Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Newly Released Book Features Group Concept Mapping

Dr. Jessica Burke and Dr. Steven Albert (Eds.) from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health recently published a book titled "Methods for Community Public Health Research: Integrated and Engaged Approaches," which includes a chapter on group concept mapping.  As explained in the book, group concept mapping is an ideal method for community health research because it is "inherently participatory in nature...Participants are involved at every step of the concept mapping process - from the project design and implementation to data analysis and dissemination (pg. 172)."  Dr. Burke is a long-time concept mapper, and the University of Pittsburgh is part of CSI's Centers of Practice Program.  For more information and to purchase the book, click here

Friday, March 14, 2014

New Group Concept Mapping Publication in Psychomusicology Journal

Group concept mapping can be used to gather and organize ideas from diverse groups on a variety of topics.  Iwan Wopereis, Slavi Stoyanov, et al. recently published an article in Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain titled "What makes a good musical improviser? An expert view on improvisational expertise."  The authors used group concept mapping to gather input from 26 renowned musical experts on key characteristics of improvisational expertise.  The final 7-cluster map included clusters on self-regulation, basic/musical skills, affect, risk-taking, creation, responsivity, and ideal.  The results of the project may have implications on future musical instruction.  To view the full abstract, click here

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

New Group Concept Mapping Publication on Cancer Treatment and Exercise

Sean Joseph Fitzpatrick and Sam Zizzi recently published an article in the American Journal of Health Education titled "Using Concept Mapping to Identify Action Steps for Physical Activity Promotion in Cancer Treatment."  Fitzpatrick and Zizzi used group concept mapping to gather ideas from both researchers and oncologists on how to incorporate exercise as part of the standard cancer care following treatment.  As explained, current research suggests that many cancer survivors have lower activity levels following diagnosis, and many oncologists are not promoting physical activity.  Group concept mapping helped the groups better understand and address gaps between research and practice.  To view the full article, click here

Monday, February 10, 2014

Intro Webinar Series is Now Free

We are now offering our Introduction to Group Concept Mapping two-part webinar series free of charge!  The webinars were developed for those who are new to group concept mapping, and they provide an interactive overview of the group concept mapping methodology and its potential uses.  Participants get hands-on experience using the newly updated CS Global MAXTM software, and they get to ask questions about their potential projects.  The next webinar series is March 4 and 11 from 3:00-4:30pm EST.  For more information and to sign up, click here

Monday, January 20, 2014

New CSI Staff Publication in Quality of Life Research

CSI's Senior Consultant, Dr. Scott Rosas, recently co-authored a publication in Quality of Life Research titled "Conceptualizing and prioritizing clinical trial outcomes from the perspective of people with Parkinson's disease versus health care professionals: a concept mapping study" (Hammarlund et al., 2013). In the study, group concept mapping was used to gather and compare the perspectives of people with Parkinson's disease and health care professionals on priority areas for outcome measurement in Parkinson's disease clinical trials.  Although there were many similarities between the two groups, the study underlines the importance of understanding the perspective of people with Parkinson's disease to ensure meaningful and interpretable clinical trial results.  To view the article, click here

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

New CSI Staff Publication in Journal of Informetrics

Alyssa Goldman, Client Services Consultant, recently published an article in the Journal of Informetrics entitled "Conceptualizing the interdisciplinary diffusion and evolution of emerging fields: the case of systems biology." In the article, Alyssa presents a methodological approach for considering how a new field diffuses to diverse disciplines.  Using a combination of network and cluster analyses, Alyssa suggests a means for identifying a diffusion structure and then classifying journals based on the extent to which they sustain various features of that structure.  To view the article abstract, click here

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Group Concept Mapping Presentation at NAPCRG

Dr. Lara Carson Weinstein, Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, recently presented at the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Annual Meeting on her breast cancer screening research using group concept mapping.  Dr. Weinstein's presentation, titled "Exploring Barriers and Facilitators to Breast Cancer Screening in Formerly Homeless Women With Serious Mental Illness Through Concept Mapping," discussed the use of group concept mapping as a means of gathering information from this severely marginalized population. 

Participants included 27 formerly homeless women with severe mental illness, and they rated past experience with breast cancer risk factors and use of support systems as the most important factors for obtaining a mammogram, and comfort/motivation as the most feasible factor to address.  The results of this study will be used to create breast cancer screening and prevention interventions for women and their support staff.  For more information about Dr. Weinstein's presentation (Session Number CR11), click here