This book is a collection of mortality abstracts based on recent follow-up studies on the results of health disorders from the abstracts and articles appearing recently in the Journal of Insurance Medicine. The widely different types of investigators who may have repeated need of outcome data (death or morbid event) in a particular disease or risk factor will find this collection invaluable. Such a collection is valuable not only to users in the insurance industry, but to all physicians and health scientists who are interested in prognosis of chronic diseases, in clinical trials, in cost/benefit questions, in clinical decision-making, and similar fields of inquiry.

Research, Action, and Change offers an introduction to action research in Catholic schools through the specific lens of community and spirituality and provides eight original action research studies conducted by leaders in Catholic schools. Studies include action research on literacy practices of high school students, differentiated instruction and the introduction of an ELL program in elementary schools, the introduction of an advisory program for at-risk high schools students, accessing federal IDEA funds, and more.

This book presents a challenging and multi-faceted research project that required state-of-the-art methodological approaches. The project involved analyzing data collected from 10,000 research articles published in ten leading journals in the area of educational technology over 20 years, from January 1994 to December 2014; advanced analytic approaches such as latent semantic analysis; and expert insights and interpretations of the subject matter. It captures the trends in a number of research streams within the discipline of educational technology and identifies the point in time when a massive change took place. This is a significant achievement given that, in epistemology and philosophy of science, there have always been discussions of paradigm shifts, but researchers have always identified them qualitatively. This is the first work to identify a paradigm shift using rigorous quantitative methods. The analysis procedure involved big data and sophisticated analysis, which supported the identification of clusters at several breakpoints from which the richest set was selected in order to provide the most detailed analysis. This comprehensive analysis also shows what has been published and by whom in those ten top-tier journals. This work makes a highly significant contribution to the field of learning technologies and provides the groundwork and a significant data source for other scholars, both new and experienced, to build on and expand in their work.

This book offers a guide to sociology that explores its theoretical and methodological dimensions. Providing the student with a sense of the reasoned character of the discipline, it traces how different theories and methods relate to one another, exploring the particular problems they spawn and the debates that have arisen in response. The guide is written to be easy to use: individual chapters stand alone as well as fit into the overarching narrative; boxes in the text explain key concepts and feature particular methods, theories or key figures; and annotated further reading lists are provided throughout.

Mathematical demography is the centerpiece of quantitative social science. The founding works of this field from Roman times to the late Twentieth Century are collected here, in a new edition of a classic work by David R. Smith and Nathan Keyfitz. Commentaries by Smith and Keyfitz have been brought up to date and extended by Kenneth Wachter and Herve Le Bras, giving a synoptic picture of the leading achievements in formal population studies. Like the original collection, this new edition constitutes an indispensable source for students and scientists alike, and illustrates the deep roots and continuing vitality of mathematical demography.

Though all research is steeped in methodological and ethical quandaries, it is further complicated when a researcher crosses cultural borders. Given the increasingly multi-cultural nature of research populations and of recent global collaborations, researchers often find themselves working with those unlike themselves. Seventy cross-cultural researchers from multiple disciplines, from mainstream academia and from marginalized groups in six nations and four continents address the overarching question: "How can one do cross-cultural research with integrity?" Author and researcher narratives comprise a substantial portion of the book; stories, many humorous, some heart-wrenching, some heart-warming, contextualize complex concepts and explore the richness that cross-cultural research and collaborations can bring to the researcher, to the knowledge base surrounding real world problems, and to those researched. These contextualized insights, covering all phases of the research process, allow the reader to inductively construct their own research beliefs and plans.

This book addresses the question of how to ground research practice in area-specific, yet globally entangled contexts such as 'Global Southeast Asia'. It offers a fruitful debate between various approaches to Southeast Asia Studies, while taking into consideration the area-specific contexts of research practice cross-cutting methodological issues.

Offering a variety of innovative methods and tools, The Oxford Handbook of Multi- and Mixed-Methods Research Inquiry provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date presentation on multi- and mixed-methods research available. Written in clear and concise language by leading scholars in the field, it enhances and disrupts traditional ways of asking and addressing complex research questions. Topics include an overview of theory, paradigms, and scientific inquiry; a guide to conducting a multi- and mixed-methods research study from start to finish; current uses of multi- and mixed-methods research across academic disciplines and research fields; the latest technologies and how they can be incorporated into study design; and a presentation of multiple perspectives on the key remaining debates. Each chapter in the volume is structured to include state-of-the-art research examples that cross a range of disciplines and interdisciplinary research settings. In addition, the Handbook offers multiple quantitative and qualitative theoretical and interdisciplinary visions and praxis. Researchers, faculty, graduate students, and policy makers will appreciate the exceptional, timely, and critical coverage in this Handbook, which deftly addresses the interdisciplinary and complex questions that a diverse set of research communities are facing today.

