"Open-Source Lab: How to Build Your Own Hardware and Reduce Scientific Research Costs" details the development of the free and open-source hardware revolution. The combination of open-source 3D printing and microcontrollers running on free software enables scientists, engineers, and lab personnel in every discipline to develop powerful research tools at unprecedented low costs. After reading "Open-Source Lab," you will be able to: Lower equipment costs by making your own hardwareBuild open-source hardware for scientific researchActively participate in a community in which scientific results are more easily replicated and cited
Numerous examples of technologies and the open-source user and developer communities that support themInstructions on how to take advantage of digital design sharingExplanations of Arduinos and RepRaps for scientific useA detailed guide to open-source hardware licenses and basic principles of intellectual property

The term 'systems theory' is used to characterize a set of disparate yet related approaches to fields as varied as information theory, cybernetics, biology, sociology, history, literature, and philosophy. What unites each of these traditions of systems theory is a shared focus on general features of systems and their fundamental importance for diverse areas of life. Yet there are considerable differences among these traditions, and each tradition has developed its own methodologies, journals, and forms of anaylsis. This book explores this terrain and provides an overview of and guide to the traditions of systems theory in their considerable variety. The book draws attention to the traditions of systems theory in their historical development, especially as related to the humanities and social sciences, and shows how from these traditions various contemporary developments have ensued. It provides a guide for strains of thought that are key to understanding 20th century intellectual life in many areas.

Action research continues to see a growth in interest both internationally and across disciplines. This book demonstrates the diversity in settings and focus for action research and provides a guide to its core aspiration: to achieve principled change. Written by authors from a range of countries and range of disciplines (including education, health care, palliative care, social work and community development), this book answers these key questions: How can action research be used to achieve principled change? How has action research been applied in various disciplines and in different countries? What can be learnt about the conduct of action research from these diverse settings? By means of detailed case studies of successful projects and discussions that challenge and raise theoretical questions, this book explores some of the contemporary cutting edge applications and conceptualisations of action research. Action research paves the way for the empowerment of people involved in social action, and the examples of successful change processes that are the core of this book will prove inspirational and provide practical advice. Written by a range of leading international researchers in the field, this book will define the future for action research for years to come.

In this collection, international contributors come together to discuss how qualitative and quantitative methods can be used in psychotherapy research. The book considers the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, and recognises how each method can enhance our understanding of psychotherapy. Divided into two parts, the book begins with an examination of quantitative research and discusses how we can transfer observations into numbers and statistical findings. Chapters on quantitative methods cover the development of new findings and the improvement of existing findings, identifying and analysing change, and using meta-analysis. The second half of the book comprises chapters considering how qualitative and mixed methods can be used in psychotherapy research. Chapters on qualitative and mixed methods identify various ways to strengthen the trustworthiness of qualitative findings via rigorous data collection and analysis techniques. Adapted from a special issue of Psychotherapy Research, this volume will be key reading for researchers, academics, and professionals who want a greater understanding of how a particular area of research methods can be used in psychotherapy.

Traditional research methods textbooks tend to present an idealized and simplistic picture of the research process. This ground-breaking text however, features leading international sport researchers explaining how they actually carried out their real life research projects, highlighting the practical day-to-day problems, false starts and setbacks that are a normal part of the research process. This book focuses on ten pieces of research that have made a distinctive and valuable contribution to the study of sport. For each one the author of that research explains how the project was conducted and the issues that they faced. In addition, each piece of research has a commentary from a leading sport scholar outlining why it is regarded as being an important contribution to the discipline of sport studies and how that research can inform studies being carried out today. Contributors to the book describe how in their own real life research projects, they initially conceptualized and defined their research projects secured funding and/or sponsorship from relevant bodies handled enforced changes to the research plans confronted/overcame obstacles presented by outside bodies managed inter-personal/emotional relationships in the research encounter managed possible threats to their personal safety or physical integrity managed good luck, bad luck and serendipitous findings dealt with favourable and hostile media reaction to research findings. Doing Real World Research in Sport Studies enables students and researchers to develop a more realistic understanding of what the research process actually involves. It charts the development of key research projects in sport and should be essential reading for any sport research methods course.

Originally published in 1975. The main concern of this book is the nature of the gap between the theoretical issues, raised at an abstract level by social scientists, and their facts, the material organized in an empirical analysis. The author draws on material from several disciplines to explore the contributions of social science theory to historical insight.

