Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Research Analysis: MEANING OF RESEARCH DESIGN
Research Analysis: MEANING OF RESEARCH DESIGN: The formidable problem that follows the task of defining the research problem is the preparation of the design of the research project, pop...
MEANING OF RESEARCH DESIGN

Thursday, July 23, 2020
Research Analysis: Developing a Professional Portfolio
Research Analysis: Developing a Professional Portfolio: What is it? A portfolio is a collection of your work, ideas and progress. It is also a valuable resource for you to use throughout your ...
Developing a Professional Portfolio
What is it?
A portfolio is a collection of your work, ideas and progress. It is also a valuable resource for you to use throughout your professional life. A portfolio tells the story of your professional achievements.
A Professional Portfolio consists of a collection of artefacts such as documents, videos and other forms of multimedia related to your professional life and learning. These together with your reviews and reflections over time enable you to develop your professional identity and manage your career.
It also allows you to refine the documentation and information you need when you prepare applications for employment throughout your working life.
Although an employer does not normally view a portfolio, it is helpful when putting together material for a job application and interview. You will keep much of your portfolio private and only make accessible those artefacts or documents that an employer has asked for and which you have refined for them to view.
What’s in it for me?
A Professional Portfolio:
1. Provides a portable career management tool
Regular review of your goals, strategies and achievements enables you to effectively plan and implement your next step at any stage of your career.
2. Builds your self-awareness and self-confidence as a professional
Review and reflection on your learning and practical experiences enables you to objectively track the evidence of your growth and professional development.
3. Links your graduate attributes with your learning and work experiences
You will use this understanding and evidence to promote your professional knowledge, skills and capabilities to employers.
4. Provides a central digital location
All information and evidence relevant to your learning and professional development is stored in a central location, which is accessible at all times. Your professional portfolio will become a valuable archive of your experiences, achievements and reflections.
How do I get started?
Portfolios are sometimes in hard copy in files that are organised according to the content. Increasingly portfolios are developed in the electronic environment using tools such as Evernote, Wordpress, Powerpoint or an e-press blog. Choose a format that suits your digital capabilities so that it is easy for you to set up.
Try to add to your documents and reflections on a regular basis, both to assist your learning and development and so that your portfolio will be up-to –date for occasions when you apply for employment or plan an application for promotion.
Your portfolio is not limited to your achievements in UTS: Law subjects. You can include evidence and reflections on any subjects that you have studied. You should also include your achievements and reflections on extra-curricular or workplace achievements. What you include in your portfolio should create a representation of your unique self rather than a collection of evidence that follows a formula.
To help individualise your portfolio, connect with your interests and strengths by regularly asking yourself the following questions:
What have been my achievements?
How do these relate to my future goals?
What extracurricular activities (community or personal involvement) reflect my interests and skills?
What else do I need to be doing to build a positive professional profile?
Examples of evidence that you could include in your portfolio:
A reading log showing the journals and other publications that you read on a regular basis.
Case studies with reflections developed as part of your learning experiences.
Description of and reflection on a supervision session with a research supervisor, and the impact on your continuing work.
Examples of assessment tasks, with your reflection on the outcomes of those tasks and capabilities you have you have demonstrated.
Examples of your work or research, with feedback attached.
Notes and reflections on research seminars/workshops/courses you have attended.
A list of activities/experiences and STAR outcomes (see below) that demonstrate your graduate attributes and professional skills as a lawyer.
An up-to-date CV ready to be tailored to a role and workplace.
Reflecting on your achievements
One method that you may wish to adopt when reflecting on your achievements is the S.T.A.R method, which is used in behaviour-based interviews. Behaviour-based interview questions usually begin with a statement like: ‘think of a time when’ or ‘describe a situation where’. To be successful in interviews you will need to provide employers with specific evidence, rather than just claims, that you have the required skills.
The framework for the S.T.A.R method is set out below:
S Situation What was the context? When, where, who was involved?
T Task What were you or your team required to achieve?
A Action What did you do? Take the reader/interviewer
through the process including reasons for actions.
R Results What was the outcome of your actions?
What is reflection?
Reflection is a process of reviewing and thinking critically about our activities and the world around us. It goes beyond describing what we do to challenging our assumptions and justifying changes. It is part of the process of researching our own lawyering, and includes thinking about what lawyering means to us, what our intentions are for lawyering.
