Over the past five years the Davis Conference on Qualitative Research has welcomed research projects by the very best qualitative, organizational researchers in the world. This conference has helped authors develop and hone theoretical ideas in an environment friendly to qualitative methods, and more importantly, has begun to build a community of qualitative researchers that work on organizational and management issues. The authors winning the ""Best Presentation Awards"" at the Davis Conference over the past five years have contributed chapters to this volume. The ideas in these chapters were ""born"" before the conference, but were nurtured through dialogue at the conference, and subsequently matured through later interactions among the community of qualitative scholars associated with the conference. As such, this volume represents the fruits of our collective labor as a qualitative research community. This collective and iterative process is a hallmark of qualitative methods, and often leads to a counter-intuitive, ""ah-hah"" experience for the researcher. This volume showcases some of the very best of those ah-hah experiences from the organizational, qualitative research community.

This edited collection shows how demographic analysis plays a pivotal role in planning, policy and funding decisions in Australia. Drawing on the latest demographic data and methods, these case studies in applied demography demonstrate that population dynamics underpin the full spectrum of contemporary social, economic and political issues. The contributors harness a range of demographic statistics and develop innovative techniques demonstrating how population dynamics influence issues such as electoral representation, the distribution of government funding, metropolitan and local planning, the provision of aged housing, rural depopulation, coastal growth, ethnic diversity and the well-being of Australia's Indigenous community. Moving beyond simple statistics, the case studies show that demographic methods and models offer crucial insights into contemporary problems and provide essential perspectives to aid efficiency, equity in public policy and private sector planning. Together the volume represents essential reading for students across the social sciences as for policy makers in government and private industry.

The purposes of this book are rooted in the move from invisibility to visibility and silence to voice. This work uses auto ethnography as an enterprise to break down traditional barriers that support the invisibility of diverse epistemologies (Altheide & Johnson,2011). The reality of invisibility and silence has plagued scholars of colour in their attempt to make known the cultural significance found in the planning and execution of research. As a result, this book purposes to support the visibility and voice of scholars of colour who conduct auto ethnographic research from a racial, gendered, and critical theoretical framework. This work further supports the research community as it examines and re-examines culturally indigenous epistemologies as a viable vehicle for rigorous and authentic inquiry (Dillard, 2000). The significance of this book can be grafted from its attention to new ways of thinking about doing research. While much of the previous scholarship on auto ethnography highlights the importance of personal narrative and voice, this book includes the latter but also examines the concept of race and culture as undisputable factors in the doing of research. Burdell & Swadener (1999) contends that auto ethnography should interrogate the subjective nature and question master narratives and empirical assumptions. Spry (2011) emphasizes auto ethnography as a moral discourse that foster intimate experiences grounded in historical processes. Authoethnographic research then, has the potential to provide a lens by which researchers can delve into research with a greater sense of personal experiences and critical understanding of the inquiry context.

This analysis of community sociology examines African community issues and patterns of development. Topics covered include: community problems and collective action; community economic development; small communities in transition; ghetto formation and community dynamics; and, heritage and symbolism.

This book draws upon data collected over an 18 year period with over 1000 boys and young men across Northern Ireland. Providing critical reflections on violence, masculinity and education, it uses the voices and experiences of young men to inform and influence research, practice and policy.

As the population continues to age, gerontological research will become increasingly important and library holdings in gerontology and geriatrics will be in great demand. This valuable reference discusses the history of gerontology and geriatrics libraries in the United States and Canada and profiles their holdings. The study is based on a questionnaire distributed to public and private gerontology and geriatrics libraries. Data from the questionnaire are presented in brief but informative profiles. Each profile lists the type of library, its chief administrator, the date of its founding, the hours during which it is open, and its holdings, services, and facilities. The result is an illuminating overview of information centers available for the study of geriatrics and gerontology.

Joyce A. Post begins with an extensive discussion that traces the history of library collections in gerontology and geriatrics, including the impact and importance of federal assistance and the creation of geriatric education centers. The next section discusses the author's research methodology and offers an analytical summary of her findings. The directory that follows is arranged alphabetically by state and then by towns within each state. The appendixes present the questionnaire used to obtain the data and a listing of the library holdings of 18 major gerontology and geriatrics periodicals. The useful and varied indexes make this work an indispensable and easy to use reference for gerontologists, librarians, and all those interested in research on the elderly.

This work on networks in and around organizations is part of a series that considers the theoretical, methodological and research issues relevant to organizational sociology. Both micro and macro sociological approaches are emphasized.

