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Qualitative Research Methods in Sport, Exercise and Health: From Process to Product
by Andrew C. Sparkes Brett SmithQualitative 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.
Qualitative Secondary Analysis
by Kahryn Hughes Anna TarrantA comprehensive guide to carrying out Qualitative Secondary Analysis (QSA) that brings together expert advice and professional insight from leading researchers who have developed innovative theories and methods of QSA. Exploring crucial components of research and analysis—such as where to find resources, how to search within a resource, and working with both paper archives and non-textual data—each chapter offers insightful case studies, links to further reading and applied helpful hints and tips to help effectively apply these innovations to further the reader&’s own research. A must read for Social Science students, early career researchers and researchers new to the field of QSA, this text will help readers through every aspect of a research process using QSA, from application to implications.
Qualitative Secondary Analysis
by Kahryn Hughes Anna TarrantA comprehensive guide to carrying out Qualitative Secondary Analysis (QSA) that brings together expert advice and professional insight from leading researchers who have developed innovative theories and methods of QSA. Exploring crucial components of research and analysis—such as where to find resources, how to search within a resource, and working with both paper archives and non-textual data—each chapter offers insightful case studies, links to further reading and applied helpful hints and tips to help effectively apply these innovations to further the reader&’s own research. A must read for Social Science students, early career researchers and researchers new to the field of QSA, this text will help readers through every aspect of a research process using QSA, from application to implications.
Qualitätsmanagement und gute Arbeit: Grundlagen einer gelingenden Qualitätsentwicklung für Einsteiger und Skeptiker (essentials)
by Rainer ZechIn diesem Essential wird das traditionelle Qualitätsmanagement als verdecktherrschaftliches Disziplinarsystem entschlüsselt und die Frage diskutiert, was unter Qualität substanziell zu verstehen ist. Der Autor argumentiert dafür, dass die Qualitätsfrage in den Kontext der großen Thematik eines guten Lebens in einer gerechten Gesellschaft gehört. Zu diesem Zweck wird sowohl das Gute als auch das Gerechte kurz skizziert. Daraus werden die Voraussetzungen einer entsprechend gelingenden Qualitätsentwicklung abgeleitet, um schließlich beispielhaft für den Bereich der personenbezogenen sozialen Dienstleistungen ein Qualitätsentwicklungssystem vorzustellen, das den Fallen der Disziplinierung entgeht und die Entscheidung über die Definition guter Arbeit - als Prozess und Ergebnis - in die Hände der Arbeitenden gibt.
Qualitätspolitiken und Konventionen: Die Qualität der Produkte in historischer Perspektive (Soziologie der Konventionen)
by Robert Salais Marcel Streng Jakob VogelDie wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Standardtheorie interessiert sich selten für etwas anderes als Preise und Mengen. Die hier versammelten Beiträge behandeln dagegen die Qualität von Produkten und Dienstleistungen als konstitutives Prinzip der ökonomischen Beziehungen aus einer historischen Perspektive. Sie gehen davon aus, dass es ohne eine Konvention zwischen den Marktakteuren über die Qualität der gehandelten Ware gar keinen Markt geben kann. Qualitätskonventionen sind deshalb zentrale Elemente der soziohistorischen Dynamik von Ökonomien, die aus spezifischen sozialenKonstellationen entstehen. Dies macht eine enge Zusammenarbeit von Historikern und Konventionenökonomen notwendig. Heutzutage wird mit den Umweltfragen eine neue Dimension der Produktqualität zentral, die auch eine neue Lektüre der Konventionenökonomie notwendig macht, die sich auf die Unterscheidung von Objekt und Ding stützt.Der InhaltMit Beiträgen von: Robert Salais.- Marcel Streng.- Jakob Vogel.- Anne-Françoise Garçon.- Alexander Engel.- Alain Dewerpe.- Dominique Margairaz.- Philippe Minard.- Alessandro Stanziani.- Vera Hierholzer.- Manuel Schramm.Die HerausgeberProf. Dr. Robert Salais, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris Saclay.Dr. Marcel Streng, Historiker und Fachübersetzer, Düsseldorf.Prof. Dr. Jakob Vogel, Centre d’Histoire, Sciences Po Paris / Centre Marc Bloch, Berlin.
