1
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Segev R, Suliman M, Gorodetzer R, Zukin L, Spitz A. Nursing roles in disaster zones: Experiences and lessons from Turkey's 2023 earthquakes. Int Nurs Rev 2024. [PMID: 38602067 DOI: 10.1111/inr.12964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disasters affect human health and well-being globally. Nursing plays a vital role in disaster preparedness and response, ensuring efficient early care coordination and delivering effective field treatment. AIM This study investigates the challenges an Israeli humanitarian delegation encountered during their response to major earthquakes in Turkey in 2023. It explicitly focuses on difficulties in preparation, operations, and collaboration with local teams. The study further analyzes the findings and extracts valuable lessons from the mission. METHODS Using a qualitative descriptive design, 22 out of 32 nurses involved in delegation participated in three focus group discussions within two months of returning to Israel. The discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. The study followed the COREQ guidelines, ensuring comprehensive reporting and methodological rigor in qualitative research. FINDINGS The study's main findings spanned predeparture preparation, mission challenges in the disaster zone, and postmission lessons, each highlighted by subthemes and participant quotations. A strong sense of mission was evident among the participants, along with frustration at inefficient time management prior to deployment. Many participants noted additional challenges, related to the difficulty of working in multiple languages and across cultures, and the opportunities for resolution. Finally, participants called for better psychological support following the mission. CONCLUSION Nurses in disaster zones offer valuable insights to enhance preparation, cross-cultural communication, and postmission implementation. NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY IMPLICATIONS Nurse managers and healthcare policymakers can utilize this study's findings to develop future nursing training programs in disaster-related skills. Additionally, it can help foster collaboration among international healthcare teams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronen Segev
- Department of Nursing, The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Moriya Suliman
- Intensive Care Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Roee Gorodetzer
- Intensive Care Unit, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ludmila Zukin
- Head Nurse, Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, Tel HaShomer, Israel
| | - Ahuva Spitz
- Department of Nursing, Jerusalem College of Technology, Jerusalem, Israel
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2
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Druelle F, Leti I, Bokika Ngawolo JC, Narat V. Vertical climbing in free-ranging bonobos: An exploratory study integrating locomotor performance and substrate compliance. Am J Biol Anthropol 2024; 183:e24894. [PMID: 38180148 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Ecological factors and body size shape animal movement and adaptation. Large primates such as bonobos excel in navigating the demanding substrates of arboreal habitats. However, current approaches lack comprehensive assessment of climbing performance in free-ranging individuals, limiting our understanding of locomotor adaptations. This study aims to explore climbing performance in free-ranging bonobos and how substrate properties affect their behavior. METHODS We collected data on the climbing performance of habituated bonobos, Pan paniscus, in the Bolobo Territory, Democratic Republic of Congo. We analyzed 46 climbing bouts (12 ascents, 34 descents) while moving on vertical substrates of varying diameter and compliance levels. This study assessed the average speed, peak acceleration, resting postures, and transitions between climbing and other locomotor modes. RESULTS During climbing sequences and transitions, bonobos mitigate speed variations. They also exhibit regular pauses during climbing and show higher speeds during descent in contrast to their ascent. Regarding the influence of substrate properties, bonobos exhibit higher speed when ascending on thin and slightly flexible substrates, while they appear to achieve higher speeds when descending on large and stiff substrates, by using a "fire-pole slide" submode. DISCUSSION Bonobos demonstrate remarkable abilities for negotiating vertical substrates and substrate properties influence their performance. Our results support the idea that bonobos adopt a behavioral strategy that aligns with the notion of minimizing costs. Overall, the adoption of high velocities and the use of low-cost resting postures may reduce muscle fatigue. These aspects could represent important targets of selection to ensure ecological efficiency in bonobos.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Druelle
- Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique, UMR 7194, CNRS-MNHN-UPVD, Paris, France
- Functional Morphology Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Innocent Leti
- NGO Mbou-Mon-Tour, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Victor Narat
- Eco-Anthropologie, UMR 7206, MNHN-CNRS-Univ. Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Bonobo Eco, Saint Brice sur Vienne, Vienne, France
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3
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Larsen TS, Schwennesen N. Beyond the insider/outsider debate in "at-home" ethnographies: Diffractive methodology and the onto-epistemic entanglement of knowledge production. Nurs Inq 2024; 31:e12611. [PMID: 37882249 DOI: 10.1111/nin.12611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we discuss the practice of conducting research in one's own field, in this case, from a position as a researcher with a nursing background doing fieldwork in a hospital and in one's own organization, an orthopedic surgical department. We show how an "insider" researcher position paves the way for analytical insights about sleep as an institutional phenomenon in the orthopedic surgical infrastructure and how acute and elective patient trajectories differ but build on the same logic, creating the same dynamics of inclusion and exclusion. Through a situated and sociomaterial perspective, we analyze different clinical interactions in which we follow the hospital bed as an example of a central relational element that co-creates sleep as an institutional phenomenon. Inspired by Karen Barad, we demonstrate how to move diffractively when doing and analyzing fieldwork and argue how moving diffractively as a researcher doing fieldwork "at home" is productive and challenges the concept and demand of "distance" as the phenomenological exercise in fieldwork.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trine S Larsen
- Department of People and Technology, Roskilde Universitet, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Nete Schwennesen
- Department of People and Technology, Roskilde Universitet, Roskilde, Denmark
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4
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Péter H. How to navigate fieldwork. eLife 2023; 12:e94879. [PMID: 38050848 PMCID: PMC10697661 DOI: 10.7554/elife.94879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A PhD student recounts what she has learned from managing her ADHD between the office and the rainforest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hella Péter
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of KentCanterburyUnited Kingdom
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5
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Weaver WN, Smith SA. FieldPrism: A system for creating snapshot vouchers from field images using photogrammetric markers and QR codes. Appl Plant Sci 2023; 11:e11545. [PMID: 37915427 PMCID: PMC10617303 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Premise Field images are important sources of information for research in the natural sciences. However, images that lack photogrammetric scale bars, including most iNaturalist observations, cannot yield accurate trait measurements. We introduce FieldPrism, a novel system of photogrammetric markers, QR codes, and software to automate the curation of snapshot vouchers. Methods and Results Our photogrammetric background templates (FieldSheets) increase the utility of field images by providing machine-readable scale bars and photogrammetric reference points to automatically correct image distortion and calculate a pixel-to-metric conversion ratio. Users can generate a QR code flipbook derived from a specimen identifier naming hierarchy, enabling machine-readable specimen identification for automatic file renaming. We also developed FieldStation, a Raspberry Pi-based mobile imaging apparatus that records images, GPS location, and metadata redundantly on up to four USB storage devices and can be monitored and controlled from any Wi-Fi connected device. Conclusions FieldPrism is a flexible software tool designed to standardize and improve the utility of images captured in the field. When paired with the optional FieldStation, researchers can create a self-contained mobile imaging apparatus for quantitative trait data collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- William N. Weaver
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Michigan1105 N. University Ave.Ann Arbor48109MichiganUSA
| | - Stephen A. Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Michigan1105 N. University Ave.Ann Arbor48109MichiganUSA
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6
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Setchell JM, Unwin S, Cheyne SM. Mental health and well-being in primatology: Breaking the taboos. Evol Anthropol 2023. [PMID: 37172138 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
We hope to raise awareness of mental health and well-being among primatologists. With this aim in mind, we organized a workshop on mental health as part of the main program of the Winter meeting of the Primate Society of Great Britain in December 2021. The workshop was very well received. Here, we review the main issues raised in the workshop, and supplement them with our own observations, reflections, and reading. The information we gathered during the workshop reveals clear hazards to mental health and suggests that we must collectively acknowledge and better manage both the hazards themselves and our ability to cope with them if we are to avert disaster. We call on institutions and learned societies to lead in seeking solutions for the benefit of primatologists and primatology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steve Unwin
- Wildlife Health Australia, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
- Orangutan Veterinary Advisory Group, Oxford, UK
- IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group, Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA
| | - Susan M Cheyne
- Borneo Nature Foundation International, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
- IUCN Species Survival Commission Primate Specialist Group Section on Small Apes, Gland, Switzerland
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7
