This paper presents the results of a survey which aimed to explore: 1) patterns of drug use among... more This paper presents the results of a survey which aimed to explore: 1) patterns of drug use amongst a group of young people who had used psycho-stimulant drugs at least six times during the previous year; 2) any problems this group had experienced as a result of their drug use; and 3) whether or not information and advice could be targeted at this group. Discussion relates the findings of this study to other small scale studies of psycho-stimulant users. The challenge of acting to benefit both socio-operational users of drugs and the ...
In this paper we set out a model for research-minded practice in substance (mis) use services. Th... more In this paper we set out a model for research-minded practice in substance (mis) use services. The model consists of three tiers of research-minded activity-awareness, engagement and leadership. We advocate that all three tiers need to be present in the practice arena if research-minded practice is to be developed. Additionally, we consider that, in order to foster a research culture, a visible research community and appropriate support-in terms of advice, training, on-going support and other resources-need to be present. We ...
Indigenous workers were employed to conduct a community survey of crack cocaine use in Trafford, ... more Indigenous workers were employed to conduct a community survey of crack cocaine use in Trafford, Manchester, and to discover attitudes to drug services. This revealed increasing use, and considerable personal and social problems caused by crack use. Users did not consider services useful, even though 30% were already attending drug services for help with coexistent opiate dependence. Three groups are considered: those in touch with services, those worried about their use but not seeking help, and those who are not ...
ABSTRACT Enhancing the student experience, and in particular student engagement, has become a pri... more ABSTRACT Enhancing the student experience, and in particular student engagement, has become a primary focus of Higher Education, It is particularly in sharp focus as higher education moves forward into the uncertain world of high student fees and a developed higher education market. Student engagement is a hot topic, in considering how to offer 'value' and a better student experience. Moreover it is receiving much attention all over the world and underpins so many other priorities such as retention, widening participation and improving student learning generally. The book draws from a range of contributors in a wide variety of roles in Higher Education and all contributors are actively involved in the RAISE Network (Researching, Advancing and Inspiring Student Engagement). While utilising detailed case examples from UK universities the authors also provide a critical review and distillation of the differing paradigms of Student Engagement in America, Australasia, South Africa and Europe drawing upon key research studies and concepts from a variety of contexts. This book uncovers the multi-dimensional nature of student engagement, utilising case examples from both student and staff perspectives, and provides conceptual clarity and strong evidence about this rather elusive notion. It provides a firm foundation from which to discuss practices and policies that might best serve to foster engagement.
ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate access to and use of health services, particularly maternal an... more ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate access to and use of health services, particularly maternal and child health care, in the UK by Palestinian women. Design: A qualitative study using a pragmatic approach for exploration and description. Data were transcribed ad verbatim and analysed using framework analysis and the NVivo 9 computer program. Setting: Interviews were conducted in participants’ homes, the researcher’s home and in Arabic schools. Participation: Twenty-two interviews were conducted. Participants were living in different geographic areas in Manchester, and were recruited through Arabic schools and the main mosque in the city. Findings: Four themes emerged from the qualitative interviews, which were: ‘cultural variations’; ‘knowledge of the NHS and the UK health-care system’; ‘health care services and their utilisation, focusing on maternal and child healthcare services’; and ‘communication, information provision and needs’. Conclusion: Culturally competent care is required to reduce the inequity of maternal and child health-care services; this study recommended the following points: In delivering the information for BME groups, it is inappropriate to implement a ‘one-size-fits-all’ programme; culturally appropriate care could be satisfactorily achieved through effective and continuous training programmes based on culture, ethnicity and religion for all health professionals; and effective interpretation services are vital so there is no need to rely on family members and friends as was clearly the case for the participants in this study.
Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 2013
This paper reports on students' views of support services identified through the findings of... more This paper reports on students' views of support services identified through the findings of a study of health professions student attrition in the North West of England. Health professions programmes attract a diverse student population and their educational experience is dissimilar to the general student population in a number of ways, as they study for professional qualifications and undertake more work-based learning. Student support systems need to be mindful of these differences and ensure that services are accessible ...
