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Using a feminist approach to classify women and girls’ charitable organisations.
Full text linkWomen and girls’ organisations (WGOs) are a fundamental part of the voluntary and community sector (VCS) and wider society. They have a unique history and development as a sub-set of the wider VCS and have been pivotal in meeting important needs for women and girls, yet existing analysis of the VCS using data from the Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) has not previously focused on WGOs. The purpose of this paper is to present a feminist approach to identifying and classifying WGOs utilising data from the CCEW register. The paper provides a detailed exploration of the methodological approach and argues that such an approach to compiling and analysing datasets is both necessary and advantageous in exposing areas of power and contestation. The paper provides an original overview of the scope of WGOs in England and Wales between 2008 and 2018 and also demonstrates benefits that can be applied in other classification work within the field
Differentially Private Spiking Neural Networks: Enhancing Privacy and Robustness in Social Robotics.
Full text linkAs social robots increasingly integrate into various sectors,
concerns over privacy and security become paramount. Social robots, while capable of processing and interacting with sensitive user data, often face significant limitations in processing power and energy efficiency. Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs), inspired by biological neurons, provide a promising solution by offering efficient temporal processing with reduced energy consumption. However, similar to conventional Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), SNNs are vulnerable to privacy attacks, such as model inversion and membership inference, which can expose sensitive training data. We proposes the use of Differential Privacy (DP) to safeguard user data in SNN models for social robots. We train two models
on the MNIST dataset: a baseline SNN and a differentially private SNN (DP-SNN). We evaluate both models through a privacy attacks, demonstrating how differentially private SNNs mitigate data leakage. We assess the ability of DP-SNNs to withstand malicious inputs, showing that the noise introduced by differential privacy enhances robustness in addition to privacy preservation. Our results indicate that differentially private SNNs not only maintain strong privacy guarantees but also improve resilience against adversarial attacks, making them an ideal solution for
social robots where both data security and processing efficiency are critical
Doing interpretation differently with posthumanism and new materialism: Reconceptualizing what data does in postqualitative research
No full textThis chapter focuses on doing interpretation differently in postqualitative research using posthumanism and new materialism, indicated by strikethrough: interpretation. Using three examples of data – an interview transcript extract, a photograph, and a government report excerpt – with seven analytical techniques we illustrate how meaning materializes through theoretical encounters with empirical materials. The seven techniques problematize humanist practices of interpretation-as-usual, illuminating how meaning-making, as a materially entangled theory-practice, is emergent, situated, and contextual, leading us to propose posthumanist new materialist interpretation as a mode of producing knowledge differently. This chapter demonstrates that data are lively; that human-nonhuman materials entangle theory-practice in novel ways; and that, in keeping data on the move, posthuman and new materialist methodological practices generate new possibilities regarding interpretation
Researching children’s Covid-19 friendship experiences online: methodological and ethical opportunities and challenges
Full text linkIn March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was rife and global lockdowns were implemented research restrictions were also put in place curtailing established research practice with children. These restrictions required researchers to reflexively navigate the interplay between responsiveness and responsibility to ensure that ethical processes continued to be fluid and co-produced. Teasing out the ethical dilemmas, this article examines the enforced online research experience with children during this time to show its complexities and idiosyncratic nature. It draws upon data examples from a pilot case study project with ten 7- to 11-year-olds investigating how children maintained their friendships during lockdown in the United Kingdom. Data were collected through a range of creative participatory research methods accompanied by an open-ended online unstructured interview. This article has implications for researchers and educators for future online data collection with children as it reflects on the ethical maze of doing research with children online. Reflections provide new insights into how allowing children to choose their creative method facilitated the production of agentic knowledge
Promoting Physical Activity to Cancer Survivors in Practice: Challenges and Solutions for Implementation