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Matsuda SB. Centering Transgender And Gender Non-conforming Experience, Access, & Safety in Ecological Fieldwork. Integr Comp Biol 2023:7147574. [PMID: 37127411 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Efforts to make ecological sciences more diverse, equitable, and inclusive require us to identify who is being left out and take action to rectify harmful situations. Recruitment of trainees from underrepresented groups alone is insufficient without ensuring a safe and supportive environment where we can flourish. Fieldwork is a critical component and often a requirement for career advancement in ecological sciences, but for transgender and gender non-conforming (TGnC) individuals, it can be disproportionately harmful. TGnC individuals face barriers and gendered violence before, during, and after fieldwork, and our experiences are often lost in current discussions of underrepresented groups in the field. In this article, I discuss the importance of an intersectional framework that focuses on planning, open communication, and trust, to address both the barriers TGnC trainees' experience with travel, accommodations, and access to medical care, along with their experiences of perceived and actual violence by colleagues and strangers. Additionally, I propose direct actions that those in power, such as Principal Investigators, field station managers, and mentors, can take to ensure a safe and welcoming fieldwork environment that supports TGnC trainees' physical, emotional, and professional well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayle B Matsuda
- John G. Shedd Aquarium, Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, Chicago, IL, USA
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8
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Kabir A, Karim MN, Karim J, Billah B. Challenges and Strategies in Conducting Population Health Research during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience from a Nationwide Mixed-Methods Study in Bangladesh. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:ijerph20095629. [PMID: 37174149 PMCID: PMC10178606 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20095629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Globally, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic poses fundamental challenges in everyday life. Various controlling measures, including nationwide lockdowns, movement restrictions, travel bans, social distancing, and improved hygiene practices, have been widely introduced to curtail transmission of the disease. Notably, these measures have affected the execution of population health research that typically involves face-to-face data collection. This paper details a subjective reflective account of the challenges and mitigating strategies in conducting a nationwide study during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Challenges and strategies: The research team faced a wide range of challenges in conducting this study. The major categories of challenges were defined as follows: (i) challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as insufficient access to field sites; (ii) challenges related to contextual factors, such as cultural and gender sensitivity and extreme weather events; and (iii) challenges related to data quality and validity. The key mitigating strategies to overcoming these challenges included engaging a local-level field supervisor, hiring data collectors from respective study sites, incorporating team members' reviews of literature and experts' views to develop research instruments, modifying original research instruments, organizing regular meetings and debriefing, adjusting field operation plans, building gender-sensitive teams, understanding local norms and adopting culturally appropriate dress codes, and conducting interviews in local languages. Conclusions: This paper concludes that despite several COVID-19-related challenges coupled with contextual factors, data were successfully collected through timely and successful adaptations of several mitigating strategies. The strategies adopted in this study may be useful for overcoming unforeseeable challenges in planning and conducting future population-based health research in similar circumstances elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraful Kabir
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Md Nazmul Karim
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Jahirul Karim
- Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Baki Billah
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
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9
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Maciel-de-Freitas R. Listen to the shopkeeper. eLife 2023; 12:87366. [PMID: 36927493 PMCID: PMC10019886 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
His mosquito control project heading for failure, a field entomologist recalls how a chance encounter led to a Eureka moment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Maciel-de-Freitas
- Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FiocruzRio de JaneiroBrazil
- Department of Arbovirology, Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical MedicineHamburgGermany
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10
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Segev R. Learning from critical care nurses' wartime experiences and their long-term impacts. Nurs Crit Care 2023; 28:253-260. [PMID: 35833305 DOI: 10.1111/nicc.12819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The history of critical care nursing is intertwined with that of battlefield nursing, where for almost 200 years, nurses worked to save injured soldiers' lives, risking their own physical and emotional injuries. Today, with nurses increasingly deployed to provide critical care during natural, man-made and public health crises that can resemble battlefield situations, there is much to learn from battlefield nurses. AIM This qualitative study aims to explore the lessons of the experiences of civilian nurses deployed to Israeli battlefields in three wars between 1967 and 1982. METHODS Qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-two former military nurses who were deployed in three wars between 1967 and 1982. We analysed interview transcripts using a content analysis approach. COREQ, a 32-item checklist, guided method selection, data analysis and the findings' presentation. FINDINGS Data analysis revealed three main themes, with ten related subthemes: Field Service Challenges, Coping with Challenges, and Nurses' Need for Recognition. CONCLUSION The findings identify mental, emotional, and organizational issues resulting from nurses' wartime experiences, revealing numerous opportunities for better preparing and supporting critical care nurses before, during, and after crises. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Critical care nursing during crises, such as wartime, is unique but increasingly common. The memories and ongoing impact of those experiences offer invaluable information for nursing and health policy stakeholders planning for future deployments during wartime or other disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronen Segev
- Department of Nursing Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Emek-Hefer, Israel
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11
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Horwitz HM, Struckmeyer LR, MacPherson KL, Morgan-Daniel J, Gerry G, Myers C. Predictors of clinical experience performance in occupational therapy and physiotherapy: A scoping review. Aust Occup Ther J 2023. [PMID: 36810776 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Successful completion of clinical education experiences is a graduation requirement for students in occupational therapy and physical therapy programmes. A scoping review was conducted to determine what is known about possible clinical experience performance predictors and to find associated research gaps. METHODS The search included one hand-searched journal and seven databases, which were used to identify related relevant studies: CINAHL, Education Database, Education Source, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), PubMed, REHABDATA, and Web of Science. A research librarian guided the search process, and the review's reporting is structured by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist. Studies were included if they contained predictors of clinical experience success indicated by validated performance evaluation tools that were scored by clinical instructors. A multidisciplinary team reviewed the title, abstract, and full text for inclusion and conducted thematic data synthesis to categorise findings. FINDINGS Twenty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. The majority of articles were of correlational design and included single institutions. Seventeen articles included occupational therapy, eight included physical therapy, with only one article including both programmes. Four categories of predictors of clinical experience success were identified: pre-admission variables, academic preparation, learner characteristics, and demographics. Each of the main categories included three to six subcategories. Key findings included the following: (a) The most common cited predictors in clinical experiences are academic preparation and learner characteristics, (b) more experimental design studies are needed to determine the causal relationship between predictors and clinical experience success, and (c) future research is needed on ethnic disparities and clinical experience success. CONCLUSION Findings from this review show that possible predictors of clinical experience success include a wide range of factors when correlating success with a standardised tool. Academic preparation and learner characteristics were the most investigated predictors. There were only a small number of studies that found a correlation with pre-admission variables. The findings of this study suggest that students' academic achievement may be a critical element of clinical experience preparation. Future research using experimental designs and across institutions is needed to determine the main predictors for student success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi M Horwitz
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Linda R Struckmeyer
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Jane Morgan-Daniel
- Health Sciences Library, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Grace Gerry
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Christine Myers
- Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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12
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Boéri J. Qualitative research in crisis: A narrative-practice methodology to
delve into the discourse and action of the unheard in the COVID-19
pandemic. Qual Res 2023:14687941231155620. [PMCID: PMC9944424 DOI: 10.1177/14687941231155620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
This paper develops and applies a methodology of qualitative inquiry that equips researchers to capture how social actors produce and contest accepted forms of knowledge at the margins of mainstream globalizing discourses in times of crisis. Standing at the intersection between conceptual and empirical research, our methodology builds on the common epistemological premises of ‘narrative’, as stories constructed and enacted in social life, and ‘practice’, as tasks and projects composed by ‘doings’ and ‘sayings’. Overcoming the dualism between ‘action’ and ‘discourse’ in traditional social theory, this methodology integrates narrative theory and practice theory into a joint framework for fieldwork and interviews. The use of the narrative-practice methodology in ethnographic case studies – such as interpreters’ experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar – allows researchers to gain analytical granularity on participants’ storied practice and practiced stories of the crisis, to harness ‘peripheral’ knowledge and refashion public discourse.
