title: Coming unstuck as an interviewer.

authors: Petrie, Kirsten Culhane

subjects: interviewing

abstract: As a novice researcher, interviewing seemed relatively unproblematic. What an epiphany it was when I realised just how many flaws there were in both my interviewing technique and my development of an interview schedule. This paper highlights the issues that arose in the process of using semi-structured interviews during a small research project that focused on primary teacher education students' understanding of physical education. The issues discussed focus on my interview schedule, my ability to listen and probe, and the conflict of attempting to be both empathetic and neutral when I wanted to challenge points, and in my desire to get 'good' data. This paper outlines the literature that I drew on in developing my understanding of the semi-structured interview and offers a story from the field that illuminates the challenges inherent in the actual interview process.

text: Coming unstuck as an interviewer. As a novice researcher, interviewing seemed relatively unproblematic. What an epiphany it was when I realised just how many flaws there were in both my interviewing technique and my development of an interview schedule. This paper highlights the issues that arose in the process of using semi-structured interviews during a small research project that focused on primary teacher education students' understanding of physical education. The issues discussed focus on my interview schedule, my ability to listen and probe, and the conflict of attempting to be both empathetic and neutral when I wanted to challenge points, and in my desire to get 'good' data. This paper outlines the literature that I drew on in developing my understanding of the semi-structured interview and offers a story from the field that illuminates the challenges inherent in the actual interview process.

year: 2005

title: A grammar of the Neverver language of Malakula (Vanuatu)

authors: Barbour, Julie Renee

subjects: endangered languages

abstract: A grammar of the Neverver language of Malakula (Vanuatu) is a synchronic account of the endangered Neverver language spoken by the Mindu and Sakhan peoples.  The description is one outcome of a larger project to document the Neverver language, and it is based on a large and varied corpus of communicative events collected from Neverver speakers residing in the villages of Limap and Lingarakh.  The description includes an account of the phonological system of the language, where complex segments with prenasalisation, including bilabial and alveolar trills, contrast with plain segments.  Heterogeneous and geminate sequences of consonants are permitted in the language, provided syllable onsets and codes are simple.  Epenthesis can be employed to ensure that the maximal CVC syllable template is adhered to.  The nominal system displays classes of common, personal, and local nouns, along with independent pronouns, and a set of pronominal-nouns.  Possessive constructions suggest an earlier system based on the semantic notion of alienability; today constructions are formed by a combination of semantic and phonological properties.  The nominal modifying particle is employed in one type of possessive construction, as well as in relative clauses with definite heads.  Verbs are either inherently transitive or intransitive; valency increase is achieved with suffixation, while valency decrease can be achieved with reduplication.  Reduplication is common in the corpus and typically serves as a marker of low transitivity.  In keeping with the basic constraint on syllable structure, the reduplicative prefix has a CV(C) template.  In terms of verbal morphology, Neverver is a mood-prominent language, with all verbal predicates being marked for either realis or irrealis mood.  Further tense/aspect distinctions can be indicated with optional verbal morphology.   The basic word order of verbal predicates is SVO, and the language is both head-initial and head-marking.  A number of complex constructions have been identified in the language.  Complex nuclei, including incorporated objects and nuclear serial verb constructions, contrast structurally with core serial verb constructions.  Concordant mood marking characterises core serial constructions, while sentential complements display varying patterns of mood dependency.  Adverbial subordination and subordinating tail-head linkage contrast with coordinate structures, including syndetic coordination and juxtaposition.  A variety of inter-propositional semantic relations are expressed through these complex structures.

text: A grammar of the Neverver language of Malakula (Vanuatu) A grammar of the Neverver language of Malakula (Vanuatu) is a synchronic account of the endangered Neverver language spoken by the Mindu and Sakhan peoples.  The description is one outcome of a larger project to document the Neverver language, and it is based on a large and varied corpus of communicative events collected from Neverver speakers residing in the villages of Limap and Lingarakh.  The description includes an account of the phonological system of the language, where complex segments with prenasalisation, including bilabial and alveolar trills, contrast with plain segments.  Heterogeneous and geminate sequences of consonants are permitted in the language, provided syllable onsets and codes are simple.  Epenthesis can be employed to ensure that the maximal CVC syllable template is adhered to.  The nominal system displays classes of common, personal, and local nouns, along with independent pronouns, and a set of pronominal-nouns.  Possessive constructions suggest an earlier system based on the semantic notion of alienability; today constructions are formed by a combination of semantic and phonological properties.  The nominal modifying particle is employed in one type of possessive construction, as well as in relative clauses with definite heads.  Verbs are either inherently transitive or intransitive; valency increase is achieved with suffixation, while valency decrease can be achieved with reduplication.  Reduplication is common in the corpus and typically serves as a marker of low transitivity.  In keeping with the basic constraint on syllable structure, the reduplicative prefix has a CV(C) template.  In terms of verbal morphology, Neverver is a mood-prominent language, with all verbal predicates being marked for either realis or irrealis mood.  Further tense/aspect distinctions can be indicated with optional verbal morphology.   The basic word order of verbal predicates is SVO, and the language is both head-initial and head-marking.  A number of complex constructions have been identified in the language.  Complex nuclei, including incorporated objects and nuclear serial verb constructions, contrast structurally with core serial verb constructions.  Concordant mood marking characterises core serial constructions, while sentential complements display varying patterns of mood dependency.  Adverbial subordination and subordinating tail-head linkage contrast with coordinate structures, including syndetic coordination and juxtaposition.  A variety of inter-propositional semantic relations are expressed through these complex structures.

