overall, 162 participants took part in the study, 49 were Indians living in India (24 men and 25 women, mean age = 20.94, SD = 2.16), 53 were Indians living in the United Kingdom (24 men and 29 women, mean age = 23.55, SD = 4.04) and 60 were British citizens of white origin (30 men and 30 women, mean age = 29.12, SD = 10.93). All Indian participants were fluent in English. Participants completed a 12-item attitude questionnaire, based on the Likert scale rating ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree with the statements, together with questions on awareness of counselling services and its significance and sources for seeking help and finding information about counselling. Overall Indians in the United Kingdom seem to have the more favourable views towards Western counselling compared to the Indians in India, and even British participants. However, there was a substantial gender difference with Indian men in the United Kingdom being more favourable than Indian women in the United Kingdom. Overall, more positive attitudes towards counselling were reported from participants who had previous experience of counselling. Furthermore, Indians in India seemed to show less awareness of Western counselling practices than the other two groups of participants. Finally, it was found that most Indians in India and British participants would seek help first from family members only rather than other sources, whilst UK Indians are more likely to ask a friend for help. The internet seems to be a more popular source for finding information on counselling services for the British participants, whilst social interactions are seen as a more dominant source for Indians in the United Kingdom and in India.

This paper examines the development of SPSS from 1968 to 2008, and the manner in which it has been used in teaching and research in British Sociology. We do this in order to reveal some of the changes that have taken place in statistical reasoning as an inscription device in the discipline over this period. We conclude that to characterise these changes as a shift from ‘causal’ to more ‘descriptive’ modes of analysis is too simplistic. Such a shift is certainly apparent, but it meshes in complex ways with a range of other – just as important – changes, that together mark a phase-shift in the functioning of sociological quantification.

Il saggio costituisce la prima pubblicazione dei risultati di una ricerca di durata triennale, dedicata all’analisi della copertura giornalistica degli omicidi di donne in Italia. Sono state prese in esame tutte le notizie in tema trasmesse dalle edizioni di prime time dei tre TG Rai e dai tre TG Mediaset nel 2006, quando, sulla scorta di delitti come quello di Hina Saleem, si è registrato l’inizio di un allarme sociale per l’integrità fisica e sessuale delle donne. I delitti commessi nel 2006 sono stati 162, oggetto di 473 servizi complessivamente trasmessi dalle 6 testate. L’analisi quantitativa svolta sugli stessi ha mostrato come la copertura giornalistica alteri l’effettiva fisionomia del fenomeno, privilegiando le tipologie di autori, vittime e casi che nella realtà sono i meno diffusi. In particolare, emerge una netta sovraesposizione dei cittadini non Comunitari, confermata dall’esame dei 7 casi di saturation coverage (i più notiziati del 2006): devono la loro “popolarità” anche al fatto di presentare uno o più immigrati nel ruolo di aggressori, o, più spesso, di sospettati. Il saggio analizza infine i risultati dell’analisi qualitativa svolta sui 250 servizi dedicati a questi 7 casi. Il discorso giornalistico li inserisce entro due frames, quello dello “scontro fra culture” e quello dell’emergenza criminalità, entrambi destinati a alimentare una retorica anti-immigrazione. Sulla base dei risultati dell’analisi, si conclude che la violenza contro le donne, in Italia, è stata raccontata in forme tali da legittimarne la classificazione come fenomeno di «panico morale», in cui gli immigrati hanno interpretato il ruolo dei «folk devils» mentre quello della cronaca televisiva può essere efficacemente descritto dalla categoria di «agente di indignazione morale».

"Valea Lupului is situated west of Iaşi and has become a village in 2004, separated administratively from  Rediu. Important land use transformations within Valea Lupului occurred due to its close proximity to the urban influence area.
The present paper makes a detailed analysis of land use changes between 1965 and 2010. Changes took place both at the village level and at the built-up area level. These are accompanied by transformations of its territorial borders and surface, the built-up area increasing at the expense of agricultural land. The economic profile of the village has also changed from rural-agricultural to services, meaning that financial power is redirected to the tertiary sector. 
The results are depicted in a series of graphic and cartographic elements showing the human and economical pressure created by Iaşi upon the village. Urban - rural migration, real estate investments drive the settlement’s administrative, land use, and real estate dynamics.
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U. S. Extremist Crime Database Study (ECDB) data of homicides by far-rights extremists and arsons and bombings by Environmental and Animal Rights extremists suggest that compared to men, relationships are catalysts for women’s involvement in domestic terrorism, recruitment and opportunity differ by ideology and are not always effective in victimizing their intended hate group. We suggest an interdisciplinary approach that considers both criminological principles of strain theory, along with sociological emphasis on gendered social networks and the strength of weak ties.