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Nepali S, Einboden R, Rudge T. The Social Relations of Ethnographic Fieldwork: Access, Ethics and Research Governance. Glob Qual Nurs Res 2023; 10:23333936231193885. [PMID: 37694175 PMCID: PMC10492461 DOI: 10.1177/23333936231193885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The focus of this methodological paper is to discuss the challenges of conducting fieldwork, using reflections from our experiences of accessing a research site for ethnographic data collection. The research project aimed to explore nurses' social relations in their workplace and the inequities between and within these relations among nurses of diverse social positions. Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, access to the research site posed several challenges and was further complicated by the bureaucratic ethics process that governs clinical sites in Australia. Although this study was considered a low and negligible risk research, negotiating the ethics process was full of hitches and hindrances resulting in the refusal of access. This paper offers ethnographers a reflection on challenges in accessing clinical sites to conduct research and a discussion of strategies that may be useful to navigate and counter these challenges by managing social relations in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rochelle Einboden
- The University of Ottawa School of Nursing and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) & CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Trudy Rudge
- The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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14
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Sheikh ZA. Dealing with complicity in fieldwork: Reflections on studying genetic research in Pakistan. Sociol Health Illn 2022; 44 Suppl 1:41-56. [PMID: 35322443 PMCID: PMC10078743 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Health-related ethnography undertaken in a context marked by social inequalities and colonial legacies requires critical attention to power imbalances in the fieldwork. In this paper, I draw on my own experiences from studying genetic research in Pakistan. As a Danish-born female researcher with roots in Pakistan, I have followed genetic researchers and families dealing with genetic conditions in Pakistan. Through examples I unearth how encounters in the field were shaped by complicities of being in-between the Danish and the Pakistani, of studying and doing international research at the same time, and of my inaction towards suffering families. I base my analysis on the notion that complicity manifests in a generative, and unavoidable, engagement with both complex structures of inequality and interlocutors. We can never fully understand the specificities or consequences of complicity-whether moral or epistemic-when entering, engaging with or representing our fields. However, by staying constructively with the tensions, instead of attempting to move beyond the discomfort that they might create, we can learn how to deal with the consequences and in that, build further the value of ethnographic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Afshan Sheikh
- Centre for Advanced Studies in Biomedical Innovation LawFaculty of LawUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Centre for Medical Science and Technology StudiesSection for Health Services ResearchDepartment of Public HealthUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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15
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Fordjour FA. Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on research and fieldwork: Perspectives from Ghana. Health Sci Rep 2022; 5:e906. [PMID: 36304761 PMCID: PMC9595340 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The insurgence of COVID‐19 has received all attention at the detriment of research on most diseases. Procedures and protocols devised to curb the pandemic continues to affect lives and work. As most countries prepare to tune back to normalcy, working conditions undoubtedly will not be the same as the World Health Organization still urges nations to scale up procedures and strategies against the pandemic. As research groups and projects across the globe and especially in Ghana begins work, these protocols must be fashioned into their study protocol before approval will be granted by ethical institutions. This has led to increase in research cost, with additional responsibilities aside their normal research activities. This perspective clearly points out the impact of the pandemic on research, especially fieldwork.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Amponsah Fordjour
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity for Development Studies (UDS)TamaleGhana,College of ScienceKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)KumasiGhana
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Nicotra AB, Geange SR, Bahar NHA, Carle H, Catling A, Garcia A, Harris RJ, Head ML, Jin M, Whitehead MR, Zurcher H, Beckmann EA. An innovative approach to using an intensive field course to build scientific and professional skills. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9446. [PMID: 36311410 PMCID: PMC9596330 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports on the design and evaluation of Field Studies in Functional Ecology (FSFE), a two-week intensive residential field course that enables students to master core content in functional ecology alongside skills that facilitate their transition from "student" to "scientist." We provide an overview of the course structure, showing how the constituent elements have been designed and refined over successive iterations of the course. We detail how FSFE students: (1) Work closely with discipline specialists to develop a small group project that tests an hypothesis to answer a genuine scientific question in the field; (2) Learn critical skills of data management and communication; and (3) Analyze, interpret, and present their results in the format of a scientific symposium. This process is repeated in an iterative "cognitive apprenticeship" model, supported by a series of workshops that name and explicitly instruct the students in "hard" and "soft" skills (e.g., statistics and teamwork, respectively) critically relevant for research and other careers. FSFE students develop a coherent and nuanced understanding of how to approach and execute ecological studies. The sophisticated knowledge and ecological research skills that they develop during the course is demonstrated through high-quality presentations and peer-reviewed publications in an open-access, student-led journal. We outline our course structure and evaluate its efficacy to show how this novel combination of field course elements allows students to gain maximum value from their educational journey, and to develop cognitive, affective, and reflective tools to help apply their skills as scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne B. Nicotra
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Sonya R. Geange
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia,Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of BergenBergenNorway,Bjerknes Center for Climate ResearchBergenNorway
| | - Nur H. A. Bahar
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Hannah Carle
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Alexandra Catling
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Andres Garcia
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Rosalie J. Harris
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Megan L. Head
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Marvin Jin
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | | | - Hannah Zurcher
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Elizabeth A. Beckmann
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
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17
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Bazzano M, Arfuso F, Bonfili L, Eleuteri AM, McLean A, Serri E, Spaterna A, Laus F. Measuring Biochemical Variables and Serum Amyloid A (SAA) in Working Mules in Central Italy. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12202793. [PMID: 36290179 PMCID: PMC9597738 DOI: 10.3390/ani12202793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
According to FAO reports, the global mule population counts about 9 million mules. This hybrid cross of a male donkey and a female horse is mainly used for draft purposes because they are thought to be strong and hardy animals. Most consider mules to be less susceptible to disease and fatigue compared to horses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fieldwork on biochemical variables and serum amyloid A in working mules. Blood samples were collected from 10 healthy, female, working mules before and after 8 h of fieldwork. According to statistical analysis, a significant influence (p < 0.05) of fieldwork was found on mules’ electrolyte profile with increased levels of sodium, chloride, and calcium, as well as on blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. After a day of fieldwork, serum sodium, chloride, calcium, urea, and creatinine concentrations were increased, supporting decreases in body water and renal blood flow. However, without comparison to a group of mules that were not exercised yet maintained under similar ambient conditions, it is uncertain whether these changes can be attributed to exercise. Further, no change in SAA concentration was found after exercise, indicating that the work performed did not result in systemic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilena Bazzano
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Matelica, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Francesca Arfuso
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
| | - Laura Bonfili
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Matelica, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Eleuteri
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Matelica, Italy
| | - Amy McLean
- Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Evelina Serri
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Matelica, Italy
| | - Andrea Spaterna
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Matelica, Italy
| | - Fulvio Laus
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Matelica, Italy
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18
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Parker A, Skoe E, Tecoulesco L, Naigles L. A Home-Based Approach to Auditory Brainstem Response Measurement: Proof-of-Concept and Practical Guidelines. Semin Hear 2022; 43:177-196. [PMID: 36313050 PMCID: PMC9605808 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1756163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Broad-scale neuroscientific investigations of diverse human populations are difficult to implement. This is because the primary neuroimaging methods (magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography [EEG]) historically have not been portable, and participants may be unable or unwilling to travel to test sites. Miniaturization of EEG technologies has now opened the door to neuroscientific fieldwork, allowing for easier access to under-represented populations. Recent efforts to conduct auditory neuroscience outside a laboratory setting are reviewed and then an in-home technique for recording auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) and frequency-following responses (FFRs) in a home setting is introduced. As a proof of concept, we have conducted two in-home electrophysiological studies: one in 27 children aged 6 to 16 years (13 with autism spectrum disorder) and another in 12 young adults aged 18 to 27 years, using portable electrophysiological equipment to record ABRs and FFRs to click and speech stimuli, spanning rural and urban and multiple homes and testers. We validate our fieldwork approach by presenting waveforms and data on latencies and signal-to-noise ratio. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and utility of home-based ABR/FFR techniques, paving the course for larger fieldwork investigations of populations that are difficult to test or recruit. We conclude this tutorial with practical tips and guidelines for recording ABRs and FFRs in the field and discuss possible clinical and research applications of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Parker
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Connecticut Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Erika Skoe
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Connecticut Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Lee Tecoulesco
- Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Letitia Naigles
- Connecticut Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Cognitive Sciences Program, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
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19
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Edwards A, Soares A, Debbonaire A, Edwards Rassner SM. Before you go: a packing list for portable DNA sequencing of microbiomes and metagenomes. Microbiology (Reading) 2022; 168. [PMID: 35802409 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biology, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK.,Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - André Soares
- Institute of Biology, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK.,Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK.,Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK.,Present address: Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology (GAME), University of Duisburg-Essen, Campus Essen - Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Aliyah Debbonaire
- Institute of Biology, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK.,Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Sara Maria Edwards Rassner
- Institute of Biology, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK.,Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
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20
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Sambamurthy N, Tan WE, Bhuyan A. Pausing again: Reflecting on humility and possibility in pandemic times. Area (Oxf) 2022; 54:AREA12804. [PMID: 35941913 PMCID: PMC9348153 DOI: 10.1111/area.12804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite continued global strife, the period of exception that has characterised experiences of pandemic times now seems to be changing. As graduate students, the emergence of COVID-19 unsettled our lives and broke our timelines, but we recognise that our experiences of it have also been framed by relative comfort and privilege. In the context of the various and unequal personal, institutional, and societal failures that COVID-19 has caused and amplified, we seek to pause and reflect on how our collective encounter with pandemic times might also be a space of possibility. We respond to calls for more humble and gentle geographies, situating our reflections in recent work on failure in the academy. The pandemic has humbled us, but we also recognise it as an opportunity to practise an ethic of humbleness in our work. While by no means linear, we talk/write through this process as it relates to our engagements with our personal, institutional, and research contexts. Ultimately, by giving space to the "messy" and "mundane" aspects of doing research, we hope to unpack how the pandemic has humbled our ambitions, timelines, and expectations and offer a pause to explore what this means for us and research more broadly, in terms of what we want to leave behind and what we wish to take forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Sambamurthy
