This book is devoted to Corrado Gini, father of the Italian statistical school. It celebrates the 50th anniversary of his death by bearing witness to the continuing extraordinary scientific relevance of his interdisciplinary interests. The book comprises a selection of the papers presented at the conference of the Italian Statistical Society, Statistics and Demography - the Legacy of Corrado Gini, held in Treviso in September 2015. The work covers many topics linked to Gini's scientific legacy, ranging from the theory of statistical inference to multivariate statistical analysis, demography and sociology. In this volume, readers will find many interesting contributions on entropy measures, permutation procedures for the heterogeneity test, robust estimation of skew-normal parameters, S-weighted estimator, measures of multidimensional performance using Gini's delta, small-sample confidence intervals for Gini's gamma index, Bayesian estimation of the Gini-Simpson index, spatial residential patterns of selected foreign groups, minority segregation processes, dynamic time warping to study cruise tourism, and financial stress spill over. This book will appeal to all statisticians, demographers, economists, and sociologists interested in the field.

This book about the philosophy of science is the second out of four volumes by Richard Ned Lebow in this book series. It not only provides a useful overview of this broad topic, but also provides deeper insight into specific topics like the philosophy of science causation, epistemology and methods, and especially on counter factual analysis.

Even today, many people think of 'social problems' as involving poor and powerless individuals in society. "Research in Social Problems and Public Policy" seeks to improve the balance by adding a focus on important and powerful institutions. Such organizations often play key roles in managing, and mismanaging, the ways in which some of today's most important social problems are handled by the public policy system. The papers discuss policy sciences, public policy analysis and public management, addressing operations and design issues for government organizations.

In these uncertain times, how much can you trust health news? Is the research behind breaking headlines reliable? This book is an indispensable resource for students and general readers, helping them evaluate and think critically about health information. "People Who Drink Coffee Live Longer." "Students Learn Better When Listening to Classical Music." "Scientists Discover the Gene That Causes Obesity." We are constantly bombarded with reports of "groundbreaking" health findings that use attention-grabbing headlines and seem to be backed by credible science. Yet many of these studies and the news articles that discuss them fall prey to a variety of problems that can produce misleading and inaccurate results. Some of these may be easy to notice-like a research study on the benefits of red meat funded by the beef industry, or a study with a sample size of only 10 people-but others are much harder to spot. Skewed Studies: Exploring the Limits and Flaws of Health and Psychology Research examines the most pervasive problems plaguing health research and reporting today, using clear, accessible language and employing real-world examples to illustrate key concepts. Beyond simply outlining issues, it provides readers with the knowledge and skills to evaluate research studies and news reports for themselves, improving their health literacy and critical thinking skills. Brings together and thoroughly explores the many ways in which health research and reporting can be flawed and problematic Improves readers' critical thinking skills and gives them practical tools to better evaluate the health information they come across Explains scientific and statistical concepts in clear, easy-to-understand language Includes a curated and annotated directory of resources for readers seeking additional information

With an annual output, Research in Rural Sociology and Development, publishes scholarly content at the cutting edge of rural sociology. Addressing issues such as rural development and growth, globalization, labour relations, agrarian dynamics, and social and personal implications of rural and agricultural change, this series provides in-depth and up to date research on the local and global systems affecting rural dynamics.

Community-based research (CBR) is the most commonly used method for serving community needs and effecting change through authentic, ethical, and meaningful social research. In this brief introduction to CBR, the real-world approach of noted experts Vera Caine and Judy Mill helps novice researchers understand the promise and perils of engaging in this research tradition. This book * outlines the basic steps and issues in the CBR process-from collaboratively designing and conducting the research with community members to building community capacity; * covers how to negotiate complicated questions of researcher control and ethics; * includes a chapter written by community partners, among the examples from numerous projects from around the world.

This series is aimed at presenting current methodological and theoretical research in the area of gender studies. It discusses topics such as gender labour markets and social policy, women and families in Costa Rica, and economic development, patriarchy, and intrahousehold dynamics.

This book is a contribution to contemporary debates on social research with a unique focus on the relationship between methods and the crafting of knowledge. Nine experienced researchers from different disciplines have come together to explore what really matters to them in the process of doing qualitative research.

Offers an in-depth report on advanced statistical tools for public health disease surveillance, which is the result of a prestigious World Health Organisation (WHO) and EU Biomed programme initiative. Traditionally, the role of public health disease surveillance has been to identify and evaluate morbidity and mortality but increasingly, more sophisticated methods are being applied as the authorities extend their studies to include control and prevention of disease. This book brings together leading experts to discuss complex methodologies for the statistical evaluation of disease mapping and risk assessment. It includes a broad variety of statistical techniques and where appropriate, examples are included on topical issues such as the analysis of putative health hazards. For easy reference the text is presented in five distinct sections, each with an introductory review:

* Disease Mapping

* Clustering of Disesase

* Ecological Analysis

* Risk Assessment for Putative Sources of Hazard

* Public Health Applications and Case Studies

Representative of the most pertinent issues within disease surveillance and mapping, this book will provide an accessible overview for statisticians and epidemiologists.