""1 Introduction
PRINCIPLES AND PLANNING FOR RESEARCH
2 Theoretical Perspectives and Research Methodologies
3  Selecting and Planning Research Proposals and Projects
4 Research Ethics
5 Searching, critically reviewing and using the literature
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
6 Research design: quantitative methods
7 Research design: qualitative methods
8 Research design: using mixed methods
9 Sampling strategies
10 Designing Descriptive and analytical surveys
11 Designing Case Studies
12 Designing Evaluations
13 Action Research and Change
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
14 Collecting Primary Data: Questionnaires
15 Collecting Primary Data: Interviewing
16 Collecting Primary Data: Non-participant Observation
17 Collecting Primary Data: Ethnography and participant observation
18 Collecting Primary Data: Focus groups
19 Collecting Primary Data: Unobtrusive Measures
ANALYSIS AND REPORT WRITING
20 Secondary analysis
21 Getting started using SPSS
22 Analysing and Presenting Quantitative Data
23 Analysing and Presenting Qualitative Data
24Writing up the Research
25 Planning presentations and vivas
References
Glossary
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This article discusses the concept of political public image and its varied usage within the field of communication studies. The perspective from which the conclusions are drawn, it should be noted, goes beyond the analysis about the instrumentalization of political campaign practices and strategies. It focuses on the aforementioned concept in order to study the historical-political processes, as well as the communicative-discursive dynamics that have developed during some specific time periods. The discussion, then, is based on the results of a research about the creation and further re-creation of PT’s Chico Ferramenta political public image, from 1985 to 1988, in the city of Ipatinga, Minas Gerais. Such discussion shows that an analysis of Ferramenta’s political discourse can bring about new interpretations for the reasons surrounding his victory in the 1988’s municipal elections, the first during the sixteeen years in which his party (PT) held the power in Ipatinga’s town house.

As online education continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the nuances of online learning. However, to date, research on online learning has largely been characterized as being low quality. To increase the quality and promote rigor in online education research, researchers are beginning to argue for the importance of using mixed research. Yet, to date, very little mixed research has been conducted in the area of online learning. Further, the little “mixed” research that has been conducted suffers from a host of problems. Researchers need to be aware of the complexities of conducting mixed research and some of the issues that can be overlooked. This chapter focuses on some important steps and key considerations that researchers of online learning must make when conducting mixed research, in hopes to increase the rigor and quality of online learning research studies.