- Department of GeographyFaculty of Arts and Social Sciences National University of SingaporeSingapore CitySingapore
| | - Wenn Er Tan
- Department of GeographyFaculty of Arts and Social Sciences National University of SingaporeSingapore CitySingapore
| | - Ananya Bhuyan
- Department of GeographyFaculty of Arts and Social Sciences National University of SingaporeSingapore CitySingapore
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21
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Cazabonne J, Bartrop L, Dierickx G, Gafforov Y, Hofmann TA, Martin TE, Piepenbring M, Rivas-Ferreiro M, Haelewaters D. Molecular-Based Diversity Studies and Field Surveys Are Not Mutually Exclusive: On the Importance of Integrated Methodologies in Mycological Research. Front Fungal Biol 2022; 3:860777. [PMID: 37746218 PMCID: PMC10512293 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.860777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding and describing the diversity of living organisms is a great challenge. Fungi have for a long time been, and unfortunately still are, underestimated when it comes to taxonomic research. The foundations were laid by the first mycologists through field observations. These important fundamental works have been and remain vital reference works. Nevertheless, a non-negligible part of the studied funga escaped their attention. Thanks to modern developments in molecular techniques, the study of fungal diversity has been revolutionized in terms of tools and knowledge. Despite a number of disadvantages inherent to these techniques, traditional field-based inventory work has been increasingly superseded and neglected. This perspective aims to demonstrate the central importance of field-based research in fungal diversity studies, and encourages researchers not to be blinded by the sole use of molecular methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Cazabonne
- Groupe de Recherche en Écologie de la MRC Abitibi (GREMA), Institut de Recherche sur les Forêts (IRF), Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Amos, QC, Canada
| | | | - Glen Dierickx
- Research Group Mycology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yusufjon Gafforov
- Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Institute (SBiK-F), Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tina A. Hofmann
- Centro de Investigaciones Micológicas (CIMi), Herbario UCH, Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí, David, Panama
| | - Thomas E. Martin
- Operation Wallacea Ltd, Wallace House, Old Bolingbroke, United Kingdom
| | - Meike Piepenbring
- Mycology Working Group, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mauro Rivas-Ferreiro
- Population Genetics and Cytogenetics Group, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Danny Haelewaters
- Research Group Mycology, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Centro de Investigaciones Micológicas (CIMi), Herbario UCH, Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí, David, Panama
- Operation Wallacea Ltd, Wallace House, Old Bolingbroke, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceské Budějovice, Czechia
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22
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Krieg CP, Chambers SM. The ecology and physiology of fern gametophytes: A methodological synthesis. Appl Plant Sci 2022; 10:e11464. [PMID: 35495196 PMCID: PMC9039797 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
All green plants alternate between the gametophyte and sporophyte life stages, but only seed-free vascular plants (ferns and lycophytes) have independent, free-living gametophytes. Fern and lycophyte gametophytes are significantly reduced in size and morphological complexity relative to their sporophytic counterparts and have often been overlooked in ecological and physiological studies. Understanding the ecological and physiological factors that directly impact this life stage is of critical importance because the ultimate existence of a sporophyte is dependent upon successful fertilization in the gametophyte generation. Furthermore, previous research has shown that the dual nature of the life cycle and the high dispersibility of spores can result in different geographic patterns between gametophytes and their respective sporophytes. This variation in distribution patterns likely exacerbates the separation of selective pressures acting on gametophyte and sporophyte generations, and can uniquely impact a species' ecology and physiology. Here, we provide a review of historical and contemporary methodologies used to examine ecological and physiological aspects of fern gametophytes, as well as those that allow for comparisons between the two generations. We conclude by suggesting methodological approaches to answer currently outstanding questions. We hope that the information covered herein will serve as a guide to current researchers and stimulate future discoveries in fern gametophyte ecology and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sally M. Chambers
- Department of BotanyMarie Selby Botanical GardensSarasotaFlorida34236USA
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23
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Sarma MS, Gildner TE, Howells ME, Lew-Levy S, Trumble BC, Fuentes A. There and back again: The biosocial dynamics of returning from the field. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34 Suppl 1:e23673. [PMID: 34469025 PMCID: PMC8881304 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leaving "home" to pursue fieldwork is a necessity but also a rite of passage for many biological anthropology/human biology scholars. Field-based scientists prepare for the potential changes to activity patterns, sleep schedules, social interactions, and more that come with going to the field. However, returning from extended fieldwork and the reverse-culture shock, discomforts, and mental shifts that are part of the return process can be jarring, sometimes traumatic experiences. A failure to acknowledge and address such experiences can compromise the health and wellbeing of those returning. AIMS We argue for an engaged awareness of the difficult nature of returning from the field and offer suggestions for individuals and programs to better train and prepare PhD students pursuing fieldwork. MATERIALS & METHODS Here, we offer personal stories of "coming back" and give professional insights on how to best ready students and scholars for returning from fieldwork. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION By bringing forward and normalizing the difficulty of the fieldwork-return process, we hope that this reflection acts as a tool for future scholars to prepare to come home as successfully and consciously as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallika S. Sarma
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America,Corresponding author’s information: Mallika S. Sarma, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 710 Ross Research Building, Human Spaceflight Lab, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, Phone: 248-930-2729,
| | - Theresa E. Gildner
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Michaela E. Howells
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sheina Lew-Levy
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada,Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Benjamin C. Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America,Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Agustín Fuentes
- Department of Anthropology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
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24
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Carboni A, Maiche A, Valle-Lisboa JC. Teaching the Science in Neuroscience to Protect From Neuromyths: From Courses to Fieldwork. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:718399. [PMID: 34650415 PMCID: PMC8506040 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.718399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, Cognitive Neuroscience has evolved from a rather arcane field trying to understand how the brain supports mental activities, to one that contributes to public policies. In this article, we focus on the contributions from Cognitive Neuroscience to Education. This line of research has produced a great deal of information that can potentially help in the transformation of Education, promoting interventions that help in several domains including literacy and math learning, social skills and science. The growth of the Neurosciences has also created a public demand for knowledge and a market for neuro-products to fulfill these demands, through books, booklets, courses, apps and websites. These products are not always based on scientific findings and coupled to the complexities of the scientific theories and evidence, have led to the propagation of misconceptions and the perpetuation of neuromyths. This is particularly harmful for educators because these misconceptions might make them abandon useful practices in favor of others not sustained by evidence. In order to bridge the gap between Education and Neuroscience, we have been conducting, since 2013, a set of activities that put educators and scientists to work together in research projects. The participation goes from discussing the research results of our projects to being part and deciding aspects of the field interventions. Another strategy consists of a course centered around the applications of Neuroscience to Education and their empirical and theoretical bases. These two strategies have to be compared to popularization efforts that just present Neuroscientific results. We show that the more the educators are involved in the discussion of the methodological bases of Neuroscientific knowledge, be it in the course or as part of a stay, the better they manage the underlying concepts. We argue that this is due to the understanding of scientific principles, which leads to a more profound comprehension of what the evidence can and cannot support, thus shielding teachers from the false allure of some commercial neuro-products. We discuss the three approaches and present our efforts to determine whether they lead to a strong understanding of the conceptual and empirical base of Neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Carboni
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología e Instituto de Fundamentos y Métodos, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Centro Interdisciplinario de Cognición Para la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Alejandro Maiche
- Centro de Investigación Básica en Psicología e Instituto de Fundamentos y Métodos, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Centro Interdisciplinario de Cognición Para la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Juan C Valle-Lisboa
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Cognición Para la Enseñanza y el Aprendizaje, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Sección Biofísica y Biología de Sistemas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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25
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Romero-Ayuso D, Ortiz-Rubio A, Moreno-Ramírez P, Martín-Martín L, Triviño-Juárez JM, Serrano-Guzmán M, Cano-Detell E, Novoa-Casasola E, Gea M, Ariza-Vega P. A New Tool for Assessment of Professional Skills of Occupational Therapy Students. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9101243. [PMID: 34682923 PMCID: PMC8535573 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9101243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The assessment of the acquisition of professional skills is an essential process in occupational therapy students. Until now, there has been no standardized and validated instrument for evaluating these skills in Spanish occupational therapy students. This study reports the development and testing of the psychometric properties of the professional skills in students of occupational therapy during their practical training. Methods: A new instrument was developed to assess the professional skills of occupational therapy students, called CPTO. A total of 69 occupational therapists participated in evaluating 295 occupational therapy students from the University of Granada, between the 2018 and 2021 academic years. Results: Of a total of 79 items, the factor analysis yielded a final solution of 33 items, which explains 70.22% of the variance with the following three dimensions: (1) self-appraisal and professional responsibility (α = 0.951); (2) communication skills and delivering intervention (α = 0.944); and (3) clinical reasoning for assessing and planning the intervention (α = 0.947). The instrument allows students with low, medium, high and excellent clinical skills to be differentiated according to the cutting points established by the quartiles. Conclusion: the instrument has good psychometric properties, and is a useful tool to assess professional competencies in occupational therapy students during their practice placement education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dulce Romero-Ayuso
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.O.-R.); (P.M.-R.); (L.M.-M.); (M.S.-G.); (E.C.-D.); (E.N.-C.)
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: (D.R.-A.); (P.A.-V.)
| | - Araceli Ortiz-Rubio
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.O.-R.); (P.M.-R.); (L.M.-M.); (M.S.-G.); (E.C.-D.); (E.N.-C.)
| | - Paz Moreno-Ramírez
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.O.-R.); (P.M.-R.); (L.M.-M.); (M.S.-G.); (E.C.-D.); (E.N.-C.)
| | - Lydia Martín-Martín
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.O.-R.); (P.M.-R.); (L.M.-M.); (M.S.-G.); (E.C.-D.); (E.N.-C.)
| | - José Matías Triviño-Juárez
- Primary Care Center Zaidín Center-East, Andalusian Health Service, 18006 Granada, Spain;
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - María Serrano-Guzmán
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.O.-R.); (P.M.-R.); (L.M.-M.); (M.S.-G.); (E.C.-D.); (E.N.-C.)
| | - Enrique Cano-Detell
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.O.-R.); (P.M.-R.); (L.M.-M.); (M.S.-G.); (E.C.-D.); (E.N.-C.)
| | - Erika Novoa-Casasola
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.O.-R.); (P.M.-R.); (L.M.-M.); (M.S.-G.); (E.C.-D.); (E.N.-C.)
| | - Miguel Gea
- Department of Computer Systems, Computer Sciences, University of Granada, 18014 Granada, Spain;
| | - Patrocinio Ariza-Vega
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (A.O.-R.); (P.M.-R.); (L.M.-M.); (M.S.-G.); (E.C.-D.); (E.N.-C.)