year: 2009

title: Toitu Te Moananui a Toi – The Effects of the MV Rena on the Water Quality, Chemistry and Zooplankton of Otaiti (Astrolabe Reef)

authors: Dempsey, Te Puea Toni

subjects: metal contamination

abstract: Humans have had a profound effect on the world’s oceans, particularly through pollution. Marine pollution incidents are particularly important and increasingly involve both petrochemical and metal contamination. The effects of complex high level, point source pollution events such as ship wrecks on larval recruitment to reef environments is not well understood. Larval settlement is heavily influenced by chemical cues, hence pollution events could have a long term influence on reef ecology, and the likelihood that planktonic zooplankton can entrain contaminants into the reef food web is also of concern.
This thesis aims to address concerns from local Tangata Whenua, government, researchers, stakeholders and the public about the long term recovery of Otaiti following the MV Rena shipwreck and subsequent reef contamination. The incident is a complex one involving metallic container debris contamination along with oil. Research focussed on assessing the effects of water borne contamination surrounding the wreck site in order to examine acute and chronic responses of planktonic invertebrates: (1) the influence of Rena and associated debris to the chemistry and quality of water in the benthic zone around the wreck, (2) the toxicity of contaminants to survivorship of zooplankton, and (3) the influence on contaminant plumes to zooplankton recruitment behaviour of Otaiti.
There is a clear effect from the Rena and its associated debris field on the water quality and chemistry of Otaiti. Aluminium and copper for example, were consistently elevated in dissolved and total metal concentrations around the debris field. Laboratory based exposure of zooplankton to realistic concentration gradients of Rena contaminated sediments resulted in increased mortality with increased contaminant concentrations. Behavioural responses of pelagic and settling invertebrates to Rena pollution influenced sediment highlighted sensitivity to associated contaminant plumes. This could have significant ecological implications to the recruitment behaviour of other planktonic organisms that rely on reef conspecifics and chemical cues to initiate settlement.
Ecological concepts such as ecosystem function and biodiversity dynamics (including recruitment) relate the life force and longevity of a system. Key concerns within the scope of this research were highlighted that may have implications to Tangata Whenua decision making in assessing the Mauri of Otaiti. It can be implied that the Rena continues to impact the Mauri of Otaiti due to the presence of contaminants within the debris field.

text: Toitu Te Moananui a Toi – The Effects of the MV Rena on the Water Quality, Chemistry and Zooplankton of Otaiti (Astrolabe Reef) Humans have had a profound effect on the world’s oceans, particularly through pollution. Marine pollution incidents are particularly important and increasingly involve both petrochemical and metal contamination. The effects of complex high level, point source pollution events such as ship wrecks on larval recruitment to reef environments is not well understood. Larval settlement is heavily influenced by chemical cues, hence pollution events could have a long term influence on reef ecology, and the likelihood that planktonic zooplankton can entrain contaminants into the reef food web is also of concern.
This thesis aims to address concerns from local Tangata Whenua, government, researchers, stakeholders and the public about the long term recovery of Otaiti following the MV Rena shipwreck and subsequent reef contamination. The incident is a complex one involving metallic container debris contamination along with oil. Research focussed on assessing the effects of water borne contamination surrounding the wreck site in order to examine acute and chronic responses of planktonic invertebrates: (1) the influence of Rena and associated debris to the chemistry and quality of water in the benthic zone around the wreck, (2) the toxicity of contaminants to survivorship of zooplankton, and (3) the influence on contaminant plumes to zooplankton recruitment behaviour of Otaiti.
There is a clear effect from the Rena and its associated debris field on the water quality and chemistry of Otaiti. Aluminium and copper for example, were consistently elevated in dissolved and total metal concentrations around the debris field. Laboratory based exposure of zooplankton to realistic concentration gradients of Rena contaminated sediments resulted in increased mortality with increased contaminant concentrations. Behavioural responses of pelagic and settling invertebrates to Rena pollution influenced sediment highlighted sensitivity to associated contaminant plumes. This could have significant ecological implications to the recruitment behaviour of other planktonic organisms that rely on reef conspecifics and chemical cues to initiate settlement.
Ecological concepts such as ecosystem function and biodiversity dynamics (including recruitment) relate the life force and longevity of a system. Key concerns within the scope of this research were highlighted that may have implications to Tangata Whenua decision making in assessing the Mauri of Otaiti. It can be implied that the Rena continues to impact the Mauri of Otaiti due to the presence of contaminants within the debris field.

year: 2015