Library and Information Science Commons^™

Research Data Management Policy & Organizational Compliance: An Exploratory Study In The Academic Context, Monica Inez Ihli

Doctoral Dissertations

Research data management (RDM) describes a broad array of processes and activities aimed at ensuring that data are documented, organized, findable, and preserved for future access. In January 2023, the National Institutes of Health will begin enforcing the strictest data management requirements of a U.S. federal agency to date, including potential consequences for organizations whose researchers fail to demonstrate compliance with commitments to data management and sharing. This dissertation makes two major assessment-based contributions in support of organizational preparedness for policy compliance. First, it reports the results of a pilot study at a high research institution for a survey instrument, …

In Our Very Blood: The Use Of Social Media In The 2018 West Virginia Teachers' Strike, Everette Scott Sikes

Doctoral Dissertations

The 2018 West Virginia teachers’ strike exemplifies the changing shape of social movements and events of dissent and protest in the digital age. The use of information communication technologies (ICT) and social media have changed the ways such events develop and unfold. These technologies offer new tools for organizing and strategizing, for generating large numbers of participants, and for communicating crucial information while reducing temporal and spatial barriers. The teachers’ strike presents an opportunity to increase our understandings of these issues and to widen the scope of research in the field of information sciences to include the impact of ICTs …

Effects Of Gatekeeping On The Diffusion Of Information, Rebecca Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations

This study proposes a theoretical model of information diffusion using the conceptual framework of Gatekeeping Theory (Shoemaker & Vos, 2009). Diffusion is a process by which elements are distributed through a social system (Rogers, 2003; Kadushin, 2012). This model builds on previous diffusion research and incorporates constructs of authority and vivid information, novel to the domain. To test the fit of the model, Twitter data derived using data mining techniques are utilized. Specifically, messages posted to Twitter relating to the 2013 Consumer Electronics (CES) conference are mined. Essentially, this study focuses on the diffusion of technology information through a popular …

Academic Library Resources And Services For Online Distance Learners: An Exploratory Study, Roseanne Michele Sasso

Doctoral Dissertations

In this study distance learning library resources and services as provided by member institutions belonging to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) were examined. The goals of this study were (a) to identify the types of distance learning library resources and services being provided, and (b) to gain insight into the experiences and perspectives of Association of Research Libraries’ library personnel in delivering library resources and services to their distance learning library patrons. This exploratory study consisted of two phases, where both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Phase one involved a content analysis of member institution’s distance learning websites …

Out From Darkness And Into The Light: The Role Of Transparency And Social Media In Government, Frances Nichols Bachstein

Doctoral Dissertations

Government agencies that protect secrecy often have a difficult time connecting to the public. Secretive, or perceived secretive government organizations often fall into the nebulous realm of uncertainty for the information consumer. This results in a great deal of misinformation and disinformation being thought of as correct. Since 2008, the US government is moving toward a more transparent, open, and easily accessed information base through social media. Agencies across the government are adopting types of social media communication. However, bureaus that primarily focus on security and safeguarding secrets struggle with how much disclose, which platforms of social media are the …

Undergraduate Women In The Stem Fields And The Use Of Academic Library Resources And Services, Rebecca O'Kelly Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

Women majoring in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields are few in number. This research will be conducted in an effort to understand the use of academic library resources and services by undergraduate women in the STEM fields. Data collection methods consisted of three focus groups and five interviews with undergraduate women in the STEM fields, and three focus groups and two interviews with academic librarians and library staff familiar with library resources and services in each of the STEM fields conducted at a Research I University in the USA. Grounded theory principles provided a basis for the …

Dimensions Of Access To Traceability Information For Us Beef Cattle Producers: Merging Information Frameworks For Assessment And Visualization Of State Web-Based Resources In An Effort To Strengthen National Security Connections Between Government And Cattle Farming Operations, Reid Isaac Boehm

Doctoral Dissertations

US consumers eat a lot of beef. The nation’s beef cattle production industry is a multi-faceted, complex supply chain which makes it an area rich for discussion about information practices, yet vulnerable to problems such as disease and terrorist attack. This research looks at cattle identification and traceability information resources that are accessible to beef cattle producers through two web channels: the state cooperative Extension website and the state Department of Agriculture website. This is a state by state content analysis of all fifty states to look at the topics, types, formats, quality, and interactivity of the available resources. By …