This volume seeks to address continuities and innovations within the ethnographic canon. It uses Hammersley's (1991) book "What's Wrong with Ethnography" to open and situate the debate, but then moves to engage with contemporary debates and arguments on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, ethnography has matured to become the dominant research paradigm in some sub-disciplines, but it has also been forced to adapt in response to the theoretical challenge of post-structuralism. The book examines in detail the way some more innovative and problematic ways ethnographers have reacted. Throughout, the book seeks to present a critical, realised evaluation of the strength and limitations of ethnography for the future, by celebrating recent innovations, unusual applications or instances of ethnographic practice. Like Hammersley's book in 1991, it faces and challenges fundamental questions regarding ethnography's very contribution to knowledge. The chapters in this volume are designed to appeal to the novice and the experienced ethnographer; for those embarking on ethnographic work for the first time as well as those looking to move into new methodological directions.

This volume examines research in corporate social performance and policy. Topics covered in this volume include: political strategies and industry environments; evaluating corporate claims of social responsibility and self-deception; and, interviews with the founders of the Sim Oral History Project.

How much do schools really matter? How sure are we on "what works" in education and why? Why is it that certain educational practices work better than others in improving educational effectiveness?

In this book recent research and theoretical interpretations are used in a critical analysis of the knowledge base on educational effectiveness. It offers new insights into the most promising levers for school improvement and shows future directions for educational research.

In the first part of the book concepts of school and educational analysis are defined, and various alternative perspectives discussed. The scope and range of application of the concept of school effectivenesss is demonstrated by referring to empirical studies on the stability of school effects over time, the consistency of effects over grades, classrooms and subject matter areas and the generalizability of research findings across contexts. Particular attention is given to international comparative findings.

The second part of the book is an assessment of the available knowledge base by means of a context analysis of instruments to measure hypothetical effectiveness enhancing conditions and a review of reviews and meta-analyses.

In the third part the modelling and theoretical interpretation of educational effectiveness is the central issue, laying bare basic explanatory mechanisms that are examined for their usefulness as levers for school improvement.

In the final chapter implications for future research in educational effectiveness are examined.

This book, now in paperback, revisits Peter Townsend's classic study of residential care for older people in Britain conducted in the late 1950s. It provides not only a fascinating account of residential care for older people over the last 50 years but is also an important contribution to the literature on research methods.

This book analyzes the main post-war features of consumption. It traces the historical development of consumption and discusses the major contributions made by sociologists in discussing the subject. Robert Bocock is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the Open University.

Since 9/11 and the U.S. anthrax attacks, public, and policy concerns about the security threats posed by biological weapons has increased significantly. As a result, there are now active international deliberations about what restrictions should be placed on the openness of scientific research. "Biotechnology, Security and the Search for Limits" examines these security implications for life science research as well as the methodological issues associated with conducting social research. In doing so the book considers the place of biological and social research in creating and responding to societal problems through drawing on diverse academic traditions such as discourse analysis, social problems studies, philosophy, action research, science and technology studies, politics, and public policy.

The main theme of this monograph is "comparative statistical inference. " While the topics covered have been carefully selected (they are, for example, restricted to pr- lems of statistical estimation), my aim is to provide ideas and examples which will assist a statistician, or a statistical practitioner, in comparing the performance one can expect from using either Bayesian or classical (aka, frequentist) solutions in - timation problems. Before investing the hours it will take to read this monograph, one might well want to know what sets it apart from other treatises on comparative inference. The two books that are closest to the present work are the well-known tomes by Barnett (1999) and Cox (2006). These books do indeed consider the c- ceptual and methodological differences between Bayesian and frequentist methods. What is largely absent from them, however, are answers to the question: "which - proach should one use in a given problem?" It is this latter issue that this monograph is intended to investigate. There are many books on Bayesian inference, including, for example, the widely used texts by Carlin and Louis (2008) and Gelman, Carlin, Stern and Rubin (2004). These books differ from the present work in that they begin with the premise that a Bayesian treatment is called for and then provide guidance on how a Bayesian an- ysis should be executed. Similarly, there are many books written from a classical perspective.

Making research in all fields of study readily available is imperative in order to circulate new information and upcoming trends. This is possible through the efficient utilization of collections of information. Maximizing Social Science Research Through Publicly Accessible Data Sets is an essential reference source for the latest academic perspectives on a wide range of methodologies and large data sets with the purpose of enhancing research in the areas of human society and social relationships. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as student achievement, teacher efficacy, and instructional leadership, this book is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, and practitioners seeking material on the availability and distribution methods of research content.

