Research Initiative: Test the Impact of a Radio Campaign Addressing Child Mortality

Source:

DEVELOPMENT NETWORKS - The Communication Initiative's Social Networking Space

Introduction and comments:
http://networks.comminit.com/healthcommunication/node/200774


Development Media International (DMI) is conducting a 3-year randomised controlled trial to test the hypothesis that a radio campaign can reduce the large number of children dying before their fifth birthday in Burkina Faso. As detailed at the link below (see Related Summaries), the research involves the broadcast, beginning in March 2012, of health messages using radio spots (60-second adverts) and radio phone-in programmes. With the goal of engaging the public with health issues in order to change behaviours, this is a research initiative to evaluate a public health intervention delivered to 7 randomised geographic areas (clusters) across Burkina Faso with 7 additional clusters being used as controls.

Methodologies: 

 

Supervised by 2 people affiliated with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), this independent survey is based on interviews with 5,000 mothers in the 7 intervention zones and 7 control zones halfway into the research intervention period (midline data).

Practices:

....

"For a full summary of the midline results please go to this link where there is also a link to the DMI summary paper."

L-earning a Living with McLuhan

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

group

In 1964, Marshall McLuhan predicted that the future of work would involve -

"learning a living"... .	production
communities of practice	earning a living

Source:
Parchoma, G. (2006). A proposed e-learning policy field for the Academy. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 18(3), 230-40. (p.232).
Reading for module 2.

CfP Visual In-Sights Conference, Newcastle University, June 2014

To: EUROPEAN-SOCIOLOGIST AT JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Sent: Monday, 30 December 2013, 10:24
Subject: CfP Visual In-Sights Conference, Newcastle University, June 2014

Call for Papers/Proposals
Visual In-Sights: Theory, Method, Practice 26-27 June 2014
Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
Deadline for Abstracts/Proposals: 31 January 2014

Keynote Speakers:
Marcus Banks (Oxford University)
David Campbell (http://www.david-campbell.org/ )
Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen (Amber Collective)

Organised by the Visualities Research Group at Newcastle University, this interdisciplinary conference aims to bring together an international community of established and emerging scholars, creative practitioners, visual artists and arts-based, community project leaders who research, use and work with visual materials and visual methods. Contributions are invited that demonstrate the cutting edge in research and practice around the multiple spaces of the visual, and which explore the porous boundary between the theory, method and practice of the visual.

We seek academic papers and/or proposals for multi-media presentations, break-out sessions using arts/performance/installation, contemporaneous fieldwork exercises and workshops, and exhibitive displays. Contributions may speak, but are not limited, to the themes of:

• Art and Aesthetics
• Visual Cultures
• Visualities and Ethics
• Visual Communication and Visual Practice

Please submit an abstract or artist proposal of up to 250 words to visual.insights AT ncl.ac.uk
by 31 January 2014.

Notifications of acceptance will be sent out on or before 28 February 2014.

Registration http://www.ncl.ac.uk/gps/research/groups/visualities/visual-insights/registration.htm will open on 31 March 2014. The conference fee is £80 (academics), £50 (artists), and £30 (students and unwaged)

For more information please visit:
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/visual-insights/
Enquiries: visual.insights AT ncl.ac.uk

Tied to the mast: achieving anonymity

It isn't just me - is it?
Other people must have this problem.
No?

It isn't that it's an embarrassing body problem -
although time will tell on that
- it's just Frustrating.

If you venture to write a paper for publication then the submission process usually asks you to render the paper Anon. This makes good sense: right and proper. While some scholars can spend decades on a specific problem, or project the majority of academics must be fleet of foot. Usually, they have to  chase funding, publish, publish and shift from flower to flower garnering citations and increasing aplomb. There must be exceptions I suppose, were researchers become a 'known' quantity, associated not just with particular research subject, but with a set of peers and establishments. Of course I'm Generalizing.

Here though I can't help wishing it was different - that's what this mission is all about. Trying to get other people on board, to recognize the potential value of Hodges' model in health, social care and beyond.

Speaking
of
beyond
it is

marvellous 

to note that the past two days have seen over 100 

visitors 

to 

W2tQ. 

Thanks

everyone.

As to the anonymity bit, well I've climbed the pole, I've balanced on the beam and yet sadly this new gymnastic element the anonistic-maneuver is beyond me.

I don't want to moan, but in this case models offer no anonymity.

If I could hide I would: the long and short of it is I'm stuck ....

If it is not Brian Hodges himself writing about the model, then who is?

Now clearly I'm no Odysseus, but it seems I'm tied to this thing. This conceptual contraption. This mast.

Jokes aside though, it makes you wonder how many other innovations, worthy projects, ideas of merit, struggle against what appears to be a figure ground illusion?

You see with h2cm even when duly anonymised -  one moment we have an unknown - a personally, politically neutral entity. The next moment - ah! hold on. Now I can see who it is and hear this 4-track song.

Oh wondrous enchanted music ....


There is a way around this...!

Additional link:
http://hodges-model.blogspot.co.uk/2007/01/hodges-model-what-is-it-1-house-of.html

Figure ground labelled image:
http://psylux.psych.tu-dresden.de/i1/kaw/diverses%20Material/www.illusionworks.com/html/figure_ground.html
Odysseus image source:
http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/tag/social-structures/

Blogging, social media (sins) and advertising

Every day I receive emails offering guest posts, press releases relating to journal papers, or would I like to conduct interviews with various leaders of their respective fields, people who have also appeared on CNN and other high-end media.

To those who make these requests I have two struggles: firstly the topics whilst frequently concerned with 'health' they are not necessarily suitable for W2tQ; and secondly I do not have time to conduct interviews. This may change, but as things stand not any time soon.

So ... to people who do get in touch - thank you for your interest and recognition of the profile and work here on W2tQ. I greatly appreciate the support of existing paid link partners and seek new partnerships. 

On this topic I posted on the LinkedIn group Social Media Today which I've expanded here, a reply to Courtney Seiter who asked:

What's the worst social media sin?
I'm working on a blog post about ways you can be a "social tool." What's your biggest pet peeve?

It depends on whether you're asking this of corporate users or individuals? As an individual or corporate user assuming that if you build something - they will come - you will have a 'community' is probably the biggest sin.

This is a key concern here. Just because you create a new website that includes what users need - stimulating content (indicative care concepts for care assessment, planning and evaluation...?), content that is relevant and makes users productive does not mean it will work as a community.

Many people in many forums have identified this already. It's important to learn from any existing readers, subscribers, and contacts you have to learn what people, your potential users want. Market research wins! There's no excuse for not being able to do this with the virtual tools available. And as my Drupal friends have stated (and since Szeged 2008) get something out there!

Courtney wonders about how you can be a social tool. Ultimately, it's about being a catalyst, creating a site that connects people (nurses, students) so that a community might emerge. A community that is not 'yours', but a self-sustaining force. (That said, there is always a need for maintenance of online communities - social media.)

My sin is not having an email newsletter, but in defence W2tQ is a newsletter of sorts.

Another consideration is how far do you spread the social media effort? Invites still come in for new social media initiatives, but I make a mental note of the name yet stay focused. My social media  portfolio is full.

More specifically though what is the primary message? An obvious point perhaps; but is it about a product, values. purpose, ideology, change? What are the secondary messages that flow from this? How do these relate to your existing media footprint?

If your business model is distributed public relations are those individual efforts on behalf of clients actually causing damage? Can that affect a company's ranking? Sometimes less is more. ... 

How will you respond when there is a pull on the (fishing) line? How do you measure success? How will you cope if you find you have a catch: a fishing net full? Well you never know. Are you ready to respond?