Measuring The Norm Of Reciprocity On Data Sharing Practices: A Carrot Or Stick Approach?, Crystal Pleake Sherline

Doctoral Dissertations

Based on the theory of the Norm of Reciprocity (NOR), this study is focused on an individual’s data sharing behavior with respect to academic research by investigating their attitude towards data sharing and external funding. A measure was developed for data sharing, and the Adjusted Eisenberger Scale was attuned for measuring the Norm of Reciprocity. The measures were distributed by a random numbers generator to academic researchers at research intensive universities. The results show that NOR does not correlate with data sharing. There was also a negative correlation between scientists’ willingness to share data and external funding. The results are …

Citizen Science: Framing The Public, Information Exchange, And Communication In Crowdsourced Science, Todd Ernest Suomela

Doctoral Dissertations

Citizen science, the participation of non-scientists in scientific research, has grown over the last 20 years. The current study explores the communication frames used to describe citizen science and how they are created. It also investigates the effects of citizen science on the relationship between the public and science. It also situates citizen science in a larger historical context that critques normal science and intersects with a number of other scholarly discussions including science and technology studies, citizenship, expertise, professionalism, and participation.

The dissertation draws on theory from the social worlds analysis of Anselm Strauss, framing in science communication, the …

Re-Conceptualizing The Information Use Environment: Enablers Of And Constraints To Human Information Behavior In Hospice Care Volunteerism In The Southeastern Appalachian Region, Sheri L. Edwards

Doctoral Dissertations

Hospice care has seen an explosive growth in the last decade, with 42% of all deaths in 2010 in the US occurring under the care of a hospice program. A central aspect of hospice care is (unpaid) volunteer work, which is unique among other types of volunteer work in that it is strictly regulated by the Medicare hospice benefit, in which 94% of all hospices currently participate. As a cost-saving measure, Medicare requires that at least 5% of total patient care hours are undertaken by volunteers. However, hospice care faces a number of challenges, including a rapidly aging society that …

The Relationship Between Self-Directed Learning And Information Literacy Among Adult Learners In Higher Education, Tiffani Reneau Conner

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-directed learning and information literacy. Participants completed the Personal Orientation in Self-Directed Learning Scale ([PRO-SDLS], Stockdale, 2003) and the Information Literacy Test ([ILT], James Madison University, 2003). The PRO-SDLS is a self-report scale consisting of 25 statements about self-directed learning preferences in college classrooms. The ILT is a 60-item multiple-choice test that assesses the information literacy skills of college students. Correlation, ANOVA, and multiple regressions were used to test relationships and differences between self-directed learning and information literacy. Despite claims that teaching information literacy creates self-directed learners, composite scores …

Public Libraries And Homeless Lgbtq Youth: Creating Safe Spaces Through Cultural Competence, Julie Ann Winkelstein

Doctoral Dissertations

This social justice research case study was conducted in an effort to understand the role of the public library in the daily lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) homeless youth. Concerns about the influences of space, power, human rights, and marginalization informed the researcher and served as critical guides. To gain insight into this question, one-on-one interviews were conducted with public librarians, service providers who work with homeless youth, and the youth themselves. Grounded theory provided a basis for the analysis of the collected conversations.

Six theoretical concepts of time, attitude, building relationships, welcoming, feeling safe and …

Organizational Storytelling In Academic Libraries: Roles, Addressees And Perceptions, Monica Colon-Aguirre

Doctoral Dissertations

Libraries have survived throughout millennia while retaining particular characteristics that help define them as organizations. This study focuses on academic libraries, by exploring the world of the academic library employee through one of the most recent alternatives to organizational studies: knowledge management. Knowledge management is a relatively new approach to management, which focuses on people as the main components of organizations, and explores ways in which the knowledge created by them allows organizations to innovate and compete successfully. Storytelling is one of the ways knowledge is transferred among employees. This qualitative study explores the perceptions academic reference librarians have regarding …