Qualitative forms of inquiry are a dynamic and exciting area within contemporary research in sport, exercise and health. Students and researchers at all levels are now expected to understand qualitative approaches and be able to employ them in their work. In this comprehensive and in-depth introductory text, Andrew C. Sparkes and Brett Smith take the reader on a journey through the entire qualitative research process that begins with the conceptualization of ideas and the planning of a study, moves through the phases of data collection and analysis, and then explains how findings might be represented in various ways to different audiences. Ethical issues are also explored in detail, as well as the ways that the goodness of qualitative research might be judged by its consumers. The book is based on the view that researchers need to make principled, informed and strategic decisions about what, why, when, and how to use qualitative forms of inquiry. The nature of qualitative research is explained in terms of both its core assumptions and what practitioners actually do in the field when they collect data and subject it to analysis. Each chapter is vividly illustrated with cases and examples from published research, to demonstrate different qualitative approaches in action and their relative strengths and weaknesses. The book also extends the boundaries of qualitative research by exploring innovative contemporary methodologies and novel ways to report research findings. Qualitative Research Methods in Sport, Exercise and Health is essential reading for any student, researcher or professional who wishes to understand this form of inquiry and to engage in a research project within a sport, exercise or health context.

Intended to help readers succeed in academia by increasing their scholarly productivity, this book provides strategies for getting articles published quickly in reputable research journals. Rather than focusing on the basics of writing about results, this unique guidebook provides tips on how to approach research, maintain motivation, maximize productivity, and overcome common pitfalls so as to become productive scholars. The strategies reviewed will help readers successfully navigate through graduate school, get a good job, receive grants and promotions, and make important contributions to their field. Written in a breezy style, this book offers case studies, examples, and personal experiences that illustrate the themes of the chapters. Introductions and summaries and key points help to highlight the most critical concepts reviewed in each chapter. Chapter exercises encourage self-reflection and/or the application of the strategies introduced in that chapter. Self-assessment questions in Appendix A help readers pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses.A tracking chart, referred to throughout, provides an effective way to follow the progress of several manuscripts that are at different stages. An interactive version of the chart is available at www.pepstrategies.com along with the time diary and the chapter and self assessment exercises. Although a young scholar, Nathaniel Lambert has an impressive track record. He already has over 50 papers published in research journals. This book reviews winning strategies practiced by the author and additional insights based on conversations with top producing scholars. By diligently applying this book's core strategies, you too can publish and prosper! Part 1 describes issues related to prioritizing one's research such as the importance of selecting the right topic and how to use goals and deadlines to enhance motivation. Tips for enhancing efficiency are provided in Part 2 including how to improve writing efficiency, juggle several projects simultaneously, reduce wasting time, and select the best collaborators. Part 3 explores productivity pitfalls and how to avoid them. Tips on how to avoid burnout and distractions and handle rejection are explored. Part 4 provides unique tips to apply at various stages of one's academic career: undergraduate, graduate, and professional. Practical appendices provide an opportunity to determine one's strengths and weaknesses keep track of projects, and expand one's knowledge using the recommended reading list. Intended as a reference for students who are planning to attend graduate school and/or pursue an academic career, this book is ideal for professional development and/or research methods courses taught in the behavioral, social, health, and life sciences and for researchers and professionals looking to increase their publication productivity.

This book turns conventional global-historical analysis on its head, demonstrating, first, that local events cannot be derived - logically or historically - from large-scale, global-historical structures and processes and, second, that it is these structures and processes that, in fact, emerge from our analysis of local events. This is made evident via an analysis of three disparate events: the New York City Draft Riots, AIDS in Mozambique, and a 2007 flood in central Uruguay. In each case, Baronov chronicles how expressions of human agency at the level of those caught up in each event give form and substance to various abstract global-historical concepts - such as slavery in the Americas, global capitalist production, and colonial/postcolonial Africa. Underlying this repositioning of the local and the ephemeral is an immanent, phenomenological analysis that illustrates how mere transient events are the progenitors of otherwise abstract, global-historical concepts. Traversing the intersections of human agency and structural determinism, Baronov deftly retains the nuance and serendipity of everyday life, while deploying this nuance and serendipity to further embellish our understanding of those enduring global-historical structures and processes that shape large-scale, long-term, historical accounts of social and cultural change across the historical social sciences.