Full text linkObjectives: This study explored the challenges and solutions to the effective promotion of physical activity (PA) to cancer survivors in practice in Ireland amongst a variety of stakeholders, including healthcare professionals (HCPs), policy makers, community providers of cancer care, and academics. Methods: Focus groups (n = 5) were conducted with participants (n = 40), including oncologists, oncology nurses, physiotherapists, cancer support centre managers, academics, consumers, cancer policy representatives, exercise specialists, community providers of exercise programmes, and a chartered psychologist. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four primary themes were identified: (i) embedding PA into the cancer pathway (including the sub-themes of ‘singing from the same hymn sheet’, ‘PA as an essential element of treatment’, and ‘intervention opportunities and models of care’); (ii) education and training; (iii) access to appropriate PA interventions; and (iv) tailored programmes. Conclusions: The importance of embedding PA into the cancer pathway such that PA is viewed by clinicians and patients as a key part of their treatment was emphasised. Opportunities for PA intervention within existing practice were highlighted, such as the chemotherapy education sessions run by Daffodil nurses. Findings pointed to a need for education and training for HCPs that include how to coach and counsel cancer patients concerning PA in clinic. Finally, a major barrier to PA promotion was limited access to appropriate PA interventions
Towards an inclusive conference experience: evaluation of the Education and Outreach Symposium at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2024
Full text linkThe Microbiology Society Education and Outreach Symposium serves as a platform for microbiology educators to share contemporary practices with an international audience. The Symposium is held yearly during the Microbiology Society’s Annual Conference and has become increasingly popular among conference attendees. In an effort to create an inclusive and engaging environment, the 2024 Symposium included contributions from participants at all career stages and from diverse global regions through a variety of presentation formats, including invited talks, offered presentations, flash talks and posters. Cabaret-style seating was used to encourage discussion amongst participants, and digital tools were used for anonymous feedback and questions after each talk to ensure all voices had an opportunity to be heard. Here, we present an analysis of qualitative and quantitative participant responses addressing two key research questions: (1) Did the Symposium foster an inclusive atmosphere for participants across all career stages? and (2) Was the content engaging and relevant to the audience? A post-Symposium questionnaire revealed strong positive feedback, with all 18 respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that the 2024 Symposium was both an inclusive environment and covered interesting topics. Thematic content analysis of free-text responses emphasized a high appreciation for the Symposium’s diversity in speakers and topics, an inclusive room layout and an overall welcoming feeling. Feedback from participants, along with the authors’ own reflections, will actively feed into planning for the 2025 Symposium
Development of ACT+: A Novel, Person‐Centred Psychological Intervention Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to Improve Quality of Life in Patients Living With and Beyond Cancer
Full text linkIntroduction: The need to improve the quality of life (QoL) and well‐being of people living with and beyond cancer is well recognised. SURECAN (SUrvivors' Rehabilitation Evaluation after CANcer) is a multiphase study developing and evaluating a psychological intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for people who have completed hospital‐based treatment for cancer but have low QoL. We describe the process by which we iteratively developed and refined ACT+, an intervention in which ACT is integrated with options to support exercise and work. Methods: ACT+ development was guided by the theory of ACT while Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) was used as a sensitising tool at all stages. Evidence from several strands of research comprising a qualitative meta‐synthesis, a qualitative study with stakeholders and pre‐pilot testing was brought together to refine ACT+. Insights from patient and public involvement (PPI) consultations supported the development and refinement of ACT+ resources throughout. Results: The qualitative study with stakeholders shed light on the ‘real world’ contexts in which the ACT+ intervention would be offered and accessed, as well as the appeal of ACT+ as a therapy for people living with and beyond cancer. People who had treatment for cancer (n = 31) and healthcare professionals (n = 16) provided overall support for the intervention. Subsequent pre‐pilot testing of the intervention and qualitative work with cancer patients (n = 6) and therapists (n = 7) led to further refinements. Evidence collected from all strands of research and PPI was integrated in an iterative way to produce an intervention that was acceptable to all. Conclusion: We adopted an iterative and evidence‐based approach to the development of the ACT+ intervention, which was acceptable to patients and healthcare professionals. Future work will examine the effectiveness of ACT+. Patient and Public Engagement: This intervention was developed and refined with substantial involvement from the study's patient and public involvement group and others accessed via community/patient groups to discuss and gain feedback on patient‐facing materials. For example, the ACT+ participant handbook underwent four consultation rounds with patient representatives, including a consultation specifically focused on its cultural acceptability. Therefore, emerging insights from PPI were also used to optimise ACT+ components and delivery. Their input was integrated throughout all three strands of the research