The mixed methods approach has emerged as a ''third paradigm'' for social research. It has developed a platform of ideas and practices that are credible and distinctive and that mark the approach out as a viable alternative to quantitative and qualitative paradigms. However, there are also a number of variations and inconsistencies within the mixed methods approach that should not be ignored. This article argues the need for a vision of research paradigm that accommodates such variations and inconsistencies. It is argued that the use of ''communities of practice'' as the basis for such a research paradigm is (a) consistent with the pragmatist underpinnings of the mixed methods approach, (b) accommodates a level of diversity, and (c) has good potential for understanding the methodological choices made by those conducting mixed methods research.

This study is a comparison of 2 versions of an internet-based tutorial that teaches the behavior-analysis concept of positive reinforcement. A fixed-item group of students studied a version of the tutorial that included 14 interactive examples and nonexamples of the concept. A response-sensitive group of students studied a different version of the tutorial in which, after an initial round of 10 example and nonexample items, the computer readministered item types the students had answered incorrectly until the students responded correctly to each of 5 example and 5 nonexample item subtypes. A control group studied an online tutorial in biological psychology. Students in all 3 groups took a 10-item pretest and posttest over positive reinforcement. An analysis of the students' change scores indicated that the students learned more using the response-sensitive tutorial than the fixed-item tutorial. Scores of students using both versions of the tutorial were superior to those of the control group. Students using the response-sensitive and fixed-item tutorials required the same amount of study time. Students rated both versions of the positive reinforcement tutorial favorably on several dimensions.

This paper argues that 'uncertain identities' are a distinct contributing factor to the residual and intractable level of smoking among young people. Further, it argues that the significance of this factor is increased by the specific social/historical context of late modernity. Findings from research with 15 to 16 year olds in the East Midlands of England are used to explore the role that smoking is perceived to play in constructing a self identity. A voluntaristic perspective is adopted on the use of tobacco, reflecting both the focus on young people's motivation to smoke and the tendency for many young people to perceive smoking as a matter of personal choice. Smoking was found to have a symbolic significance not only in terms of the presentation of self to others but also in terms of the reflexive construction of the self by those involved. The paper analyses the role of smoking in relation to self-image, self-empowerment and self-affirmation and it is concluded that for many young people smoking has certain benefits in terms of coping with uncertain identities.

This article describes and analyses the experiences of [15][16] year-olds in the East Midlands of England in relation to the General Certi cate of Secondary Education (GCSE). In particular, it focuses on the way that GCSEs constitute a new and distinct source of stress in the already stressful lives of young people. Using data from Economic and Social Research Council funded research involving a large-scale questionnaire survey, focus groups and interviews, it is argued that, when doing GCSEs in years 10 and 11 at school, the stress experienced by young people can be linked to the social conditions of late modernity. In this social context there is a tendency to approach GCSEs from a self-centred and instrumental perspective, which emphasises the need for good results in terms of their utility for getting a job or continuing in education, and their value in relation to self-identity and self-worth. Seen in this light, the stress stems from the fact that GCSEs constitute a fateful moment in the life trajectory of the young people.

During 1988-90 nearly 2000 school pupils in Leicestershire took part in the 'Drugs in Schools; a programme of inquiry' (DISPRIN) project and the 'Drugs and Risk-Taking' (DART) research project. As part of the research these 13-to 16-year-olds completed a questionnaire on their use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. This article presents data on the pupils' perceptions of doing the questionnaire and discusses the ethical issues raised for researchers in schools. The research revealed that, whilst a minority of respondents were suspicious of the exercise, for the most part it was "just another piece of schoolwork". To the extent that completing research questionnaires is perceived as schoolwork, we need to question the extent to which such questionnaires are in fact completed voluntarily and with the willing cooperation of pupils. This, in turn, poses interesting ethical questions for researchers, teachers and educational authorities.

No abstract

Most methodological evaluations of web-based questionnaires have focused on the issues of sampling and response rates. Some have considered the issues of privacy and ethics. Relatively few have addressed the question of whether people provide different information depending on the mode of questionnaire delivery. This article contributes to this relatively overlooked aspect of the evaluation of web surveys. It presents initial findings from a survey that was designed to enable near-identical groups to respond to near-identical questionnaires delivered in different modes. Web-based questionnaires and paper-based questionnaires, used as part of a schoolbased study of young people's health-related behavior, are compared in terms of (a) completion rates and (b) data contents. Issues surrounding the quality of data and the reliability of webbased questionnaires are discussed. It is concluded that, on the basis of the quantitative data from this survey, there is little evidence of a mode effect linked to web-based questionnaires.

No abstract