Qualitative Networks

How do we interact with people in our everyday life? Who are the people we are connected to? What are the consequences of overlapping social circles and how people deal with the potential emerging conflicts? What are the structural and cultural mechanisms that regulate social worlds? Network science is a scientific approach to the study of network dependencies and associations which tries to answer these and many other questions. This book explores the underlying mechanisms that regulate social life as they are produced, reproduced, modified, and abandoned in the spatial and temporal patterns of interactions. The mixed methods approach, that combines formal network analysis with qualitative materials and statistical tools, shows the importance of contextualising structural mechanisms in their social and cultural environment, and allows overcoming the traditional methodological boundaries that shape the field of social sciences.

This book is devoted to some mathematical methods that arise in two domains of artificial intelligence: neural networks and qualitative physics. Professor Aubin makes use of control and viability theory in neural networks and cognitive systems, regarded as dynamical systems controlled by synaptic matrices, and set-valued analysis that plays a natural and crucial role in qualitative analysis and simulation. This allows many examples of neural networks to be presented in a unified way. In addition, several results on the control of linear and nonlinear systems are used to obtain a "learning algorithm" of pattern classification problems, such as the back-propagation formula, as well as learning algorithms of feedback regulation laws of solutions to control systems subject to state constraints.

This book focuses on the stability of the dynamical neural system, synchronization of the coupling neural system and their applications in automation control and electrical engineering. The redefined concept of stability, synchronization and consensus are adopted to provide a better explanation of the complex neural network. Researchers in the fields of dynamical systems, computer science, electrical engineering and mathematics will benefit from the discussions on complex systems. The book will also help readers to better understand the theory behind the control technique and its design.

This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art, innovative approaches to qualitative research for organizational scholars. Individual chapters in each area are written by experts in a variety of fields, who have contributed some of the most innovative studies themselves in recent years. An indispensable reference guide to anyone conducting high-impact organizational research, this handbook includes innovative approaches to research problems, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and application of research findings. The book will be of interest to scholars and graduate students in a wide variety of disciplines, including anthropology, organizational behavior, organizational theory, social psychology, and sociology

In Doing Good Qualitative Research, Jennifer Cyr and Sara Wallace Goodman bring together over forty experts to provide one of the first comprehensive introductions to using qualitative methods across the social sciences, from start to finish. Each chapter introduces the theoretical considerations and best practices involved in the application of qualitative data collection and analysis. Additionally, contributors provide first-person accounts of methodology in action, address the expected and unexpected challenges associated with conducting qualitative research, and demonstrate the real-world applications of academic debates.

Qualitative Methods in Public Health: A Field Guide for Applied Research, 2nd Edition provides a practical orientation to conducting effective qualitative research in the public health sphere. With thorough examination and simple explanations, this book guides you through the logic and workflow of qualitative approaches, with step-by-step guidance on every phase of the research. Students learn how to identify and make use of theoretical frameworks to guide your study, design the study to answer specific questions, and achieve their research goals. Data collection, analysis, and interpretation are given close attention as the backbone of a successful study, and expert insight on reporting and dissemination helps you get your work noticed. This second edition features new examples from global health, including case studies specifically illustrating study design, web and mobile technologies, mixed methods, and new innovations in information dissemination. Pedagogical tools have been added to help enhance your understanding of research design and implementation, and extensive appendices show you how these concepts work in practice. Qualitative research is a powerful tool for public health, but it's very easy to get it wrong. Careful study design and data management are critical, and it's important to resist drawing conclusions that the data cannot support. This book shows you how to conduct high-quality qualitative research that stands up to review.

One of the most challenging tasks in the research design process is choosing the most appropriate data collection and analysis technique. This Handbook provides a detailed introduction to five qualitative data collection and analysis techniques pertinent to exploring entrepreneurial phenomena. Techniques for collecting and analysing data are rarely addressed in detail in published articles. In addition, the constant development of new tools and refinement of existing ones has meant that researchers often face a confusing range from which to choose. The experienced and expert group of contributors to this book provide detailed, practical accounts of how to conduct research employing focus groups, critical incident technique, repertory grids, metaphors, the constant comparative method and grounded theory. This Handbook will become the starting point for any research project. Scholars new to entrepreneurship and doctoral students as well as established academics keen to extend their research scope will find this book an invaluable and timely resource.