To consider the development and use of real stories rather than vignettes in interviews. Effectiv... more To consider the development and use of real stories rather than vignettes in interviews. Effective interprofessional working critically informed by the perspectives of informal carers was considered by the research team to be under-researched. It was proposed initially to use fictional vignettes as triggers in interviews with informal carers. It could be argued that the vignette does not represent the voice of the individual or may only represent a particular experience. Stories acknowledge a person's expertise in his or her experiences. A decision was made early in the design process to use real stories instead of vignettes. A descriptive naturalistic design using a participatory approach. Two stories were developed by the researcher and two informal carers, and then used in interviews with other carers to explore their experiences and perceptions of interprofessional working. The paper provides a discussion of an alternative approach to data collection. The stories promoted a sense of support for the participants, which they gained from listening to and sharing stories of caring. This approach offered a different experience for the carers from the standard interview format. The paper describes the use of real stories in interviews, which is not a commonly reported method. Carers were involved in both the development and the use of the stories in the interviews. Those interviewed valued the credibility gained by using these real stories, as opposed to constructed vignettes. Using stories in this way contributes to methodological development, which allows perceptions and experiences to be captured.
It is reported in the Penguin Book of Interviews ( 1 ) that Marlon Brando recalled an interview w... more It is reported in the Penguin Book of Interviews ( 1 ) that Marlon Brando recalled an interview with Truman Capote as follows: 'The little bastard spent half the night telling me all his problems, I figured the least I could do was tell him a few of mine.' In sharing experiences with his interviewee, Capote had managed to extract information he would otherwise not have gained.
This paper presents the findings of a study which involved the collection of qualitative data thr... more This paper presents the findings of a study which involved the collection of qualitative data through a series of focus groups with young people aged 24-16. The aim of the study, as presented, was to explore the feelings that young people themselves express, about the use of illegal drugs, along with reasons that they give as to why young people might take such drugs. The findings suggest that there is a general acceptance of'soft'drug use by young people, alongside a degree of fatalism in accepting this by those who believe drug use to ...
This paper presents a personal account of how a PhD supervisor came to an understanding of an app... more This paper presents a personal account of how a PhD supervisor came to an understanding of an approach to research that was unfamiliar to him. Additionally it addresses the question of what makes the approach, in this case bricolage, an acceptable format for academic work and in particular PhD study. Bricolage is a relatively little used approach to research; therefore, researchers utilizing bricolage as a research design have less exemplary texts to draw on in coming to their own understanding of this approach to research. This paper presents an account of getting to grips with bricolage as a way of undertaking research, of potential interest as an exemplar generally (and specifically in relation to bricolage) to supervisors, examiners and students alike. Key Words: Bricolage, Research Design, Doctoral Study. Students undertaking PhD research are increasingly looking beyond the more standard traditions of quantitative and qualitative study design – drawing on an ever widening range...
BackgroundEmergency medicine is a high-pressured specialty with exposure to disturbing events and... more BackgroundEmergency medicine is a high-pressured specialty with exposure to disturbing events and risk. We conducted a qualitative study to identify which clinical events resulted in emotional disruption and the impact of these events on the well-being of physicians working in an ED.MethodsWe used the principles of naturalistic inquiry to conduct narrative interviews with physicians working in the ED at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, between September and October 2016. Participants were asked, ‘Could you tell me about a time when an event at work has continued to play on your mind after the shift in which it occurred was over?’ Data were analysed using framework analysis. The study had three a priori themes reported here. Other emergent themes were analysed separately.ResultsWe interviewed 17 participants. Within the first a priori theme (‘clinical events’) factors associated with emotional disruption included young or traumatic deaths, patients or sit...
Background: People can live for many months without knowing why their body is failing prematurely... more Background: People can live for many months without knowing why their body is failing prematurely before being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND); a terminal neurodegenerative disease which can be experienced as ‘devastating’ for the person and their family. Aim: This study aimed to explore the meaning of supporting a loved one with MND to die. Methods: This study uses reflection and autobiographical story to connect with broader cultural, political and social meaning and understandings of dying. Findings: Four themes were identified relating to the end-of-life trajectory of MND. Loss of person (lived body experienced in silence); loss of relationships (lived relations are challenged); loss of home and loss of time (lived space and lived time take on new meaning); loss of future (dying—facing it alone). Conclusion: Dying with MND is a complex phenomenon. When a person can no longer move and communicate, relationships between those involved in end-of-life care are challenging...