- Correspondence: (D.R.-A.); (P.A.-V.)
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26
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Peart A, Wells N, Yu ML, Brown T. 'It became quite a complex dynamic': The experiences of occupational therapy practice educators' move to digital platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aust Occup Ther J 2021; 69:38-49. [PMID: 34490904 PMCID: PMC8652557 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The rapid shift to digital platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic enabled occupational therapy practice education to continue while creating unique learning opportunities for students in an environment of high demand for practice education providers. How occupational therapy practice educators experienced fieldwork supervision during this rapid redesign of service delivery is not widely understood. This study aimed to explore the experiences of practice educators who supervised occupational therapy students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. METHODS Fifteen occupational therapy practice educators participated in focus groups and individual semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to understand the experiences of the participants and explore the barriers and facilitators to providing practice education in this context. FINDINGS The experiences of the occupational therapy practice educators were interpreted into three themes: (1) Opportunities lost and then created (as two subthemes); (2) The relationship between the student and practice educator (comprising subthemes of practicing self-care and connection and support); and (3) Signing-off of students' competencies. While digital platforms were initially viewed as limiting, they also were used to create new opportunities for student learning. Participants spoke of being mindful of their and students' wellbeing and finding ways to provide connection and support. Participants were challenged by the need to adapt how they evaluated students in the context of a pandemic. CONCLUSION The findings of this study highlight the complexities of occupational therapy practice education in the rapidly shifting context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. The outcomes highlight the importance of creating new ways of using digital platforms during practice education while focussing on the relationships with students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Peart
- Turning Point, Eastern Health Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nathanael Wells
- Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mong-Lin Yu
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Peninsula Campus, Frankston, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ted Brown
- Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Peninsula Campus, Frankston, Victoria, Australia
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DiCanio C, Benn J, Castillo García R. Disentangling the Effects of Position and Utterance-Level Declination on the Production of Complex Tones in Yoloxóchitl Mixtec. Lang Speech 2021; 64:515-557. [PMID: 32689854 DOI: 10.1177/0023830920939132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Phrase-final position is cross-linguistically the locus of both processes of phonetic reduction and processes of phonetic enhancement. In tone languages, phrasal position is a conditioning environment for processes of tone sandhi/allotony, though such patterns emerge from local processes of tonal enhancement or reduction. The current article examines the production of tone in Yoloxóchitl Mixtec, an endangered language of Mexico with nine lexical tones and fixed, stem-final stress, across phrasal and utterance positions via three experiments. In the first two experiments, the findings show that speakers lengthen syllables and expand the tonal F0 range in utterance-final position. The effect of this range expansion is high tone raising, low tone lowering, and falling contour lowering. Rising contour tones undergo substantial leveling when produced in a non-utterance-final context, similar to Taiwanese Mandarin. These findings suggest that postural changes in F0 range are controlled, intonational effects in tonal languages and not paralinguistic. In the third experiment, we examine utterance-level declination and raising within sentences consisting entirely of level tones. We show that utterance-level F0 changes are independent from local tonal hyperarticulation effects in phrase-final position. Together, the experiments largely support prosodically-conditioned phonetic undershoot as a control mechanism in tone production and demonstrate how tonal complexity may constrain universal tendencies in speech production.
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28
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Palmer A, Greenhough B. Out of the laboratory, into the field: perspectives on social, ethical and regulatory challenges in UK wildlife research. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200226. [PMID: 34176324 PMCID: PMC8237164 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Drawing on insights from qualitative social science research, this paper aims to prompt reflection on social, ethical and regulatory challenges faced by scientists undertaking invasive animal research in the field and propose ways of addressing these challenges to promote good care for animals and environments. In particular, we explore challenges relating to the management of (i) relationships with publics and stakeholders, who may be present at field sites or crucial to research success; (ii) ethical considerations not present in the laboratory, such as the impacts of research on populations and ecosystems; (iii) working under an array of regulations, which may operate in accordance with competing ethical principles or objectives; and (iv) relationships with regulators (especially vets), which may involve disagreements over ethics and expertise, especially because regulators may be more accustomed to overseeing research in the laboratory than the field. We argue that flexibility-at a personal and policy level-and respect for others' expertise emerged as two key ways of negotiating ethical challenges, fostering positive working relationships and promoting good care for individual animals and broader ecosystems. While our analysis focuses on the UK, we propose that many of these lessons are broadly applicable to international contexts. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Palmer
- School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Beth Greenhough
- School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford Centre for the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
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29
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Fuller S, Ruming K, Burridge A, Carter‐White R, Houston D, Kelly L, Lloyd K, McGregor A, McLean J, Miller F, O'Gorman E, Suchet‐Pearson S, Taylor H, Walkerden G, Williams M, Ziller A. Delivering the discipline: Teaching geography and planning during COVID‐19. Geographical Research 2021; 59:331-340. [PMCID: PMC8250619 DOI: 10.1111/1745-5871.12472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
COVID‐19 has radically changed the higher education sector in Australia and beyond. Restrictions on student movement (especially for international students) and on gatherings (which limited on‐campus sessions) saw universities transition to fully online teaching modes almost overnight. In this commentary, we reflect on this transition and consider the implications for teaching the disciplines of geography and planning. Reflecting on experiences at the Department of Geography and Planning at Macquarie University, we explore a series of challenges, responses and opportunities for teaching core disciplinary skills and knowledge across three COVID‐19 moments: transition, advocacy, and hybridity. Our focus is on the teaching of core disciplinary skills and knowledge and specifically on geographical theory, methods, and fieldwork and professional practice skills. In drawing on this case from Macquarie University, we offer insights for the future of teaching geography and planning in universities more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Fuller
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Kristian Ruming
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Andrew Burridge
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Richard Carter‐White
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Donna Houston
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Linda Kelly
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Kate Lloyd
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Andrew McGregor
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Jessica McLean
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Fiona Miller
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Emily O'Gorman
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Sandie Suchet‐Pearson
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Hollis Taylor
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Greg Walkerden
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Miriam Williams
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Alison Ziller
- Department of Geography and PlanningMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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Abstract
This article examines the ethics of using ethnographic methods in contemporary conflict zones. Ethnographic research is an embodied research practice of immersion within a field site whereby researchers use ethnographic sensibility to study how people make sense of their world. Feminist, conflict and peacebuilding scholars who research vulnerable populations and local dynamics especially value ethnographic approaches for their emphasis on contextual understanding, human agency, egalitarian research relationships and researcher empathy. While immersion leads to knowledge that can hardly be replaced by using more formal approaches, it also elicits ethical dilemmas. These arise not only from the specific research context but also from who the researcher is and how they may navigate violent and often misogynous settings. I argue that many dilemmas may and perhaps should not be overcome by researcher skill and perseverance. Instead, ethical challenges may lead researchers to adopt limited and/or uneven immersion in their field site, not as failed or flawed ethnography but as an ethical research strategy that incorporates ethnographic sensibility to a varying extent. Examining why researchers may opt for limited and uneven immersion is important because in conflict research, stereotypes of the intrepid (male) researcher with a neutral gaze still tend to mute open discussions of how gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, class and other background factors inevitably shape immersion. This article seeks to contribute to creating discursive space for these conversations, which are vital for researchers to analyse, reflect and write from the position of a 'vulnerable observer' and incorporate greater transparency in the discussion of research findings.
