title: Focus and diversity in information systems research: Meeting the dual demands of a healthy applied discipline

authors: Taylor, Hazel

subjects: IS discipline

abstract: Drawing on sociology of science foundations, we argue that, in order to survive and prosper, healthy applied disciplines must meet the dual demands of academic and practitioner audiences by demonstrating both focus and diversity in their research. First, we use this concomitant modality to explain why previous studies into the structure of the Information Systems discipline have reported contradictory results, with some finding a focused field while others conclude that the field is diverse. In support of our argument, we then present the results of a longitudinal, author co-citation analysis, looking across the full range of journals in which IS research is published. Our results suggest that the IS field has sustained a focus on research within three subfields over a 20-year period from 1986 to 2005: (1) a thematic miscellany of research on development, implementation, and use of systems in various application domains; (2) IS strategy and business outcomes; and (3) group work and decision support. At the same time, the field has demonstrated considerable diversity within and around these core subfields, with researchers responding flexibly to the rapidly changing field by investigating these areas with new paradigms and in new contexts, and by exploring new topics including inter-business and Internet applications, computer-supported collaborative work, virtual teams, and knowledge management. Finally, we demonstrate that, over the 20-year period from 1986 to 2005, the discipline has shifted from fragmented adhocracy to a polycentric state, which is particularly appropriate to an applied discipline such as IS that must address the dual demands of focus and diversity in a rapidly changing technological context.

text: Focus and diversity in information systems research: Meeting the dual demands of a healthy applied discipline Drawing on sociology of science foundations, we argue that, in order to survive and prosper, healthy applied disciplines must meet the dual demands of academic and practitioner audiences by demonstrating both focus and diversity in their research. First, we use this concomitant modality to explain why previous studies into the structure of the Information Systems discipline have reported contradictory results, with some finding a focused field while others conclude that the field is diverse. In support of our argument, we then present the results of a longitudinal, author co-citation analysis, looking across the full range of journals in which IS research is published. Our results suggest that the IS field has sustained a focus on research within three subfields over a 20-year period from 1986 to 2005: (1) a thematic miscellany of research on development, implementation, and use of systems in various application domains; (2) IS strategy and business outcomes; and (3) group work and decision support. At the same time, the field has demonstrated considerable diversity within and around these core subfields, with researchers responding flexibly to the rapidly changing field by investigating these areas with new paradigms and in new contexts, and by exploring new topics including inter-business and Internet applications, computer-supported collaborative work, virtual teams, and knowledge management. Finally, we demonstrate that, over the 20-year period from 1986 to 2005, the discipline has shifted from fragmented adhocracy to a polycentric state, which is particularly appropriate to an applied discipline such as IS that must address the dual demands of focus and diversity in a rapidly changing technological context.

year: 2010

title: An evaluation of functional assessment of the behaviour of students with adhd in a mainstream classroom

authors: Brierly, Emerald Stevie

subjects: functional assessment

abstract: The overall aim of this study was to replicate and extend Hoff, Ervin, and Friman (2005) and to investigate whether a functional assessment, including the intervention, could be implemented within a mainstream New Zealand classroom, with students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and with the teachers implementing the interventions. Experiment 1 included 2 participants, Joel diagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Brad who met study inclusion criteria. Descriptive assessments (based on interviews and observations) of the functions of the target behaviours were conducted to produce hypotheses.  Two interventions for each student, based on these hypotheses, were selected in collaboration with the class teachers. The interventions were implemented, first singularly and then in combination, using a multiple-baseline design with alternating treatments after the baseline period. They all decreased target behaviours to some degree. One intervention, the token economy, was the most effective with both students. Social acceptability questionnaires showed all procedures were acceptable but of the interventions the token economy was the least favoured by teachers and most favoured by students. Both participants in Experiment 2 were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1 and also compared hypotheses about the function of behaviour resulting from the Motivation Assessment Scale to those from the descriptive assessment as used in Experiment 1. The Motivation Assessment Scale provided a different hypothesis for one student and it is suggested that this scale is not useful with these students. The two interventions were selected for each student based on the hypotheses. These were designed to be easier to implement and to have more student involvement in their implementation than in Experiment 1. A multiple-baseline design with alternating treatments after the baseline was used and each treatment was evaluated alone. Three of the four interventions decreased target behaviour, the exception was self-management. The social acceptability scores for these interventions were high for both the teachers and students. The overall findings replicated Hoff et al.'s (2005) findings and showed that functional assessment of behaviour could be successfully used with students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a mainstream classroom. They also showed that the teachers could successfully implement the interventions derived from the hypotheses to decrease target behaviours and that decreasing the difficulty of implementation of the interventions increased the acceptability of the interventions by the teachers.

