Digital Commons Network^™

Multidimensional Analysis Of Social Discourse On Twitter (X) Around Venezuelan Migration In Columbia, Joseph Martínez, Melissa Miller-Felton, Jose J. Padilla, Erika Frydenlund, Katherine Palacio

VMASC Publications

Colombia has become the principal host of Venezuelan migrants in Latin America, prompting a complex mix of solidarity, anxiety, and discrimination. This study offers a multidimensional analysis of Twitter (now X) discourse on Venezuelan migration in Colombia between 2014 and 2022, using natural language processing, geolocation inference, sentiment analysis, and manual annotation of derogatory terms. Drawing from 7.4 million posts, we examine how online discourse evolves across time, space, and language. While negative sentiment is pronounced in original tweets during periods of political and social unrest, our findings highlight that users tend to amplify neutral and positive messages—over 67% of …

Industrial And Organizational Psychology Researchers’ Positive And Negative Experiences With The Peer-Review Process, Alexa Weaver

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Peer review plays a critical role in advancing the field of psychology; however, limited empirical research has examined psychologists’ experiences with the peer review process. The present study investigated both positive and negative peer review experiences among industrial and organizational (I/O) psychologists and assessed the prevalence of specific reviewer behaviors. A two-phase survey design was administered via Qualtrics. Study 1 employed open-ended questions to identify recurring themes in researchers’ experiences with peer review. Thematic analysis revealed distinct positive and negative patterns of reviewer behavior, which informed the development of Study 2.

Study 2 quantitatively assessed the prevalence of behaviors associated …

Lessons On Generative Artificial Intelligence From The American Association Of Dental Editors And Journalists (Aadej), Christopher J. Smiley

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists (AADEJ) recently released "Guidance for Authors, Editors and Publishers on the Use of Generative AI". Developed by an 11-member stakeholder panel, this guidance paper serves a dual purpose: It provides practical strategies for mitigating the risks that generative artificial intelligence (GAI) poses to professional writing and explains how GAI creates these risks. Understanding both the underlying vulnerabilities of GAI and how to address them is critical for users at all levels, from authors and reviewers to editors, publishers, and general users, to maintain the validity and reliability of their written work. This …

“How Far Do These Roots Go Down”: An Exploration Of Latinx And Latina Fans On Representation In Disney's Encanto, Noemi Nunez

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In this dissertation, I examine how Latinx and Latina audiences engaged with and interpreted Disney’s 2021 Encanto, an animated film celebrated for its representation of Colombian and broader Latinx culture. While scholarship on Latinx representation in media has expanded, less attention has been given to how Latinx audiences themselves respond to narratives that are meant to represent them, particularly within fan studies. Focusing on both a broader Latinx fan community and first-generation Latinas in the United States, this project explores how audiences negotiate representation and recognition using Encanto as a media text that centered a Latinx story. Drawing from …

Performing The Digital Identity: A Media Discourse Analysis Of Online Identity Construction, Dalya Qasem

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This dissertation investigates how news media construct narratives about TikTok and its role in shaping digital identity. While existing scholarship has examined issues such as privacy, marketing, and entertainment, less attention has been given to how identity is represented, negotiated, and understood within public discourse. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) combined with computational text analysis through Voyant Tools, this study analyzes a corpus of 111 news articles published between 2020 and 2025 that explicitly reference TikTok and identity. The analysis identifies prominent keywords, topics, and rhetorical patterns across media texts. Furthermore, the research demonstrates a critical analysis of popular understandings …

Illusions Of Fairness And Sacrifice, Brady Schwertfeger

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The American West is a shifting landscape. An incongruous expanse of isolation and urbanity, wilderness and extraction, wealth and welfare, clear water and fire. Fifteen years ago, I moved to my mother’s ancestral homeland of Montana, and have been here ever since. Before that, I was born and raised in Texas, both the West and the South (and often something else entirely), depending on who you ask. My experiences in this region have shaped me indelibly, and have inspired this collection of essays built around culture, politics, and justice in the West. “Pinedale, Wyoming” considers the musician as itinerant wanderer …

Gendered Coverage In Sports Media: An Analysis Of Espn’S Representation Of Women’S Sports, Abigail C. Leonard

Honors Theses and Capstones

Despite growing participation in women’s sports, media coverage continues to reflect significant gender disparities. This thesis examines how ESPN, as a leading sports media network, contributes to the construction of gendered narratives through its coverage of women’s sports and female athletes. Drawing on framing theory, agenda-setting theory, and social identity theory, this study analyzes headlines, visuals, language, narratives, and broadcast patterns to explore how meaning is constructed in sports coverage.

