Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Genre-Based Navigation On The Web, Barbara H. Kwasnik, Kevin Crowston, Mike Nilan, X. Liu, J. Cai

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

We report on our ongoing study of using the genre of Web pages to facilitate information exploration. By genre, we mean socially recognized regularities of form and purpose in documents (e.g., a letter, a memo, a research paper). Our study had three phases. First, through a user study, we identified genres which most/least frequently meet searchers' information needs. We found that certain genres are better suited for certain types of needs. We identified five (5) major groups of document genres that might be used in an interactive search tool that would allow genrebased navigation. We tried to balance the following …

Natural Language Processing, Elizabeth D. Liddy

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is the computerized approach to analyzing text that is based on both a set of theories and a set of technologies. And, being a very active area of research and development, there is not a single agreed-upon definition that would satisfy everyone, but there are some aspects, which would be part of any knowledgeable person’s definition.

Investigating The Interplay Between Structure And Information And Communications Technology In The Real Estate Industry, Kevin Crowston, Steve Sawyer, Rolf Wigand

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are reshaping many industries, often by reshaping how information is shared. Information intensive industries, by their nature, show the greatest impacts due to ICTs that enable information sharing and the bypassing of traditional information intermediaries. However, while the effects and uses of ICT are often associated with organizations (and industries), their use occurs at the individual level. In other words, it is changes to individual work related to the use of ICTs that reshape both organization and industry structures, and vice versa. To explore the relationships between individual uses of ICT and changes to organization …

E-Tables: Non-Specialist Use And Understanding Of Statistical Data, Gary Marchionini, Carol Hert, Ben Shneiderman, Liz Liddy

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

This paper provides a progress report on a project that aims to understand how people think about and understand statistical data presented in tables. The focus is on people who are not statistical specialists. To this end, studies of various user populations were conducted, underlying data enrichment and explanation was investigated, and interactive user interface prototypes were developed and tested.

A Process Theory Of Competency Rallying In Engineering Projects, Bernhard R. Katzy, Kevin Crowston

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Firms face an environment changing at an increasingly rapid pace. Market opportunities in particular can arise and disappear in a short time. Unfortunately, the speed with which organizations can adapt their strategies and competencies to meet these opportunities remains limited. We argue that firms can address these individual limitations by cooperating with others for access to market opportunities and needed competencies. In this paper, we present a process theory of how a network of firms can reliably engineering and deliver products in the face of rapid market changes. In this theory, the success of the network is predicated on 1) …

The Social Embeddedness Of Transactions: Evidence From The Residential Real Estate Industry, Steve Sawyer, Kevin Crowston, Rolf T. Wigand, Marcel Allbritton

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Information and communications technologies (ICT) are becoming pervasive in the residential real estate industry and affecting the work lives of real estate agents. Drawing on data from a regional study of the residential real-estate industry in the United States, we focus on the disintermediation or, more accurately, the re-intermediation of real estate agents in the sales process. We examine how real estate agents are (1) taking advantage of new ICT in their work, and (2) protecting themselves from others wishing to displace their position in the real estate value chain. Our analysis draws on two contrasting theoretical approaches to better …

Information And Communication Technologies In The Real Estate Industry: Results Of A Pilot Survey, Rolf T. Wigand, Kevin Crowston, Steve Sawyer, Marcel Allbritton

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

We have been studying the growing use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the residential real estate industry and the effects of this use on how realtors work. Earlier stages of our project involved qualitative research to develop a better understanding of the industry, the work of realtors and their use of ICT. In this paper we report on the results of qualitative research and a pilot of a survey intended to gather large-scale data on realtors and ICT use.

An Nlp Approach For Improving Access To Statistical Information For The Masses, Elizabeth D. Liddy, Jennifer H. Liddy

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Naïve users need to access statistical information, but frequently do not have the sophisticated levels of understanding required in order to translate their information needs into the structure and vocabulary of sites which currently provide access to statistical information. However, these users can articulate quite straightforwardly in their own terms what they are looking for. One approach to satisfying the masses of citizens with needs for statistical information is to automatically map their natural language expressions of their information needs into the metadata structure and terminology that defines and describes the content of statistical tables. To accomplish this goal, we …

Center For Psychological Studies 2001-2002 Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

CPS Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Misplaced Marketing: Why Television Is The “Wrong” Environment For Public Service Advertising Campaigns, Joyce M. Wolburg

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Notes that research has shown that advertising efforts to promote social causes rarely reach meaningful levels of effectiveness. Points out that while the media provide the right emotional climate for advertising messages that encourage consumption, it follows that the media provide the wrong environment for messages that discourage consumption or other behaviors. Concludes that money spent might best be redirected to other prevention efforts that more directly accomplish the social program’s goals.

