scholarly journals EXPLORING ESP TEXTBOOKS FOR COMMERCE AND MEDICINE: AN ANALYSIS OF SKILLS AND TYPES OF INSTRUCTION

Author(s):  
José Andrés Carrasco-Flores ◽  
Gema Alcaraz-Mármol

The present study explores the communicative potential of two ESP textbooks. It examines a sample of activities of English for Commerce and  English for Medicine textbooks with an instrument of analysis consisting of three parts: (1) a section for the metadata of the activities, (2) a checklist which assesses the presence and distribution of language skills and systems, and (3) a scale devised by Criado (2016) which measures the weight of meaning-focused and form-focused instruction found in activities. To study these elements, a framework describing and illustrating each component was designed. Inter-rater reliability tests were carried out to ensure the validity of the results. The findings of the study suggest that these textbooks are mainly meaning-focused, although some differences as regards the extent to which each of these elements is promoted can be found. Moreover, several methodological issues are raised in order to improve future research concerning materials analysis.

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Simnett ◽  
Elizabeth Carson ◽  
Ann Vanstraelen

SUMMARY We present a comprehensive review of the 130 international archival auditing and assurance research articles that were published in eight leading accounting and auditing journals for 1995–2014. In order to support evidence-based international standard setting and regulation, and to identify what has been learned to date, we map this research to the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board's (IAASB) Framework for Audit Quality. For the areas that have been well researched, we provide a summary of the findings and outline how they can inform standard setters and regulators. We also observe a significant evolution in international archival research over the 20 years of our study, as evidenced by the measures of audit quality, data sources used, and approaches used to address endogeneity concerns. Finally, we identify some challenges in undertaking international archival auditing and assurance research and identify opportunities for future research. Our review is of interest to researchers, practitioners, and standard setters/regulators involved in international auditing and assurance activities.


Author(s):  
Sedef Uzuner

This paper reviews past research that focused on questions of culture in distance learning. Of specific interest are the studies that examined the influence of culture on students’ learning and engagement in asynchronous learning networks (ALNs). The purpose of this review is three-fold: to present the state of knowledge concerning the questions of culture in distance learning, to highlight important methodological issues that past research has left unresolved, and to provide practical insights into teaching culturally and linguistically diverse online communities of learners. For these purposes, 27 studies are examined and the findings are reported under the following categories: What do studies focusing on questions of culture in distance learning tell us? What implications do they suggest for practice and future research? Also, the paper provides methodological insights for researchers who wish to investigate the cultural dimensions of distance learning in future studies.


1989 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
GAY C. KITSON ◽  
KAREN BENSON BABRI ◽  
MARY JOAN ROACH ◽  
KATHLEEN S. PLACIDI

Authors have commented upon the theoretical similarities in adjustment to widowhood and divorce, but little research has empirically explored this issue. This review examines studies of adjustment to widowhood and/or divorce and points out those places where findings are similar or different. The impact upon adjustment of cause of death or divorce, timing of the event, demographic correlates, economic issues, social support, and attachment is explored. The review concludes with a discussion of methodological issues and topics for future research in widowhood and divorce adjustment research.


2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu-Anne Swart ◽  
Angela Gilchrist ◽  
Alex Butchart ◽  
Mohamed Seedat ◽  
Lorna Martin

Rape prevention efforts are hampered by a chronic lack of adequate epidemiological and surveillance data. Information on identifying factors such as the who, when, where and how of rape is needed to inform the design of effective intervention programmes. Results from a demonstration Rape Surveillance Project show that records of rape cases presenting at three medico-legal clinics provide a valuable source for the epidemiological surveillance of rape. From January 1996 to December 1998 a surveillance questionnaire was completed for rape victims presenting at the Hillbrow, Lenasia South, and Chris Hani Baragwanath Medico-Legal Clinics in Gauteng. Analysis of the data suggests which women are most at risk for being raped, by whom they are raped, the areas where attacks most often occur, and the day and time when rapes are mostly committed. Despite the limited database and difficulties with generalizing findings beyond the three clinics, it is apparent that surveillance procedures have enormous import for sexual violence prevention and intervention. Implications for prevention strategies, aftercare, policy formulation, and future research are discussed. Methodological issues and institutional constraints are also discussed with a view to strengthening and developing such information management systems.


