...There is an important debate in sociology about how research should be conducted and what the aim of the subject should be. Positivists are those sociologists who argue it is important to make the subject as scientific as possible. They aim to produce research which is objective and factual and can be easily repeated by others. They are opposed by interpretivists who say sociology should not attempt to use scientific methods but needs a more subjective approach with a greater concern for understanding the real life experiences of ordinary people. Sociology started in the 19th century at a time when science was being seen as the answer to all the questions posed by people. Because of this Comte and Durkheim believed that sociology should also be as scientific as possible so that it could have the same status as other subjects like physics and chemistry. For that reason Durkheim chose official statistics to study suicide because he saw them as objective facts which could allow him to develop law like statements about human behaviour. Later sociologists argued official statistics are not social facts they are social constructions. What this means is that people have been involved in producing them and so they may not have the validity that positivists often claim. A good example would be crime statistics. Some sociologists think these accurately measure the level of crime and can tell us which groups are more likely to commit crimes e.g. the working class. But others...
Words: 730 - Pages: 3
...PhD Thesis 1998 Social, environmental and ethical factors in engineering design theory: a post-positivist approach Terence Love Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering University of Western Australia Social, environmental and ethical factors in engineering design theory: a post-positivist approach Terence Love B.A. (Hons) Engineering This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The University of Western Australia. Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering 1998 Abstract This research investigated how social, environmental and ethical factors can be better included in theories of engineering design. The research focused on designing as an essentially human activity via consideration of the epistemological and ontological issues involved in constructing coherent design theory. The research investigations led to a clearer understanding of the roles of ontology, epistemology and methodology in design research and this clarification enabled the construction of a post-positivist approach to engineering design theory that better includes social, environmental and ethical factors alongside the existing products of scientific engineering design research. Other contributions to knowledge that emerged from the research process and which underpin the conclusions include; clarification of the terminology and basic...
Words: 105471 - Pages: 422
...PhD Thesis 1998 Social, environmental and ethical factors in engineering design theory: a post-positivist approach Terence Love Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering University of Western Australia Social, environmental and ethical factors in engineering design theory: a post-positivist approach Terence Love B.A. (Hons) Engineering This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of The University of Western Australia. Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering 1998 Abstract This research investigated how social, environmental and ethical factors can be better included in theories of engineering design. The research focused on designing as an essentially human activity via consideration of the epistemological and ontological issues involved in constructing coherent design theory. The research investigations led to a clearer understanding of the roles of ontology, epistemology and methodology in design research and this clarification enabled the construction of a post-positivist approach to engineering design theory that better includes social, environmental and ethical factors alongside the existing products of scientific engineering design research. Other contributions to knowledge that emerged from the research process and which underpin the conclusions include; clarification of the terminology and basic...
Words: 105471 - Pages: 422
...GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACY STUDENT GUIDELINE NOTES GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY MODULE Paste the notes here… Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government. Political economy originated in moral philosophy (e.g. Adam Smith was Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow), it developed in the 18th century as the study of the economies of states — polities, hence political economy. In late nineteenth century, the term "political economy" was generally replaced by the term economics, used by those seeking to place the study of economy upon mathematical and axiomatic bases, rather than the structural relationships of production and consumption (cf. marginalism, Alfred Marshall). History of the term Originally, political economy meant the study of the conditions under which production was organized in the nation-states. The phrase économie politique (translated in English as political economy) first appeared in France in 1615 with the well known book by Antoyne de Montchrétien: Traicté de l’oeconomie politique. French physiocrats, Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Karl Marx were some of the exponents of political economy. In 1805, Thomas Malthus became England's first professor of political economy, at the East India Company College, Haileybury, Hertfordshire. The world's first professorship in political economy was established...