text: An evaluation of functional assessment of the behaviour of students with adhd in a mainstream classroom The overall aim of this study was to replicate and extend Hoff, Ervin, and Friman (2005) and to investigate whether a functional assessment, including the intervention, could be implemented within a mainstream New Zealand classroom, with students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and with the teachers implementing the interventions. Experiment 1 included 2 participants, Joel diagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Brad who met study inclusion criteria. Descriptive assessments (based on interviews and observations) of the functions of the target behaviours were conducted to produce hypotheses.  Two interventions for each student, based on these hypotheses, were selected in collaboration with the class teachers. The interventions were implemented, first singularly and then in combination, using a multiple-baseline design with alternating treatments after the baseline period. They all decreased target behaviours to some degree. One intervention, the token economy, was the most effective with both students. Social acceptability questionnaires showed all procedures were acceptable but of the interventions the token economy was the least favoured by teachers and most favoured by students. Both participants in Experiment 2 were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1 and also compared hypotheses about the function of behaviour resulting from the Motivation Assessment Scale to those from the descriptive assessment as used in Experiment 1. The Motivation Assessment Scale provided a different hypothesis for one student and it is suggested that this scale is not useful with these students. The two interventions were selected for each student based on the hypotheses. These were designed to be easier to implement and to have more student involvement in their implementation than in Experiment 1. A multiple-baseline design with alternating treatments after the baseline was used and each treatment was evaluated alone. Three of the four interventions decreased target behaviour, the exception was self-management. The social acceptability scores for these interventions were high for both the teachers and students. The overall findings replicated Hoff et al.'s (2005) findings and showed that functional assessment of behaviour could be successfully used with students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a mainstream classroom. They also showed that the teachers could successfully implement the interventions derived from the hypotheses to decrease target behaviours and that decreasing the difficulty of implementation of the interventions increased the acceptability of the interventions by the teachers.

year: 2007

title: The spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner services: A mixed methods analysis of the Waikato DHB region

authors: Whitehead, Jesse

subjects: spatial equity

abstract: The New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy states that quality primary health care is the first level of contact with the health system and should be universally accessible. Effective primary health care is an essential component of health systems, and is associated with more equitable distributions of health outcomes. However, not all New Zealanders have ready access to primary health care. For instance, adult residents of the Waikato region, and in particular Māori, have higher levels of unmet need for primay care than others. Improving the spatial equity of health services is a key step in achieving health equity. Health systems should contribute to achieving health equity and maintaining sustainable and equitable services into the future. 

This thesis research examines the spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner (GP) services in the Waikato DHB region, using a mixed-methods approach to identify not only where inequities exist, but why they occur. A conceptual framework establishes a foundation for examining spatial equity and sustainability in New Zealand. Next, a systematic literature review identifies common definitions and measures of spatial equity. Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment data is used to examine patterns of patient enrolment at GP services, and a range of health needs indicators were assessed for their suitability in the New Zealand primary care context. These findings inform the development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model of spatial accessibility that is tailored to the Waikato District Health Board (DHB) context. The GIS model is then used, in combination with in-depth qualitative interviews, to examine the spatial equity and sustainability of GP services in the Waikato DHB region. 

Key findings include that spatial equity is commonly defined as a ‘need-based distribution of resources’, which can be quantified using a range of statistical and geospatial measures and techniques. PHO enrolment analysis revealed that most patients do not enrol with their closest service, and that the size of the ‘catchment area’ served by GP clinics varies with rurality. Analysis of indicators of health need suggest that ‘Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisations’ are a robust indicator; however, area-level socioeconomic deprivation is also strongly associated with other indicators of need and data is more widely available to researchers. Mixed-methods analysis suggests that GP services are not distributed equitably within the Waikato DHB region and that key barriers to access include the affordability, appropriateness, and availability of services. New Zealand’s history of colonisation and discrimination are identified as fundamental drivers of health inequity. Furthermore, population growth and ageing suggest that current levels of access to GP services are unlikely to be maintained in the future, while participants identify key economic, professional, organisation, and social dimensions that influence service sustainability in New Zealand.

text: The spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner services: A mixed methods analysis of the Waikato DHB region The New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy states that quality primary health care is the first level of contact with the health system and should be universally accessible. Effective primary health care is an essential component of health systems, and is associated with more equitable distributions of health outcomes. However, not all New Zealanders have ready access to primary health care. For instance, adult residents of the Waikato region, and in particular Māori, have higher levels of unmet need for primay care than others. Improving the spatial equity of health services is a key step in achieving health equity. Health systems should contribute to achieving health equity and maintaining sustainable and equitable services into the future. 

This thesis research examines the spatial equity and sustainability of general practitioner (GP) services in the Waikato DHB region, using a mixed-methods approach to identify not only where inequities exist, but why they occur. A conceptual framework establishes a foundation for examining spatial equity and sustainability in New Zealand. Next, a systematic literature review identifies common definitions and measures of spatial equity. Primary Health Organisation (PHO) enrolment data is used to examine patterns of patient enrolment at GP services, and a range of health needs indicators were assessed for their suitability in the New Zealand primary care context. These findings inform the development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model of spatial accessibility that is tailored to the Waikato District Health Board (DHB) context. The GIS model is then used, in combination with in-depth qualitative interviews, to examine the spatial equity and sustainability of GP services in the Waikato DHB region. 

Key findings include that spatial equity is commonly defined as a ‘need-based distribution of resources’, which can be quantified using a range of statistical and geospatial measures and techniques. PHO enrolment analysis revealed that most patients do not enrol with their closest service, and that the size of the ‘catchment area’ served by GP clinics varies with rurality. Analysis of indicators of health need suggest that ‘Ambulatory Sensitive Hospitalisations’ are a robust indicator; however, area-level socioeconomic deprivation is also strongly associated with other indicators of need and data is more widely available to researchers. Mixed-methods analysis suggests that GP services are not distributed equitably within the Waikato DHB region and that key barriers to access include the affordability, appropriateness, and availability of services. New Zealand’s history of colonisation and discrimination are identified as fundamental drivers of health inequity. Furthermore, population growth and ageing suggest that current levels of access to GP services are unlikely to be maintained in the future, while participants identify key economic, professional, organisation, and social dimensions that influence service sustainability in New Zealand.

year: 2020