Phenomenology and naturalism: a hybrid and heretical proposal

In this paper I aim to develop a largely non-empirical case for the compatibility of phenomenology and naturalism. To do so, I will criticise what I take to be the standard construal of the relationship between transcendental phenomenology and naturalism, and defend a ‘minimal’ version of phenomenology that is compatible with liberal naturalism in the ontological register (but incompatible with scientific naturalism) and with weak forms of methodological naturalism, the latter of which is understood as advocating ‘results continuity’, over the long haul, with the relevant empirical sciences. Far from such a trajectory amounting to a Faustian pact in which phenomenology sacrifices its soul, I contend that insofar as phenomenologists care about reigning in the excesses of reductive versions of naturalism, the only viable way for this to be done is via the impure and hybrid account of phenomenology I outline here.

Health impact assessment in Australia and New Zealand: an exploration of methodological concerns

This paper explores methodological issues raised by recent attempts to promote the use of health impact assessment (HIA) in Australia and New Zealand. The experiences from both countries are used to highlight important aspects of the debate about the relevance of HIA in appraising both policies and projects particularly in the three broad areas: inclusivity, legitimacy, and method. Many countries are attempting to develop HIA for use in policy development without due consideration of either important methodological issues or the workforce development and capacity-building necessary for its successful implementation.

Researching a whole-year EE program: some methodological issues

A P-12 school in regional Victoria has an environmental theme throughout its Year Four program with classes located in a purpose- built Environmental Centre in a separate location within the school’s grounds. The authors report here on a one-year case study of the grade four thematic integrated curriculum at the school. They reflect on and describe some of the methodological issues that arose during the interviews, direct observations, photography and video-recording. Some of the practical considerations associated with case-study methodology are discussed. The paper concludes with a summary of emerging substantive issues and a prospective view to further research.

Naturalistic decision making: a model to overcome methodological challenges in the study of critical care nurses` decision making about patients` hemodynamic status

The quality of critical care nurses' decision making about patients' hemodynamic status in the immediate period after cardiac surgery is important for the patients' well-being and, at times, survival. The way nurses respond to hemodynamic cues varies according to the nurses' skills, experiences, and knowledge. Variability in decisions is also associated with the inherent complexity of hemodynamic monitoring. Previous methodological approaches to the study of hemodynamic assessment and treatment decisions have ignored the important interplay between nurses, the task, and the environment in which these decisions are made. The advantages of naturalistic decision making as a framework for studying the manner in which nurses make decisions are presented.

Methodological and conceptual issues in the search for a relationship between animal body-size distributions and benthic habitat architecture

Benthic ecologists have studied the distribution of animal body sizes because it is a form of ‘taxon-free’ classification that may be a useful metric for describing variation within and between ecological communities. In particular, the idea that the allometry of physiological and life-history traits may control species composition and relative abundances implies a functional link between body-size distributions and communities. The physical structure of aquatic habitats has often been cited as the mechanism by which habitat may determine body-size distributions in communities. However, further progress is hindered by a lack of theoretical clarity regarding the mechanisms that connect body size to the characteristics of ecological communities, leading to methods that may obscure interesting trends in body-size data. This review examines the methodological and conceptual issues hindering progress in the search for a relationship between animal body size and habitat architecture and suggests ways to resolve these issues. Problems are identified with current methods for the measurement of animal body size, the data and measures used to quantify body-size distributions and the methods used to identify patterns therein. Fundamentally, renewed emphasis on the mechanisms by which animal body sizes are influenced by habitat architecture is required to refine methodology and synthesise results from pattern-seeking and mechanistic studies.

Methodological considerations in the measurement of institutional and structural forms of HIV discrimination

The systematic measurement of HIV/AIDS-related discrimination is imperative within the current rhetoric that holds discrimination as one of the two ‘biggest' barriers to HIV/AIDS pandemic intervention. This paper provides a methodological critique of the UNAIDS (2000b) Protocol for the Identification of Discrimination against People Living with HIV (the Protocol) . Specifically, the paper focuses on the Protocol's capacity to accurately identify and measure institutional levels of HIV-related discrimination that allows data that are reliable and comparable across time and contexts. Conceptual issues including the Protocol's objective as an indicator versus a direct measure of discrimination and the role of the Protocol as a tool of research versus a tool of advocacy are explored. Design issues such as the operationalization of discrimination, appropriateness of indicator content, sampling and data collection strategies and issues of scoring are also evaluated. It is hoped that the matters outlined will provide readers with ways of critically reflecting and evaluating the findings of the research papers presented in this Special Issue, as well as pointing to ways of improving research design.

Directors' duties to stakeholders : a reform proposal based on three false assumptions

The Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee has been asked to consider whether the duties of directors under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) should be broadened to require directors to take into account the interests of stakeholder groups other than shareholders when making corporate decisions. In this article, the author argues that the existing statutory duties of directors in Australia should remain unchanged. The existing duties of directors, in particular the overriding duty of directors to act in the best interests of the company, already accommodates consideration of stakeholder interests by directors if the decision is justifiable as being in the company's best interests. Furthermore, corporate culture and norms are moving towards embracing stakeholder engagement, again with the implicit recognition that integrating stakeholder considerations within the decision-making processes of companies is integral to achieving long-term sustainable growth.