This book presents a perspective on the role of modeling that has relevance to both practice and theory. The authors provide an empirical assessment of the role of computer models in urban policy decisions, presenting a survey and four detailed case studies focusing on the use of a specific class of computer-based fiscal impact models in American logical governments. The findings are interpreted in light of this perspeectiv on the social and political dynamics of models in the policy process. From this perspective, called "consensus modeling," a model is viewed as a tool for facilitating negotiation, and, thereby, consensus in the policymaking process.

How can government stay linked to its citizens? Across the world, governments' basic principles are turned on their heads as global markets, weakened national states, and active citizens emerge. Governments increasingly act not alone, but many governments and private groups make policy jointly - labeled 'governance'. But this raises new concerns for adequate citizen responsiveness. Leaders and parties previously considered left or right make unexpected choices - as leaders explore Third Ways, New Political Cultures, and more. As policy choices grow more complicated, they are harder to present to citizens - which undermines citizen legitimacy of parties and elected officials.

How can government maintain democratic accountability? This volume explores new answers by probing citizen involvement in specific cities and countries the world over. There is no single problem, hence no single remedy. But by contrasting key elements of national and local contexts, this volume offers lessons about how citizens are variously activated; about what works, where, and why. From specific results emerge insights about how citizens may drive policy, or be ignored, in a time of turbulence and rapid cultural change for government policy making.

The conduct of most of social science occurs outside the laboratory. Such studies in field science explore phenomena that cannot for practical, technical, or ethical reasons be explored under controlled conditions. These phenomena cannot be fully isolated from their environment or investigated by manipulation or intervention. Yet measurement, including rigorous or clinical measurement, does provide analysts with a sound basis for discerning what occurs under field conditions, and why. Science Outside the Laboratory explores the state of measurement theory, its reliability, and the role expert judgment plays in field investigations from the perspective of the philosophy of science. Its discussion of the problems of passive observation, the calculus of observation, the two-model problem, and model-based consensus uses illustrations drawn primarily from economics. The treatment clarifies the extent to which measurement provides valid information about objects and events in field sciences, but also has implications for measurement in the laboratory.

This book provides new ways of thinking about educational processes, using quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Concrete examples of research techniques are provided for those conducting research with marginalized populations or about marginalized ideas. This volume asserts theoretical models related to research methods and the study of underrepresented groups. Ultimately, it aims at expanding knowledge itself - altering the center by allowing the margins to inform it - allowing it to be created and extended to include those ways of knowing that have historically been unexplored or ignored.

The first comprehensive statistical analysis of human rights attainments and improvements over time, this book seeks to answer the question, Why do some countries better observe human rights than others, and what can be done to advance the cause of human rights around the world? Haas's data support his argument that economic sanctions against countries that violate human rights are likely to be counterproductive. When information flows more freely and economies are more pluralistic, competing political parties emerge, and basic human rights are increasingly respected. When liberal democracies have sufficient prosperity to adopt welfare state policies, women's rights are most likely to advance.

This volume introduces a series of different data-driven computational methods for analyzing group processes through didactic and tutorial-based examples. Group processes are of central importance to many sectors of society, including government, the military, health care, and corporations. Computational methods are better suited to handle (potentially huge) group process data than traditional methodologies because of their more flexible assumptions and capability to handle real-time trace data. Indeed, the use of methods under the name of computational social science have exploded over the years. However, attention has been focused on original research rather than pedagogy, leaving those interested in obtaining computational skills lacking a much needed resource. Although the methods here can be applied to wider areas of social science, they are specifically tailored to group process research. A number of data-driven methods adapted to group process research are demonstrated in this current volume. These include text mining, relational event modeling, social simulation, machine learning, social sequence analysis, and response surface analysis. In order to take advantage of these new opportunities, this book provides clear examples (e.g., providing code) of group processes in various contexts, setting guidelines and best practices for future work to build upon. This volume will be of great benefit to those willing to learn computational methods. These include academics like graduate students and faculty, multidisciplinary professionals and researchers working on organization and management science, and consultants for various types of organizations and groups.

This volume systematically details both the basic principles and new developments in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), offering a solid understanding of the methodology, its uses, and its potential. New material in this edition includes coverage of recent developments that have greatly extended the power and scope of DEA and have lead to new directions for research and DEA uses. Each chapter accompanies its developments with simple numerical examples and discussions of actual applications. The first nine chapters cover the basic principles of DEA, while the final seven chapters provide a more advanced treatment.

Volume five of this expanding series of books draws together a collection of papers based on a particular form of critical ethnography developed by Phil Francis Carspecken and his colleagues at the University of Houston. Each chapter is based on a unique field project conducted in the Houston area which was planned and conducted by its particular author, but each chapter shares and exemplifies a common methodological theory. The Houston version of critical ethnography attempts to deal with some challenges from certain feminist and postmodern writers about the validity of qualitative research, and the authors argue that clear methods and standards exist for conducting qualitative studies such that well supported findings may be distinguished from highly questionable ones. Following an initial chapter by Carspecken which outlines the theory and methodology adopted, are seven case studies which cover such topics as multicultural literature, the supervision of teachers in training, school restructuring, charter schools, and race and standardized testing.