An important part of critical reflection is asking ourselves ‘why’ questions about developing graduate attributes, considering possible reasons why, for example, we think a class or assignment went well, or didn’t, and considering alternatives for how and why we might do things differently. Thinking about why we do things, whether they have gone as intended, why we think they worked well or didn't and how we might do them differently next time. Recording these reflective thoughts can help us to crystallise our understanding of experiences, make connections between different aspects of our work and identify possible improvements. It can also keep us on track with our own personal and professional goals so that we prioritise well and give attention to what matters to us in relation to our goals. Recording personal reflections has the added benefit of documenting learning over time through recognising the changing nature of your reflections.
Critical reflection involves reviewing our activities and constantly testing the assumptions and actions related to your learning and the development of your professional identity. Critical reflection involves stepping back from events, exploring alternative explanations and challenging assumptions.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Research Analysis: The Concept of the Research
Research Analysis: The Concept of the Research: What are the new challenges women face today, how they cope with them, what they need in order to improve their situation and to realize su...
Research Analysis: The Concept of the Research
Research Analysis: The Concept of the Research: What are the new challenges women face today, how they cope with them, what they need in order to improve their situation and to realize su...
The Concept of the Research
What are the new challenges women face today, how they cope with them, what they need in
order to improve their situation and to realize successfully themselves at work, in pubic life, in the
family. These are some of the major questions, this project tried to find answers of. It was conducted in
Bulgaria, Kazahstan and Hungary.
The goal of the project is to study the issues, expectations and new roles of women at work
and in the family regarding the dynamics of the global transformations in all spheres of public life. It
also aims to assist women’s access to the globalizing labour market, as well as to contribute to
improvement women’s opportunities for a free choice and decent work and family realization.
For this purpose, a team of experts and highly qualified researchers conducted a large-scale indepth survey, applying up to the modern world standards quantitative and qualitative methods. Within
the project, a lot of empirical information was collected, systematized and analyzed, the main part of
which is presented in this report. The received findings could be implemented in forming of data base
on women’s problems, improving the methodology for collecting statistical information by gender, as
well as for designing an employment policy accounting of the specific features of men and women,
which may be implemented by both government and non-government organizations.
The concept of the survey was developed and specified through a series of discussions and
actualizing of the main hypotheses. After a detailed analysis of theory, publications and available
analyses on the topic, three main research hypotheses have been formulated.
The first hypothesis is that, the processes of worldwide globalization and economic, social and
cultural transformations and reforms in the country change substantially the distribution of roles
between men and women, adding more and more responsibilities for women.
The second hypothesis is that, as a result of the hard transition to market economy, women
have more limited access to the labour market, but at the same time they are more adaptive and
combinative compare to men.
The third is that, in comparison with men, women are more strongly injured considering
payment, employment, holding high posts, as well as distribution of household labour. Women are
more likely to fall in the poverty trap than men are and all this requires the employment policies and
the strategies for improving the quality of life in the country to be specified by gender.
The research team implemented a complex approach to verify the hypotheses which
elaboration passes through the following stages:
At the first stage, the concept of the survey was defined with the participation of authorized
representatives of the three countries included in the project – Bulgaria, Kazahstan and Hungary. This
was made on a three-day workshop in Plovdiv in February 2001.
At the second stage, a consultative council to the main research team has been formed, in
which experts from the academic community, from different government and business institutions have
been involved. The aim of the council was to contribute to the improving of work on the project at each
phase.
At the third stage, with the help of the consultative council, the research methods were
defined and the organization plan of the survey was approved. The team working on the project
orientated toward conducting a large-scale survey on the theme, including quantitative and qualitative
world standard methods.
At the forth stage, the research tools for conducting of the qualitative phase of the survey were
designed and discussed – in-depth individual and group interviews, focus-groups, case-studies, contentanalyses.
At the fifth stage, tools for conducting of the quantitative research were designed on the basis
of findings from the previous, the qualitative phase, and from a systematization of statistical data.
The sixth stage covered collecting, processing and analyses of the social information received
from a national representative survey of the whole population in the country aged 18 and older.
During the seventh stage of the survey, series of discussions and presentations have been
organized, where the research findings were presented and popularizied. At a one-day workshop in
November 2001, the main results of the survey were discussed with the consultative council and with
other experts. In December, a four-day national dialogue has been organized, where a wider range of
participants were invited with whom the research findings and main conclusions, as well as the political
recommendations toward the government and the authorities, were discussed1
. At the beginning of
March 2002, a special scientific and practical conference was organized by the Agency for social
analyses (ASA) together with CITUB, where the findings of the project have been presented and
discussed. The media has broadly presented the project and the received findings as well.