"Problem: Many patients with pituitary disorders remain isolated, alienated and distressed (Sachse, 2001). Research has shown that patient distress may not be identified by healthcare professionals (HCP), resulting in significant morbidity, additional use of primary and secondary care services, and patient dissatisfaction with care (Söllner et al, 2001). Although mainly benign, pituitary tumours are now included in cancer services. Routinely used in oncology services, a distress thermometer is a structured way for a patient working with an HCP to identify, discuss and resolve key concerns (practical, emotional, physical and psychological). Our aim was to adapt this oncology tool for use with pituitary patients.
Strategy: Stage 1: Developing the problem list
During the summer of 2012, a draft Wellbeing Survey was generated detailing the proposed problem list items for the Pituitary Distress Thermometer (PDT). The draft list (n=30), generated from the Pituitary Foundation Treatment Satisfaction project (Jackson et al, 2008), was subjected to extensive checks by the PF Medical Committee, PF patient support groups, and psychologists at UWE & Plymouth Universities. The final version posted to Pituitary Foundation members (n=2,500) comprised 36 items, plus all 40 items from the Oncology Distress Thermometer. By the end of August 2012, 901 completed surveys had been received. Multivariate regression modelling of the data generated a 39–item problem list comprising 32 symptoms, 3 practical problems, and 4 emotional concerns.
Stage 2: Pilot testing
Testing took place in 5 clinics at HPNC between December 2012 and April 2013. Thirty-one patients consented to be part of the study and completed the PDT whilst waiting for their clinic appointment. They then met with an endocrine nurse specialist (ENS) trained to review their responses to the PDT. Subsequently half of the study participants filled in questionnaires to validate the PDT, the others were interviewed about their experiences of using it.
Outcomes: Responses to the PDT showed that the amount of distress patients experience and the number of problems they face is highly variable, e.g. requests to study participants to identify their top concern resulted in 20 different replies.
Comparison of the Pituitary Distress Thermometer with existing validated questionnaires (by Philippa Bowes) showed good agreement; i.e. those who were distressed according to the PDT were showing similar levels of distress on the other questionnaires, too. This is an important finding, as it provides evidence of the validity of the Distress Thermometer for use in patients with pituitary problems.
From the interviews (by Philippa Tyndall) it was clear that both patients and the ENSs liked the Pituitary Distress Thermometer, found it easy to use, and would be willing to use it again. Completing the PDT prior to a clinic appointment was felt to help prompt patients to discuss their concerns with ENSs, including problems not conventionally viewed as ‘medical’, a finding that Brennan et al (2011) also reported in relation to the oncology Distress Thermometer. Some helpful suggestions were made which will inform revision of the PDT, including simplifying its design, and provision of a training manual for ENSs.
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Allelic effects at quantitative trait loci (QTL) between lineages are potentially informative for indicating the action of natural selection. The QTL Sign Test uses the number of + and − alleles observed in a QTL study to infer a history of selection. This test has been constructed to condition on the phenotypic difference between the two lines in question. By applying the test to QTL data simulated under selection, we demonstrate that conditioning on the phenotypic difference results in a loss of power to reject the neutral hypothesis and marked sensitivity to variation in locus effect magnitude.

Teaching MBA research methodology classes can be a challenge. Students lack previous exposure to research methodology and statistics, and do not recognize growing labor needs for knowledge workers that the courses offer. Given industry demand for students prepared for high complexity positions and the growing demand for business professors to produce high-quality research, this article presents the results of a project-based pedagogy for graduate MBA research methods course that has been used to meet four goals; 1) provide high-quality instruction of research methods and statistics, 2) production of high-quality academic publications that provide options for students and professors to present the research for professional conferences and publication, 3) offering students the ability to answer intrinsically relevant (and interesting) research questions, and 4) giving students the required software to execute future research projects.

"Introduction: In developed and developing countries there is an epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with the emergence of “diabesity”. It is known that T2DM and obesity compromise quality of life. Surgical treatment is regarded as the most effective means of achieving weight loss and normalising glucose tolerance in morbidly obese patients with T2DM. This study was undertaken to explore the long-term psychological impact of gastric banding on morbidly obese people, both with & without T2DM.

Methods: Fifty-three participants (41 female; 36 with T2DM; age range: 29-73 years; BMI 51.0±9.3 kg/m2) completed psychological scales measuring eating behaviour (DEBQ); general anxiety and depression (HADS); quality of life (WHOQoL-Bref); and social anxiety (DAS-24) at 5 time points: pre- (T1), six (T2), twelve (T3), eighteen (T4) & twenty-four months (T5) post-LAGB.

Results: Repeated measures ANOVA showed significant improvements across the five time points for BMI, weight, amount of weight lost & HbA1c (all p<.001); the psychological (p<.001), physical (p<.001) and environment (p<.007) subscales of the WHOQoL-Bref; the HADS anxiety (p<.015) and depression subscales (p<.001); and for social anxiety (DAS-24, p<.001). No main effects were recorded for diabetes or gender. No significant changes in eating habits (DEBQ) were noted at any point, the greater majority (70%) being emotional eaters.

Conclusion: These results suggest that LAGB improves BMI and psychological status irrespective of gender or diabetic status, and despite a lack of change in eating behaviour. Two years post-LAGB there is evidence that psychological health is still improving in parallel with physiological health.
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