In this single volume, a team of international experts sets out a range of analytic tools available to social scientists from social science methodology. The volume presents social scientists with some experience with a guide through the maze of advanced techniques applicable across the range of the social sciences. The first chapters outline ways in which the revolution in computing power is transforming the working environment for social scientists, extending their analytic reach, and opening up new research horizons. The empirical chapters each present a particular approach to data analysis, discussing the underlying logic and demonstrating its application by working through a substantive example - with mathematical reasoning kept to a minimum. The theoretical chapters provide an introduction to recently developing approaches to social science research. Each chapter includes references to other works in the field, and to appropriate software programs, for those who are keen to pursue a particular approach in greater detail.

Cultural pluralisation - reinforced by immigration - has had major consequences for the political agenda in recent years in liberal democratic states. New types of tension have arisen - new forms of social and cultural differentiation, and new patterns of inequality. The diversity also reshapes the frame of reference for traditional policy instruments employed by modern welfare states: new issues arise that are linked to rights, legitimacy and policy measures of a general and targeted nature. This volume in the "Comparative Social Research" series addresses a number of issues related to this new diversity. Common themes are multiculturalism, power and integration, and these themes are analysed through a comparative lens.

Ethnic minority groups in the United States suffer and die from disease at rates much higher than the general population. Such groups include African-Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Pacific Asian Americans. To understand the nature of the deplorable rates, the health history of the ethnic groups must be understood. This book describes the contents of libraries nationwide which house health and medically related materials on ethnic minority populations. The book covers information about catalogs, books, articles, biographies, and autobiographies, primary source materials, cassette tapes of speeches, video tapes and films, and medical artifacts.

The repositories covered are in various stages of cataloguing these materials but indicate an interest in having researchers use the collections. This book is the most comprehensive guide to ethnic medical health materials, their location, state of completion, and the contents of collections.

The chapters in this volume illustrate the ways in which U.S. sociologists of education continue to plumb the depths of fundamental questions about how schools are organized and consequences of school organization for students and teachers. These studies present new ideas and/or findings in an engaging way, and they attempt to enlarge the audience for sociological research on education. Perhaps even more importantly, however, they generate a host of questions that warrant sustained inquiry by our community. If these authors lead us to think in new ways or to ask new questions, their efforts will have been well-rewarded.

Published annually since 1985, the Handbook series provides a compendium of thorough and integrative literature reviews. These cover a diverse array of topics of interest to the higher education scholarly and policy communities.

Interest in researching experience continues to grow in sociology, cultural studies, feminist theory and psychology. However there is a crisis over the representation of experience--evident in epistemological debates, in everyday life and in global politics. Could researching experience contribute to creating socio-political change or does it simply open new avenues for post-Fordist self-regulation? "Analysing Everyday Experience" illustrates the emergence of plural historical actors who disrupt unitary subjectivities, resist univocal integration and refigure the political by remaking everyday experience.

Hardbound. This book brings together for the first time the most current research about the academic effects and policy implications of the school reform known as parental choice. The topic of choice in education is discussed in terms of why, when, where and how, if at all, it should be implemented. The contents are fourteen original papers written by scholars from Israel, UK, the United States and Canada and brings together the empirical studies of school choice examined in an international context.

Micro social theory covers a rich tradition in sociological thinking and research that focuses on the self and social interaction. It includes the work of the Chicago School, Mead, Garfinkel and Goffman amongst others. This book traces the development of the tradition and assesses its contemporary importance. Throughout, the emphasis is on making theory intelligible to an undergraduate audience and demonstrating how it can shed light on substantive issues and contexts.

Over the last four decades the sociological life course approach with its focus on the interplay of structure and agency over time life course perspective has become an important research perspective in the social sciences. Yet, while it has successfully been applied to almost all fields of social inquiry it is much less used in research studying migrant populations and their integration patterns. This is puzzling since understanding immigrants' integration requires just the kind of dynamic research approach this approach puts forward: any integration theory actually refers to life course processes. This volume shows fruitful cross-linkages between the two research traditions.

A range of studies are presented that all apply sociological life course concepts to research on migrants and migrant groups in Europe. The book is organized thematically, indicating different important domains in the life course. Using a wide variety of methodological approaches, it covers both quantitative studies based on population census data and survey material as well as qualitative studies based on interviews. Attention is paid to the life courses of those who migrated themselves as well as their offspring. The studies cover different European countries, relating to one national context or a particular local setting in a city as well as cross-country comparisons. Overall the book shows that applying the sociological life course approach to migration and integration research may advance our understanding of immigrant settlement patterns as well as further develop the life course perspective

This is the 13th volume in a series on research in finance. This volume covers such topics as liquidity and market microstructure, predictability and time-varying risk in world equity markets and the structure of price discounts on private equity placements.