The findings suggest that while coverage of women’s sports has increased, it often remains positioned as secondary to men’s sports. Female athletes are more frequently described using language that emphasizes …

Heat Misers, Snow Misers, And Cognitive Misers: The 'Nukewarm' Perceptions Of Nuclear Power, Tyler Williams

Dissertations and Theses

Rising energy demand in the United States necessitates alternatives to fossil fuels, yet renewable energy sources alone are insufficient to meet this demand. Nuclear power presents a promising option but faces persistent public hesitancy. This study examines how heuristic-based biases relate to American's risk-benefit perceptions towards nuclear power. Guided by the heuristic-systematic model. Results indicate that competence and affect are related to risk-benefit perceptions, and naturalness shows no relationship with risk perceptions but does correlate with benefit perceptions. Implications highlight the importance of affect-driven communication strategies for nuclear communicators, while also underscoring the need for participatory approaches that foster trust …

What Race Means For Health Among Black Americans: How Microaggressions Shape Self-Efficacy And Readiness For Behavior Change, Amanda Lee Almond

Publications and Research

Objectives: Persistent racial disparities in cardiovascular health among Black Americans reflect not only structural inequities in the United States, but also the racialized meanings of cardiovascular disease reproduced through public and private health communication. Drawing on ecological systems theory, this research examines how beliefs linking race and cardiovascular disease are reinforced through routine clinical interactions and how these meanings shape health behavior change. Method: Across two experimental mixed-methods studies, a model integrating ecological, social–cognitive, and behavior change frameworks was tested. In Study 1 (N = 374), health-message framing was experimentally manipulated to examine effects on self-efficacy and decisional balance while …

Contested Air: Politics, Prejudice, And Radio Broadcasting In New York State, 1925-1928, Sebastian Garcia

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This thesis examines the intersection between radio broadcasting as the "new media" of the 1920s and American political culture of the period, using New York Governor and 1928 Democratic presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith as a case study. Smith entered 1925 as a political lone wolf and left the year as a triumphant victor set to take the presidency. Building on the work of Smithian scholars, this thesis illuminates how Smith’s radio use remained central to this political transformation. Smith found in radio an apt space to bypass Republican opposition and mobilize the body politic through direct engagement, which, in …

The Bite Model And Multi-Level Marketing: How Monat Propagates, Lilly D. Cheung

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study aims to understand how MONAT Global Corp, a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) company, utilizes rhetoric that aligns with Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control. Hassan is a cult expert and cult survivor whose work primarily explains undue influence and thought control with BITE representing Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control. The MLM MONAT is a haircare brand that operates through a recruitment-and-sales-based hierarchy, in which sellers sign up and work under one another in a layered marketing structure. To meet quotas and maintain ranks, representatives will use rhetorical strategies to recruit new sellers beneath them in their ‘downline’ …

Assessing Positive Digital Experiences: A Spanish Validation Of The Digital Flourishing Scale For Adolescents, Alfredo Zarco-Alpuente, Victor Ciudad Fernández, Jasmina Rosič, Sophie Janicke-Bowles, Tamara Escrivà-Martínez, Paula Samper-García

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Adolescents are immersed in digital communication, which can benefit or harm their well-being. Digital flourishing captures positive perceptions of this communication-connectedness, authentic self-presentation, positive social comparison, civil participation, and self-control-and how it contributes to well-being. In Spain there is still no validated instrument for adolescents. Method: We adapted and validated the Digital Flourishing Scale for Adolescents (DFSA) for Spanish adolescents. Study 1 involved a pilot survey (n = 13) and cognitive interviews (n = 10) to improve clarity and cultural relevance. Study 2 used a cross-sectional survey (n = 1,786) to examine the DFSA’s latent structure, measurement invariance by …