Quality
by Ivan BarofskyQuality, as exemplified by Quality-of-life (QoL) assessment, is frequently discussed among health care professionals and often invoked as a goal for improvement, but somehow rarely defined, even as it is regularly assessed. It is understood that some medical patients have a better QoL than others, but should the QoL achieved be compared to an ideal state, or is it too personal and subjective to gauge? Can a better understanding of the concept help health care systems deliver services more effectively? Is QoL worth measuring at all? Integrating concepts from psychology, philosophy, neurocognition, and linguistics, this book attempts to answer these complex questions. It also breaks down the cognitive-linguistic components that comprise the judgment of quality, including description, evaluation, and valuations, and applies them to issues specific to individuals with chronic medical illness. In this context, quality/QoL assessment becomes an essential contributor to ethical practice, a critical step towards improving the nature of social interactions. The author considers linear, non-linear, and complexity-based models in analyzing key methodology and content issues in health-related QoL assessment. This book is certain to stimulate debate in the research and scientific communities. Its forward-looking perspective takes great strides toward promoting a common cognitive-linguistic model of how the judgment of quality occurs, thereby contributing important conceptual and empirical tools to its varied applications, including QoL assessment.
Quality: From Plato to Performance
by Peter Dahler-LarsenThe notion of quality features prominently in contemporary discourse. Numerous ratings, rankings, metrics, auditing, accreditation, benchmarking, smileys, reviews, and international comparisons are all used regularly to capture quality. This book paves the way in exploring the socio-political implications of evaluative statements, with a specific focus on the contribution of the concept of quality to these processes. Drawing on perspectives from the history of ideas, sociology, political science and public management, Dahler-Larsen asks what is the role of quality, and more specifically quality inscriptions, such as measurement? What do they accomplish? And finally, as a consequence of all this, does the term quality make it possible to deal with public issues in a way that lives up to democratic standards? This cross-disciplinary book will be of interest to scholars and students across various fields, including sociology, social epistemology, political science, public policy, and evaluation.
Quality and Inequality of Education
by Jaap DronkersThis cogent analysis of data on education and society from a variety of sources sets out to provide answers to scientific and policy questions on the quality of education and the way it relates to various forms of inequality in modern societies, particularly in Europe. The authors examine not only the well known cross-national PISA datasets, but also the European Social Survey and TIMSS, going further than many researchers by folding into their analyses economic, legal and historical factors. Most research up to now using the PISA data is restricted to educational research. Interesting as that educational question is, the chapters here use the PISA, and other data, to explore more profoundly the relationship between education and the various forms of inequality in European and other modern societies. The work comes from two different perspectives: one that looks at how the different characteristics of societies, their economies, and their educational systems influence the average educational achievements of specific groups of pupils, such as immigrants, in those societies; and a second, which explores how, and in what degree, the characteristics of schools, educational systems and labour-markets either hardens or softens differences in the educational outcomes of various groups of pupils. With a special feature of the book being its emphasis on comparing Asian and European countries, and with the content free of the political constraints that can often attend studies of these datasets, this book will be an vital resource for educationalists and policy-makers alike.
Quality Assurance for Social Care Agencies: A Practical Guide
by Emlyn Cassam Himu GuptaQuality Assurance for Social Care Agencies is specifically designed to enable you to set up a Quality Assurance system within a social services setting. Including practical checklists, it covers all aspects of Quality Assurance - from what is meant by Quality Assurance and how to implement it to how to monitor and maintain quality control. Examples and details of experiences are included to help you get it right first time.
Quality Assurance in Higher Education: A Study of Developing Countries (Routledge Revivals Ser.)
by David LimThis title was first published in 2001. Universities in developing countries have followed their counterparts in developed countries and adopted quality assurance to improve the quality of their activities. This text examines the wisdom of such a move when many of the conditions necessary for its success are not present. It concludes that quality assurance can be useful in developing countries because it shows how a university's seemingly disparate activities are related to one another to serve a common goal and how the quality of these can best be improved by using an integrated approach. Quality assurance also provides more focus and direction to the work of the traditional university system. However, it must be modified to suit the conditions prevailing in developing countries by being simple in design, modest in expectations and realistic in requirements.