Mind genomics is the next level of apprehension of human behavior. It seeks to comprehend what drives consumers and people in general in their day-to-day decision making. It reaches out where surveys and focus groups are inadequate tools to help us better understand how people feel and how they will behave in a particular situation. While allowing for a more encapsulating method that works well with big data, mind genomics offers a more nuanced view of the complex societal and political reality. Applying Mind Genomics to Social Sciences presents an overview of mind genomics as applied to the food industry, commerce, business services, tourism, healthcare, and even legal service. Its focus, however, explores the new avenues of mind genomics in social and political sciences. The book offers a combination of rich data combined with a new methodological approach and fresh analytical insights, which helps us better grasp and understand the complex reality of society. Covering topics such as human thought, decision making, and cognitive science, this premier reference source is a dynamic resource for political scientists, sociologists, psychologists, business leaders, marketers, government officials, journalists, students and faculty of higher education, libraries, doctoral and postdoctoral candidates, researchers, and academicians.

This manual walks students through the procedures for analysis in SPSS and provides exercises that go hand-in-hand with online data sets. The manual complements the textbook Understanding Political Science Statistics: Observations and Expectations in Political Analysis, by Peter Galderisi, making it easy to use alongside the book in a course or as a stand-alone guide to using SPSS. Galderisi demonstrates how to use both syntax and GUI driven formats and shows sample results of the analyses. Filled with annotated screenshots from SPSS version 22 (but compatible with all versions, including the student version), the students will be guided through standard processes replete with examples and exercises to ready them for future work in political science research. The diverse group of data sets provided include subsamples of both the 2008 and 2012 American National Election Studies, a Eurobarometer survey, single year and longitudinal congressional district files, the 2012 Comparative Congressional Election Study data set, and a comparative, crossnational country file. Versions with reduced case numbers and variables are also included that are compatible with the student version. This manual (and a parallel Stata manual) are available as stand-alone products or packaged with the textbook Understanding Political Science Statistics.

This volume focuses on using visual research methods with children and young people. Featuring insights from academic experts and established professionals from visual industries, it explores a range of issues from visual ethics to children's interaction with place.

Birkhauser Boston, Inc., will publish a series of carefully selected mono graphs in the area of mathematical modeling to present serious applications of mathematics for both the undergraduate and the professional audience. Some of the monographs to be selected and published will appeal more to the professional mathematician and user of mathematics, serving to familiarize the user with new models and new methods. Some, like the present monograph, will stress the educational aspect and will appeal more to a student audience, either as a textbook or as additional reading. We feel that this first volume in the series may in itself serve as a model for our program. Samuel Goldberg attaches a high priority to teaching stu dents the art of modeling, that is, to use his words, the art of constructing useful mathematical models of real-world phenomena. We concur. It is our strong conviction as editors that the connection between the actual problems and their mathematical models must be factually plausible, if not actually real. As this first volume in the new series goes to press, we invite its readers to share with us both their criticisms and their constructive suggestions."

This eighth volume in the series on research in organizational change and development deals with such topics as practitioner attitudes to the field of organizational development and the effects of union status on employee involvement.

* John Connor describes and evaluates the results of his extensive survey of reports of cartel overcharges.
* Dennis Weisman models the price effects of mergers that not only increase concentration in the relevant market but also increase the merged firms' participation in other, complementary markets.
* Malcolm Coate and Mark Williams develop a superior method for calculating critical loss in markets that are relatively homogenous and competitive premerger.
* Zhiqi Chen surveys recent developments in economic theories of buyer power and creates a general framework for antitrust analysis.
* Thomas J. Miceli and Kathern Segerson, given the difficulty of collecting damages after a long latency period, examine the desirability of granting toxic exposure victims an independent cause of action for medical monitoring at the time of exposure. They shows that such a cause of action incarease incentives for injurer care but only at the cost of greater litigation cost. the reluctance of courts to adopt such a proposed cause of action reflects theri awareness of this trade-off.
*Each chapter examines in depth a topic in law and economics.
*Written by leading experts in the field.

This volume is concerned with quality of life, and focuses on subjective well-being (people's own evaluations of their lives in terms of happiness and satisfaction). The first section focuses on theories of subjective well-being, and on testing these theories. The second section of the volume concentrates on how work, unemployment, and income influence subjective well-being. The third section of the book concerns two important institutions that have an impact on people's well-being - the health care and political systems. Authors from diverse disciplines present their views and research concerning quality of life, and focus on subjective well-being (people's happiness and satisfaction). The chapters cover topics ranging from theories of happiness, and data bearing on these theories, to the organization of the political system. Income, work, health care, and leisure are considered as they influence well-being. The effects of temperament, people's values and goals, and life events are also treated. There is an international flavor to the volume, with authors from several nations and data gathered from diverse societies. The findings of the volume are relevant to academic researchers as well as to those working in applied areas who want to improve quality of life.