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31
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Kvande ME, Delmar C, Lauritzen J, Damsgaard JB. Ethical dilemmas embedded in performing fieldwork with nurses in the ICU. Nurs Ethics 2021; 28:1329-1336. [PMID: 33827342 PMCID: PMC8640261 DOI: 10.1177/0969733021996025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background: Background: In general, qualitative research design often involves merging together various data collection strategies, and researcher’s may need to be prepared to spend longer periods in the field to pursue data collection opportunities that were not foreseen. Furthermore, nurse researchers performing qualitative research among patients and their relatives often experience unforeseen ethical dilemmas. Aim: This paper aimed to explore aspects of ethical dilemmas related to qualitative nursing research among patients and their relatives in the intensive care unit (ICU). Research design: This paper is based on a qualitative researcher’s personal experience during a hermeneutic phenomenological study involving close observation and in-depth interviews with 11 intensive care nurses. Data were collected at two ICUs in two Norwegian university hospitals. Ethical considerations: The study was approved by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD). The Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (REK) granted dispensation to the project regarding health personnels confidentiality of the patients who were present during the observation (2012/622-4). Findings: Close observation with nurses in the ICU requires the researcher to balance being a qualitative researcher, an ICU nurse and a sensitive fellow human being open to the suffering of the other—that is, being embodied, engaged and affected by sensitive situations and simultaneously constantly stepping back and reflecting on the meaning of those situations. Conclusions: The qualitative researcher’s ethical awareness also entails knowing and acknowledging his or her own vulnerability, which becomes apparent in the researcher-participant relationship and settings in which being a fellow human always overrules the researcher’s role in ethical dilemmas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jette Lauritzen
- 317905VIA University College, Denmark; Aarhus University, Denmark
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32
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Pettersen Gould K. Organizational Risk: "Muddling Through" 40 Years of Research. Risk Anal 2021; 41:456-465. [PMID: 32088928 DOI: 10.1111/risa.13460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The recognition that organizations are a part of adverse outcomes has become commonplace in risk research. Social organization is a key theme in relation to risk minimization through institutional control and monitoring, and in how organizations are connected to society's perceptions of risk (beyond outcomes). The article reviews progress made in research on organizational risk over the last four decades and the contributions made to the field by fieldwork and descriptive approaches, understanding risk as partly determined by organizational context. A key issue for risk analysis is to figure out what these insights mean for risk professionals, such as while developing assessment methodologies and management approaches. Analysis of the literature shows that what to model if organizational factors are to be included in risk assessments remains as big a question as how to model. Integrating fieldwork and descriptive approaches for analyzing organizational risk, accidents, and safety is argued to be a main task for the risk analysis community.
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33
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Bacon KL, Peacock J. Sudden challenges in teaching ecology and aligned disciplines during a global pandemic: Reflections on the rapid move online and perspectives on moving forward. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:3551-3558. [PMID: 33821181 PMCID: PMC8014280 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The challenges facing higher education in response to COVID-19 are significant and possibly none more so than in ecology and aligned disciplines. Not only did most ecology lecturers have to rush lectures and tutorials online, but also laboratory and field classes. We reflect on our experience of this move and also consider those of 30 other ecology-aligned teaching academics to summarize the challenges faced in the move online early in 2020 and the developing plans for adapting ecology teaching and learning going into the 2020/21 academic year. The move online had the most significant impact on field classes, with more of these canceled than lectures or laboratory classes. Most respondents to an online poll also highlighted that many respondents (~45%) felt that ecology was more impacted by COVID-19 that even other STEM disciplines. The availability of technological solutions is key to moving forward and will hopefully enhance the teaching and learning experience for many beyond the current crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Bacon
- Botany and Plant Sciences School of Natural Sciences National University of Ireland Galway Ireland
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34
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Su RC, Huang LH, Li J, Zhou B, Zhao JJ, Li H. The Sichuan Mental Health Survey: Methodology. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:645355. [PMID: 34603092 PMCID: PMC8484526 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.645355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sichuan Mental Health Survey (SMHS) is a provincially representative survey with a coherent methodology to obtain the prevalence of multiple mental disorders and data of services used and to analyze the psychological and social risk factors or correlates in Sichuan, China. Mental disorders include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders, drug use and alcohol use disorders, impulse control disorder, and eating disorders. A cross-sectional design is employed to sample adults from 200 communities/villages in all 21 prefectural-level municipalities of Sichuan Province in a five-stage provincially representative disproportionate stratified sampling design. The participants need to be interviewed face to face by trained interviewers from local primary healthcare institutions and by psychiatrists. The quality control staff implement data quality control by checking records and statistics in the interview system, and then re-interviewing checks are done by the psychiatrists. Data is weighted to adjust the sample distribution to match the whole population. The outcomes of the SMHS would not only demonstrate the serious challenges posed by the high burdens of mental disorders but also offer baseline data for policymakers and healthcare professionals to study and resolve the factors that influence mental health in Sichuan, China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Cheng Su
- Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Li-Hong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Jia Li
- Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Jia-Jun Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, China.,Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, China
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35
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Cullen B. Intuiting a Monsoonal Ethnography in Three Bay of Bengal Cities. GeoHumanities 2020; 7:148-163. [PMID: 34423121 PMCID: PMC8372293 DOI: 10.1080/2373566x.2020.1798800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This visual essay offers an exploration of monsoonal materiality and agency in the urban environments of three cities situated around the Bay of Bengal: Chennai, Dhaka and Yangon. The text and images emerge from Monsoon Assemblages, a research project exploring intersections between changing monsoon climates and rapid urbanization in South Asia. Multi-modal, more-than-human ethnography has been employed during the course of research to explore how the lively materiality of the monsoon is entangled within urban lived environments. The essay outlines the process of intuiting a monsoonal ethnography and conveys the power of immersive field experience. By collecting and curating an assemblage of visual material and fieldnotes, this piece seeks to evoke the materiality and agency of the monsoon, itself a complex assemblage that manifests in different ways in different places. The juxtaposition of image and text conveys the generative and multifaceted agency of the monsoon and the urban environments it becomes enmeshed within.
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36
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Murphy KJ, Ciuti S, Kane A. An introduction to agent-based models as an accessible surrogate to field-based research and teaching. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:12482-12498. [PMID: 33250988 PMCID: PMC7679541 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
There are many barriers to fieldwork including cost, time, and physical ability. Unfortunately, these barriers disproportionately affect minority communities and create a disparity in access to fieldwork in the natural sciences. Travel restrictions, concerns about our carbon footprint, and the global lockdown have extended this barrier to fieldwork across the community and led to increased anxiety about gaps in productivity, especially among graduate students and early-career researchers. In this paper, we discuss agent-based modeling as an open-source, accessible, and inclusive resource to substitute for lost fieldwork during COVID-19 and for future scenarios of travel restrictions such as climate change and economic downturn. We describe the benefits of Agent-Based models as a teaching and training resource for students across education levels. We discuss how and why educators and research scientists can implement them with examples from the literature on how agent-based models can be applied broadly across life science research. We aim to amplify awareness and adoption of this technique to broaden the diversity and size of the agent-based modeling community in ecology and evolutionary research. Finally, we discuss the challenges facing agent-based modeling and discuss how quantitative ecology can work in tandem with traditional field ecology to improve both methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kilian J. Murphy
- School of Biology and Environmental Science and the Earth InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Simone Ciuti
- School of Biology and Environmental Science and the Earth InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Adam Kane
- School of Biology and Environmental Science and the Earth InstituteUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
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37
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Schmid A, DeGrazia M, Mott S, Schuler E, Schenkel SR, Niescierenko M, Hickey PA. Pediatric nurses' perceptions of preparedness for global health fieldwork. J SPEC PEDIATR NURS 2020; 25:e12304. [PMID: 32692485 DOI: 10.1111/jspn.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this qualitative descriptive research study was to understand the current state, perceived content, and experiential needs of pediatric nurses preparing for global health (GH) fieldwork experience. This study aimed to inform stakeholders about the standard and unique preparation needs of pediatric GH nurses. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS One group and five individual interviews were held with nurses from a large pediatric quaternary care facility in the Northeast United States. Data from the interviews were transcribed verbatim, eliminating personal data. Only deidentified transcripts were used for data analysis. Members of the study team used content analysis to systematically code and analyze the data. RESULTS Qualitative content analysis revealed five categories: (1) identifying clear objectives, (2) understanding the practice environment, (3) self-assessment of clinical skills, cultural competencies, and adaptability, (4) safety and logistics planning, and (5) psychological self-care and reentry anticipatory guidance. CONCLUSIONS Findings can provide a basis for program planning to prepare pediatric nurses for GH fieldwork. Program planning must account for the unique features of the site and situation. Organizational and personal preparation can influence the perceived success of the GH experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Schmid
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Global Health Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michele DeGrazia
- Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sandra Mott
- Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ethan Schuler
- Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara R Schenkel
- Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michelle Niescierenko
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Global Health Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patricia A Hickey
- Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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38
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Brittain S, Ibbett H, de Lange E, Dorward L, Hoyte S, Marino A, Milner-Gulland EJ, Newth J, Rakotonarivo S, Veríssimo D, Lewis J. Ethical considerations when conservation research involves people. Conserv Biol 2020; 34:925-933. [PMID: 31953971 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Social science is becoming increasingly important in conservation, with more studies involving methodologies that collect data from and about people. Conservation science is a normative and applied discipline designed to support and inform management and practice. Poor research practice risks harming participants and, researchers, and can leave negative legacies. Often, those at the forefront of field-based research are early-career researchers, many of whom enter their first research experience ill-prepared for the ethical conundrums they may face. We draw on our own experiences as early-career researchers to illuminate how ethical challenges arise during conservation research that involves human participants. Specifically, we considered ethical review procedures, conflicts of values, and power relations, and devised broad recommendations on how to navigate ethical challenges when they arise during research. In particular, we recommend researchers apply reflexivity (i.e., thinking that allows researchers to recognize the effect researchers have on the research) to help navigate ethical challenges and encourage greater engagement with ethical review processes and the development of ethical guidelines for conservation research that involves human participants. Such guidelines must be accompanied by the integration of rigorous ethical training into conservation education. We believe our experiences are not uncommon and can be avoided and hope to spark discussion to contribute to a more socially just conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Brittain
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Outer Cir, London, NW1 4RY, U.K
| | - Harriet Ibbett
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2DG, U.K
| | - Emiel de Lange
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL, U.K
| | - Leejiah Dorward
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2DG, U.K
| | - Simon Hoyte
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, Gower St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Agnese Marino
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Outer Cir, London, NW1 4RY, U.K
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, Gower St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - E J Milner-Gulland
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
| | - Julia Newth
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, U.K
- Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Slimbridge, Gloucester, GL2 7BT, U.K
| | - Sarobidy Rakotonarivo
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, U.K
| | - Diogo Veríssimo
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
- San Diego Zoo Global, 2920 Zoo Dr., San Diego, CA, 92101, U.S.A
| | - Jerome Lewis
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, Gower St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 6BT, U.K
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Fadel HT, Baghlaf K, Ben Gassem A, Bakeer H, Alsharif AT, Kassim S. Dental Students' Perceptions before and after Attending a Centre for Children with Special Needs: A Qualitative Study on Situated Learning. Dent J (Basel) 2020; 8:dj8030069. [PMID: 32635365 PMCID: PMC7557815 DOI: 10.3390/dj8030069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: To develop an in-depth understanding of the perceptions and experiences of senior dental students before and after fieldwork visits to a centre for children with special needs. Methods: A qualitative study utilised open-ended questions and involved 39 fifth-year dental students. A thematic analysis of the collected responses was undertaken, and a hierarchy of themes and subthemes were developed. Results: Analysis of the pre-visit responses revealed three main themes and a number of subthemes: 'negative expectations', 'positive expectations', and 'pain expectations'. Similarly, four main themes with a number of subthemes emerged from the post-visit responses: 'positive perceptions', 'negative perceptions', 'oral problems observed', and 'recommendations'. Conclusions: Within the study limits, different perspectives were extracted. Prior to the fieldwork visit, students expressed their lack of self-confidence and inadequate preparation. Following the situated learning visit experience, students' perceptions of managing special needs children was positively influenced. Students were happy to be exposed to such an experience, but hoped for better organisation and specialised supervision in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hani T. Fadel
- Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, Taibah University Dental College & Hospital, Prince, Naif Ibn Abdulaziz Road, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi Arabia; (H.T.F.); (H.B.); (A.T.A.); (S.K.)