Quality Assurance in Higher Education: A Study of Developing Countries (Routledge Revivals)
by David LimThis title was first published in 2001. Universities in developing countries have followed their counterparts in developed countries and adopted quality assurance to improve the quality of their activities. This text examines the wisdom of such a move when many of the conditions necessary for its success are not present. It concludes that quality assurance can be useful in developing countries because it shows how a university's seemingly disparate activities are related to one another to serve a common goal and how the quality of these can best be improved by using an integrated approach. Quality assurance also provides more focus and direction to the work of the traditional university system. However, it must be modified to suit the conditions prevailing in developing countries by being simple in design, modest in expectations and realistic in requirements.
Quality Assurance in Higher Education
by Maria João Rosa Alberto AmaralThis book weighs up the consequences of introducing Quality Enhancement and Risk Management as new dimensions in Higher Education quality control on a global scale. The authors include Chief Executive Officers of Quality Agencies, policy analysts and leading scholars in Quality Evaluation and Comparative Higher Education policy analysis.
Quality Assured Measurement: Unification across Social and Physical Sciences (Springer Series in Measurement Science and Technology)
by Leslie PendrillThis book presents a general and comprehensive framework for the assurance of quality in measurements. Written by a foremost expert in the field, the text reflects an on-going international effort to extend traditional quality assured measurement, rooted in fundamental physics and the SI, to include non-physical areas such as person-centred care and the social sciences more generally. Chapter by chapter, the book follows the measurement quality assurance loop, based on Deming’s work. The author enhances this quality assurance cycle with insights from recent research, including work on the politics and philosophy of metrology, the new SI, quantitative and qualitative scales and entropy, decision risks and uncertainty when addressing human challenges, Man as a Measurement Instrument, and Psychometry and Person-centred care. Quality Assured Measurement: Unification across Social and Physical Sciences provides students and researchers in physics, chemistry, engineering, medicine and the social sciences with practical guidance on designing, implementing and applying a quality-assured measurement while engaging readers in the most novel and expansive areas of contemporary measurement research.
The Quality of European Societies: A Compilation of Composite Indicators (Social Indicators Research Series #75)
by Eduardo Bericat María Luisa Jiménez-RodrigoThis volume presents a compilation of composite indicators created in order to measure important aspects of the quality of European societies. It examines three main questions: do Europeans live in good societies and enjoy good lives; are European societies becoming better as time passes, or is their quality slowly deteriorating; is the quality of life of Europe’s citizens improving over time or is it gradually and irrecoverably getting worse. The volume uses a precise and rigorous system of information to answer these questions and to assess the current situation and monitor the quality of European societies. It describes and discusses fourteen key domains, and per chapter, presents five rankings of EU countries based on composite indicators, which are used as one of the best instruments social science has to synthesize a large amount of information, and they are especially well suited to measure multidimensional social phenomena. The new System of Indices on the Quality of European Societies (SIQES) presented in this volume offers a very broad and rich empirical overview of more than 70 social composite indicators and their nearly 300 dimensions. One of the key findings coming out from the SIQES is that, according to the societal quality of European countries, there exist five different “Europes” inside Europe.
Quality of Experience
by Sebastian Möller Alexander RaakeThis pioneering book develops definitions and concepts related to Quality of Experience in the context of multimedia- and telecommunications-related applications, systems and services and applies these to various fields of communication and media technologies. The editors bring together numerous key-protagonists of the new discipline "Quality of Experience" and combine the state-of-the-art knowledge in one single volume.