Research methods and approaches
In order to attain the main objective of the survey, the research team has orientated toward
collecting quantitative and qualitative information through the following methods:
• Statistical data analysis
The research work started with a detailed desk research on the available statistical data on
women’s status in the labour market over the period of active transformations in the country. Data from
the National statistical institute have been processed and systematized considering activity rate,
employment rate, unemployment rate by gender and in different dimensions (by level of education,
age, family status) for the period 1993-20002
. The whole information was processied for the same
period by gender and demographic indicators.
• Individual and group in-depth interviews with women from different social categories
On the basis of the already outlined trends, the team designed the methodology for the first
(qualitative) phase of the survey. For specifying the main challenges women face, which to be
measured later with quantitative methods, series of different types of qualitative surveys were
conducted:
- 11 in-depth interviews with experts from different institutions and with different roles in
the process of transformations of society – politicians on national and regional level,
representatives of government and non-government organizations, of trade-unions and
employers, of academic and scientific community.
- 7 focus-groups with representatives of employed and unemployed women, of young
women before the start of their working career and with women before retirement, and
with Romany women, as well, conducted in different settlements in the country (village,
small town, big town)
- Expert evaluations by specialists from the government and non-government sector, from
trade unions, employers, university professors and researchers.
Case study in typologically selected units from the bank sector. This type of survey was
organized and conducted on the special insistence of experts from UNIFEM3
.
• National representative survey
After the analysis of the received data, the research team realized the next phase – qualitative
survey. In order to measure the registered during the first two phases problems of women at work and
in the family, a national representative survey with the following main characteristics was conducted:
Sample type – two-stage cluster sample, through which 100 clusters from the whole country
have been selected, where in each cluster 12 respondents have been studied.
Selection of respondents – Leslie Kish’s scheme.
Sample size – 1093 Bulgarian citizens from the whole country aged 18 or older.
Main fieldwork method – in-depth individual interview by living place of residence
Data processing – SPSS’8 for Windows.
Data analysis – Cluster analysis, Factor analysis, Correspondence analysis.
In the present report, the main findings of the analysis of the generalized empirical (both
qualitative and quantitative) and statistical information are presented. In appendices statistical data are
given, as well as explanations of the applied methodology.
GLOBALIZATION AS A CHALLENGE IN FRONT OF WOMEN’S
EMPLOYMENT
Mostly pointed out, answering the question “what is globalization?” is the contribution of
globalization to the worldwide economic development - increased economic integration between
people living in different countries
(1), consolidating of national economies5
(2) and on this basis –
stable trade; extended political and cultural dialogue and confirmed world peace. The pessimism,
concerning the opportunities globalization to improve living conditions in the long run, results from the
assessment that not all countries could make use of its advantages.
The estimations of economic globalization agree that it refers to active international trade,
direct investments, production and world markets integration6
. The intensity of world trade as a share
of exports and imports of GDP increases from 27% to 39% during the period 1987-1997. Only for the
developing countries the increase is from 10% to 17%. (3) 7
.
Foreign direct investment flow has grown nearly three-fold over the period 1988-1998 (from
192 billion to 610 billion U.S. dollars). The developing countries have received about one third of these
investments
. Together with these direct deposits an intensive international trade on capital markets
was observed, including developing countries. Nowadays, the economic strength of a country depends on its position in the globalizing world.
This means that if a country has been trying to reach an economic presperity and well-beeing of its
citizens, it should situate itself in the international networks in a way, which would assure effective
contacts of its production factors and would maximize its access to markets9
. If such networks do not
exist – it is necessary their establishment to be initiated by a useful for development way.
At the same time the power of the world capital has been increasing compare to that of separate
countries or other actors in civil society like trade unions, for example. In this way, the so-called capital
“structural power”, and particularly business finance opportunities to influence directly state politics,
has been stabilized. The big capital has always aspired to such influence. Its realization has a negative
effect on “economically and politicall weak” subjects, as well as when studing the wold processes.
With regard to this fact, are the comments on deviding world economy into a small number of
economic leadres and the majority – on developing economies working to provide the resources they
need.