This paper presents the results of a survey which aimed to explore: 1) patterns of drug use among... more This paper presents the results of a survey which aimed to explore: 1) patterns of drug use amongst a group of young people who had used psycho-stimulant drugs at least six times during the previous year; 2) any problems this group had experienced as a result of their drug use; and 3) whether or not information and advice could be targeted at this group. Discussion relates the findings of this study to other small scale studies of psycho-stimulant users. The challenge of acting to benefit both socio-operational users of drugs and the ...
In this paper we set out a model for research-minded practice in substance (mis) use services. Th... more In this paper we set out a model for research-minded practice in substance (mis) use services. The model consists of three tiers of research-minded activity-awareness, engagement and leadership. We advocate that all three tiers need to be present in the practice arena if research-minded practice is to be developed. Additionally, we consider that, in order to foster a research culture, a visible research community and appropriate support-in terms of advice, training, on-going support and other resources-need to be present. We ...
Indigenous workers were employed to conduct a community survey of crack cocaine use in Trafford, ... more Indigenous workers were employed to conduct a community survey of crack cocaine use in Trafford, Manchester, and to discover attitudes to drug services. This revealed increasing use, and considerable personal and social problems caused by crack use. Users did not consider services useful, even though 30% were already attending drug services for help with coexistent opiate dependence. Three groups are considered: those in touch with services, those worried about their use but not seeking help, and those who are not ...
ABSTRACT Enhancing the student experience, and in particular student engagement, has become a pri... more ABSTRACT Enhancing the student experience, and in particular student engagement, has become a primary focus of Higher Education, It is particularly in sharp focus as higher education moves forward into the uncertain world of high student fees and a developed higher education market. Student engagement is a hot topic, in considering how to offer 'value' and a better student experience. Moreover it is receiving much attention all over the world and underpins so many other priorities such as retention, widening participation and improving student learning generally. The book draws from a range of contributors in a wide variety of roles in Higher Education and all contributors are actively involved in the RAISE Network (Researching, Advancing and Inspiring Student Engagement). While utilising detailed case examples from UK universities the authors also provide a critical review and distillation of the differing paradigms of Student Engagement in America, Australasia, South Africa and Europe drawing upon key research studies and concepts from a variety of contexts. This book uncovers the multi-dimensional nature of student engagement, utilising case examples from both student and staff perspectives, and provides conceptual clarity and strong evidence about this rather elusive notion. It provides a firm foundation from which to discuss practices and policies that might best serve to foster engagement.
ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate access to and use of health services, particularly maternal an... more ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate access to and use of health services, particularly maternal and child health care, in the UK by Palestinian women. Design: A qualitative study using a pragmatic approach for exploration and description. Data were transcribed ad verbatim and analysed using framework analysis and the NVivo 9 computer program. Setting: Interviews were conducted in participants’ homes, the researcher’s home and in Arabic schools. Participation: Twenty-two interviews were conducted. Participants were living in different geographic areas in Manchester, and were recruited through Arabic schools and the main mosque in the city. Findings: Four themes emerged from the qualitative interviews, which were: ‘cultural variations’; ‘knowledge of the NHS and the UK health-care system’; ‘health care services and their utilisation, focusing on maternal and child healthcare services’; and ‘communication, information provision and needs’. Conclusion: Culturally competent care is required to reduce the inequity of maternal and child health-care services; this study recommended the following points: In delivering the information for BME groups, it is inappropriate to implement a ‘one-size-fits-all’ programme; culturally appropriate care could be satisfactorily achieved through effective and continuous training programmes based on culture, ethnicity and religion for all health professionals; and effective interpretation services are vital so there is no need to rely on family members and friends as was clearly the case for the participants in this study.
Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 2013
This paper reports on students' views of support services identified through the findings of... more This paper reports on students' views of support services identified through the findings of a study of health professions student attrition in the North West of England. Health professions programmes attract a diverse student population and their educational experience is dissimilar to the general student population in a number of ways, as they study for professional qualifications and undertake more work-based learning. Student support systems need to be mindful of these differences and ensure that services are accessible ...