In this collection, over 40 researchers across the social sciences offer a series of engaging accounts reflecting on dilemmas and issues that they experienced while researching and communicating research on personal life. Their insights are food for thought for students, researchers, professionals and anyone using, planning or conducting research on families and relationships, encouraging critical reflection on the readers' own processes. Researchers' accounts are organised under and commented on by insightful overviews. David Morgan leads with consideration of framing research. Kay Tisdall prefaces the next set by reflections on ethical considerations in research engagements. Angus Bancroft and Stuart Aitken each comment on researchers' accounts from 'in the field' focusing on the research relationship and the complexities of time and place. The final accounts are prefaced by Lynn Jamieson's discussion of dealing with dilemmas in interpreting and representing families and relationships and by Sarah Morton's and Sandra Nutley's reflections on getting research into policy and practice.

Demography can be considered the key to understanding much of biology. It is the demographic processes of birth and death which govern the spread of populations through environmentsand the spread of genes through populations. An understa- ing of demographycan yield not only an understanding of population size and p- ulation change, it can help us to understand the form and function of life histories; whenorganismsmature,whentheybreed,and whentheydie. Demographicinsights allow us to see how populations function, how they interact with their changing environment, and how they adapt. The analysis of demographic processes in free-living organisms is however no simple task and involves considerable challenges in observation and analysis. Some 20yearsago,therewasaconcertedefforttopromoteinter-disciplinarycollaboration between biologists and statisticians to address these challenges and thereby to f- ther our understanding of demographic processes in natural populations. Although many diverse organisms can be studied in the wild, birds have proved particularly amenable with large numbers being marked and followed by large networks of - servers. Itwas nocoincidencethenthatthe EuropeanUnionforBird Ringing(EUR- ING) played a leading role in these initiatives, teaming up in the mid-1980swith the Mathematical Ecology Group of the Biometric Society, and the British Ecological Society, to bring together experts from diverse ?elds to address the challenges in hand. Twenty years on, progresshas been considerable and we now have signi?cant insights into demographic processes thanks to the wide range of quantitative tools and systematically collected datasets which have been built up over this period.

In Beyond Alternative Teacher Education, John Watzke and his fellow contributors present a bold vision for teacher education that moves the dialogue into new realms of inquiry. Pairing teacher reflective narratives with scholarly chapters, the volume presents the case for programs of teacher formation based in the communal, social and spiritual dimensions of teaching and educational leadership. Beginning with historical tradition and program design, the book also speaks to the importance of the work of program graduates, their professional preparedness, and leadership development. Beyond Alternative Teacher Education will challenge readers to reexamine their notions of what it means to be prepared for work in education and to serve society through education. "Beyond Alternative Teacher Education presents the case for ACE as the continuing of a tradition of 'service and justice' as carried out by the educational ministry of religious orders. The three 'pillars' of ACE, i.e., professional development, community and spirituality, show that ACE is more than simply an alternative teacher preparation program, it is a model of faith in action and a model of teacher formation." Thomas C. Hunt Professor of Education, University of Dayton Co-editor, Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry & Practice "Community, spirituality and leadership-these are not themes sounded frequently in discussions of teacher education. Beyond Alternative Teacher Education, however, puts them at the center, thereby creating a collection that offers new perspectives on what 'alternative' teacher education might mean. This is a book for all teacher educators." Anne Ruggles Gere Professor of English and Professor ofEducation, University of Michigan Past President, National Council of Teachers of English "Beyond Alternative Teacher Education makes an important and unique contribution to the field of teacher education. It moves this dialogue past the short-sighted political fray and into enduring, real and compelling issues of teacher formation. The volume's chapters effectively pair scholarship and practical experience. The ACE programmatic model, one that merges professional, communal, and spiritual traditions in Catholic education, has grown nationally as a movement in programs of teacher and leadership education. This work represents a foundational and significant contribution to the field of Catholic education and the study of teacher formation." Terry A. Osborn Professor and Chair, Division of Curriculum and Teaching, Fordham University