Quality of Life: Concept, Policy and Practice
by David PhillipsQuality of life is one of the most important issues facing the world today and is central to the development of social policy. This innovative book discusses this crucial topic, assessing the criteria for judging attempts to raise quality of life, including the satisfaction of basic and social needs, autonomy to enjoy life and social connectivity. It considers key topics such as: individual well-being and health-related quality of life human needs - living fulfilling and flourishing lives poverty and social exclusion social solidarity, altruism and trust within communities. Quality of Life is the first systematic presentation of this subject from both individual and collective perspectives. It provides a powerful overview of a concept which is becoming increasingly prominent in the social sciences and is essential reading for students of social policy, sociology and health studies.
Quality of Life Among Cancer Survivors
by Tanya R. FitzpatrickThis multidisciplinary reference explores the concepts and realities of quality of life among cancer survivors in its physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and familial dimensions. Informed by a broad range of fields including genetics, psychiatry, nursing, dentistry, rehabilitation, and ethics, it addresses daily challenges of living for this population, from self-care to cultural concerns and from social interactions to experiences with providers. Family issues of pediatric, young adult, and elder survivors, caregiving parents, and siblings are a major area of concern. And contributors describe interventions for survivors as individuals, in family content, and as part of integrated care across primary and specialty settings. Included among the topics: Play, leisure activities, and cognitive health among older cancer survivors. Genetic mutations in cancer susceptibility genes: a family history of cancer. Cancer patients in a pediatric intensive care unit: a single center experience. The impact of childhood cancer on the quality of life among healthy siblings. When cancer returns: family caregivers and the hospice team. Experiencing cancer services: a story of survival and dissatisfaction. A significant addition to the cancer survivorship literature, Quality of Life Among Cancer Survivors is a practice-building resource for oncology and allied health professionals, health psychologists, and social workers, as well as researchers in these fields.
Quality of Life and Daily Travel (Applying Quality Of Life Research Ser.)
by Dick Ettema Margareta Friman Lars E. OlssonThis volume analyses the relevance of daily travel in the quality of life of individuals. It provides a broad understanding of the links between life satisfaction, well-being and travel, the importance of commuting, and different evaluations and measures to assess the experience of commuting and quality of life. Chapters in this book relate travel and quality of life to the built environment, accessibility and exclusion, travel mode choice, travel satisfaction and emotions. It brings together distinguished researchers from a variety of academic backgrounds providing conceptualizations and applications, presented as case studies, for daily travel and well-being. Findings presented in this book are highly relevant for transport planners, transport marketers, public transport authorities, and environmental professionals in the pursuit of improving people’s life.
Quality of Life and Early British Migration (SpringerBriefs in Well-Being and Quality of Life Research)
by Thomas JordanThis book discusses the quality of life of early modern Britons emigrating to the New World, which became possible with advances in shipbuilding and long-distance sailing. It examines the status and quality of life of those crossing the Atlantic Ocean under legal contract, the indenture – largely to the Carolinas and the communities adjoining Chesapeake Bay in the USA in the 17th century, and also describes and numerically estimates the quality of life among Britons sentenced to “transportation beyond the seas,” who were transported to Australia in the mid-19th century. The author examines the experience of migrants, both adults and children, traveling to the New World and their fate, drawing on documentary sources like state historical records as well as self-documentation from the few surviving diaries. The book also creates profiles of the quality of life of emigrants by gender and age and places the processes of emigration in the social–political contexts of the 17th and 19th centuries.By considering ways in which aspects of social life were organized in eras before structural inquiry into the quality of life, the book provides interesting historical perspectives as well as methodological insights. It appeals to researchers and students interested in the quality of life and wellbeing, and in the history of modern Europe, particularly of the British Empire.
Quality of Life and Human Well-Being in Sub-Saharan Africa: Prospects for Future Happiness (Human Well-Being Research and Policy Making)
by Valerie Møller Benjamin J. RobertsThis volume presents an account of how people in sub-Saharan Africa have fared under changing life circumstances of the past centuries until the present. By introducing the geography of the region it traces a time line of different historical periods that have shaped livelihoods of ordinary people of the region, and addresses the major milestones in political and economic development. It focuses on social indicators pointing to significant changes that have affected the health, education and wealth of sub-Saharan Africans and their outlook on the future since the wind of change blew through the region. With case studies and vignettes the book highlights how individual citizens across the 44 different countries of sub-Saharan Africa experience well-being and express their aspirations for the future. This book provides relevant material for practitioners and policy makers, including community and development workers, in non-governmental and other organizations in sub-Saharan African countries.
