Rethinking fieldwork in critical algorithm research: slippery positionalities and generative vulnerabilities

This chapter brings to the forefront various challenges of engaging in both critical and participatory forms of knowledge building, in particular with queer and trans migrants with precarious status. Two scholars trace their previous experiences of engaging in participatory and critical research as well as their shift toward reflexive ways of knowing. This shift elicits the ways in which Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) may be used to build reflexive knowledge with and about queer and trans migrant communities, and in particular, LGBTQ refugees and MSM Latino migrants.

This article is a critically reflexive account of how collaborative processes and democratic relations were negotiated in a doctoral research project which combined elements of institutional ethnography, self-study, and, significantly for this article, critical participatory action research. The critical participatory action research dimension of the project involved a group of academics working in the same university faculty, critically and collaboratively examining their own pedagogical practice and the conditions which constrain and enable critical pedagogical praxis in their setting. The article explores what possibilities for democratic participation were created and limited by the circumstances and conditions that constituted this critical participatory action research. I consider the kind of democratic participation that was possible, what enabled this kind of democratic participation, and challenges that emerged in attempts to realise democratic goals. The discussion highlights some of the complexities of fostering democratic participation in critical participatory action research within doctoral research.

This chapter is an account of the changing educational ideas, institutional work and collegial relationships in almost four decades of work in critical participatory action research. The focus is the historical context or back story of the evolution of the series of ‘action research planners’ (and related publications), the current version of which was written by Stephen Kemmis, Robin McTaggart and Rhonda Nixon and published by Springer in 2014 as The Action Research Planner: Doing Critical Participatory Action Research. The back story depicts the conditions that influenced the series of planners including those in university and school systems, as well as the expansion of the university sector, changes in research methodology, evaluation and accountability, and emergent concerns about the relationship between research, democracy and social justice. Different forms of action research emerged in areas of social practice, cultures, languages and traditions, together with convergence, contestation, and co-option of the ideas of action research. Critique of these practices generated more definitive accounts of participation, practice and practice architectures and the role of public spheres. The resultant critical participatory action research helped to bring new discipline and credibility to everyday reflection and action. The chapter explores the ideas of the most recent Planner in a major project in Canada.

<p>While reflexivity has been taken up as an important concept in critical qualitative research, there are few texts that illustrate explicit approaches to practicing reflexivity. Drawing on my doctoral research experience, this article fills this gap and explores how the practice of mindfulness may guide us to a rich engagement with reflexivity during the critical qualitative research process, in particular within the context of interactions with research participants. More specifically, mindfulness is put forth as a practice to invite an embodied and holistic form of learning that goes beyond cognitive knowing. I argue that a mindfulness-based reflexivity has the potential to open up a space to learn from the messiness and discomfort experienced in the research process and deepen our understanding about the operation of power relations in critical qualitative research and beyond.</p>

New Feminist Approaches to Social Science Methodologies: An Introduction

Chapter 1: World Views, Paradigms, and the Practice of Social Science Research Case 1. Quantitative Research Case 2. Qualitative Research Thinking about the Foundations and Practice of Research What This Book Is and Is Not About. What Warrants Our Attention? The Traditional Canon Alternative Paradigms New Techniques or New Paradigms? Chapter 2: History and Context of Paradigm Development Positivism: A Response to Metaphysical and Magical Explanations Critical Theory: A Response to Inequities in Society Interpretivism: A Response to the Excesses of Scientific Social Science The Special Cases of Postmodernism and Feminism Chapter 3: Foundational Issues: Postpositivist and Critical Perspectives Social Science Research: The View from the Postpositivist Paradigm Social Science Research: The View from the Critical Theory Paradigm Chapter 4: History and Foundations of Interpretivist Research (1) Nature of Reality. (2) Purpose of Research. (3) Acceptable Methodology/Data. (4) The Meaning of Data (5) Relationship of Research to Practice. The Implications of an Interpretivist Approach What Sorts of Research are Worthwhile? Examples of Interpretive Research Chapter 5: Frameworks for Qualitative Research Postpositivist Research Moments of Qualitative Research Some General Frameworks for Qualitative Research Chapter 6: General Guidelines for Qualitative Research Guidelines for Qualitative Research Situated or Contextual Understanding, Not Truth, is the Purpose of Research Accept Multiple Sources of Influence Take A Foundational Rather Than Technique Perspective Practice Recursive (Iterative ) and Emergent Data Collection and Analysis Use Multiple Sources of Data Think of Research as a Reflective Process The Researcher is the Primary Tool for Data Collection and Analysis An Emphasis on Participatory versus Nonparticipatory Research. Adopt an Open Approach Deal With Bias Directly Select Natural Contexts for Research Research Should be Holistic, Not Atomistic Research Involves More Than Induction and Deduction: Analogical Reasoning, Abduction, and Family Resemblances Alternatives to Postpositivist Criteria for Believability: Validity and Reliability Alternative Approaches to Validity and Reliability: Triangulation and More Conclusions? Aren't They Generalizations? Chapter 7: Methods of Qualitative Research Case 1: Action Research on a Pediatric Surgical Ward Established Qualitative Research Methods Ethnography Case Studies: Another Form of Qualitative Observation Interview Research Historigraphy Historiography: The Research Methods of History Innovative Methods Participatory Qualitative Research Emancipatory Research Critical Emancipatory Action Research Chapter 8: Approaches to Data Analysis and Intepretation The Purpose of Research General Theory Objective Description Hermeneutic (Verstehen) Understanding Story telling/Narrative Data Analysis Families Eyeballing the Data Connoisseurship: A Global Perspective Hermeneutics as a Data Analysis Method Grounded Theory Analytic Induction A Final Topic: The Ethics of Research Chapter 9: 21st Century Social Science: Peering into the Future Will the Cacophony Continue? Why Can't Social Science Converge on The Answer? Competition Linearity Dialog as an Alternative to Competition Three Approaches to Knowing in Greek Thought Plato Aristotle The Humanities Choices 20th Century Social Science Made Suppose We Chose Badly Two Theories That May Help Us Build 21st Century Social Science Poetic Logic Chaos and Complexity Theory: Another Route to a Nonlinea Social Science