Methodological shifts in ratio-based modelling of corporate collapse

The year 1968 saw a major shift from univariate to multivariate methodological approaches to ratio-based modelling of corporate collapse. This was facilitated by the introduction of a new statistical tool called Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA). However, it did not take long before other statistical tools were developed. The primary objective for developing these tools was to enable deriving models that would at least do as good a job asMDA, but rely on fewer assumptions. With the introduction of new statistical tools, researchers became pre-occupied with testing them in signalling collapse. lLTUong the ratio-based approaches were Logit analysis, Neural Network analysis, Probit analysis, ID3, Recursive Partitioning Algorithm, Rough Sets analysis, Decomposition analysis, Going Concern Advisor, Koundinya and Purl judgmental approach, Tabu Search and Mixed Logit analysis. Regardless of which methodological approach was chosen, most were compared to MDA. This paper reviews these various approaches. Emphasis is placed on how they fared against MDA in signalling corporate collapse.

The challenge of reconciling working time demands and life transitions : a policy proposal

Labour markets, like all market institutions, exhibit structural and dynamic characteristics. Both the structural and dynamic characteristics of labour markets inevitably change and evolve over time in response to a host of exogenous and endogenous factors. In the case of the Australian labour market, structural changes are reflected in significant shifts in the industry and occupational composition of employment, the decline of full-time work and the concomitant rise in part-time and atypical forms of employment, demographic changes in the labour force, as well as changes in social and individual preferences. Dynamic shifts can be found in cyclical pattern of employment and wages growth, the growth in labour mobility, and transitions between various labour market states.
The starting point for this paper is that these structural and dynamic changes have given rise to an increase in the likelihood that individuals will experience a transition between various labour market states, and a greater diversity in the range of transitions they may experience over their working life. This acceleration in the rate of transition generates ‘transition costs’ for both employers and employees, as well the likelihood of mismatch between employer and employee working time preferences. As a consequence, existing labour market policy regimes, based on the traditional model of labour market participation over the life course may not provide adequate protection for most workers today.
Gunther Schmid (1998) and others have proposed institutional reforms which promote ‘transitional labour markets’. Transitional labour market institutions are those that allow individuals (and firms) to successfully adjust to critical events. While transitional labour market institutions may consist of traditional ‘active labour market policy’ mechanisms, Schmid and others have proposed a range of innovative policy responses which allow individuals (and firms) to adjust the intensity of their abour market participation over the life cycle. In this paper we use the general approach of advocated by the transitional labour market concept to do three things. First, we investigate the processes by which the nature of labour market transitions has changed over time. Second, we review the range of policy options available to government to smooth labour market dysfunctions associated with labour market transitions, with the objective of ensuring labour markets operate more efficiently and more equitably. Third, we focus on one possible way in which an existing labour market institution, Long Service Leave (LSL), could be reformed to make way for a more comprehensive transitional labour market institution in the form of a ‘working time bank’.

A proposal for change to teacher education in and for rural and regional Australia

In recent years, much attention has been given to the preparation of teachers for rural and regional schools (for example, Marks et al, 2000, Marks et al, 2001, Jones, 2002). Rural and regional teacher education brings with it exciting opportunities for individuals and communities. However, it is also coupled with specific demands on governments, teaching staff and tertiary institutions. However, as yet little attention has been given to how to reform teacher education to address the identified issues (Green & Reid, 2004). At present, the teacher education course offered on the Warrnambool campus of Deakin University is identical to that offered on the metropolitan (Burwood) and regional (Geelong) campuses. The course is a traditional four-year course.

At the Warrnambool campus we are embarking on a project which aims to reconceptualise teacher education for rural and regional contexts. It seeks to: better understand the issues and challenges rural and regional stake holders face within the profession, including both pre-service and service dimensions; identify the context specific knowledge, skills and strategies rural and regional schools are looking for in graduate teachers; and develop and implement a revised Bachelor of Education program that reflects the needs of rural and regional education.

In this paper, we outline how we intend determining the demand for a community-based teacher education program in western Victoria and determining/negotiating community support for such an initiative.

Students' conflicting attitudes towards games as a vehicle for learning mathematics : a methodological dilemma

Mathematics games are widely employed in school classrooms for such reasons as a reward for early finishers or to enhance students' attitude towards mathematics. During a four week period, a total of 222 Grade 5 and 6 (9 to 12 years old) children from Melbourne, Australia, were taught multiplication and division of decimal numbers using calculator games or rich mathematical activities. Likert scale surveys of the children's attitudes towards games as a vehicle for learning mathematics revealed unexpectedly high proportions of negative attitudes at the conclusion of the research. In contrast, student interview data revealed positive associations between games and mathematical learning. This article reports on the methodological dilemma of resultant conflicting attitudinal data related to game- playing. Concerns arising from the divergence in the results are raised in this article. Implications based on the experience of this study may inform educational researchers about future methodological choices involving attitudinal research.

The role of a prospective public health intervention study register in building public health evidence: proposal for content and use

Evidence-informed practice is a key component of public health and the focus of much discussion, of which the nature of evidence and how it is best gathered and appraised has formed a large part. Prospective registration of trials is now a key component of rigour and quality in clinical research and has been supported at an international level through the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Program. This paper discusses the scope and benefits of trial registration in clinical research, including greater transparency and reduced publication bias. It then considers the potential for a Prospective Public Health Intervention Studies Register specific to the needs of public health and aspects to be included in such a register. It is argued that this initiative has the potential to facilitate increased global cooperation and efficiency in the production of high quality evidence and ultimately in improved health outcomes for populations.