| | - Khlood Baghlaf
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 80209, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +966-126400000 (ext. 24500)
| | - Afnan Ben Gassem
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Taibah University Dental College & Hospital, Prince, Naif Ibn Abdulazia, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Hala Bakeer
- Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, Taibah University Dental College & Hospital, Prince, Naif Ibn Abdulaziz Road, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi Arabia; (H.T.F.); (H.B.); (A.T.A.); (S.K.)
| | - Alla T. Alsharif
- Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, Taibah University Dental College & Hospital, Prince, Naif Ibn Abdulaziz Road, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi Arabia; (H.T.F.); (H.B.); (A.T.A.); (S.K.)
| | - Saba Kassim
- Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, Taibah University Dental College & Hospital, Prince, Naif Ibn Abdulaziz Road, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah 42353, Saudi Arabia; (H.T.F.); (H.B.); (A.T.A.); (S.K.)
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Bezanson M, McNamara A. The what and where of primate field research may be failing primate conservation. Evol Anthropol 2019; 28:166-178. [PMID: 31343795 PMCID: PMC6771776 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
With approximately 30% of nonhuman primate species listed as critically endangered, the window of opportunity to conserve primates is closing fast. In this article, we focus on the degree to which publications in field primatology are biased in favor of particular taxa and field sites. We examined more than 29,000 peer‐reviewed articles and identified 876 field visits to 349 field sites. We found a highly clumped distribution by site and species. We also examined publication ethical statements and the extent to which they acknowledged local human communities (<5%). Due to a lack of consistency across publications, we provide recommendations for improving ethical statements and for evaluating research impact. Given the plight of primate biodiversity, these results suggest broader coverage of primate species and geographies, as well as more attention to the local human communities whose support is necessary if the intent is to have primate species in the wild in the 22nd century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Bezanson
- Department of Anthropology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California
| | - Allison McNamara
- Department of Anthropology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California.,Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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41
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Tonn J. Laboratory of domesticity: Gender, race, and science at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research, 1903-30. Hist Sci 2019; 57:231-259. [PMID: 30309265 DOI: 10.1177/0073275318797789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
During the early twentieth century, the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) functioned as a multipurpose scientific site. Jointly founded by New York University, Harvard University, and the Bermuda Natural History Society, the BBSR created opportunities for a mostly US-based set of practitioners to study animal biology in the field. I argue that mixed gender field stations like the BBSR supported professional advancement in science, while also operating as important places for women and men to experiment with the social and cultural work of identity formation, courtship and marriage, and social critique. Between 1903 and 1930, the BBSR functioned as a laboratory of domesticity, a temporary scientific household in British Bermuda where women and men interacted with established colonial ideologies about science, sex difference, and racial hierarchy in their public and private accounts of doing biology and socializing in the field. Viewing field stations as generative of multiple forms of labor offers a corrective to narratives within the history of biology, in which scientific practices are considered to be the principal forms of output produced by practitioners in the field. Understanding how women and men at the BBSR engaged with (and at times critiqued) the politics of gender and race from the periphery of U.S. networks of biology suggests that we might view field stations as shaping not only academic science but also domestic life and fields as disparate as fiction and the law.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Tonn
- Visiting Assistant Professor in Science and Technology Studies, Department of History, Boston College, USA
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42
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Gold M. Ancient Egypt and the geological antiquity of man, 1847-1863. Hist Sci 2019; 57:194-230. [PMID: 30270663 DOI: 10.1177/0073275318795944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The 1850s through early 60s was a transformative period for nascent studies of the remote human past in Britain, across many disciplines. Naturalists and scholars with Egyptological knowledge fashioned themselves as authorities to contend with this divisive topic. In a characteristic case of long-distance fieldwork, British geologist Leonard Horner employed Turkish-born, English-educated, Cairo-based engineer Joseph Hekekyan to measure Nile silt deposits around pharaonic monuments in Egypt to address the chronological gap between the earliest historical and latest geological time. Their conclusion in 1858 that humans had existed in Egypt for exactly 13,371 years was the earliest attempt to apply geological stratigraphy to absolute human dates. The geochronology was particularly threatening to biblical orthodoxy, and the work raised private and public concerns about chronological expertise and methodology, scriptural and scientific authority, and the credibility of Egyptian informants. This essay traces these geo-archaeological investigations; including the movement of paper records, Hekekyan's role as a go-between, and the publication's reception in Britain. The diverse reactions to the Egyptian research reveal competing ways of knowing the prehistoric past and highlights mid-Victorian attempts to reshape the porous boundaries between scholarly studies of human antiquity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meira Gold
- Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge, UK
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43
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Corby D, Sweeney MR. Researchers' experiences and lessons learned from doing mixed-methods research with a population with intellectual disabilities: Insights from the SOPHIE study. J Intellect Disabil 2019; 23:250-265. [PMID: 29246083 DOI: 10.1177/1744629517747834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Researchers are challenged to provide opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) and their families to become participants in research. This article explores the processes and procedures involved in conducting a mixed-methods study. The preparation for the study is described and explained. Recruitment is examined by describing the process and analysing phone calls made to potential participants. Reflections of research team members help to develop the analysis and contribute to a discussion of the fieldwork. Lessons learned show that research projects involving people with IDs and their families need careful planning and have additional costs. The research team requires a mix of expertise. Traditional recruitment methods may not be suitable, and researchers need to build good relationships with gatekeepers so that participants can be contacted directly. Good quality research with people with IDs and their families is possible once suitable strategies are employed throughout the research process.
