12,484 research outputs found

    Evaluation as adventure: taking that risk

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    Helen Simons traces the values that underpin her preferred methodology of case study and democratic evaluation to the central values she gained from the land of her birth. She looks back to consider what early experiences may have influenced her deep commitment to these values and how they impacted on her professional world as a teacher, a psychologist, and an evaluator. Her interview transcript which was a stimulus for this article is here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/ev.20302/suppinfo. Read only. This should not be used in any form without explicit permission from the author.</p

    Perturbative and Non-perturbative Aspects of the Chern-Simons-Witten Theory

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    We investigate a relation between non-perturbative and perturbative cases in the 2+1 dimensional Chern-Simons- Witten (CSW) theory for G = E6 gauge group. In the perturbative case, we calculate the vacuum expectation value(VEV) of an unknotted Wilson loop operator up to order 1/k3 (k is a coupling constant). The result above is proved to be identical to the polynomial invariant E0 (ρ) in the non-perturbative case at the same order of expansion

    Dataset supporting the University of Southampton Doctoral thesis &quot;How should wellbeing be measured in UK doctors? A salutogenic, consensus approach, towards a Core Outcome set for doctor wellbeing measurement&quot;

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    This dataset supports the University of Southampton Doctoral thesis &quot;How should wellbeing be measured in UK doctors? A salutogenic, consensus approach, towards a Core Outcome set for doctor wellbeing measurement&quot; by Simons G 2022. This dataset contains: Systematic review (chapter 2).csv Expert survey (chapter 4).csv Regional doctor survey (chapter 5).csv Regional doctor survey readme.txt National survey (chapter 6).csv National survey readme.txt Delphi survey (chapter 8).csv Licence:CC BY NC</span

    Case Study Research in Practice

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    Case Study Research in Practice explores the theory and practice of case study research. Helen Simons draws on her extensive experience of teaching and conducting case study to provide a comprehensive and practical account of how to design, conduct and communicate case study research. It addresses questions often raised by students and common misconceptions about case research. In four sections the book covers- Rationale, concept and design of case study research- Methods, ethics and reflexivity in case study- Interpreting, analyzing and reporting the case- Generalizing and theorizing in case study researchRich with 'tales from the field' and summary memos as an aide-memoire to future action, the book provides fresh insights and challenges for researchers to guide their practice of case study research.This is an ideal text for those studying and conducting case study research in education, health and social care, and related social science disciplines

    Scattering Amplitudes of Massive N=2 Gauge Theories in Three Dimensions

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    We study the scattering amplitudes of mass-deformed Chern-Simons theories and Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theories with N=2 supersymmetry in three dimensions. In particular, we derive the on-shell supersymmetry algebras which underlie the scattering matrices of these theories. We then compute various 3 and 4-point on-shell tree-level amplitudes in these theories. For the mass-deformed Chern-Simons theory, odd-point amplitudes vanish and we find that all of the 4-point amplitudes can be encoded elegantly in superamplitudes. For the Yang-Mills-Chern-Simons theory, we obtain all of the 4-point tree-level amplitudes using a combination of perturbative techniques and algebraic constraints and we comment on difficulties related to computing amplitudes with external gauge fields using Feynman diagrams. Finally, we propose a BCFW recursion relation for mass-deformed theories in three dimensions and discuss the applicability of this proposal to mass-deformed N=2 theories

    Topological aspects of non-abelian Chern-Simons theory

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    openWe introduce the non-abelian Chern-Simons functional in 3 dimensions and the corresponding partition function. Via the Faddeev-Popov gauge fixing procedure and the stationary phase approximation we evaluate the 1-loop contribution to the partition function. In order to investigate the metric dependence of the resulting expression, we make use of some mathematical results by Albert Schwarz and the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer index theorem. The final result shows that the partition function depends on the metric in a simple, controllable way. We also elaborate on the possibility of removing such dependence by adopting a different choice of regularization scheme.We introduce the non-abelian Chern-Simons functional in 3 dimensions and the corresponding partition function. Via the Faddeev-Popov gauge fixing procedure and the stationary phase approximation we evaluate the 1-loop contribution to the partition function. In order to investigate the metric dependence of the resulting expression, we make use of some mathematical results by Albert Schwarz and the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer index theorem. The final result shows that the partition function depends on the metric in a simple, controllable way. We also elaborate on the possibility of removing such dependence by adopting a different choice of regularization scheme

    Magnetoelectric boundary simulated by a Chern-Simons-like model

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    In this work we study some physical phenomena that emerge in the vicinity of a magnetoelectric boundary. For simplicity, we restrict to the case of a planar boundary described by a coupling between the gauge field with a planar external Chern-Simons-like potential. The results are obtained exactly. We compute the correction undergone by the photon propagator due to the presence of the Chern-Simons coupling and we investigate the interaction between a stationary point-like charge and the magnetoelectric boundary. In the limit of a perfect mirror, where the coupling constant between the field and the potential diverges, we recover the image method. For a non perfect mirror, we show that we have an attenuated image charge and, in addition, an image magnetic monopole whose field strength does not exhibit the presence of the undesirable and artificial divergences introduced by Dirac strings. We also study the interaction between the plate and a quantum particle with spin. In this case we have a kind of charge-magnetic dipole interaction due to the magnetoelectric properties of the plate

    School self-evaluation for development: the case for and reflections on a training programme

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    This paper explores the case for schools conducting their own self-evaluation to serve the dual purpose of professional development within schools and accountability demands from external sources. The paper is in three parts. The first outlines the argument and benefits for schools conducting their own case study evaluation of their curriculum policies and practices, indicating how this approach is both similar to and different from external case study of schools. The second describes a training programme designed and implemented by the author to support schools in conducting evaluations that are valid, credible and useful. The third presents the participants' and author's reflections on the training and its outcomes and, through an example from one of the schools involved, illustrates what school self-evaluation looks like grounded in the actual experience of undertaking the process. From the evidence presented, the paper concludes that educational professionals, with appropriate support and training, are more than equal to the task of conducting credible and valid case study school self-evaluations

    Schwinger-Dyson functional in Chern-Simons theory

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    In perturbative SU(N) Chern–Simons gauge theory, it is shown that the Schwinger–Dyson equations assume a quite simplified form. The generating functional of the correlation functions of the curvature is considered; it is demonstrated that the renormalized Schwinger–Dyson functional is related with the generating functional of the correlation functions of the gauge connections by some kind of duality trans- formation
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