Words: 39122 - Pages: 157
...unnecessary burden which is against the basic principle of profit making for the business organizations. Business organizations have been considered as bodies that meet the demand of the consumers by supplying their goods and services, and have the responsibility for generating wealth and employment opportunities. (Mette Morsing & Carmen Thyssen, 2003) In recent times after the increase in concern about the ecological imbalances and the impact of business on the environment, this above view is however changing and more and more entities are taking corporate social responsibility activities and few of them are also able to align their business goals in order to generate profits. The modern business also debates over the business responsibility towards the Shareholder’s and owners versus Stakeholders (employees, consumers, suppliers and shareholders) in the present day scenario. After taking the consideration of responsibility towards stakeholders, businesses are coming closer to the society and are altering the function of business organizations taking into considerations the business’ wider role. The wider role define above is coming into many areas such as for the social order and environment, beyond financial performance, and alignment of business responsibility in a moral and socially accountable way. Corporate social responsibility is the term coined for the performance of business organizations in which they align their activities in such a way so as to achieve the shift...
Words: 58584 - Pages: 235
...SAGE Publications Inc 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, California 91320 SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd 32, M-Block Market Greater Kailash – I New Delhi 110 048 British Library Cataloguing in Publication data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0 7619 6538 6 ISBN 0 7619 6539 4 (pbk) Library of Congress catalog record available Typeset by Keystroke, Jacaranda Lodge, Wolverhampton. Printed in Great Britain by The Cromwell Press Ltd, Trowbridge, Wiltshire CONTENTS Acknowledgements Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Research and the Research Problem Information, and How to Deal with It Types of Research Nature and Use of Argument More about the Nature of Research Research Quality and Planning Research Methods Preparing the Research Proposal and Starting to Write References Index vi 1 5 39 69 117 151 189 225 276 314 318 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My grateful thanks go to Dr Roland Newman and Professor Mike Jenks, who gave me inspiration to write...
Words: 136496 - Pages: 546
...Visualizing Research This page intentionally left blank Visualizing Research A Guide to the Research Process in Art and Design Carole Gray and Julian Malins © Carole Gray and Julian Malins 2004 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Carole Gray and Julian Malins have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the authors of this work. Published by Ashgate Publishing Limited Gower House Croft Road Aldershot Hants GU11 3HR England Ashgate website: http://www.ashgate.com British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Gray, Carole Visualizing research : a guide to the research process in art and design 1.Art – Research 2.Design – Research 3.Universities and colleges – Graduate work I.Title II.Malins, Julian 707.2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gray, Carole, 1957Visualizing research : a guide to the research process in art and design / by Carole Gray and Julian Malins. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-7546-3577-5 1. Design--Research--Methodology--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Art--Research--Methodology-Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Research--Methodology--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Malins, Julian. II. Title. NK1170.G68 2004 707’.2--dc22 ISBN 0 7546 3577 5 Typeset by Wileman Design Printed and bound...
Words: 81106 - Pages: 325
...10 Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology Deborah Biggerstaff Warwick Medical School University of Warwick, Coventry UK 1. Introduction In the scientific community, and particularly in psychology and health, there has been an active and ongoing debate on the relative merits of adopting either quantitative or qualitative methods, especially when researching into human behaviour (Bowling, 2009; Oakley, 2000; Smith, 1995a, 1995b; Smith, 1998). In part, this debate formed a component of the development in the 1970s of our thinking about science. Andrew Pickering has described this movement as the “sociology of scientific knowledge” (SSK), where our scientific understanding, developing scientific ‘products’ and ‘know-how’, became identified as forming components in a wider engagement with society’s environmental and social context (Pickering, 1992, pp. 1). Since that time, the debate has continued so that today there is an increasing acceptance of the use of qualitative methods in the social sciences (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000; Morse, 1994; Punch, 2011; Robson, 2011) and health sciences (Bowling, 2009; Greenhalgh & Hurwitz, 1998; Murphy & Dingwall, 1998). The utility of qualitative methods has also been recognised in psychology. As Nollaig Frost (2011) observes, authors such as Carla Willig and Wendy Stainton Rogers consider qualitative psychology is much more accepted today and that it has moved from “the margins to the mainstream in psychology in the UK.” (Willig & Stainton...