Stroop Interference And Working Memory - Reply To Stafford On Koch On Stroop-Differences, Chris Koch

Faculty Publications - Psychology Department

Koch et al. (1999) presented two studies in which cluster analysis was used to examine individual differences in Stroop processing. Stafford (2000) raised two questions concerning the methodology of Study I and the results from Study II. This reply addresses those issues. It is concluded that cluster analysis can be used examine individual differences but that multiple methods of cluster analysis may be appropriate when analyzing data. Further, the results from Study II are consistent with current research on working memory when comparing across participants. The results, however, do suggest that additional research is needed to determine the role of …

Stress, Coping, And Success Among Clinical Psychology Graduate Students, Nancy G. Nelson, Carol Dell'oliver, Chris Koch, Robert Buckler

Faculty Publications - Psychology Department

No abstract provided.

Instructional Technology At Cabell Library, Jimmy Ghaphery

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Instructional technology is being employed in a number of settings at James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Both end-users and library staff are using forms of Web-based instruction. These very different efforts from the past year (1997-1998) have yielded a number of lessons learned and provide a good sense of direction for future forays into the electronic learning environment.

The Effects Of A High-Risk Environment On The Sexual Victimization Of Homeless And Runaway Youth, Kimberly A. Tyler, Les B. Whitbeck, Dan R. Hoyt, Ana Mari Cauce

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Based on the structural-choice theory of victimization, the current study examines the effects of a high-risk environment on the sexual victimization of 311 homeless and runaway youth. Results from logistic regression revealed that survival sex, gender, and physical appearance were significantly associated with sexual victimization. Results from a series of interactions also revealed that the effects of deviant behaviors on sexual victimization varied by gender and age. Although males and females engaged in similar activities, young women were more likely to be victims of sexual assault. These findings suggest that engaging in high-risk behaviors predispose some people to greater risks …

A Four Week Intervention Program At Albert Lea Medical Center: An Investigative Study Of Employee Lifestyle Practices, Theresa Thorland

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a four-week intervention program on the development of healthy lifestyle practices among employees at Albert Lea Medical Center. Specifically, the study was designed to investigate changes in subjects' predicted health risk age after participation in a four-week worksite health promotion program at ALMC. The intervention program consisted of the following wellness components: physical, emotional, occupational, intellectual, spiritual, and social. The study was designed to answer the question of how the "July Challenge" would effect the risk age of each participant.

Health risk appraisals were sent to randomly selected individuals …

Self-Disclosure, Clara E. Hill, Sarah Knox

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

A review of the analog literature about therapist self-disclosure suggests that nonclients generally have positive perceptions of therapist self-disclosures. A review of the naturalistic psychotherapy literature indicates that therapist self-disclosure occurs infrequently, is used more often by humanistic-experiential than psychoanalytic therapists, is most often about professional background than about intimate personal details, is used for many different reasons, is used cautiously by therapists, and is helpful in the immediate process of therapy. Effects of therapist self-disclosure on the ultimate outcome of therapy are less clear. Limitations of the research (poor and inconsistent definitions and lack of a clinically appropriate methodology …

An Examination Of The Sabbatical Year In Leviticus 25 And Its Implications For Academic Practice, Thomas G. Endres

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article examines the concepts of Sabbatical Year and its connections with the concept as practiced in academia. First, the article examines the sabbatical year as portrayed in the Hebrew scriptures. Next, definitions and practices of the sabbatical year in academia is outlined. Finally, connections between the two forms of sabbatical is analyzed, with conclusions drawn about the role the Leviticus sabbatical can play in the understanding and execution of academic leave. While the purpose of the academic sabbatical year is quite different, academicians can learn from the lessons of Leviticus, and approach their leaves of absence with a more …

"Taking Care Of Business": A Study Of Administrators At Acejmc-Accredited Journalism Programs, Edd Applegate, Dennis Oneal, Ken Blake

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The article offers demographic, professional, and educational information about directors, assistant directors, chairs, and heads of Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC)-accredited journalism programs, in an effort to provide a complete profile of these individuals .The directors, assistant directors, chairs, and heads of ACEJMC-accredited programs are overwhelmingly white, male, and senior faculty. Their undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Arts degree in an area of communications. Their graduate degrees consist of a Master of Arts degree and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. The field of study for their highest degree is in an area of communications. …

Computer-Assisted Evaluation Of Speaking Competencies In The Basic Speech Course, Chris R. Sawyer, Ralph R. Behnke

