Many social science studies are based on coded in-depth semistructured interview transcripts. But researchers rarely report or discuss coding reliability in this work. Nor is there much literature on the subject for this type of data. This article presents a procedure for developing coding schemes for such data. It involves standardizing the units of text on which coders work and then improving the coding scheme's discriminant capability (i.e., reducing coding errors) to an acceptable point as indicated by measures of either intercoder reliability or intercoder agreement. This approach is especially useful for situations where a single knowledgeable coder will code all the transcripts once the coding scheme has been established. This approach can also be used with other types of qualitative data and in other circumstances.
The Vegetable Production System (Veggie) is a scientific payload designed to support plant growth for food production under microgravity conditions. The configuration of Veggie consists of an LED lighting system with modular rooting "pillows" designed to contain substrate media and time-release fertilizer. The pillows were designed to be watered passively using capillary principles but have typically been watered manually by the astronauts in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The design of Veggie allows cabin air to be drawn through the plant enclosure for thermal and humidity control and for supplying CO2 to the plants. Since its delivery to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2014, Veggie has undergone several experimental trials by various crews. Ground unit testing of Veggie was conducted during an 8-month Mars analog study in a semi-contained environment of a simulated habitat located at approximately 8,200 feet (2,500 m) elevation on the Mauna Loa volcano on the Island of Hawai'i. The Hawai'i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) offered conditions (habitat, mission, communications, etc.) intended to simulate a planetary exploration mission. This paper provides data and analyses to show the prospect for optimized use of the current Veggie design for human habitats. Lessons learned during the study may provide opportunities for updating the system design and operational parameters for current Veggie experiments being conducted onboard the ISS and for payloads on future deep space missions.
The International Space Station (ISS) is a platform where science and technology demonstrations can be conducted in the unique environment of Space. New technology can be tested in this space flight environment and move closer to operational deployment. When considering the use of new technologies, their movement through the many development levels before flight certification needs to be considered. How much better does a new system component or subsystem need to be before it is accepted for use in flight operations? Will it perform in critical operations when exposed to extreme conditions? Will it deliver the desired performance and exceed the capability of existing systems? Will the system work in the microgravity environment of space flight? Will it work in a continuous state of free fall within a closed biological island? These questions need to be addressed as new life support systems are being brought into operational use on NASA's missions to Space. John Mankins prepared a whitepaper in 1995 on "Technology Readiness Levels" which defines each stage of development from basic principles to proven fight systems. One of the levels defined by this paper is the testing of technology within the same environment it will need to operate in during its useful life. We now have an ideal opportunity using the capability of ISS to perform the key testing necessary to prove new technology performance and move it closer to flight certification and incorporation into the next generation of flight systems.Technology Readiness Levels Summary TRL 1 Basic principles observed and reported TRL 2 Technology concept and/or application formulated TRL 3 Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof-of -concept TRL 4 Component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory environment TRL 5 Component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment TRL 6 System/subsystem model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment (ground or space) TRL 7 System prototype demonstration in a space environment TRL 8 Actual system completed and "flight qualified" through test and demonstration (ground or space) TRL 9 Actual system "flight proven" through successful mission operations Long duration space flight will require several technology elements which can be effectively tested on ISS. How humans and their support systems perform within tightly closed systems over a long period of time is critical for Space exploration. Will new technologies deliver the expected performance over a long period of time in a microgravity environment? To answer this question, the test systems and processes used to perform science investigations on ISS could be used by the technology community.
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