46622 research outputs found
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The Handbook of Qualitative and Quantitative Content Analysis
No full textTranslated from German, The Handbook of Qualitative and Quantitative Content Analysis is a comprehensive handbook which offers an application-orientated introduction to qualitative and quantitative content analysis methods. The book provides explanations for beginners from bachelor level onwards on how to select an appropriate qualitative or quantitative content analysis method and how to use the chosen method(s) depending on research interest and amount of data. Part 1 defines the basics of qualitative and quantitative content analysis and empirical research, including research quality conventions and how to do interpretation; Part 2 is a practical guide to classical qualitative content analysis and semi-automated quantitative content analysis; and Part 3 introduces Python alongside automated techniques such as correspondence analysis, semantic network analysis, sentiment analysis, and topic modelling using generative and deep learning algorithms. Each of these sections are enriched with extensive examples and cover a range of software applications, including AntConc, MAXQDA, Python, and VosViewer. This is the ideal resource for anyone interested in content analysis research methods across the social sciences, humanities, and data sciences. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license
Digital Vulnerability in Criminal Justice
No full textThis open access book examines the impact of digitalisation processes on fair, accessible and inclusive criminal justice for vulnerable individuals. Based on original empirical data from an Australian Research Council funded national study, the book evaluates digitalised criminal justice, specifically, the increasing use of remote hearings and virtual courts, and the interrelationship with vulnerability. It asks: in what ways do remote communication technologies, such as videolinks, videoconferencing, and pre-recorded evidence, assist or disadvantage vulnerable witnesses, complainants, victims and defendants in the criminal justice system? By interviewing and surveying 175 Australian judicial officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers and affiliated professionals, the book examines the impact of digitalised criminal justice on all vulnerable individuals. Themes include the benefits and challenges to human connection, communication, comprehension and confidentiality, as well as court authority, cross-examination, and emotional expression. While there are certain universal and non-contentious experiences of videolinks, the key practical findings are sharply delineated between vulnerable witnesses versus vulnerable defendants. Theoretically, the book merges digital criminology with vulnerability theories to contribute understandings of ‘digital vulnerability’, that is, the interplay between digital technologies and vulnerable individuals in criminal justice. Digital Vulnerability in Criminal Justice provides critical and contemporary insights, and forward-looking recommendations for ensuring fair digitalised criminal justice into the future
Community Education and Neoliberalism
No full textThis open access book, now in its second edition, offers a powerful analysis of adult and community education at a time of rising inequality and diminishing state support. Grounded in both Irish and international contexts, this edition again challenges the impact of neoliberal agendas on grassroots community education and makes a convincing case for reclaiming community education’s radical, consciousness-raising agenda. The book is theoretically rooted in critical feminist pedagogy and draws on real-world examples to present key aspects of this approach to adult learning in a clear, accessible, and practical way. Community Education and Neoliberalism exposes the extent to which market-driven forces and managerialist agendas are eroding the transformative nature of adult and community education. The author examines the impact of neoliberal government lifelong learning policies, the potential drawbacks of professionalising community education and the perils of accreditation systems when marketisation becomes the principal focus. But this book does not simply offer a critique — it also presents practical pathways to revitalise community education, ensuring it continues to be a part of the struggle for a better world which, the author argues, can only be achieved through collective action. The book is essential reading and a call to action for students, educators, activists and policymakers alike, or indeed or anyone who is passionate about equality and social justice
Intelligent Localization for Integrated Sensing and Communication
No full textIntegrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) systems. As 6G networks advance, the need for more efficient data collection, more intelligent system adaptability, and more accurate localization results. Traditional outdoor localization methods like GPS are limited indoors due to signal blockages, underscoring the need for innovative indoor localization technologies to meet the evolving requirements of modern applications. This "Open Access" book addresses key challenges in indoor localization using Channel State Information (CSI) and machine learning. It covers three core aspects: 1. More Efficient CSI Collection: Reducing human intervention in the data collection process through automated methods while ensuring high-quality, reliable data. 2. More Intelligent CSI Updates: Developing adaptive mechanisms that allow for real-time updates of CSI values, ensuring system robustness and flexibility in dynamic environments. 3. More Accurate Localization Applications: Employing advanced machine learning algorithms to improve localization precision, even in complex indoor settings. Through comprehensive theoretical insights and real-world experimental studies, this book presents the latest advancements in CSI-based indoor localization systems. The various machine learning techniques explored demonstrate their robustness and adaptability in real-world settings. Ideal for researchers, engineers, and students, this "Open Access" book provides both foundational and cutting-edge knowledge for anyone interested in developing intelligent indoor localization systems. Whether you’re new to the field or an experienced professional, this "Open Access" book offers valuable insights for advancing localization technologies in the age of ISAC and 6G
An Evolutionary Story of Agency