Ethical Positionings Of Risk And Harm For Adolescents Encountering Sexual Content Online, Lelia Green, Giselle Woodley, Carmen Jacques, Elisabeth Staksrud, Liza Tsaliki, Brian O’Neill, Debra Dudek, Despina Chronaki, Thuy Dinh, Kelly Jaunzems

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper interrogates the ethical complexities of talking with 12 to 17-year-olds about sexual content online. Authors were granted ethics approval by the Edith Cowan University Human Research Ethics Committee (2019-00583-GREEN) with three other participant countries translating Australian ethical protocols into their national contexts: Greece, Ireland and Norway. This paper addresses the four national contexts and examines the ethical issues arising for different countries’ ethics procedures when researchers conduct sensitive research with adolescents. Given widespread concern around the risk that children will be ‘sexualised’ by encountering sexual content online the ethical procedures adopted in each national context, and the way …

Media And Democracy, Claire Fitzpatrick, Kurt Sengul

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The relationship between media and democracy has become increasingly fractured in Australia. Foundational democratic ideals, once mutually reinforcing, such as freedom of information, transparency and accountability, pluralism and diversity of opinion, and public trust are showing signs of strain. Under mounting pressure from media commercialisation, information pollution, populism and polarisation, democracy faces what André Bächtiger and John Dryzek (2024) describe as ‘diabolical times.’ They argue that the current crisis of democracy is, at its core, a crisis of public communication.

#Shoutyourabortion And Being Heard: The Affordances Of Hashtags For Feminist Counterpublics In Hostile Digital Atmospheres, Claire Fitzpatrick

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article critically explores counterpublic responses to the overturning of Roe v Wade and the intense contestation on Twitter (now X) between pro-abortion and anti-abortion advocates. Focusing on networked acts of deliberation, this study shows how #ShoutYourAbortion and #RoevWade facilitated the formation of defensive publics and Counterpublics. Hashtag feminism can enable affected groups to share experiences that are often marginalised by traditional media outlets, while witnessing and affirming similar experiences shared by others within their community. In this article, I examine the extent to which the collectivising hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion facilitates deliberation and listening in the context of polarising abortion debates …

Exploring The Use Of Strategic Influencer Leadership (Sil) In Health Communication: A Cross-Cultural, Multi-Case Study, Katharina Wolf, Catherine Archer, Syafiq B. Assegaff, Joseph Nalloor

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose This study challenges the social media-centric view of influencers, arguing that health communication benefits from diverse strategic influencers beyond commercial figures. Trust, credibility and cultural resonance are essential for effective public health messaging, yet contemporary approaches often prioritise engagement metrics over strategic influence. Design/methodology/approach This paper employs a multi-case study approach to examine the strategic use of influencers in health communication across Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores how health professionals, royal representatives and a politician shaped public health messaging within culturally specific contexts. A mixed-methods approach, incorporating ethnographic research and thematic …

Multihoming And Single-Homing Complementors' Responses To Intensified Between-Platform Competition: Evidence From The Youtube–Twitch Rivalry, Niloofar Abolfathi

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Research Summary: This paper examines how heterogeneous YouTube content creators-specifically, single-homing and multihoming channels-respond to a sudden increase in the exposure of the rival platform, Twitch. Contrary to expectations, I find that multihoming channels reduce their content creation efforts and underperform relative to single-homers. To make sense of these surprising results, I develop a formal model that characterizes the strategic behavior of different types of complementors operating across two platforms with varying levels of user exposure. The model offers a plausible explanation for the observed empirical patterns, suggesting that intensified competition between platforms, as a consequence of their changing exposure, …

Beyond Words: A Systematic Multimodal Framework For Text, Images, And Extreme Helpfulness In Online Reviews, Alvaro J. Aguado Marin

Dissertations

Online product reviews have become increasingly multimodal, combining text with media-rich elements such as images. However, academic research has largely examined textual features in isolation, overlooking how visual content and its interaction with text shape perceived helpfulness. This dissertation addresses that gap by developing and empirically validating a comprehensive framework capturing how textual, visual, and contextual features collectively influence review evaluation. Grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and extended through the Text-Image Elaboration Likelihood Model (TI-ELM), the framework advances understanding of how consumers process content from both user- and business-generated sources. It also lays the foundation for examining emerging …