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article discusses the computer-assisted evaluation of speaking competencies in the basic speech course. Whenever a college-level course utilizes a number of instructors and sections, administrators responsible for ensuring the quality of that course become increasingly concerned about issues of equivalency or the extent to which students in the various sections of the course are receiving essentially the same educational experience. educators have recommended the use of student portfolios in courses featuring public speaking. In this instructional strategy, a student's work during a course is compiled and reviewed periodically throughout the academic term. This improvements will dramatically enhance record keeping …

Making Good Tenure Decisions, Samuel L. Becker, Kathleen M. Galvin, Houston Marsha, Gustav W. Friedrich, Pearson C, Judy, William J. Seiler, Judith S. Trent

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article provides information on decision making on the granting or denial of tenure to a faculty member. It not only has an effect on the professional life of a colleague, it has a major influence on the direction and long-term quality of the department. The tenure decision in made in the sixth year of a tenure-track faculty appointment. If a faculty member has been on the tenure track at two institutions, the years of service at the first institution usually count toward those six years, unless the faculty member and his of her current institution agree in writing at …

Publication Patterns Of Male And Female Faculty Members In The Communication Discipline, Lawrence B. Nadler, Marjorie Keeshan Nadler

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article presents a study on the publication patterns of male and female faculty members in the communication administration in the U.S. Male faculty published more than female faculty in multiple ways. Specifically, men were more frequently sole authors that women, and men were more often in the first and second position in cases of joint authorship. while no sex difference were found overall for frequency of co-authored articles, there were male-only than female-only co-authored publications. The implications of these findings, in terms of sex-based differences in publication patterns, are considerable. Research has become increasingly important in promotion and tenure …

Recruit, Recruit, Recruit: Organizing Benefits For Employees With Unmarried Families, Polly Thistlethwaite

Publications and Research

This article argues that librarians should work to adopt domestic partner benefits for employees in unmarried same- and opposite-sex couples given the inequities in compensation manifest in their absence. It provides new information about the domestic partner practices of Tier 1 and Tier 2 institutions based on a spring/fall 2000 telephone survey. The article includes an outline of actions to institute domestic partner benefits in university settings.

Japanese, U.S Tourists: Hotel Selections, Minho Cho

Hospitality Review

The author reports the results of an exploratory study concerning the importance placed on attributes of hotel selection by Japanese and American guests and cultural differences between these two groups, which represent the largest market for Korean international tourist hotels. The findings suggest that Hofstede's (1960) four dimensions of cultural values can be used to help marketers better understand their guest's hotel selection criteria.

The Reasonable Man On Tour, Laurence D. Gore

Hospitality Review

The "reasonable man" standard is one to which all rational persons should subscribe. The author relates the standard to the travel industry and the fate of travels.

Hemisphere Volume 9 Number 3, Winter 2001

Hemisphere

No abstract provided.

Hemisphere Volume 10, Fall 2001

Hemisphere

No abstract provided.

Bolivia Or Bust: Cila Memories, Dennis C. Tucker

The Christian Librarian

The first tentative talks about the possibility of a teaching mission to Bolivia began in June of 1998 at the annual conference of the Association of Christian Librarians. We had a semi-formal meeting to discuss the possibility at the 1999 annual conference-nearly a year before it would actually happen-at a meeting of the Commission for International Library Assistance (CILA), a ministry of the Association. The mission of CILA is to provide support for libraries in developing countries where there is a lack of formal training or financial resources. It does so by serving as an umbrella organization to coordinate requests …

The Y Factor, J. Ray Doerksen

The Christian Librarian

In my last column, I discussed the Sabbath in terms of its personal, physical and spiritual dimensions. In this column I want to examine its implications for corporate institutions such as Christian colleges and universities-and the libraries that serve them.

As you remember, there is physical significance-as well as spiritual-to the concept of Sabbath. God instituted a rhythm of work and rest. Probably all of us agree that periodic rest is a good thing for us as human beings. Does the same principle apply to corporate institutions, or does the fact that people only work five or six days in …

The Y Factor, J. Ray Doerksen

The Christian Librarian

The Sabbath issue is finished. Now it is time to take a rest (pun intended). I probably benefited from my study of the issue more than any of you, but that is what I love about education-there is so much to learn. In "The Y Factor," I usually focus on the noun in the title of this journal, addressing issues of librarianship. Today, I want to concentrate on the adjective -- "Christian".

Economic Factors That Influence Soybean And Canola Prices, Lei Cui

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The USDA Agricultural Research Service is examining the feasibility and profitability of growing Canola and soybeans in potato rotation systems. The study described in this thesis is part of this research program. The primary objective of this research is to look for economic factors that influence soybean and Canola prices. Canola is a new oilseed crop to the U.S. Since the Food and Drug Administration approved its use as edible food, Canola production in the US. has increased tremendously. Because only 11 years of data are available on Canola consumption and production in the U.S., it is difficult to empirically …