Since its first appearance in 1979, Research in Finance has been publishing papers that cover important and interesting issues in finance and economics. The topics found in the series span a wide range; previous volumes have included papers on corporate financial management policy, asset pricing and investment management, corporate control and governance, bank regulations and management, and the analysis of financial derivatives and their applications in risk management and in venture capital investment. These papers, among others, have made significant contributions to the literature.
In this volume, Bajaj, Vijh and Westerfield present evidence showing that ownership structure affects a firm's agency costs of cash flow, which, in turn, influences the market's reaction to changes in the firm's dividend policy. McNabb and Martin examine the relationship between managerial entrenchment and the effectiveness of internal governance mechanisms and the firm performances. In their paper, Kang, Karim and Rutledge apply a relative excess value ratio approach to empirically examine the association between the CEO compensations and the firms' performances. And Almisher, Buell and Kish, using accounting beta as a proxy for ex ante systematic risk of a firm, find a strong positive relationship between the firm's systematic risk and the subsequent degree of underpricing of its IPO.
Also in this volume, Kwan and Wilcox show the disparity between accounting and actual cost reductions in bank mergers, and point out the importance of avoiding the accounting bias in reporting the cost reduction in bank mergers. Gunther and Siems empirically find that a desire to hedge balance sheet positions andhaving a strong capital position are the key motivations for banks' involvement in derivatives activities. Shyu and Reichert examine the key financial and regulatory factors that determine the derivatives activities of both U.S. and foreign banks. In their paper, Yin, Wu and Chen explore the joint effects of the changes in capital regulation and deposit insurance system on banks' returns and risks in Taiwan.
Based upon the one-factor equilibrium term structure model of Cox-Ingersoll-Ross, Chen and Chaudhury examine the market values and dynamic interest rate risks of existing swap positions. Chang and Ho derive formula of duration for different bonds under the Heath-Jarrow-Morton model of term structure and compare the relative performances of dynamic and static immunization strategies. In their paper, Boyle, Byoun and Park use intraday transactions data to show that the S&P 500 index option market leads the cash index, and that the lead-lag relation has resulted in a significant bias of the implied volatility that confirms their theoretical conjecture. Finally, Bubna uses a moral hazard model to address issues in the formation of syndicates in venture capital industry and to present some useful policy implications.
May the contributions within this volume be of significant interest and usefulness to its readers. And may Research in Finance continue to publish papers of the highest caliber, to the benefit of academics and practitioners alike.

Adults were once children, yet a generational gap can present itself when grown-ups seek to know children's lives, in research. In A Younger Voice discloses how qualitative research, tailored to be child-centered, can shrink the gap of generational unintelligibility. The volume invites and instructs researchers who want to explore children's vantage points as social actors. Its suggested tool kit draws from both academic and applied research, based on the author's lifelong career as a child-centered qualitative researcher. World round, research in knowing children has grown recently in anthropology, sociology, geography, economics, cultural psychology and a host of applied fields. This book draws widely from the trending child-centered research movement, taking stock of methods for fulfilling its aims. In A Younger Voice provides mature researchers with a kid-savvy guide to learning effectively about, from, and with children. The highlighted methods' are steadfastly child-attuned, "thinking smaller" in order to free children to participate with empowerment. From fieldwork and observation, to focus groups and depth interviews, to the use of photography, artwork, and metaphors, viable methods are discussed with an old-hand's acumen for making the procedures practical with children in the field. Whether an investigator is at the beginning of a project (designing from scratch procedures to involve and reveal the young) or at the final stages (conducting interpretations and analysis true to children's meanings) In A Younger Voice gives know-how for a challenging area of inquiry. Playfully interviewing children as young as five years old, as well as empowering teenagers to tell it like it is, are tasks revealed to be both doable and essential. For adults seeking to overcome generational-cultural myopia, these methods are invaluable.

This textbook is an approachable introduction to statistical analysis using matrix algebra. Prior knowledge of matrix algebra is not necessary. Advanced topics are easy to follow through analyses that were performed on an open-source spreadsheet using a few built-in functions. These topics include ordinary linear regression, as well as maximum likelihood estimation, matrix decompositions, nonparametric smoothers and penalized cubic splines. Each data set (1) contains a limited number of observations to encourage readers to do the calculations themselves, and (2) tells a coherent story based on statistical significance and confidence intervals. In this way, students will learn how the numbers were generated and how they can be used to make cogent arguments about everyday matters. This textbook is designed for use in upper level undergraduate courses or first year graduate courses. The first chapter introduces students to linear equations, then covers matrix algebra, focusing on three essential operations: sum of squares, the determinant, and the inverse. These operations are explained in everyday language, and their calculations are demonstrated using concrete examples. The remaining chapters build on these operations, progressing from simple linear regression to mediational models with bootstrapped standard errors.