Laughter In Adversity: Exploring The Meaning, Motivations, And Social Uses Of Dark Humor Among Filipino College Students, Jermilen S. Murillo, Criztine A. Capin, Monica R. Mesa, Robyn Nicole A. Torres, Chrizelle M. Villanueva

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

This study explores how Filipino Generation Z college students in Metro Manila utilize dark humor as a coping mechanism for stress management, mental health resilience, and navigating social dynamics. Drawing on a descriptive phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews with nine students aged 21 to 23 years old revealed that dark humor operates as both an emotional outlet and a cultural expression rooted in Filipino values. Themes showed that its use is mindful and context-sensitive, shaped by pakikiramdam (emotional sensitivity) and pakikipagkapwa (relational empathy), allowing participants to reframe grief, ease emotional burdens, and build intimacy within trusted circles. These practices reflect pantawang …

From Fashion To Electronics: Analyzing Shopee Indonesia Email Marketing Content Across Different Product Categories, Tri Anita Rahayu, Irmawan Rahyadi, La Mani La Mani

ASEAN Marketing Journal

This study explores the email marketing content employed by Shopee Indonesia across various product categories, including fashion, health & beauty, electronics, digital products, and home & living. By analyzing the variations in themes, messaging, and promotional tactics, the research aims to understand how Shopee Indonesia customizes its email content to optimize engagement and conversion rates across these diverse categories. The findings reveal that Shopee Indonesia employs distinct content strategies tailored to the specific characteristics and consumer preferences associated with each category, highlighting the platform's strategic approach to targeted marketing.

Guidos And Grenades: Shaming Discourses In Mtv’S Jersey Shore, Mackenzie K. Mickavicz Ms., Aubree A. Herman

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

MTV’s Jersey Shore, launched in 2009, reached nearly 9 million viewers at the peak of its popularity. Inspired by the language used by the show’s male cast members to criticize a woman’s weight and appearance, such as “grenade” and “atomic bomb,” this study applies social congitive theory and reality television framework to analyze instances of shaming on Jersey Shore. Through a mixed-methods analysis, this study identifies the various forms of shaming depicted and explores how gender dynamics and character relationships affect these interactions. Findings reveal the most frequent forms of shaming, shame targets, and shame initiators as well as …

Gender Representation Of Selected Women Politicians In The Digital Era: A Textual Analysis, Ruby V. Asoy

Social Sciences and Development Review

The study explored the relationship between Filipino women politicians and their political roles as depicted in media interviews to generate new findings and broader societal perspectives on gender representation. Sandra Harding’s Feminist Standpoint Theory was applied to the research, which offers a nuanced understanding of the interplay between gender, power, and political agency, ultimately illuminating how female politicians shape and transform contemporary governance. The study adopted qualitative research and textual analysis to examine the content of media interviews. It seeks to reveal the rich tapestry of meanings embedded within the text, showcasing the multiple interpretations that can arise and the …

Registro Del Roleplaying Como Modelador De La Conducta En Situaciones Comunicativas Informales, Ximena Díaz Santillán

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

En el presente texto se propone explicar que el uso del lenguaje de los juegos de rol, aplicado a la vida cotidiana, tiene implicaciones no solo a nivel discursivo, sino que también influye en la conducta que las personas llevan a cabo en las interacciones, fuera del roleplay, en las que se emplean dichos términos. Con esta finalidad se recurre a la Lingüística Sistémico Funcional propuesta por Michael Halliday (2001), la cual toma como base la semiótica para explicar que la manera en que hablamos —desde el tono de voz hasta la sintaxis empleada— depende de la situación comunicativa en …

Unseen Bias: How Ai Shapes Religious Narratives In Digital Spaces, Hilman Nurjaman, Achmed Faiz Yudha Siregar, Jasmine Rizky El Yasinta

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

This study explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping religious narratives in digital spaces, particularly on social media platforms and AI chatbots. Using sentiment analysis and qualitative content analysis, this research examines religious discourse in Indonesia, focusing on the impact of AI-driven content personalization, such as 'filter bubbles' and 'echo chambers'. The findings indicate that AI algorithms reinforce religious biases, intensifying polarization and discrimination, especially between majority and minority religious groups. The study also highlights the socio-political factors influencing these dynamics, including identity politics, historical religious tensions, and conservative social norms. This research emphasizes the need for a …

Synergizing Digital And Print: Leveraging Spine Surgeons' Social Media To Transform Publishing And Society Interaction, Benedikt W. Burkhardt, Kai-Uwe Lewandrowski, Choll W. Kim, Morgan P Lorio, Oscar L. Alves, Rossano Kepler Alvim Fiorelli, Sergio Luis Schmidt, Hansen A. Yuan, Alex R. Vaccaro

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Social media has fundamentally altered how information is created, disseminated, and consumed, with growing impact on spine surgeons and professional societies. Traditional academic publishing remains the standard for research validation, but digital platforms now shape much of the real-time dialogue in spine care.