Applicable for both qualitative and quantitative researchers who work within a critical theory paradigm, Dialectical Research Methods in the Classical Marxist Tradition utilizes Marxist principles in aiding the design of inquiry whether at the undergraduate or graduate levels. Included in the text are issues related to social justice, what distinguishes Marxist research from other liberal-left paradigms, how mainstream research is used to support imperialism, re-evaluating ethics, and various forms of data collection. As a point of intellectual inspiration, the text will introduce both familiar and lesser-known names of those engaged in dialectical materialist inquiry past and present. Readers are first introduced to the features of Marxist research, followed by an overview of how research is currently used in academia and industry. Next, the text presents descriptions of dialectical research from both qualitative and quantitative traditions so that readers can access a sampling of existing inquiry. Finally, various forms of data collection and design considerations are laid out in an accessible manner, so that readers can begin to formulate their own research proposals.

This book reviews the latest techniques in exploratory data mining (EDM) for the analysis of data in the social and behavioral sciences to help researchers assess the predictive value of different combinations of variables in large data sets. Methodological findings and conceptual models that explain reliable EDM techniques for predicting and understanding various risk mechanisms are integrated throughout. Numerous examples illustrate the use of these techniques in practice. Contributors provide insight through hands-on experiences with their own use of EDM techniques in various settings. Readers are also introduced to the most popular EDM software programs. A related website at http://mephisto.unige.ch/pub/edm-book-supplement/offers color versions of the book's figures, a supplemental paper to chapter 3, and R commands for some chapters. The results of EDM analyses can be perilous - they are often taken as predictions with little regard for cross-validating the results. This carelessness can be catastrophic in terms of money lost or patients misdiagnosed. This book addresses these concerns and advocates for the development of checks and balances for EDM analyses. Both the promises and the perils of EDM are addressed. Editors McArdle and Ritschard taught the "Exploratory Data Mining" Advanced Training Institute of the American Psychological Association (APA). All contributors are top researchers from the US and Europe. Organized into two parts--methodology and applications, the techniques covered include decision, regression, and SEM tree models, growth mixture modeling, and time based categorical sequential analysis. Some of the applications of EDM (and the corresponding data) explored include: selection to college based on risky prior academic profiles the decline of cognitive abilities in older persons global perceptions of stress in adulthood predicting mortality from demographics and cognitive abilities risk factors during pregnancy and the impact on neonatal development Intended as a reference for researchers, methodologists, and advanced students in the social and behavioral sciences including psychology, sociology, business, econometrics, and medicine, interested in learning to apply the latest exploratory data mining techniques. Prerequisites include a basic class in statistics.

Respondents to survey questions involving sensitive information, such as sexual behavior, illegal drug usage, tax evasion, and income, may refuse to answer the questions or provide untruthful answers to protect their privacy. This creates a challenge in drawing valid inferences from potentially inaccurate data. Addressing this difficulty, non-randomized response approaches enable sample survey practitioners and applied statisticians to protect the privacy of respondents and properly analyze the gathered data.

Incomplete Categorical Data Design: Non-Randomized Response Techniques for Sensitive Questions in Surveys is the first book on non-randomized response designs and statistical analysis methods. The techniques covered integrate the strengths of existing approaches, including randomized response models, incomplete categorical data design, the EM algorithm, the bootstrap method, and the data augmentation algorithm.

A self-contained, systematic introduction, the book shows you how to draw valid statistical inferences from survey data with sensitive characteristics. It guides you in applying the non-randomized response approach in surveys and new non-randomized response designs. All R codes for the examples are available at www.saasweb.hku.hk/staff/gltian/.

Contemporary critical theory's methodology is currently taking shape under the impact both of transformative internal develops within the discipline, and of external pressures and incentives arising from a series of international debates. In this book, Piet Strydom presents a groundbreaking treatment of critical theory's methodology, using as a base the reconstruction of the left-Hegelian tradition, the relation between critical theory and pragmatism, and the associated metatheoretical implications. He assesses extant positions, presents a detailed yet comprehensive restatement and development of critical theory's methodology, compares it with a wide range of current concepts of social criticism and critique, and analyzes leading critical theorists' exemplary applications of it. Besides immanent transcendence and the sign-mediated epistemology common to the left-Hegelian tradition, special attention is given to the abductive imagination, reconstruction, normative and causal explanation, explanatory mechanisms and the communicative framework which enables critical theory to link up with its addressees and the public. Contemporary Critical Theory and Methodology is recommended reading for senior undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as professionals working within disciplines such as sociology, philosophy, political science, critical theory and cultural studies.