Quality of Life and Mortality Among Children
by Thomas E. JordanThis birefs examines mortality among young children in the period from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. It does so using several types and sources of information from the census unit England and Wales, and from Ireland. The sources of information used in this study include memoirs, diaries, poems, church records and numerical accounts. They offer descriptions of the quality of life and child mortality over the three centuries under study. Additional sources for the nineteenth century are two census-derived numerical indexes of the quality of life. They are the VICQUAL index for England and Wales, and the QUALEIRE index for Ireland. Statistical procedures have been applied to the numbers provided by the sources with the aim to identify effects of and associations between such variables as gender, age, and social background. The briefs examines the results to consider the impact of children's deaths upon parents and families, and concludes that there are differences and continuities across the centuries.
Quality of Life and Well-Being for Residents in Long-Term Care Communities: Perspectives on Policies and Practices (Human Well-Being Research and Policy Making)
by Kevin E. Hansen Jennifer L. Johs-ArtisensiThis book explores key factors long-term care recipients have identified as impacting their quality of life and offers programmatic and policy recommendations to enhance well-being within long-term care communities. Leadership and staff who work in nursing homes and other residential care communities serve as gatekeepers to resident well-being, often without recognizing how residents’ quality of life is impacted by their decision-making. This book takes a life domain approach to build on research-based studies that document key drivers of care recipients’ quality of life, including relationships, autonomy and respect, activities and meals, environment, and care. Using a framework that enhances understanding of resident quality of life, it outlines practical, programmatic, and policy suggestions for long-term care stakeholders, such as administrators, managers, front-line staff, family members, and policy-makers, whose directives and actions impact the lived experience of long-term care residents. As such, this book serves as a roadmap for leaders and managers of long-term care communities, along with policymakers who regulate health and human services, to best structure care environments to maximize quality of life and well-being for long-term care recipients.
Quality of Life and Well-Being in an Indian Ethnic Community: The Case Of Badagas (SpringerBriefs in Well-Being and Quality of Life Research)
by Gareth DaveyThis book explores the quality of life among Badagas, an ethnic minority group in South India, as they navigate a society in flux, with specific reference to rural-to-urban migration and new media. At an empirical level, it reveals how Badagas understand themselves and the multifaceted changes in their culture and daily lives, exploring a pertinent concern at the forefront of debate about the future from a global perspective. The book draws attention to the fact that people are adopting flexible identities and lifestyles in an attempt to survive and thrive in a changing India and world, a new ‘Indian-ness’ shaped at the local level. It offers a timely update on previous research on Badagas, which dates to the 1990s, and also serves as an important case study on people’s experiences of the social and economic transformation of Indian society as they become accustomed to new ideas, products, and ways of life. As such, it is a must-read for all those interested in quality of life in India and developing societies.
Quality of Life and Work in Europe: Theory, Practice and Policy
by M. Bäck-Wiklund T. Van Lippe L. Den Dulk A. Doorne-Huiskes Tanja van der Lippe Laura Den DulkIntense globalization, rapidly changing workplaces and family patterns have renewed the international interest in quality of life. This book examines different institutional arrangements, work-place conditions and gendered work and care that affect the conditions for achieving quality of work and life in European countries.
Quality-of-Life Community Indicators for Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
by Megha Budruk Rhonda PhillipsWhile community quality-of-life indicators are gaining much needed attention in both scholarly work and practice, their application in the areas of parks, recreation and tourism management are not as well known. The applicability of indicator systems for natural resource and natural resource area management within the parks and recreation arena is very high, including urban parks and recreation programs and their influence on quality of life. Tourism is also an area that needs much more work in terms of assessing impacts as well as developing indicators for gauging progress in the long term. All three areas are an integrated discipline and most programs throughout the developed world are housed co-jointly. There are several researchers across the globe who are conducting innovative work in these areas. The editors feel that a volume on the topic will spur additional interests as well as serve to lead the research efforts.