Researched and written by a collaborative team of Americans and Russians, "Marriages in Russia" explores the myths and realities of how the first years of market transformation have affected Russian family life. The research project, in which 2418 individual interviews of randomly sampled heterosexual couples are used, was initiated to determine if the relationships between gender attitudes and the relative social statuses of spouses--based on such factors as education, occupational prestige, and income--influence the marital quality spouses experience. Whether these variables are linked to domestic violence, as data show they are in the United States, is also examined. The results are surprising in that they often contradict general beliefs about Russian gender attitudes and gender attributes, and the analysis of these findings is ultimately a fascinating look at the post-Cold War realities of family life in Russia.

A comparative survey which discusses how national leaders in six Western democracies, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States, are nominated for the highest office in their country. The combinations of methods each country utilizes to nominate their leaders are described. The text emphasizes that most national leaders have served a long apprenticeship in various public offices--sometimes having made several attempts--before actually being nominated to the nation's highest public office. Increasingly, the text shows that opinion polls, television, and professional campaign management are playing a greater role in the leadership selection process in all six countries. This book will be of interest to upper-level college and graduate students and faculty in comparative government, political parties, and public affairs and academic as well as public libraries.

Hispanic Americans make up the largest ethnic group in the country, and this volume accurately reflects their concerns, interests, and issues. By providing easy access to over 300 statistical charts, graphs, and tables, the book allows novice and professional researchers to easily locate statistics on: demographics, immigration, naturalization, social characteristics, education, health, politics, labor force, and economic conditions. The Statistical Handbook on U.S. Hispanics also includes a glossary of terms and a list of sources to be consulted for more information or additional statistical data. An extensive subject index makes it simple to locate specific tables and charts.

This is volume 15 of a series which aims to provide details of advances in stratification research from various, international, points of view.

This collection explores the contested meanings and diverse practices of social research in the context of contemporary theoretical debates in cultural and social theory, addressing fundamental questions facing those working in the social and human sciences today.

The 'European project' is in a state of perpetual crisis in which the root cause is a lack of identification by ordinary citizens with Europe and European institutions. The Evolution of European Identities employs state of the art analysis of in-depth interviews by renowned practitioners to give a unique 'bottoms up' perspective on the development (or its lack) of a sense of 'European mental space'. Linking conceptual findings with case studies, the book provides unique insights into groups that have been especially sensitized by their life experiences to question what it means to be European in the twenty-first century. The groups explored in this book include: adults who experienced European education exchanges when young; transnational workers; civil society organization activists; persons involved in cross-border intimate relationships; farmers who are subject to European markets, regulations and subsidies; and migrants into 'fortress Europe'.

This guide to information-finding sources and techniques is attuned to the needs of researchers in all the social and behavioral sciences with a particular focus on public administration and related fields. This guide is unique in its analyses of how to design the research process in an evolving manner using approaches that reflect combinations of models, methods, and data sources. This guide is also comprehensive in its coverage of a broad spectrum of the important primary and secondary source materials in all their current forms. Students and researchers in the policy sciences, especially at the graduate level, will find this research and reference guide an essential one.

Simpson's broadly conceived guide covers sources and methods of approach to doing social science research. The book opens with an analysis of information-finding and public administration as a special and disparate series of fields for study. Subsequent chapters discuss research strategies and designs and offer annotative bibliographies evaluating the usefulness of primary and secondary sources, examining guides to the literature, the conventional library catalog, journal literature, indexing and abstracting services, computer searches, separately published bibliographies, public statistics, machine-readable data files, government documents, sources of methodology and research instruments, other sources of information, archives and other primary sources, and annual reviews. This topical and logically developed set of chapters makes the guide easy to use, and a general subject index makes this reference most accessible.

Formulating effective responses to the global challenges of mitigating climate change and securing a sustainable energy future requires a clear understanding of the interdependent causalities between institutions, local decision making, strategic alliances and eco-innovations, as well as policies. It has been acknowledged that the linear "Manhattan project" model is not an adequate governance model for mastering the dynamic complexity of socio-technical transitions; therefore this book aims at advancing research on systematic transition management models. It offers qualitative and quantitative analyses of socio-technical transitions in road transportation and housing, bringing together tailored theorizing on sustainability transitions and applied system dynamics modeling. It highlights the interconnected causal feedbacks that are required to overcome the lock-in situation in road transportation and housing fueled by fossil energies. Showing which concerted actions and framework conditions are required in the transition phases in order to initiate and sustain socio-technical transition, it serves as a guide to model-based strategy making, policy design and analyses in support of sustainable futures.