What methodology should philosophers follow? Should they rely on methods that can be conducted from the armchair? Or should they leave the armchair and turn to the methods of the natural sciences, such as experiments in the laboratory? Or is this opposition itself a false one? Arguments about philosophical methodology are raging in the wake of a number of often conflicting currents, such as the growth of experimental philosophy, the resurgence of interest in metaphysical questions, and the use of formal methods. This outstanding collection of specially-commissioned chapters by leading international philosophers discusses these questions and many more. It provides a comprehensive survey of philosophical methodology in the most important philosophical subjects: metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, phenomenology, philosophy of science, ethics, and aesthetics. A key feature of the collection is that philosophers discuss and evaluate contrasting approaches in each subject, offering a superb overview of the variety of methodological approaches - both naturalistic and non-naturalistic - in each of these areas. They examine important topics at the heart of methodological argument, including the role of intuitions and conceptual analysis, thought experiments, introspection, and the place that results from the natural sciences should have in philosophical theorizing. The collection begins with a fascinating exchange about philosophical naturalism between Timothy Williamson and Alexander Rosenberg, and also includes contributions from the following philosophers: Lynne Rudder Baker, Matt Bedke, Greg Currie, Michael Devitt, Matthew C. Haug, Jenann Ismael, Hilary Kornblith, Neil Levy, E.J. Lowe, Kirk Ludwig, Marie McGinn, David Papineau, Matthew Ratcliffe, Georges Rey, Jeffrey W. Roland, Barry C. Smith, Amie L. Thomasson, Valerie Tiberius, Jessica Wilson, and David W. Smith.

Doing Anthropological Research provides a practical toolkit for carrying out research. It works through the process chapter by chapter, from the planning and proposal stage to methodologies, secondary research, ethnographic fieldwork, ethical concerns, and writing strategies. Case study examples are provided throughout to illustrate the particular issues and dilemmas that may be encountered. This handy guide will be invaluable to upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students who are studying or intending to use anthropological methods in their research.

What methodology should philosophers follow? Should they rely on methods that can be conducted from the armchair? Or should they leave the armchair and turn to the methods of the natural sciences, such as experiments in the laboratory? Or is this opposition itself a false one? Arguments about philosophical methodology are raging in the wake of a number of often conflicting currents, such as the growth of experimental philosophy, the resurgence of interest in metaphysical questions, and the use of formal methods. This outstanding collection of specially-commissioned chapters by leading international philosophers discusses these questions and many more. It provides a comprehensive survey of philosophical methodology in the most important philosophical subjects: metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, phenomenology, philosophy of science, ethics, and aesthetics. A key feature of the collection is that philosophers discuss and evaluate contrasting approaches in each subject, offering a superb overview of the variety of methodological approaches - both naturalistic and non-naturalistic - in each of these areas. They examine important topics at the heart of methodological argument, including the role of intuitions and conceptual analysis, thought experiments, introspection, and the place that results from the natural sciences should have in philosophical theorizing. The collection begins with a fascinating exchange about philosophical naturalism between Timothy Williamson and Alexander Rosenberg, and also includes contributions from the following philosophers: Lynne Rudder Baker, Matt Bedke, Greg Currie, Michael Devitt, Matthew C. Haug, Jenann Ismael, Hilary Kornblith, Neil Levy, E.J. Lowe, Kirk Ludwig, Marie McGinn, David Papineau, Matthew Ratcliffe, Georges Rey, Jeffrey W. Roland, Barry C. Smith, Amie L. Thomasson, Valerie Tiberius, Jessica Wilson, and David W. Smith.

This edited volume features cutting-edge topics from the leading researchers in the areas of latent variable modeling. Content highlights include coverage of approaches dealing with missing values, semi-parametric estimation, robust analysis, hierarchical data, factor scores, multi-group analysis, and model testing. New methodological topics are illustrated with real applications. The material presented brings together two traditions: psychometrics and structural equation modeling. Latent Variable and Latent Structure Models' thought-provoking chapters from the leading researchers in the area will help to stimulate ideas for further research for many years to come. This volume will be of interest to researchers and practitioners from a wide variety of disciplines, including biology, business, economics, education, medicine, psychology, sociology, and other social and behavioral sciences. A working knowledge of basic multivariate statistics and measurement theory is assumed.

We are increasingly realizing that, as a result of technological developments and globalization, problems are becoming so complex that they can only be solved through cooperation between scientists from different disciplines. Healthcare, climate change, food security, globalization, and quality of life are just a few examples of issues that require scientists to work across disciplines. In many cases, extra-academic stakeholders must be involved in order to arrive at robust solutions. Young academics are being called on to step beyond the boundaries of traditional disciplines to contribute to addressing fundamental, often societal problems. As a result of these developments, an interdisciplinary approach is becoming increasingly necessary and popular in higher education. Students need to learn more about how to integrate and apply knowledge, methods, and skills from different fields. The crucial step of integration within interdisciplinary research is treated extensively in this textbook, which contains a comprehensive 'interdisciplinary integration toolbox'. In addition, students must learn to collaborate in teams. An Introduction to Interdisciplinary Research serves as a systematic manual to guide students through this interdisciplinary research process.

