The design of experiments involving more than one blocking factor and quantitative explanatory variables is discussed, the focus being on two key aspects of blocked response surface designs: optimality and orthogonality. First, conditions for orthogonally blocked experiments are derived. Next, an algorithmic approach to computeD-optimal designs is presented. Finally, the relationships between d...

There are several reasons why qualitative research is a suitable means to answer a number of relevant nursing research issues. However, as a research methodology it is not without its critics. This article debates the importance of qualitative research to nursing knowledge and uses the literature and practice experience to evaluate its contribution.

BACKGROUND There are a variety of methods for priority setting in health research but few studies have addressed how to prioritise the gaps that exist between research evidence and clinical practice. This study aimed to build a suite of robust, evidence based techniques and tools for use in implementation science projects. We applied the priority setting methodology in lung cancer care as an ex...

Medical doctors claim that their discipline is founded on scientific knowledge. Yet, although the ideas of evidence based medicine are widely accepted, clinical decisions and methods of patient care are based on much more than just the results of controlled experiments. Clinical knowledge consists of interpretive action and interaction-factors that involve communication, opinions, and experienc...

Writing the proposal for a qualitative research methodology study is a double challenge because of the emergent nature of qualitative research design and because a methodology study entails describing a process to produce a process. How the authors addressed this challenge is shown in the annotated text of the grant proposal--"Analytic Techniques for Qualitative Metasynthesis"--funded by the Na...

In this paper, the scientific methodology of the contemporary philosopherImre Lakatos is revised to construct a methodology for theological systems. In this methodology, each theological system consists of the following main elements: (1) hard core I, (2) protective wall, (3) hard core II, and (4) auxiliary hypotheses. We will expound the criteria for the evaluation of different theolo...

The malicious use of lasers to interfere with the activities of individuals in diverse environments is a growing concern. To increase awareness of public health workers, the Tricorder, a unique laser characterization sensor, is being fabricated. In this paper, the Tricorder’s human factors aspects and operational use are studied to enhance acceptance and increase use. Users’ perspectives were c...

The goal of achieving sustainable tourism is now a priority for many tourism planners. It has been suggested that stakeholder analysis is an essential step in determining sustainable tourism in regions, given its highly contextual nature. However, previous research has tended to focus heavily on stakeholders with the assumption that attitudes within groups are homogeneous. This research questio...