As the term globalization itself and the social roles of women, outlining the eventual changes in
women’s positions (roles) in the contemporary globalizing world also has several aspects as well. In
conformity with the objectives of the present research more attention deserves the relation
“globalization – opportunities of employment of women”. It is not a question of direct cause-and-effect
connection but of mutually connected relations.
In Bulgaria, the share of employed women was 46.7% of all the employed in 2000. Women
prevail in branches like education (79.6%); health and social work (75.7%); financial intermediation
(61.7%); hotels and restaurants (57.7%); trade and repairing activities (51,4%)10.
Basic share of GDP growth rate have trade and repairing activities; transport; manufacturing
and power production (Table 1). There are branches which, although with temporal success, started
generating employment, such as electricity, gas and water supply; trade and services; transport.
In the short-term, on basis of the contribution of industries to GDP growth rate, the alterations
in employment in general and the structure of female employment, we could expect new working
places for women in trade and manufacturing industry, (the share of employed women in the latter is
high although not prevailing). Education and health care are in process of reconstructing and
decreasing of employment rate. Financial intermediation is intensifying its activities. The other
branches have potential for expansion but only after a reconstruction and investments.
What are the possible perspectives before these female employment structures in terms of the
future more intensive globalization of economy in the country? To answer this question, it is necessary
to outline the present stage of globalization an dits perspectives.
The main universally recognized indicators characterising the integration degree in the world
economic structures are several: 1) intensity of participation in the world trade flows; 2) volume and
intensity of investment inflow and outflow (mainly direct); 3) number and volume of foreign physical
and juridicial persons deposits in local banks.
There sre also many other indicators for economic stabilityof the coutry, of banking stability, of
political sustainabily, of adequacy of the industrial policy , etc. For the purpose of the current research
however to main groups of indicators are used:
• Intensity of the export and the situation of the balance of trade,
• Direct foreign investments to Bulgaria.
The foreign trade turnover has increased in 2000 (11,1 billion USD). The growth was by 18%
as compared to 1999. The export volume reached 4.8 billion USD and the import volume - 6.4 billion
USD (an increase respectively by 19,9% and 16,6 % compared to 1999). The registered negative
balance (1.6 billion USD), however, was the highest since the beginning of transition period.
An increased concentration of the export volume in 2000 was observed (growth by 21.6% by
prices for 1999). The first ten commodity groups formed 60.3% of the export compared with 51.8% in
1999. The highest was the growth in textiles – by 24%; mineral products – 35%; metals and chemical
products - 50%13. The import volume (again by prices for 1999) is increasing by 22.8%. By
commodity groups, the highest import growth was in metals (by 54%), timber (by 43%) and chemical
products (by 30%).
The export value for the countries members of OECD and EU increased by 5.3% as that in
1999. The structure of export by countries was oriented to Italy and Turkey (25% of the export for
2000). The contribution of a commodity to trade balance shows the net export of this commodity as
thousandths of GDP in comparison with its share of the theoretical trade balance if there was no
specialization for the particular commodity
It is calculated as:
((E-I)- [(E-I)*((E+I)/(E+I))]*1000/GDP, where E is export, I – is import, GDP – Gross
Domestic Product
Bulgaria has unfavorable foreign trade specialization. Basic contribution have metals (ferrous
and non-ferrous), followed by clothing14. This structure of contribution provides an opportunity of
expanding women’s employment in wearing industry.
The foreign direct investments (FDI) inflow (table 4) still remains unfavorable. For the period
1992 – 2000 it reached 4 billion USD. According to data from the Bulgarian Foreign Investments
Agency the inflow of FDI was oriented to manufacturing; trade and repairing activities; transport and
communications. The investments in the first two branches would be of great importance for women’s
employment considering the structure of female labour. There are general opportunities to stimulate women’s employment in trade sector.
They could be extended after using the investments for setting up a new, re-constructing and improving the existing
road network, development of communications, services and foreign tourists flow.
Entering upon the international capital markets with an eurobonds emission was an important
step for the country, as a part of the globalizing world (12.11.2001). After seven days, Sofia Stock
Exchange started secondary trade with these first eurobonds. As a result the credit rating of Bulgaria
has been increased.
Although only generally introduced, trade and investment indicators mark rather unfavorable
conclusions for the position of Bulgaria in Europe and in the World. The country is still economically
weak so as to profit by the globalization advantages. For the present moment it is more important to
minimize the negative effects of globalization and to stabilize the national economy.