No full textThis open access book exposes the role of "agency" in the history of life. Agency is understood as the capacity of an organism to act, make decisions, and exercise control over its actions in order to achieve goals or to navigate and interact with its environment. The question of agency has become a hot and controversial topic in Biology and Philosophy of the Natural Sciences. This volume studies said topic through its historical expressions, investigating how and why it has appeared, and what was its selective advantage in the past, assuming a continuity in how it has evolved in different life forms. By also explaining how and why agency has evolved and become more complex in some branches of the tree of life, the authors show how life has made its way on our planet with forms of agency as diverse as those shown by bacteria, plants or animals, which are the most sophisticated and complex agents. The book is of great interest to a broad audience, whether philosophically or biologically inclined, interested in understanding fundamental aspects of how life works and in seeking explanations for why life has been so successful on planet Earth
Doing Ethnography
No full textTimely critique of the expanding institutional control over academic research and its impact on ethnographic practice. In recent decades, academic research has come under increasing institutional surveillance and control. Doing Ethnography traces the rise of ethical review procedures, open science mandates, and integrity protocols, examining how these developments shape ethnographic practice. It critically explores key themes such as doing no harm, informed consent, transparency, anonymity, researcher positionality, and the sharing of field notes. The book argues that contemporary academia often enforces universal, bureaucratic forms of regulatory ethics. Rooted in quantitative and (post-)positivist paradigms, these frameworks frequently clash with ethnography’s interpretive, intersubjective, and immersive fieldwork approach. In response, it calls for a situated, context-sensitive ethics of care attuned to the specificities of ethnographic engagement. Ultimately, Doing Ethnography offers both a critical reflection on institutional power and a plea to recognise and sustain the epistemic diversity on which academic freedom depends
Work and Legal Guidelines in the Age of Digitalisation and Green Transition
No full textThis open access book provides important insights into the integration of digitalisation and green economy into the platform economy, and how these processes can contribute to the improvement of legal labour regulations and processes in the EU and Eastern Europe. It addresses the following key topics: the impact of digitisation on the labour market, including the impact of robotics and automation on the changing nature of work; the organisation of work through digital platforms; the relationship between workers and employers; the challenges of implementing the Green Deal strategy in the labour market; the specifics and types of platform work; problems concerning labour regulation on digital platforms in Eastern and Southern European countries, such as Moldova, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Albania; and the results of an empirical survey. The topics are highly relevant in the contemporary context, as the European Parliament adopted the Platform Work Directive in 2024 after several years of debate. This Directive aims to sift out the working patterns of the platform sector, introducing clear criteria on what is considered to be an individual activity and what is considered to be an employment relationship. The EU Directive calls upon each EU country to develop its own criteria for assessing whether certain work carried out via platforms is based on an employment relationship or merely constitutes an individual activity. One of the book’s main objectives is to present possible business models for digital platform work that offer greater social protection for the worker by analysing the theoretical aspects of digitalisation and the integration of the green economy into the labour market, and the legal framework for digital labour market platforms in Eastern and Southern European countries. The book will be of interest to policymakers responsible for regulation of the labour market, trade unions, university lecturers and students of economics and law who are interested in delving into the characteristics and regulation of the digital economy and the digital labour market, labour platform workers and employers
Fragmented Local Government Systems and Crises
No full textThis open access book assesses the links between decentralization and crises management in Czechia, paying particular attention to the ways in which local municipalities have dealt with turbulent problems including the Covid-19 pandemic and the migration crises caused by the war in Ukraine. There are more than 6000 municipalities in Czechia, most of which have fewer than 1000 inhabitants. With limited resources, municipalities are often forced to cooperate when it comes to dealing with major political and societal issues. Yet the various ways in which local governments cooperate, and the wider impact this has on the country as a whole, has not been fully examined. Drawing on existing literature and interviews with local governors, the book examines how decentralization affects the way crises are handled, and summarizes experiences and lessons from Czechia. In doing so, it identifies both the challenges brought about by decentralized local government systems, as well as the ways in which they contribute to community governance and its resilience. The book will appeal to all those interested in public administration and local government studies
Rethinking North–South Discourses
No full textThis book challenges the asymmetries in dialogues between the Global South and Global North. The book considers how the literature on reparative politics in itself often perpetuates Western-centric models which risk leading to paternalistic approaches, as well as undermining the agency of thinkers, activists, and victims within the Global South. Encouraging a dialogue between the Global North and South, the book considers questions of affirmative action, collective memory, and alternative frameworks for dialogue on reparations. Authors also explore whether reparative policies should aim solely to repair past wrongs, or to also address ongoing structural inequalities and systemic injustices, including symbolic and affective dimensions. Interdisciplinary by design, this book will be an important read for researchers across the fields of political science, international relations, global studies, and sociology