To consider the development and use of real stories rather than vignettes in interviews. Effectiv... more To consider the development and use of real stories rather than vignettes in interviews. Effective interprofessional working critically informed by the perspectives of informal carers was considered by the research team to be under-researched. It was proposed initially to use fictional vignettes as triggers in interviews with informal carers. It could be argued that the vignette does not represent the voice of the individual or may only represent a particular experience. Stories acknowledge a person's expertise in his or her experiences. A decision was made early in the design process to use real stories instead of vignettes. A descriptive naturalistic design using a participatory approach. Two stories were developed by the researcher and two informal carers, and then used in interviews with other carers to explore their experiences and perceptions of interprofessional working. The paper provides a discussion of an alternative approach to data collection. The stories promoted a sense of support for the participants, which they gained from listening to and sharing stories of caring. This approach offered a different experience for the carers from the standard interview format. The paper describes the use of real stories in interviews, which is not a commonly reported method. Carers were involved in both the development and the use of the stories in the interviews. Those interviewed valued the credibility gained by using these real stories, as opposed to constructed vignettes. Using stories in this way contributes to methodological development, which allows perceptions and experiences to be captured.
It is reported in the Penguin Book of Interviews ( 1 ) that Marlon Brando recalled an interview w... more It is reported in the Penguin Book of Interviews ( 1 ) that Marlon Brando recalled an interview with Truman Capote as follows: 'The little bastard spent half the night telling me all his problems, I figured the least I could do was tell him a few of mine.' In sharing experiences with his interviewee, Capote had managed to extract information he would otherwise not have gained.
This paper presents the findings of a study which involved the collection of qualitative data thr... more This paper presents the findings of a study which involved the collection of qualitative data through a series of focus groups with young people aged 24-16. The aim of the study, as presented, was to explore the feelings that young people themselves express, about the use of illegal drugs, along with reasons that they give as to why young people might take such drugs. The findings suggest that there is a general acceptance of'soft'drug use by young people, alongside a degree of fatalism in accepting this by those who believe drug use to ...
This paper presents a personal account of how a PhD supervisor came to an understanding of an app... more This paper presents a personal account of how a PhD supervisor came to an understanding of an approach to research that was unfamiliar to him. Additionally it addresses the question of what makes the approach, in this case bricolage, an acceptable format for academic work and in particular PhD study. Bricolage is a relatively little used approach to research; therefore, researchers utilizing bricolage as a research design have less exemplary texts to draw on in coming to their own understanding of this approach to research. This paper presents an account of getting to grips with bricolage as a way of undertaking research, of potential interest as an exemplar generally (and specifically in relation to bricolage) to supervisors, examiners and students alike. Key Words: Bricolage, Research Design, Doctoral Study. Students undertaking PhD research are increasingly looking beyond the more standard traditions of quantitative and qualitative study design – drawing on an ever widening range...
BackgroundEmergency medicine is a high-pressured specialty with exposure to disturbing events and... more BackgroundEmergency medicine is a high-pressured specialty with exposure to disturbing events and risk. We conducted a qualitative study to identify which clinical events resulted in emotional disruption and the impact of these events on the well-being of physicians working in an ED.MethodsWe used the principles of naturalistic inquiry to conduct narrative interviews with physicians working in the ED at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, between September and October 2016. Participants were asked, ‘Could you tell me about a time when an event at work has continued to play on your mind after the shift in which it occurred was over?’ Data were analysed using framework analysis. The study had three a priori themes reported here. Other emergent themes were analysed separately.ResultsWe interviewed 17 participants. Within the first a priori theme (‘clinical events’) factors associated with emotional disruption included young or traumatic deaths, patients or sit...
Background: People can live for many months without knowing why their body is failing prematurely... more Background: People can live for many months without knowing why their body is failing prematurely before being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND); a terminal neurodegenerative disease which can be experienced as ‘devastating’ for the person and their family. Aim: This study aimed to explore the meaning of supporting a loved one with MND to die. Methods: This study uses reflection and autobiographical story to connect with broader cultural, political and social meaning and understandings of dying. Findings: Four themes were identified relating to the end-of-life trajectory of MND. Loss of person (lived body experienced in silence); loss of relationships (lived relations are challenged); loss of home and loss of time (lived space and lived time take on new meaning); loss of future (dying—facing it alone). Conclusion: Dying with MND is a complex phenomenon. When a person can no longer move and communicate, relationships between those involved in end-of-life care are challenging...
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Papers by Christopher Wibberley