Words: 16075 - Pages: 65
...theory. Whilst their writing is accessible and engaging, their approach is scholarly and serious. It is so easy for students (and indeed others who should know better) to trivialize this very problematic and challenging subject. This is not the case with the present book. This is a book that deserves to achieve a wide readership. Professor Stephen Ackroyd, Lancaster University, UK This new textbook usefully situates organization theory within the scholarly debates on modernism and postmodernism, and provides an advanced introduction to the heterogeneous study of organizations, including chapters on phenomenology, critical theory and psychoanalysis. Like all good textbooks, the book is accessible, well researched and readers are encouraged to view chapters as a starting point for getting to grips with the field of organization theory. Dr Martin Brigham, Lancaster University, UK McAuley et al. provide a highly readable account of ideas, perspectives and practices of organization. By thoroughly explaining, analyzing and exploring organization theory the book increases the understanding of a field that in recent years has become ever more fragmented. Organization theory is central to managing, organizing and reflecting on both formal and informal structures, and in this respect you will find this book timely,...
Words: 230271 - Pages: 922
...Research Methods –STA630 VU Research Methods (STA630) Contents Lesson 1: INTRODUCTION, DEFINITION & VALUE OF RESEARCH ........................ 14 What is Research?................................................................................................................... 14 What is the value of Research? ............................................................................................... 14 Research helps in developing methodologies ......................................................................... 15 We are surrounded by research............................................................................................... 16 Lesson 2: SCIENTIFIC METHOD OF RESEARCH & ITS SPECIAL FEATURES ...... 17 Important Characteristics of Scientific Method ...................................................................... 17 1. Empirical......................................................................................................................... 17 2. Verifiable ........................................................................................................................ 18 3. Cumulative ..................................................................................................................... 18 4. Deterministic.................................................................................................................. 18 5. Ethical and Ideological Neutrality ............................................................
Words: 85920 - Pages: 344
...chapter one Sociology: Perspective, Theory, and Method What sets human beings apart from all other forms of life? Why is sociology an important tool for your future? How should you respond to people whose way of life differs from your own? ISBN: 0-536-12116-8 Societ y: The Basics, Eighth Ed itio n by Jo hn J. Ma cio nis. Published b y Prentice -Hall. Co pyright © 2006 by Pear son Edu cation, In c. ISBN: 0-536-12116-8 L The sociological perspective shows us patterns of behavior common within a society. Here, a member of Brazil’s Pataxo tribe offers a traditional greeting to a visitor. Societ y: The Basics, Eighth Ed itio n by Jo hn J. Ma cio nis. Published b y Prentice -Hall. Co pyright © 2006 by Pear son Edu cation, In c. I f you were to ask 100 people, “Why do couples marry?” it is a safe bet that at least ninety would reply, “People marry because they fall in love.” Indeed, it is hard for us to imagine a happy marriage without love; likewise, when people fall in love, we expect them to think about marriage. But is the decision about whom to marry really so simple and so personal? There is plenty of evidence that if love is the key to marriage, Cupid’s arrow is carefully aimed by the society around us. In short, society has a number of “rules” about whom we should marry. What are they? Right off the bat, society rules out half the population because U.S. laws (despite recent actions in cities such as San Francisco and likely...
Words: 22891 - Pages: 92
.... ReseaRching and WRiting a disseRtation a guidebook foR business students Colin Fisher second edition . Researching and Writing a Dissertation: A Guidebook for Business Students . We work with leading authors to develop the strongest educational materials in management, bringing cutting-edge thinking and best learning practice to a global market. Under a range of well-known imprints, including Financial Times Prentice Hall, we craft high-quality print and electronic publications which help readers to understand and apply their content, whether studying or at work. To find out more about the complete range of our publishing, please visit us on the World Wide Web at: www.pearsoned.co.uk . Researching and Writing a Dissertation: A Guidebook for Business Students Second edition Colin Fisher with John Buglear Diannah Lowry Alistair Mutch Carole Tansley . Pearson Education Limited Edinburgh Gate Harlow Essex CM20 2JE England and Associated Companies throughout the world Visit us on the World Wide Web at: www.pearsoned.co.uk First published 2004 Second edition 2007 © Pearson Education Limited 2004 © Pearson Education Limited 2007 The right of Colin Fisher to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical...
