The Critical Assessment Of Research

This book examines the following factors: sponsorship of research, control of the dissemination of research, effects of dominant research paradigms, financial interests of authors, publishers, and editors, role of new technologies (for example, Web 2.0). It is widely accepted among researchers and educators that the peer review process, the reputation of the publisher and examination of the author's credentials are the gold standards for assessing the quality of research and information. However, the traditional gold standards are not sufficient, and the effective evaluation of information requires the consideration of additional factors. Controversies about positive evaluations of new medications that appear in peer-reviewed journals, the financial reports on Enron prior to the revelations that led to its collapse, and obstacles to the publication of research that does not conform to dominant paradigms are just a few examples that indicate the need for a more sophisticated and nuanced approach to evaluating information. Each of the factors is discussed in a factual manner, supported by many examples that illustrate not only the nature of the issues but also their complexity. Practical suggestions for the evaluation of information are an integral part of the text. Highlights frequently overlooked criteria for evaluating research Challenges the assumption that the gold standards for evaluation are sufficient Examines the role of new technologies in evaluating and disseminating research

Contains articles by marketing field's researchers and academicians. This book includes literature reviews, methodologies, empirical studies, trends, international developments, guidelines for implementation, and suggestions for theory development and testing.

Understanding and Evaluating Research: A Critical Guide shows students how to be critical consumers of research and to appreciate the power of methodology as it shapes the research question, the use of theory in the study, the methods used, and how the outcomes are reported. The book starts with what it means to be a critical and uncritical reader of research, followed by a detailed chapter on methodology, and then proceeds to a discussion of each component of a research article as it is informed by the methodology. The book encourages readers to select an article from their discipline, learning along the way how to assess each component of the article and come to a judgment of its rigor or quality as a scholarly report.

"Offers academic librarians practical, and actionable, strategies for critical assessment of teaching and student learning"--Provided by publisher.

Healthcare decision makers in search of reliable information that compares health interventions increasingly turn to systematic reviews for the best summary of the evidence. Systematic reviews identify, select, assess, and synthesize the findings of similar but separate studies, and can help clarify what is known and not known about the potential benefits and harms of drugs, devices, and other healthcare services. Systematic reviews can be helpful for clinicians who want to integrate research findings into their daily practices, for patients to make well-informed choices about their own care, for professional medical societies and other organizations that develop clinical practice guidelines. Too often systematic reviews are of uncertain or poor quality. There are no universally accepted standards for developing systematic reviews leading to variability in how conflicts of interest and biases are handled, how evidence is appraised, and the overall scientific rigor of the process. In Finding What Works in Health Care the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends 21 standards for developing high-quality systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research. The standards address the entire systematic review process from the initial steps of formulating the topic and building the review team to producing a detailed final report that synthesizes what the evidence shows and where knowledge gaps remain. Finding What Works in Health Care also proposes a framework for improving the quality of the science underpinning systematic reviews. This book will serve as a vital resource for both sponsors and producers of systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research.

This book is a critical assessment of the knowledge base on educational effectiveness, covering a period of five decades of research. It formulates a “lean” theory of good schooling, and identifies and explains instances of “ineffectiveness”, such as low effect sizes of malleable conditions, for which expectations are highly strung. The book presents a systemic outlook on educational effectiveness and improvement, as it starts out from an integrated multi-level model that comprises system level, school level and instructional conditions. It offers a classification of school improvement strategies and scenarios for system level educational improvement. Above all, the analysis is very systematic, comprehensive and strongly grounded in theory. The book includes a case study analysis of various strands of improvement-oriented educational policy in the Netherlands as an illustration of some of the arguments used.

Now considered a classic in the field, this book first called attention to what Kanter has referred to as the "myth of separate worlds." Rosabeth Moss Kanter was one of the first to argue that the assumes separation between work and family was a myth and that research must explore the linkages between these two roles.

Originally published in 1988. This book offers a very useful source of information on Chaucer’s relationship to the Bible. It contains a detailed chapter on research into this connection and then presents two indexes. The first is organised by title of Chaucer’s work and then line number detailing the biblical reference. Each entry, if relevant, also notes works listed in the Bibliography that discuss that link. The second index is reversed and so organised by scriptural reference. Detailed guides to each index also discuss interesting facets to how Chaucer drew on the Bible for his works.

Published in 1997, this text focuses on the conundrum between the academics ability to distinguish between failing and non-failing businesses with models of over 85.5per cent accuracy, and the reasons why credit agencies and the like do not act on such information. The author asks, are the models defective?

Grounded Theory represents a primer for organisational, business and marketing students studying for research degrees who would like to adopt the grounded theory methodology approach for their dissertation or thesis.