Complex Adaptive Systems Theory Applied To Virtual Scientific Collaborations: The Case Of Dataone, Arsev Umur Aydinoglu

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is the exploration of the emergence of DataONE, a multidisciplinary, multinational, and multi-institutional virtual scientific collaboration to develop a cyberinfrastructure for earth sciences data, from the complex adaptive systems perspective. Data is generated through conducting 15 semi-structured interviews, observing three 3-day meetings, and 51 online surveys. The main contribution of this study is the development of a complexity framework and its application to a project such as DataONE. The findings reveal that DataONE behaves like a complex adaptive system: various individuals and institutions interacting, adapting, and coevolving to achieve their own and common goals; during the process new …

Users’ Help-Seeking Behaviors Within The Context Of Computer Task Accomplishment: An Exploratory Study, Lei Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated computer users’ help-seeking behaviors within the context of accomplishing a novel and challenging computer task. In addition, this study examined how different help-seeking behavioral variables relate to both personal factors and outcome measures in an exploratory manner. Finally, a structural model examined the effect of personal factors on task performance through the mediating function of help-seeking effectiveness. A total of 67 undergraduate students participated in the study. Participants were asked to perform a challenging task in Microsoft Word. The usability software MORAE was used to record the interactions between participants and computer systems. Participants had access to …

A Bibliometric Analysis Of The Use Of Technical Report Literature: Pre- And Post- Internet Distribution, Cynthia Gayle Manley

Doctoral Dissertations

Technological advances have changed the way information is accessed, retrieved, and utilized. The Internet has contributed to greater accessibility of scientific and technical information (STI), particularly in the arena of technical report literature. Technical reports, which communicate the results of research and development activities, are significant indicators of scientific trends because they often represent public and governmental interest in emerging fields of study. Prior to the widespread use of the Internet, technical reports were disseminated in print format with the use of specific, and often limited, distribution lists. However, as technical report literature found a home on the Internet, it …

Contradictions Between How Students Are Taught To Write And What They Are Expected To Read In General Education Courses, Rachel Anne Kirk

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the relationship between how students are taught to write in first-year English composition classes and what they are expected to read as part of the general education requirements at a publically-funded large university in the southeast (PLUS), and then to determine whether a gap exists. If a gap is found to exist between the preparation of students and their ability to read material that has been assigned by the teaching faculty, these students are less likely to be considered information literate by any rubric.

This study uses a mixed-methods approach. Content analysis is employed to examine the …

The Information Behavior Of Public Health Educators Working In Appalachia, Karen Jean Mcclanahan

Doctoral Dissertations

Public health educators serve as a vital interface between medical and public health authorities and community members for the dissemination of important information related to disease prevention and health promotion. Public health educators deliver packaged educational programs, develop their own original programs, field impromptu health questions, and conduct community health assessments. This dissertation research employed a survey in January 2011 to illuminate the information-related attitudes and activities of health educators working in public health departments in Appalachia. The research questions explored how these health educators find and use information, how they perceive their information needs and their abilities to find …

Information Seeking Behavior Of Scientists In Venezuela, Simon Luis Aristeguieta Trillos

Doctoral Dissertations

Information is one the essential elements of science. It is an imperative condition that researchers review antecedent works as they advance and create new knowledge. Knowledge creation in science is a process of adding and refining new pieces of data, information, and knowledge to what has already been accomplished by others. Few scientific communities have unlimited access to scientific information sources. Most communities’ access to information is limited by economic, social, cultural, and technological conditions.

This study investigates information seeking behavior and information dissemination practices of the Venezuelan scientific community. A model of scholarly communication in a context of dependency …

Political Advocacy On The Web: Issue Networks In Online Debate Over The Usa Patriot Act, Margot Leigh Emery

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines how people and organizations used the World Wide Web to discuss and debate a public policy in 2005, at a point of time when the Internet was viewed as a maturing medium for communication. Combining descriptive and quantitative frame analyses with an issue network analysis, the study evaluated the frames apparent in discourse concerning two key sections of the USA Patriot Act, while the issue network analysis probed hypertext linkages among Web pages where discussion was occurring. Sections 214 and 215 of the USA Patriot Act provided a contentious national issue with multiple stakeholders presumed to be …