Words: 142971 - Pages: 572
...ISSN: 0730-5748 JOURNAL OF UFO STUDIES New Series, Vol. 6 1995/1996 CONTENTS ARTICLES Editorial ..................... ......................... ............................................................ Stuart Appelle Psychotherapy for the UFO Abduction Experience ..... ..... .......... ........ David A. Gotlib The Abduction Experience: A Critical Evaluation of Theory and Evidence ............... .. .............................. ........... ............ ...... ............... ........................ Stuart Appelle Anomalous Images on Videotape from Space Shuttle Flight STS-48: Examination of the Ice-Particle Explanation ................... ............. ......... Jack Kasher The University of Colorado UFO Project: The "Scientific Study of UFOs" ... .......................................................... ....... .......... Michael D. Swords A Reference Guide for the Condon Report ..... .. ... ............... ......................... Willy Smith Donald E. Keyhoe and the Pentagon: The Rise of Interest in the UFO Phenomenon and What the Government Really Knew .............. ................... ........ .......... .. .... ... ........... ....... ..... Michael D. Swords Fewer Sightings in the National Press: A Content Analysis of UFO News Coverage in The New York Times, 1947-1995 .......... ................ John C. Hickman, E. Dale McConkey II, and Matthew A. Barrett COMMENTS AND RESPONSES Robert R. Young, John S. Carpenter ...... ............... ... ......... .......
Words: 18458 - Pages: 74
...THE IMPACT OF COMPUTER-BASED ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS ON MALAYSIAN PUBLIC SECTOR AGENCIES BY WAN ZURIATI WAN ZAKARIA A thesis submitted to the School of Business and Law, Central Queensland University, Australia, for the fulfilment of the requirement of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) MAY 2014 ABSTRACT The positive and negative impacts of information technology (IT) have been continuously discussed and debated by researchers, practitioners and scholars for several years. In the public sector environment, IT can be a powerful tool for improving the delivery of government services with better collaboration among various governments. Therefore, the Malaysian Government, similar to many other governments, has planned and implemented a number of programmes to embrace the digital world by transforming itself to deliver information and services electronically. In public sector audit and accounting practices, the Malaysian Government has experienced local reform aimed at escalating transparency, streamlining accountability and improving overall financial management in line with international standards and practices. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of computer-based accounting systems (CBASs) on the effectiveness of performing accounting tasks by Malaysian public sector agencies (PSAs). This study focuses on the impact of performancebased outcomes at three levels: individual task, accounting-related task, and organisational level...
Words: 66979 - Pages: 268
...Theories of International Relations Third edition Scott Burchill, Andrew Linklater, Richard Devetak, Jack Donnelly, Matthew Paterson, Christian Reus-Smit and Jacqui True Theories of International Relations This page intentionally left blank Theories of International Relations Third edition Scott Burchill, Andrew Linklater, Richard Devetak, Jack Donnelly, Matthew Paterson, Christian Reus-Smit and Jacqui True Material from 1st edition © Deakin University 1995, 1996 Chapter 1 © Scott Burchill 2001, Scott Burchill and Andrew Linklater 2005 Chapter 2 © Jack Donnelly 2005 Chapter 3 © Scott Burchill, Chapters 4 and 5 © Andrew Linklater, Chapters 6 and 7 © Richard Devetak, Chapter 8 © Christian Reus-Smit, Chapter 9 © Jacqui True, Chapter 10 © Matthew Paterson 2001, 2005 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright...
Words: 132890 - Pages: 532