2014 ◽  
pp. 1461-1495
Author(s):  
Ramazan Nacar ◽  
Sebnem Burnaz ◽  
Nimet Uray

With the increasing globalization of the business world, websites have become ever more important tools in international business. After the invention of websites, researchers have begun to analyze the websites as they have for traditional communication channels. Websites, as the communication medium of global firms, are not culturally neutral mediums. Website components should be analyzed very carefully in terms of their interaction with cultural issues to come up with culturally adapted websites. In this chapter, 114 studies on culture and websites are critically reviewed, and selected papers among them from a variety of areas such as marketing, communications, management, information technologies, and others, are analyzed in detail to consolidate the existing knowledge and approaches. This chapter aims to analyze how scholarly research on the interaction of culture and websites has developed. The studies are categorized according to the framework developed and selected. Forty of them are discussed in detail under some subcategories. A number of conceptual and methodological issues that deserve more attention are discussed to fulfill the high potential of websites. A state-of-the-art review of several innovative advances in culture and websites is provided to stimulate new streams for future research, and future research recommendations are proposed at the end of the chapter.


Author(s):  
Putai Jin

The literature on using serious games for learning has been growing exponentially during the last decade. It is time to examine some methodological issues associated with this line of research. There is evidence that research on serious games, if designed with methodological rigor and executed properly, such as the serial studies of prisoners’ dilemma, modality effect in individual interactive learning, and changes in attitude toward mathematics in a computer-based simulation game, can be fruitful and have a profound, positive impact on learning and training. Since adopting serious games as an educational technology tool is by no means cheap, we should ensure that methodological issues are carefully considered before conducting a study on educational games. Whereas there are excellent studies in the existing literature of simulations and games, it is not uncommon for some studies to adopt convenience samples or own-control designs. Studies on serious games tend to be conclusive if they have used true experimentation, well-controlled quasi-experimental design, surveys with representative samples and validated instruments, comprehensive design research, or training programs having a pretest–posttest design with group comparisons. The potential values and informative contributions of using different methodologies for serious game research should be recognized because of the ecological relevance. Future research should pay more attention to randomized sampling, controlled but feasible research design, validity of instruments, appropriate analytical methods, and interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary research to enhance the internal/external validity of various approaches. In regard to analytical methods, both quantitative approaches and qualitative evaluations, if applied appropriately, are considered as valuable, indispensable, and complementary to each other. It is hoped that this chapter can be helpful not only for future researchers in this field to design and execute rigorous projects but also for wider readership to understand and evaluate research outcomes in the discipline of serious games.


2021 ◽  
pp. 85-106
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Chia-Huei Wu

The final chapter brings together the literature reviewed in this book to highlight key implications of personality change for future research and practice. First, it identifies unresolved debates and under-studied areas in personality change and provide suggestions for future research. Then, it discusses methodological issues in studying personality change, providing a brief overview about the existing and future approaches for continuing research in this area. Finally, it addresses the practical implications for the society, organisations, as well as employees themselves. By doing so, it is hoped that individuals, leaders and the public in general can take on board the dynamic perspective toward personality and identify ways to change personalities for the better.


2016 ◽  
pp. 2274-2293
Author(s):  
Ramazan Nacar ◽  
Nimet Uray

Increasing paradoxical effects of globalization resulted in the increased homogenization and heterogenization of international markets. Globalization with its varying effects also increased the significance of international market segmentation over the last few decades. Despite the increased presence and usage of international market segmentation, in recent times, the rise of emerging markets have challenged the concepts and methods of international market segmentation. In order to address key issues of international market segmentation in emerging markets, this study briefly examined and assessed foremost conceptual and methodological issues of international market segmentation in emerging markets. Suggestions and future research directions are also provided.


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