This volume presents the first wide-ranging critical review of validity generalization (VG)--a method that has dominated the field since the publication of Schmidt and Hunter's (1977) paper "Development of a General Solution to the Problem of Validity Generalization." This paper and the work that followed had a profound impact on the science and practice of applied psychology. The research suggests that fundamental relationships among tests and criteria, and the constructs they represent are simpler and more regular than they appear. Looking at the history of the VG model and its impact on personnel psychology, top scholars and leading researchers of the field review the accomplishments of the model, as well as the continuing controversies. Several chapters significantly extend the maximum likelihood estimation with existing models for meta analysis and VG. Reviewing 25 years of progress in the field, this volume shows how the model can be extended and applied to new problems and domains. This book will be important to researchers and graduate students in the areas of industrial organizational psychology and statistics.

This book presents a logical system of critical appraisal, to allow readers to evaluate studies and to carry out their own studies more effectively. This system emphasizes the central importance of cause and effect relationships. Its great strength is that it is applicable to a wide range of issues, and both to intervention trials and observational studies. This system unifies the often different approaches used in epidemiology, health services research, clinical trials, and evidence-based medicine, starting from a logical consideration of cause and effect. The author's approach to the issues of study design, selection of subjects, bias, confounding, and the place of statistical methods has been praised for its clarity and interest. Systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and the applications of this logic to evidence-based medicine, knowledge-based health care, and health practice and policy are discussed. Current and often controversial examples are used, including screening for prostate cancer, publication bias in psychiatry, public health issues in developing countries, and conflicts between observational studies and randomized trials. Statistical issues are explained clearly without complex mathematics, and the most useful methods are summarized in the appendix. The final chapters give six applications of the critical appraisal of major studies: randomized trials of medical treatment and prevention, a prospective and a retrospective cohort study, a small matched case-control study, and a large case-control study. In these chapters, sections of the original papers are reproduced and the original studies placed in context by a summary of current developments.

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A broad-ranging analysis and critique of the distinctive contribution of the University of Oxford to the scholarly study of politics over the last 100 years.

Universities are under increasing pressure to help promote socio-economic growth in their local communities. However until now, no systematic, critical attention has been paid to the factors and mechanisms that currently make this process so daunting. In Universities and Regional Development, scholars from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia critically address this knowledge gap, focusing on policy, organization, and the role of individual actors to uncover the challenges facing higher education institutions as they seek to engage with their regions. In a systematic and comparative manner, this book shows internal and external audiences why, how, and when the institutionalization of universities' "third missions" should take place, and also: challenges conventional wisdom about the role of universities in society and the economy demonstrates how institutions in different nations and regions cope with local engagement combines the latest national, regional and local research with international perspectives integrates diverse conceptual and disciplinary frameworks Universities and Regional Development is a key resource for researchers and students of higher education and territorial development, educational policy makers, and university managers seeking to engage with the world beyond their university.

The best-selling introduction to evidence-based medicine In a clear and engaging style, How to Read a Paper demystifies evidence-based medicine and explains how to critically appraise published research and also put the findings into practice. An ideal introduction to evidence-based medicine, How to Read a Paper explains what to look for in different types of papers and how best to evaluate the literature and then implement the findings in an evidence-based, patient-centred way. Helpful checklist summaries of the key points in each chapter provide a useful framework for applying the principles of evidence-based medicine in everyday practice. This fifth edition has been fully updated with new examples and references to reflect recent developments and current practice. It also includes two new chapters on applying evidence-based medicine with patients and on the common criticisms of evidence-based medicine and responses. How to Read a Paper is a standard text for medical and nursing schools as well as a friendly guide for everyone wanting to teach or learn the basics of evidence-based medicine.

Rev. ed. of: Studying a study and testing a test / Richard K. Riegelman.

Destined to become a life saver for international students everywhere, this book provides clear, comprehensive guidance for students embarking on postgraduate study at a western university. Helping to maximise your chances of academic success, topics include challenges such as critical thinking, research, writing and speaking skills.

The activities carried out in a business organization stem from the contribution of subjects who cooperate in the expectation of obtaining adequate rewards. The ability of organizations to reach a specific level of performance is influenced by the ownership structure, while the management is directed and controlled through a set of rules and incentives. This set regulates the distribution of rights and responsibilities among the board, company management and stakeholders, and it defines the corporate governance model adopted by the organization. The collapse of global organizations across the world have undoubtedly revealed the inherent flaws in the contemporary corporate governance practices. As a result of these international scandals, a great deal of multidisciplinary research has been growing restlessly to define the specificities of each corporate governance model, however, lacking a specific investigation into the presumed existence of the most suitable one. By favouring the synthesis and the inductive procedure, this book analyses the potential existence of the most appropriate corporate governance model based on comparative international analysis of cultural, social and economic factors influencing the organization’s choice regarding the corporate governance model to be adopted. This volume will be of interest to researchers, academics, professionals, and students in the fields of corporate governance, international business, and law.

"Attuned to the complexities of real-world clinical situations, this authoritative volume belongs on the desks of practitioners, researchers, and students in clinical and counseling psychology, psychiatry, and social work, as well as health care administrators and planners. In the classroom, it serves as a uniquely informative text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in psychotherapy research and clinical practice."--BOOK JACKET.