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Abstract
Despite sustained scholarly interest in post-conflict states, there has not been a thorough review and analysis of associated methodology and the challenges of conducting research in these contexts. Addressing this gap, this paper directs attention to the particular effects of these settings on access and data quality and their ramifications for the resulting scholarship. It assesses the intrinsic challenges of performing fieldwork in these environments, drawing on both relevant social science literature and the authors' experiences of carrying out research in Afghanistan and Timor-Leste. The study demonstrates that the post-conflict environment moulds research design and, consequently, influences how questions are answered as well as the questions asked. Moreover, it highlights ways to mitigate these issues. This work is of relevance to scholars planning to engage in field research and to researchers reflecting upon their work, as well as to policymakers who are considering undertaking programmes or commissioning research in post-conflict areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Roll
- Lecturer in Empirical Politics, Somerville College, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey Swenson
- Lecturer, Department of International Politics, City, University of London, United Kingdom
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45
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Leivada E, D’Alessandro R, Grohmann KK. Eliciting Big Data From Small, Young, or Non-standard Languages: 10 Experimental Challenges. Front Psychol 2019; 10:313. [PMID: 30837922 PMCID: PMC6382742 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this work is to identify and analyze a set of challenges that are likely to be encountered when one embarks on fieldwork in linguistic communities that feature small, young, and/or non-standard languages with a goal to elicit big sets of rich data. For each challenge, we (i) explain its nature and implications, (ii) offer one or more examples of how it is manifested in actual linguistic communities, and (iii) where possible, offer recommendations for addressing it effectively. Our list of challenges involves static characteristics (e.g., absence of orthographic conventions and how it affects data collection), dynamic processes (e.g., speed of language change in small languages and how it affects longitudinal collection of big amounts of data), and interactive relations between non-dynamic features that are nevertheless subject to potentially rapid change (e.g., absence of standardized assessment tools or estimates for psycholinguistic variables). The identified challenges represent the domains of data collection and handling, participant recruitment, and experimental design. Among other issues, we discuss population limits and degree of power, inter- and intraspeaker variation, absence of metalanguage and its implications for the process of eliciting acceptability judgments, and challenges that arise from absence of local funding, conflicting regulations in relation to privacy issues, and exporting large samples of data across countries. Finally, the ten experimental challenges presented are relevant to languages from a broad typological spectrum, encompassing both spoken and sign, extant and nearly extinct languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Leivada
- Department of Language and Culture, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Roberta D’Alessandro
- Utrecht Institute of Linguistics, UiL-OTS, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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46
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Mannay D, Creaghan J, Gallagher D, Marzella R, Mason S, Morgan M, Grant A. Negotiating Closed Doors and Constraining Deadlines: The Potential of Visual Ethnography to Effectually Explore Private and Public Spaces of Motherhood and Parenting. J Contemp Ethnogr 2018; 47:758-781. [PMID: 30542235 PMCID: PMC6238173 DOI: 10.1177/0891241617744858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Pregnancy and motherhood are increasingly subjected to surveillance by medical professionals, the media, and the general public, and discourses of ideal parenting are propagated alongside an admonishment of the perceived "failing" maternal subject. However, despite this scrutiny, the mundane activities of parenting are often impervious to ethnographic forms of inquiry. Challenges for ethnographic researchers include the restrictions of becoming immersed in the private space of the home where parenting occurs and an institutional structure that discourages exploratory and long-term fieldwork. This paper draws on four studies, involving thirty-four participants, that explored their journeys into the space of parenthood and their everyday experiences. The studies all employed forms of visual ethnography, including artifacts, photo elicitation, timelines, collage, and sandboxing. The paper argues that visual methodologies can enable access to unseen aspects of parenting and engender forms of temporal extension, which can help researchers to disrupt the restrictions of tightly time bounded projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn Mannay
- School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | | | - Dunla Gallagher
- Centre for Trials Research Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Ruby Marzella
- Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, Wales, UK
| | | | - Melanie Morgan
- Centre for Trials Research Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Aimee Grant
- Centre for Trials Research Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
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47
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Thomas FM, Vesk PA, Hauser CE. A field ecologist's adventures in the virtual world: using simulations to design data collection for complex models. Ecol Appl 2018; 28:2130-2141. [PMID: 30276923 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Field data collection can be expensive, time consuming, and difficult; insightful research requires statistical analyses supported by sufficient data. Pilot studies and power analysis provide guidance on sampling design but can be challenging to perform, as ecologists increasingly collect multiple types of data over different scales. Despite a growing simulation literature, it remains unclear how to appropriately design data collection for many complex projects. Approaches that seek to achieve realism in decision-making contexts, such as management strategy evaluation and virtual ecologist simulations, can help. For a relatively complex analysis, we develop and demonstrate a flexible simulation approach that informs what data are needed and how long those data will take to collect, under realistic fieldwork constraints. We simulated data collection and analysis under different constraint scenarios that varied in deterministic (field trip length, travel, and measurement times) and stochastic (species detection and occupancy rates and inclement weather) features. In our case study, we fit plant height data to a multispecies, three-parameter, nonlinear growth model. We tested how the simulated data sets, based on the varying constraint scenarios, affected the model fit (parameter bias, uncertainty, and capture rate). Species prevalence in the field exerted a stronger influence on the data sets and downstream model performance than deterministic aspects such as travel times. When species detection and occupancy were not considered, the field time needed to collect an adequate data set was underestimated by 40%. Simulations can assist in refining fieldwork design, estimating field costs, and incorporating uncertainties into project planning. We argue that combining data collection, analysis, and decision-making processes in a flexible virtual setting can help address many of the decisions that field ecologists face when designing field-based research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freya M Thomas
- School of BioSciences, ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Peter A Vesk
- School of BioSciences, ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Cindy E Hauser
- School of BioSciences, ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
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Alhaddad H, Alhajeri BH. SamplEase: a simple application for collection and organization of biological specimen data in the field. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10266-10271. [PMID: 30397464 PMCID: PMC6206197 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Careful collection and organization of biological specimens and their associated data are at the core of field research (e.g., ecology, genetics). Fieldwork data are often collected by handwriting or unsystematically via an electronic device (e.g., laptop), a process that is time-intensive, disorganized, and may lead to transcription errors, as data are copied to a more permanent repository. SamplEase is an iOS and Android application that is designed to ease the process of collecting biological specimen data in the field (data associated with biological samples, such as location, age, and sex). In addition to biological specimen data, SamplEase allows for the assignment of photographs to each collected sample, which provides visual records of each specimen in its environment. SamplEase outputs biological specimen data in a tabular format, facilitating subsequent analyses and dissemination. Despite the simplicity of SamplEase, no similar data management application is readily available for researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Alhaddad
- Department of Biological SciencesKuwait UniversitySafatKuwait
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49
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Legendre F, Grandcolas P. The evolution of sociality in termites from cockroaches: A taxonomic and phylogenetic perspective. J Exp Zool B Mol Dev Evol 2018; 330:279-287. [PMID: 29989317 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Despite multiple studies and advances, sociality still puzzles evolutionary biologists in numerous ways, which might be partly addressed with the advent of sociogenomics. In insects, the majority of sociogenomic studies deal with Hymenoptera, one of the two groups that evolved eusociality with termites. But, to fully grasp the evolution of sociality, studies must obviously not restrict to eusocial lineages. Multiple kinds of social system transitions have been recorded and they all bring complementary insights. For instance, cockroaches, the closest relatives to termites, display a wide range of social interactions and evolved convergently subsocial behaviors (i.e., brood care). In this context, we emphasize the need for natural history, taxonomic, and phylogenetic studies. Natural history studies provide the foundations on which building hypotheses, whereas taxonomy provides the taxa to sample to test these hypotheses, and phylogenetics brings the historical framework necessary to test evolutionary scenarios of sociality evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Legendre
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Grandcolas
- Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Paris, France
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Smith T, Cross M, Waller S, Chambers H, Farthing A, Barraclough F, Pit SW, Sutton K, Muyambi K, King S, Anderson J. Ruralization of students' horizons: insights into Australian health professional students' rural and remote placements. J Multidiscip Healthc 2018; 11:85-97. [PMID: 29430183 PMCID: PMC5797464 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s150623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Health workforce shortages have driven the Australian and other Western governments to invest in engaging more health professional students in rural and remote placements. The aim of this qualitative study was to provide an understanding of the lived experiences of students undertaking placements in various nonmetropolitan locations across Australia. In addition to providing their suggestions to improve rural placements, the study provides insight into factors contributing to positive and negative experiences that influence students' future rural practice intentions. METHODS Responses to open-ended survey questions from 3,204 students from multiple health professions and universities were analyzed using two independent methods applied concurrently: manual thematic analysis and computerized content analysis using Leximancer software. RESULTS The core concept identified from the thematic analysis was "ruralization of students' horizons," a construct representing the importance of preparing health professional students for practice in nonmetropolitan locations. Ruralization embodies three interrelated themes, "preparation and support," "rural or remote health experience," and "rural lifestyle and socialization," each of which includes multiple subthemes. From the content analysis, factors that promoted students' rural practice intentions were having a "positive" practice experience, interactions with "supportive staff," and interactions with the "community" in general. It was apparent that "difficulties," eg, with "accommodation," "Internet" access, "transport," and "financial" support, negatively impacted students' placement experience and rural practice intentions. CONCLUSIONS The study findings have policy and practice implications for continuing to support students undertaking regional, rural, and remote placements and preparing them for future practice in nonmetropolitan locations. This study may, therefore, further inform ongoing strategies for improving rural placement experiences and enhancing rural health workforce recruitment, retention, and capacity building.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Smith
- Department of Rural Health, University of Newcastle, Taree, NSW
| | - Merylin Cross
- Centre for Rural Health, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS
| | - Susan Waller
- Department of Rural Health, Monash University, Moe, VIC
| | | | - Annie Farthing
- Centre for Remote Health, Flinders University, Alice Springs, NT
| | | | - Sabrina W Pit
- University Centre for Rural Health, University of Western Sydney, Lismore, NSW, NSW
| | - Keith Sutton
- Department of Rural Health, Monash University, Moe, VIC
| | - Kuda Muyambi
- Department of Rural Health, University of South Australia, Whyalla, SA
| | - Stephanie King
- Centre for Rural and Remote Health, James Cook University, Mt Isa, QLD, Australia
| | - Jessie Anderson
- Centre for Remote Health, Flinders University, Alice Springs, NT
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