The cultural and narrative turn has had a considerable impact upon research in the social sciences as well as in the arts and humanities, with Ken Plummer's Documents of Life constituting a central text in the turn towards to narrative, biographical and qualitative methodologies, challenging and changing the nature of research in sociology and further afield. Bringing together the latest research on auto/biographical and narrative methods, Documents of Life Revisited offers a sympathetic yet critical engagement with Plummer's work, exploring a range of different kinds of life documents and delineating a critical humanist methodology for researching and writing about these. A rich examination of the methods and methodologies associated with contemporary research in the social sciences and humanities, this book will be of interest to those concerned with the use and importance of biographical and narrative sources and documents of life investigations. As such, it will appeal to sociologists, social anthropologists and geographers, as well as scholars of cultural studies and cultural history, literary studies and library, archive and cultural management, social policy and medical studies.

Work and the nature of occupations are matters of central concern to the sociologist. In this basic introduction to the sociology of professions, occupations and work, first published in 1975, David Dunkerley provides a theoretical basis for the study of a subject that previously had a strong empirical tradition. Drawing on comparative literature, the author analyses the structure of occupation, the processes of occupational life and how occupations are related to the predominant culture. The effects of occupations on the non-work lives of individuals are also examined, and extended examples are given of managerial and scientific occupations as case studies.

This title builds on the success of Doing Critical Management Research which has proven to be a seminal text in the 20 years since publication. In 2020, Alvesson and Deetz have broadened their focus and updated the original book to offer relevance to critical research across all of the social sciences. In reflecting contemporary theoretical and methodological turns over the past few decades, it includes coverage of key contemporary topics such as race, gender, postmodernism and intersectionality. With examples throughout, the authors provide an authoritative and insightful framework for navigating critical theories and methods and sets out a new agenda for critical research undertaken today.

Applicable for both qualitative and quantitative researchers who work within a critical theory paradigm, Dialectical Research Methods in the Classical Marxist Tradition utilizes Marxist principles in aiding the design of inquiry whether at the undergraduate or graduate levels. Included in the text are issues related to social justice, what distinguishes Marxist research from other liberal-left paradigms, how mainstream research is used to support imperialism, re-evaluating ethics, and various forms of data collection. As a point of intellectual inspiration, the text will introduce both familiar and lesser-known names of those engaged in dialectical materialist inquiry past and present. Readers are first introduced to the features of Marxist research, followed by an overview of how research is currently used in academia and industry. Next, the text presents descriptions of dialectical research from both qualitative and quantitative traditions so that readers can access a sampling of existing inquiry. Finally, various forms of data collection and design considerations are laid out in an accessible manner, so that readers can begin to formulate their own research proposals.

The past two decades have seen an increasing emphasis on large and interdisciplinary research configurations such as research networks, and centers of excellence including those in Social Sciences and Humanities research. Little research has been undertaken, however, to understand how these new large research structures that are being called forth by research funders and research/higher education institutions alike function socially, and what the impact of operating within such structures is on those working within, and those working with, them. Past writers have discussed the "intra-agentic" operations of human researchers and the material laboratory environment in its broadest sense. This volume is concerned with the social politics of research collaboration in relation to six key positions: leaders of large research formations, leaders of sub-projects within large collaborations, participant researchers, junior and early career researchers, advisory board members, and those who look in from the outside such as researchers who are un-funded. It explores the mostly unacknowledged but critical aspect of social structures in research, discussing issues such as struggles over leadership styles, the marginalization of researchers working cross-disciplinarily, power hierarchies and intellectual ownership, and the silencing of dissent in research.

The notion of capital has enjoyed a rich career in the social sciences, its use across a range of subjects and in diverse academic and professional contexts having served to establish its conceptual status as 'given'. With particular attention to human and social capital - including cultural capital - this book traces the roots of this theoretical and conceptual trend to economics, revealing the proliferation of various forms of capital to be based upon an encroachment of the conceptual apparatus of economics into other social sciences. Offering an in-depth, critical analysis of the concepts of human and social capital, as well as their surrounding theories, Anti-Capital: Human, Social and Cultural proposes an alternative theoretical framework, whilst better explaining the realities that they mask in economic terms. A rigorous exploration of the most popular forms of 'capital' in the contemporary social sciences, this book will be of interest to scholars and students of sociology, political and social theory, demography and economics.