OBJECTIVE: To explore strategies for integrating spine surgeons' social media presence with traditional publishing channels to enhance knowledge dissemination, support clinical innovation, and improve member engagement within spine societies.

METHODS: This perspective reviews current patterns of social media use among spine surgeons, focusing on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn. It analyzes benefits …

Virtually Present In The Vastness: Vr’S Pathway To Awe And Appreciation, David Paul Peters

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation explores how spatial presence in Virtual Reality (VR) creates awe and appreciation through the role of perceived vastness. 92 participants played a custom-built VR game (VR Nature Photographer) in three environments designed to be low, medium, and high in vastness. A repeated-measures design measured spatial presence, vastness, awe, and appreciation across conditions. Results showed higher vastness increased all four outcomes, with awe and vastness having the largest effect sizes and presence and appreciation medium sized. Mediation analyses showed perceived vastness fully mediated the effect of spatial presence on awe in all vastness conditions and partially mediated its effect …

How Narrative Storytelling On Social Media Develops Relationships Between Authors And Readers, Madelyn Woodson

Theses - ALL

With the rise of social media being used to sell products and connect communities, it is important to understand how creators are developing relationships with viewers. A specific community where this is evident is BookTok, where readers and authors can connect over shared interests. Understanding how, in this case, relationships are built between readers and authors can be broken down by looking at elements of trust, satisfaction, and commitment which stem from the Organization Public Relationship (OPR) theory developed by Hon and Grunig (1999). Research has shown that personalization and storytelling when creating content and communicating with publics develops a …

Readability Of Spanish Language Early Intervention Materials For Children Who Are D/Deaf And Hard Of Hearing, Torri Ann Woodruff-Gautherin

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

This paper discusses how accessibility to information may be limited for families and considers why this is of a critical concern for families using Spanish. To look at accessibility of materials online, six search terms were used in the Google search engine. Ninety-one unique websites were included for readability analysis (43 written in English and 48 written in Spanish). Readability was assessed for English materials using Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL; mean=12.83, sd=2.737) and Flesh-Kincaid Ease of Reading Score (FKERS; mean=35.602, sd=15.651). FKGL scores were consistent with prior work (Woodruff & Cienkowski, 2021). For materials written in Spanish readability was assessed …

#Diydiabetes: Type One Diabetes, Stigma, And Control In Digital Networks Of Diy Looping, Sophia M. Shelley

Culture, Society, and Praxis

The general public’s awareness of type one diabetes is often lacking and filled with misinformation that can lead to stigma around the disability. Often type one diabetics have to fend for themselves through the means of “DIY diabetes.” The delay in technological innovations and the slow approval rate of Health Canada, compared to the US Food and Drug Administration, makes improving the lives of those with diabetes much more challenging. The self-management of the disability enables diabetics to take agency of their treatment plan and is the primary reason for DIY diabetes. The main reason for this research is to …

Developing Digital Feedback Literacies In Language Teacher Education: Peer And Partnership Approaches In The Postdigital Age, Jennifer Schluer

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Critical media literacy needs to be seen as a central component of language teacher education, especially in the postdigital age. One underexplored dimension, however, is digital assessment literacy and in particular digital feedback literacy (Schluer, 2022a). Even though recent years witnessed a proliferation of digital technologies for feedback exchanges, pedagogical guidance for the use of digital feedback remains almost non-existent (but see Schluer, 2022a; 2023; 2024a). Theoretically, this paper connects the concept of Digital Feedback Literacies (DFL) to the frameworks of Critical Media Literacies (CML) and Postdigital Literacies (PDL). Empirically, it presents insights from research on digital peer feedback as …