Research approach. Initial preparation Prior to beginning the field research I undertook an initial investigation into transnational networks operating in the areas of study. Using databases compiled by the Mexican and Salvadoran embassies, and conducting numerous web searches, I was able to locate potential organizations in Washington DC and California. I also initiated informal conversations with prominent members of Salvadoran and Mexican communities who were an invaluable source of background information on cross-border movements, transnational organizations operating in the areas of study, and other relevant issues. These individuals were also able to provide contacts within transnational organizations. They included a priest at a Catholic Church in the Columbia Heights area of Washington DC, a social worker who assists Salvadoran youth and their families, and community activists with significant experience campaigning for immigrant rights and facilitating immigrant access to adequate healthcare and housing. I also consulted a number of migration scholars to gain an insight and better understanding of their approach to studying transnational organizations. Research design When initiating the research design, I decided to adopt a qualitative approach as the primary method of gathering relevant information and data, believing that this approach could provide a more detailed, in- depth examination of individual experiences (Xxxxx, 2000; Xxxxx and Xxxxx, 2005; Xxxxx, 1996; Xxxxxxxx, 1996). I felt that a qualitative research methodology would help to reveal important insights – the backgrounds of respondents, for instance, or their motivations, desires and reservations – that I suspected could have an important bearing on transnational mobilization. I decided that the most direct way of eliciting qualitative information was through interviews and so pursued respondent interviews as my main source of information. In order to gather consistent information and data across sampled individuals I opted for semi-structured interviews (Hill et al., 2005). To guard against an overly rigid investigation, which I felt could potentially stifle rapport between interviewer and interviewee, I opted for open-ended questions that would allow respondents the freedom to elaborate on their answers and influence the direction that interviews assumed. This approach, I initially thought, would provide a more productive interaction and generate more valuable insights.
Research approach. This research primarily follows a case study approach to study the 1997 CHT Accord and its following conflict transformation process for a period of post- accord 20 years (1997-2017). This case study helps us to conduct a critical analysis of peace accord implementation and its impacts to peacebuilding and conflict transformation process. In social science, case study is considered as a flexible approach to understand issues and complexities around a ‘case’ or social phenomenon (Xxxxx, 1997). This approach is exploratory in nature, which seeks causal relations of diverse social phenomena (Yin, 2014). This causal relationship does not appear merely in descriptive nature, instead is more oriented to the phenomenon and real world context (Gray, 2009). As an empirical inquiry, it studies a “phenomenon (the ‘case’) in depth” and in detail, but explores many themes and subjects by focusing on limited range of people, organisations or contexts (Yin, 2014:16). Although the case study method epistemologically has an orientation towards ‘realist perspective’, it also accommodates ‘relativist perspective’ that recognizes multiple realities, dependent to observers (Yin, 2014:17). However, the case study method is suitable when research question starts mainly with ‘how’ and ‘why’ wherein the researcher has limited control (Gray, 2009). In this inductive approach, the research begins with a set of provisional research questions or hypothesis, connected to lead question. The strategy that the case study follows for data collection and data analysis allows reformulation of hypothesis and questions, when required (Xxxxxx, 2012:566). A case study research can use a variety of data collection methods and techniques including analysis of administrative documents, records and publications, in-depth interviews, structured survey, participant observation, and consultation of wider secondary data and evidences for detailed examination and analysis of the case (Xxxxx, 1997). This research applies a mixed methods approach to answer CHT case specific questions to track the accord implementation and its following conflict transformation process. The sources of information include a mixture of Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) of different stakeholders and consultation of different secondary resources. Both primary and secondary data are used for answering research questions and substantiating study findings. The KIIs has allowed us to collect primary data from different stakeholders’ s...
Research approach. The Media Equation states that people treat computers, and related media, as if they were people [3]. Based upon this work of Xxxx and colleagues, our approach is to first identify what people do, implement similar behaviors on a robot, and evaluate whether human norms hold for human-robot interaction. We do not expect that human normative behavior will unequivocally carry over to normative robot behavior, however, we will use it as a starting point. Based upon a literature review and a contextual analysis (systematic observa- tion of what really happens), we will design and implement normative behaviors for a robot. These behaviors will first be tested in lab studies, followed by exper- iments at the site of the industrial partner; the airport in order to get an idea of the experiences of the passengers. To get insight in the experiences of passengers at the airport, we can employ several methods for user studies. Examples include self-reported questionnaires, coding of video data and analysis of one’s galvanic skin response. For our experiments, we will primarily collect video data, as well as subjective questionnaires or -interviews. Objective video data makes it easy to capture certain behavioral responses from multiple people in a short time. However, legal and organizational issues (such as privacy and security) could hinder this method when used outside the lab. Interviews and questionnaires should be able to capture the required data in only a few questions, given that passengers will be likely be in a hurry. These languages should be unambiguous for passengers with different cultures; this raises the question if the language should be native, or universal (read: English). Different languages would require multiple iterations of translation and back translation to ensure the questions truly ask the same. In light of the issues described above we may have to rethink our data col- lection methods. This also holds for the data the robot collects for its own per- ception. Prior to evaluation in a real-world setting, behavior will be evaluated in a more controlled setting. This could be in a lab setting as for example in [1, 4], but also by other ways, for instance by using videos of a robot interacting with people [5].
Research approach. This study aims to obtain a description of the factors that affect the quality of supply chain management information systems in terms of environmental uncertainty, organizational structure and distribution network competence. In accordance with the objectives to be achieved, two types of research are used, namely descriptive and verification research. Descriptive researchaims to obtain a description of the characteristics of the variables. Meanwhile, verification research is a type of research that aims to determine the relationship between variables through a hypothesis testing. In connection with this type of research, the research method used is a survey method.
