<p> This study used in-depth, individual interviews to engage seven doctoral students and a paired member of their dissertation committee in discussions about qualitative research transparency and the use of NVivo, a Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDAS), in pursuing it. The study also used artifacts (an exemplary qualitative research article of the participant's choice and the student's written dissertation) to examine specific researcher practices within particular contexts. The design and analysis were based on weak social constructionist (Schwandt, 2007), boundary object (Star, 1989; Star &amp; Griesemer, 1989) and boundary-work (Gieryn, 1983, 1999) perspectives to facilitate a focus on: 1) The way transparency was used to coordinate activity in the absence of consensus. 2) The discursive strategies participants employed to describe various camps (e.g., qualitative and quantitative researchers) and to simultaneously stake claims to their understanding of transparency. </p><p> The analysis produced four key findings. First, the personal experiences of handling their qualitative data during analysis influenced the students' pursuit of transparency, long before any consideration of being transparent in the presentation of findings. Next, the students faced unpredictable issues when pursuing transparency, to which they responded <i>in situ,</i> considering a wide range of contextual factors. This was true even when informed by ideal types (Star &amp; Griesemer, 1989) such as the American Educational Research Association (2006) guidelines that provided a framework for pursuing the principle of transparency. Thirdly, the QDAS-enabled visualizations students used while working with NVivo to interpret the data were described as a helpful (and sometimes indispensable) aspect of pursuing transparency. Finally, this situational use of visualizations to pursue transparency was positioned to re-examine, verify, and sometimes challenge their interpretations of their data over time as a form of self-interrogation, with less emphasis on showing their results to an audience. Together, these findings lead to a new conceptualization of <i>transparency in motion,</i> a process of tacking back and forth between situated practice of transparency and transparency as an ideal type. The findings also conclude with several proposals for advancing a <i>transparency pedagogy.</i> These proposals are provided to help qualitative researchers move beyond the often implicit, static, and post-hoc invocations of transparency in their work.</p>

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Co-op programs bridge the gap between the academic and work worlds and provide students with practical experience in their chosen fields while they earn money between academic school terms. The Technical Communication Diploma program at Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, has incorporated a co-operative education term. Instructors at the College charged with placing co-op students each year are challenged in finding such placements, and they receive little guidance from research. In this study, I interviewed 21 employers in Winnipeg who hired co-op students from the Technical Communication Diploma program at Red River College from 2003–2005, to determine their perspectives on participation in co-op programs. Important factors influencing Winnipeg employers were the productivity of students and their specialized skill sets. The major deterrent to re-hiring students was lack of funding. A Model of Employers’ Motivation to Participate in Co-op Programs is proposed. / October 2006

<p>Recent progress in professional policy and legislation at the federal level in the field of forensic science constructs a transformation of new outcomes for future experts. An exploratory and descriptive qualitative methodology was used to critique and examine Digital and Multimedia Science (DMS) as a justified forensic discipline. Chapter I summarizes Recommendations 1, 2, and 10 of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Report 2009 regarding disparities and challenges facing the forensic science community. Chapter I also delivers the overall foundation and framework of this thesis, specifically how it relates to DMS. Chapter II expands on Recommendation 1: &ldquo;<i>The Promotion and Development of Forensic Science</i>,&rdquo; and focuses chronologically on professional policy and legislative advances through 2014. Chapter III addresses Recommendation 2: &ldquo;<i>The Standardization of Terminology in Reporting and Testimony</i>,&rdquo; and the issues of legal language and terminology, model laboratory reports, and expert testimony concerning DMS case law. Chapter IV analyzes Recommendation 10: &ldquo;<i>Insufficient Education and Training</i>,&rdquo; identifying legal awareness for the digital and multimedia examiner to understand the role of the expert witness, the attorney, the judge and the admission of forensic science evidence in litigation in our criminal justice system. Finally, Chapter V studies three DME specific laboratories at the Texas state, county, and city level, concentrating on current practice and procedure. </p>

<p> Large organizations continue to outsource information technology services as a method of cost-savings rather than knowledge acquisition. This prioritization leads to failed sourcing projects and increases in overhead expenses. The purpose of the study was to achieve a consensus in regard to an effective staffing balance and collaboration in information services outsourcing. The study canvassed an expert panel of 49 IT professionals in a 3-round Delphi study. This study provided understanding of the internal IT professionals&rsquo; relationship with domestic contractors and offshore resources. Information was gathered from IT professionals with experience working with external partners. The study explored procedures to enhance outsourcing models. This was completed by answering the research questions: (R1) what do IT professionals perceive is an appropriate balance of internal staff, domestic contractors, and offshore resources in a global organization? In addition, (R2) when collaborating with external support, what communication and collaboration techniques should be integrated into a sourcing strategy? A qualitative Delphi method was followed, and participant&rsquo;s responses were analyzed to achieve research findings. </p><p> Recommendations were to maintain a 50% to 70% staff of internal employees, have the domestic contract labor equal to offshore labor, and maintain open, frequent communication with external partners. Over-outsourcing passes too much knowledge to the external partner, reduces internal knowledge, and creates a dependency on the external firm. These issues can be overcome by increasing collaboration across firms. Project managers should closely monitor the performance of external teams. IT organizations should acquire external resources based upon skills first, and costs second. Management should integrate firms to ensure the parent organization retains critical knowledge.</p>

Co-op programs bridge the gap between the academic and work worlds and provide students with practical experience in their chosen fields while they earn money between academic school terms. The Technical Communication Diploma program at Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, has incorporated a co-operative education term. Instructors at the College charged with placing co-op students each year are challenged in finding such placements, and they receive little guidance from research. In this study, I interviewed 21 employers in Winnipeg who hired co-op students from the Technical Communication Diploma program at Red River College from 2003–2005, to determine their perspectives on participation in co-op programs. Important factors influencing Winnipeg employers were the productivity of students and their specialized skill sets. The major deterrent to re-hiring students was lack of funding. A Model of Employers’ Motivation to Participate in Co-op Programs is proposed.

Co-op programs bridge the gap between the academic and work worlds and provide students with practical experience in their chosen fields while they earn money between academic school terms. The Technical Communication Diploma program at Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, has incorporated a co-operative education term. Instructors at the College charged with placing co-op students each year are challenged in finding such placements, and they receive little guidance from research. In this study, I interviewed 21 employers in Winnipeg who hired co-op students from the Technical Communication Diploma program at Red River College from 2003–2005, to determine their perspectives on participation in co-op programs. Important factors influencing Winnipeg employers were the productivity of students and their specialized skill sets. The major deterrent to re-hiring students was lack of funding. A Model of Employers’ Motivation to Participate in Co-op Programs is proposed.

Thesis (M.S. in Systems Engineering Management )--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2008. / Thesis Advisor(s): Welch, William J. ; Rhoades, Mark M. "September 2008." Description based on title screen as viewed on November 3, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 65-68). Also available in print.