Introduction: Research is vital for improving care among critically ill and injured patients, yet despite this awareness, enrollment in critical care trials remains challenging. The high acuity of a patient’s condition often impacts emotional and physical health, in turn affecting disposition on research participation. Furthermore, key demographic groups remain underrepresented. We hypothesized that factors such as race, sex, age, education, and clinical acuity influence willingness to participate in critical care research, and motivators/deterrents vary across these demographic groups. Methods: We conducted a single-center cross-sectional survey at a tertiary hospital over 10 months, enrolling adult ICU patients or their legally authorized representatives (LARs). A validated survey containing 20 closed-ended questions measured willingness to participate in research and identified motivators/deterrents. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from the electronic health record. Statistical analysis included univariate testing and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Out of 700 participants, 70.1% indicated that they would be willing to participate in research. Multivariable analysis revealed that participants of older age (p=.041) and better well-being (p=.071) were predictors of willingness. Key motivators included the belief that research would benefit future patients (81.3%) and personal/family members’ outcomes (74.9%). However, Black participants were significantly less likely than White participants to select benefiting future patients as a motivator (70.9% vs. 23.1%, p=.010). Major deterrents across respondents included fear of being experimented on (46.6%) and potential side effects (43.5%). Participants with lower education were more likely to cite distrust in research and fear of personal data misuse as deterrents. Conclusions: Our study found that the majority of patients/LARs were open to participating in critical care research. Age and current well-being affected willingness to participate, while motivators and deterrents varied widely by demographics. By understanding the motivators and deterrents across demographic groups, we can enable thoughtful engagement with patients/LARs that address their specific concerns, thus increasing research participation among the critically ill.

This article examines research methodologies for classroom-based research in light of the complementary ideas of Freire and Habermas. After reflecting on classroom-based participatory action research in a secondary mathematics classroom, I discuss the suitability of critical participatory action research in critical mathematics education. Critical participatory action research resonates with central concerns of critical mathematics education as it allows researchers to consider emancipatory alternatives to existing situations.

This paper focuses on the development of a model of research and professional development which aims to bring about transformations in classroom practice in situations that have previously proved resistant to change. We explore reasons why conventional models have failed to address one such situation, the continuing predominance of teacher-centred pedagogies in mathematics classrooms. We draw on findings from the Visible Mathematics Pedagogy research project to highlight how a critical model of participatory action research can be refined to enhance its potential to bring about changes in classroom practice. We report on research tools and processes that were developed, distinct from those commonly used in research, including the organisation of research team meetings around participatory principles, the active involvement of teachers in designing and employing data collection tools, and in generating protocols associated with video-stimulated reflection. We demonstrate how these research tools and processes enhanced collaboration and teacher agency, the trustworthiness of the research findings and teachers’ critical reflection on existing practice. We argue that our refined model of participatory action research can inform and support teachers and researchers wishing to transform classroom practice, especially in situations analogous to many mathematics classrooms, in which conventional models have had limited impact.

Patient and family partnership in critical care medicine research and clinical care is essential to achieve patient and family-centered care. Although there is an increasing interest in patient and family engagement, research is lacking to direct clinicians and researchers on how to provide opportunities for meaningful engagement. We review the recent literature and provide examples from our own experiences to guide all parties in this important and emerging area. Though the literature is relatively nascent, studies suggest that there is a desire to engage patients and families in critical care medicine research and clinical care, however, uncertainty exists on how to achieve this goal. Engagement exists on a spectrum from presence to shared decision-making and direct contributions to care; most engagement in critical care medicine involves participation in research and presence at the bedside. Expectation management is essential for meaningful engagement and true partnership. Challenges to patient and family engagement exist, including determining appropriate compensation, aligning engagement with needs and skills, and recruitment, training and retention. These challenges can be mitigated with thoughtful planning and management. Patient and family engagement in critical care medicine is an emerging field that requires further study to support definitive conclusions. Until then, it is important to match interested patients and family members with appropriate opportunities and provide training and support to ensure meaningful engagement.

