Welcome to the University of Lincoln, College of Social Science Research website. This website aims to provide an overview on the wide range of research undertaken within the College of Social Science. It contains details of events, current studies, community resources and information on how you or your organisation can become engaged with research within the College.
If you are interested in collaborating or discussing potential research ideas with our academics you can visit the Contact Us page.
The effectiveness of primary care streaming in emergency departments on decision-making and patient flow and safety – A realist evaluation
Primary care streaming was implemented in UK Emergency Departments (EDs) to manage an increasing demand for urgent care. We aimed to explore its effectiveness in EDs with different primary care models and identify contexts and mechanisms that influenced outcomes: streaming patients to the most appropriate clinician or service, ED flow and patient safety.
We observed streaming and interviewed ED and primary care staff during case study visits to 10 EDs in England. We used realist methodology, synthesising a middle-range theory with our qualitative data to refine and create a set of theories that explain relationships between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes.
Mechanisms contributing to the effectiveness of primary care streaming were: quality of decision-making, patient flow, redeploying staff, managing patients across streams, the implementation of governance protocols, guidance, training, service evaluation and quality improvement efforts. Experienced nurses and good teamworking and strategic and operational management were key contextual factors.
Latest News
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College of Social Science Research Showcase 2022Each year, we like to celebrate the hard work and exciting impact of the research taking place within the College of Social Science through an annual Research Showcase. This year we have decided to have two overall themes for the showcase. ...
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The effectiveness of primary care streaming in emergency departments on decision-making and patient flow and safety – A realist evaluationPrimary care streaming was implemented in UK Emergency Departments (EDs) to manage an increasing demand for urgent care. We aimed to explore its effectiveness in EDs with different primary care models and identify contexts and mechanisms that influenced outcomes: streaming patients to the most appropriate clinician or service, ED flow and patient safety. We observed streaming and interviewed ED and primary care staff during case study visits to 10 EDs in England. We used realist methodology, synthesising a middle-range theory with our qualitative data to refine and create a set of theories that explain relationships between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes....
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Videogames, Twitter and Far-Right Extremism: An Analysis of Twitter Hashtag NetworksMany social network theories emphasise the importance of network properties. Strong networks with many interlocking and reinforcing connections are essential to reinforcing beliefs. Homophily within networks arises as individuals within them seek out and maintain strong connections with those who are like them. People seeking to join a network are often already connected to people who hold similar beliefs. Thus, as more people join the network, the strength of the ties between individuals grows stronger and homophily increases....
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Coach-athlete relationship, social support, and sport-related psychological well-being in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletesThe coach-athlete relationship and social support are stressors that impact athletes’ well-being, however, most research in this area focusses on the relationship between these variables and burnout. Researchers have shown differences in stressors experienced between sport types (individual and team) where evidence suggests individual sport athletes report higher mental health concerns compared to those in team sports. This study aimed to understand the relationships between the coach-athlete relationship, social support, and psychological well-being among collegiate athletes, and the impact of sport type on these variables. A total of 153 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletes completed coach-athlete relationship, social support, and well-being measures online. Results indicate the coach-athlete relationship and social support were both positively correlated with well-being, but there were no significant differences between sport type on any outcome variables. Findings from this study may influence future coaching practices and support networks, thus positively impacting student athletes’ well-being....
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SUICIDE IN/AS POLITICSSuicide is political: both individual acts of suicide, and suicide rates, are partly influenced by political and social contexts, policies, and discourses. While it is important to understand individual psychology in relation to suicide, it is equally vital to examine how policy regimes impact on the lives and deaths of citizens. For example, activists and scholars have suggested that recent austerity policies in the UK have led to increased suicide within marginalised groups (recipients of welfare benefits). The political nature of suicide is sometimes recognised in academic studies, however, most research concerning suicide tends to frame the practice as exclusively about mental ill-health, and as such is conducted from psychological or psychiatric perspectives. There is an increasing and pressing acknowledgement that different forms of knowledge about suicide are needed, along with more interdisciplinary ways of approaching its study. Despite this acknowledgement, research exploring suicide from within sociology and political studies is still limited, and there remains a lack of qualitative and interdisciplinary knowledge in this field....
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Probation and COVID-19: Lessons learned to improve health-related practiceProbation staff perform a health-related role involving identifying health-related drivers of offending behaviour; facilitating access to support for these, including continuity of care for people leaving prison; and advising the courts on appropriate sentencing. This study analyses data from probation staff surveys and interviews with people that were under probation supervision during the pandemic to investigate the impact of the response to the pandemic on a) this health-related role, b) the lived experience of accessing health support whilst engaging with probation, and c) partnership working and pathways into healthcare for people under probation supervision University of Lincoln, College of Social Science Coral Sirdifield, University of Lincoln, School of Health and Social Care...
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The effectiveness of primary care streaming in emergency departments on decision-making and patient flow and safety – A realist evaluationPrimary care streaming was implemented in UK Emergency Departments (EDs) to manage an increasing demand for urgent care. We aimed to explore its effectiveness in EDs with different primary care models and identify contexts and mechanisms that influenced outcomes: streaming patients to the most appropriate clinician or service, ED flow and patient safety. We observed streaming and interviewed ED and primary care staff during case study visits to 10 EDs in England. We used realist methodology, synthesising a middle-range theory with our qualitative data to refine and create a set of theories that explain relationships between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes....
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A Critical Reader in Central Asian StudiesCentral Asian Survey has remained as the premier world-leading peer-reviewed journal for Central Asian studies for four decades. To mark the 40th anniversary of the journal, this volume is intended to be a reader of selected essays from the journal over the last four decades. This book is not just a mere collection, but also a critical reflection on the field over that time. Each of the nine sections in the book feature a critical appraisal of the selected excerpts by young scholars who analyse the reproduced excerpts and the contribution they make to advancing our understanding of the field. The nine sections encapsulate prominent themes in Central Asian studies: history, identity and nationalism, Islam, governing and the state, informal institutions, contentious politics, gender, everyday life, and regional and global perspectives. The book is not just intended to reflect on the role of Central Asian Survey in the development of Central Asian studies, but also the aim is for the volume to be used as a teaching resource where the different sections in the collection could correlate to specific teaching weeks in courses on the region. The different contributions cover many case studies from across a range of countries that have featured in the journal over the years, and thus is not just restricted to the Central Asian republics but also includes Mongolia, Azerbaijan, and Xinjiang....
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Non-religious prisoners’ unequal access to pastoral carePrisoners have long been recognised as a disenfranchised group. This paper positions non-religious prisoners as further excluded from pastoral care. While chaplaincies aim to serve prisoners of all faiths and none, this paper suggests a hierarchy of access in which the benefits of chaplaincy are more available to some prisoners than others. Shortcomings in secular care mean that non-religious offenders are often the only group unable to connect with like-minded people and it is argued that they are disadvantaged as a result. The paper also explores the challenges for pastoral carers seeking to support inmates equally. It considers the barriers on both sides of the care relationship, specifically the disincentives to chaplaincy engagement faced by prisoners of no faith and the obstacles encountered by the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network in accessing service users and delivering care. Finally, recommendations are made to narrow the gaps between religious and non-religious prisoners....