Research approach. We have selected eleven research sites in the four largest cities (Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague) from the official list of earlier discussed 40 districts approach. By way of quota sampling we have explicitly included some neighbourhoods which have caught most of the negative media attention and some who did not. We have focused on the largest cities because they play a prominent role in the political and media debates. The areas can be seen as extreme cases where a concentration of ASB problems is expected to be found. Interviews with social workers, policemen, troublemakers themselves and residents of eleven so-called problem neighbourhoods in four major Dutch cities were conducted and analysed, as explained in more detail below. We aimed at collecting rich data on the (local) public discourse. In line with Xxxxx (2006), a discourse is defined as an ensemble of ideas, concepts and categorisations through which meaning is allocated to a social pheno- menon. A discourse analysis can, therefore, be considered a research tool, providing insight to a confusing situation or development. Of course, it would be wrong to assume the existence of a single and omnipotent discourse (Uitermark & Xxxxxx, 2010). Our goal is not to describe just one debate, but to investigate the different views. A discourse analysis is the appropriate method to figure out the complex construction of ASB on the street. The results can reveal to which extent a certain policy includes people views. When conducting a discourse analysis subjectivity is a concern, since the method often requires one researcher to pass judgments on possible moti- vations and interpretations (Xxxxxx, 1996). In this paper we partly resolved this issue by working with 55 Master students of Criminology who assisted us with the research and with whom we discussed the findings. While analysing discourses, it matters not only what actors say but also how and where they say it. Actors in the public discourse in this article are field experts, social workers, residents, local businessman, government per- sonnel (local policemen, school teachers, street wardens) and offenders with hands-on local knowledge. These actors were approached in the selected neighbourhoods through: · Semi-structured interviews with individuals concerned with ASB in the selected areas. · Informal interviews with inhabitants, often held in the streets. Observations took place during different moments of the day, night and week in ne...
Research approach. Using a qualitative approach when writing this thesis means that all data used is non- numeric and has not been quantified (Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxx and Xxxxxxxxx, 2009). Qualitative methodology, unlike quantitative methodology, will try to clarify the characters or attributes of a specific phenomenon. When using quantitative method on the other hand, it is to affirm the presence or frequency of a phenomenon (Xxxxxxxxx, 2002). The qualitative method includes both deductive and inductive approaches (Xxxxxxxx et al., 2009). When combining the two approaches it is known as an abductive research approach (Xxxxx and Xxxxxxxxx, 2003). The deductive approach means that existing theory will be analyzed in order to fulfill the purpose of the thesis. Inductive research approach on the other hand is when the reality is explored in order to build a theory. This thesis will apply both approaches, however, the deductive will be used more predominantly than the inductive. The deductive approach will be used to analyze the two research questions of this thesis, since data concerning these questions already exist. This approach will be used in the way that we will gather information and theories from different authors that will be presented in the theoretical framework. As mentioned, the theoretical framework will also consist of the inductive approach, this through generating data and analyze this to generate theory (Xxxxxxxx et al., 2009). This is used when analyzing the purpose of this thesis.
Research approach. This study adopts two complementary research approaches: exploratory and descriptive research. The analysis started with an exploratory research, focusing on determining and understanding the issues related to the conversion of a conventional PSP into variable speed. It mainly consisted of collecting data and having discussions with PSP and variable speed experts. The result of this first phase of research created the right avenue to proceed to the second phase, the descriptive research. The descriptive research for this study was the most important part of the work. It aimed at describing the European PSP installed base and dividing it into different segments according to common characteristics such as plant arrangements, machine axis etc. The first task has been to list which plant characteristics needs to be collected. The scope of this research is limited to the EU-15 countries, Norway and Switzerland. The rationale behind this choice is that these countries include the bulk of the European PSP installed capacity (81.7 % of the PSP capacity in Europe). Our estimate is that these countries account for approximately 42.7 GW out of the 50.9 GW of PSP capacity in EU-272 countries, Norway and Switzerland. Figure 1: Overview of the installed PSP capacity in the EU-15 + Norway + Switzerland 2 EU-27 Member States include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Research approach. To answer the research question and achieve the research objectives, the study followed research methodology illustrated in this chapter using selected methods and tools. The research methodology incorporates the statistical analysis of the data collected quantitatively and qualitatively both through questionnaire, interview, technical observation and case-based documents analysis. This research study applied three data collection and fact-finding techniques
Research approach. This dissertation addresses three core impact dimensions of an intervention on local development, sometimes called ‘the three Ps’: impact on people (People), impact on environment (Planet), and impact on local economy (Profit). Some of these dimensions are best addressed through quantitative analysis, while others are more suited to qualitative analysis. This necessitates the adoption of a mixed research approach. A mixed research approach, which is widely referred to in the literature as the Q-Squared approach, uses both qualitative and quantitative techniques of data collection and analyses. The approach has become popular for poverty and evaluation studies in recent years and has been a major theme for several international conferences since 2002 (Xxxxxxx 2012). The two approaches can be used as a means of triangulation in order to confirm, converge or refute findings (White 2002; Booth 2003). These approaches can be presented simultaneously or sequentially to elaborate and discuss a given research topic (Ravallion 2003), and they can also be used sequentially, one leading the other (Xxxxxxxxx 2003). In this dissertation, I have integrated the two research approaches for three complementary purposes:
Research approach. In this study I will follow a post-positivist paradigm which, according to Xxxxx (2011), defines researchers as not being able to consider themselves as “totally objective and disinterested outsiders” (p. 5). Researchers have to admit being a part of the reality, which in turn means that their subjectivity might influence the research findings (Xxxxx, 2011). However, they have to do their best in order to minimize that influence. Thus, a quantitative research design within a post-positivist paradigm was chosen to answer the main research questions of this study.