Regarding women’s employment, the economic globalization till this moment has stimulated
their participation in wearing industry and in the sphere of trade and services. There are threats which have an adverse effect on women’s employment such as: more opportunities of employment but mostly
for women with lower level of education; qualification in small range of activities; limited access to
spheres for professional realization as well as limited opportunities of growth in career compared to
men; general limited opportunities of employment and strong structural unemployment.
Research Analysis: WHY DO WE ANALYZE DATA
Research Analysis: WHY DO WE ANALYZE DATA: The purpose of analysing data is to obtain usable and useful information. The analysis, irrespective of whether the data is qualitative or ...
WHY DO WE ANALYZE DATA
The purpose of analysing data is to obtain usable and useful
information. The analysis, irrespective of whether the data is
qualitative or quantitative, may:
• describe and summarise the data
• identify relationships between variables
• compare variables
• identify the difference between variables
• forecast outcomes
When using a quantitative methodology, you are normally testing theory through the testing
of a hypothesis.
In qualitative research, you are either exploring the application of a theory or model in a different
context or are hoping for a theory or a model to emerge from the data. In other words,
although you may have some ideas about your topic, you are also looking for ideas,
concepts and attitudes often from experts or practitioners in the field.
Presenting the findings
• Only make claims that your data can support
• The best way to present your findings depends on the audience,
the purpose, and the data gathering and analysis undertaken
• Graphical representations (as discussed above) may be
appropriate for presentation
• Other techniques are:
– Rigorous notations, e.g. UML
– Using stories, e.g. to create scenarios
– Summarizing the findings
Research Analysis: Sample Size and Population Size
Research Analysis: Sample Size and Population Size: A large random sample almost always gives an estimate that is close to the parameter. What fundamentally matters for the variability of a...
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Sample Size and Population Size
A large random sample almost always gives an estimate that is
close to the parameter.
What fundamentally matters for the variability of a
statistic from a random sample is the sample size, not the
population size: The variability of a statistic from a random
sample does not notably depend on the size of the population.
According to Moore/McCabe, this is true, strictly speaking, as
long as the population is at least 100 times larger than the
sample.
According to the other “state of the art” introductory statistics
book, Freedman et al.’s Statistics: “When estimating
percentages, it is the absolute size of the sample which
determines accuracy, not the size relative to the population.
There is a marginal difference, which the finite population
correction factor (fpc) can compensate for, if the sample is
a large portion of the population:
There is a marginal difference, which the finite population
correction factor (fpc) can compensate for, if the sample is
a large portion of the population:
Perhaps use fpc when the sample is a large portion
(say, 30-40+%) of the population - but using it can
cause uncertainty for inferring the sample’s results to a
wider population.
So, even when the sample is a large portion of the
population, use fpc only when descriptive precision,
rather than inference, is the priority.
See Freedman et al., pp. 367-370:
fpc = square root of (N – n/N – 1)
N=population size n=sample size
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Sunday, July 12, 2020
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Sample Size and Population Size
A large random sample almost always gives an estimate that is
close to the parameter.
What fundamentally matters for the variability of a
statistic from a random sample is the sample size, not the
population size: The variability of a statistic from a random
sample does not notably depend on the size of the population.
According to Moore/McCabe, this is true, strictly speaking, as
long as the population is at least 100 times larger than the
sample.
According to the other “state of the art” introductory statistics
book, Freedman et al.’s Statistics: “When estimating
percentages, it is the absolute size of the sample which
determines accuracy, not the size relative to the population.
There is a marginal difference, which the finite population
correction factor (fpc) can compensate for, if the sample is
a large portion of the population:
There is a marginal difference, which the finite population
correction factor (fpc) can compensate for, if the sample is
a large portion of the population:
Perhaps use fpc when the sample is a large portion
(say, 30-40+%) of the population - but using it can
cause uncertainty for inferring the sample’s results to a
wider population.
So, even when the sample is a large portion of the
population, use fpc only when descriptive precision,
rather than inference, is the priority.
See Freedman et al., pp. 367-370:
fpc = square root of (N – n/N – 1)
N=population size n=sample size
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Monday, June 29, 2020
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Friday, April 10, 2020
Friday, March 27, 2020
Friday, March 20, 2020
Friday, February 28, 2020
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Thursday, January 30, 2020
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