TThis article examines the use of participatory arts-based research (PABR) to document and disseminate rural women’s non-academic knowledge of tradition and explores how such knowledge might inform the work of government institutions in Poland. The study engaged members of the Rural Women’s Circle (Koło Gospodyń Wiejskich, KGW) in Wyrzeka—one of the oldest and most widespread rural women’s associations—as co-creators in an artistic project designed to provide a space for self-expression outside state-defined frameworks. While KGWs are publicly legitimized as ambassadors of tradition and folklore, their role in defining and updating this knowledge remains marginal; institutional narratives dominate, often instrumentalizing their work for political purposes. Drawing on feminist epistemology, the project employed accessible visual arts methods, including collage, to: (a) reclaim women’s subjectivity within tradition narratives; (b) reach audiences beyond government channels; and (c) produce contextually relevant research through collaboration with women whose contributions are undervalued both for their non-academic status and for the gendered character of their expertise. The findings highlight the persistent marginalization of women’s experiential knowledge within heritage discourse and the potential of PABR to challenge this imbalance.

Purpose This paper outlines the approach of critical participatory action research (CPAR) and the extended case method (ECM) within an applied research context. The context for the research example explored is set within employee ownership. Design/methodology/approach CPAR is at the heart of this paper. The ECM is applied to underpin the approaches adopted. The approach to managing data is qualitative. Findings A journey of originality is presented within this paper, which focuses upon CPAR and ECM to provide a unique and alternative methodological thinking crucial for pushing the boundaries of research approaches in organisations. Originality/value Researchers can be encouraged by the stance adopted in the methodological positioning in combination with the participatory data approach and the action research methods underpinning the whole project, affording learning from the experience of complexity and difficulties encountered and shared. It is hoped that this approach will allow other such kindred forms of research to be developed.

Over the past decade, unconditional cash transfer pilots have proliferated across the United States. Many are designed as top-down policy 'experiments' that rely on narrow definitions of validity, privileging randomized controlled trials and decontextualized outcome measures. In youth policy and child welfare contexts, such approaches risk epistemological violence by devaluing lived experience, denying resources to communities, relying on reductive variables and reproducing dominant narratives of deservingness. This article examines YouthNPower: Transforming Care, a pilot designed by and for young people with experience in the child welfare system that provided US$1,000 per month for one year to 100 youth who aged out of foster care and was accompanied by research, organizing and policy engagement. Rooted in a critical participatory action research (CPAR) framework and using a mixed-methods design, the study drew on surveys, interviews and focus groups to document impact while resisting extractive research logics and exclusionary hierarchies of evidence. Findings indicate that unconditional cash stabilized housing, supported education, employment and wellbeing, and increased participants' sense of agency. At the same time, the research documented the limits of cash alone within conditions of structural precarity. Participatory methods also surfaced how dominant policy myths about irresponsibility and dependency are contradicted by youth's financial decision-making under constraint. YouthNPower demonstrates how CPAR can intervene in evidence-based policy making by strengthening epistemological accountability, redistributing epistemic authority, widening what counts as evidence, and positioning policy research as a site of collective struggle rather than post hoc evaluation.

Student activists, and particularly student activists of Color, have contributed significantly to campus change movements for decades. Yet resistance to student activism from higher education leaders has remained consistent. This article presents findings from a critical participatory action research (CPAR) project comprised of student activists at a predominantly white institution in the southern United States. It traces the group’s collaborative work to create and advance a comprehensive set of recommendations and empirically supported justifications for racially equitable institutional change. The purpose of the CPAR project was to draw institutional attention to the racial injustices and inequities on campus, create structured guidance for the necessary solutions, and to spark action for collaborative change. Despite the CPAR group’s intentional and thoughtful approach in developing and presenting their recommendations, the response from institutional leaders was tepid and disconnected, demonstrating the historical pattern of higher education leaders’ responses to student activism. Outcomes of the CPAR group’s efforts are described and implications for higher education leaders are explored.

This article uses a healing research methodology to describe how school counselors create, implement, and facilitate psychoeducational Educator Social-Emotional Learning (EduSEL) interventions. Using individual and small group interventions, school counselors sought to improve educators’ social and emotional competence, which fosters healthier school and classroom environments (Jagers et al., 2019). This study applies Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) to investigate how the facilitators of these interventions perceive educators’ wellness. School counselors report that EduSEL sessions fostered deeper professional learning for teachers and enabled them to develop personal insights, participate in healing, and learn practical strategies to translate into the classroom. Simultaneously, school counselors participated in a parallel SEL process, deepening their own social and emotional competence, along with their professional and clinical practices, to improve the effectiveness of SEL interventions and enhancing their role in promoting SEL across the school community. We briefly discuss several implications for school counselors within the context of EduSEL practice/training, policy, and research.