Digital Commons Network^™

Humans Vs. Llms On Open Domain Scientific Claim Verification: A Baseline Study, Benjamin Curtis, Stefania Dzhaman, Matthew Maisonave, Jian Wu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Verifying scientific claims is challenging for the general public because most people lack domain knowledge. Manual verification by subject domain experts is accurate, but it is obviously not scalable to meet the rising number of scientific claims on the Web. Whether the emerging large language models and large reasoning models can be used for scientific claim verification, and how their performances compare to humans, are still research questions. To this end, we developed a new benchmark MSVEC2 that consists of 138 claims from credible fact verification websites and science news outlets. Two tasks were given to both human and LLM …

Using Llms To Model Arguments In U.S. Supreme Court Briefs: Preliminary Report, Heng Zheng, Dexter Williams, Bertram Ludäscher

Information Science Faculty Publications

Supreme Court briefs can impact the decision-making of Supreme Court cases. We show how to represent the briefs for a U.S. Supreme Court case as a formal argument model that relies on the briefs’ existing structure. We explore how to generate argument models with large language models (LLMs) by using them to identify attacks between arguments.

Addressing Anti-Black Racism In Library And Information Science Curriculum: A Canadian-Centric Learning Model, Amber Matthews

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Canadian communities are facing a crisis of inequity, and library service providers must do more to respond to the causal conditions of anti-Black and other forms of systemic racism (Black & Mehra, 2023). Beginning in 2022, the first known Canadian MLIS course, Anti-Racism in Library and Information Science, was piloted at Western University. It aimed to allow students to engage with transformative and collaborative anti-racism frameworks relevant to the Canadian library sector and MLIS curriculum. The one-semester (13-week) course was offered once each summer in 2022 and 2023. The multi-faceted course aimed to equip students with community-based approaches to learning …

Method Entity And Relation Extraction Based On Automatically Generated Syntactic Templates: A Case Study Of Csdn Artificial Intelligence Blog, Kuiliang Li, Bolin Huang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]There are many relationships between method entities and application scenarios, problems,organizations and other entities. Extracting these entity relationships helps to capture the development trend of technology and promote the improvement of innovation ability.[Method/process]This paper discusses a method for extracting method entities and relations based on automatically generated syntactic templates. By designing a new adaptive template, the method improves flexibility and adaptability, reducing dependence on large-scale labeled data. Using a small number of seed triples, the method iteratively generates syntactic templates and extracts method entities and relations for the CSDN artificial intelligence topic blog. It also improves the extraction quality using …

Generative Ai And Finding The Law, Paul D. Callister

Faculty Works

Legal information science requires, among other things, principles and theories. The article states six principles or considerations that any discussion of generative AI large language models and their role in finding the law must include. The article concludes that law librarianship will increasingly become legal information science and require new paradigms. In addition to the six principles, the article applies ecological holistic media theory to understand the relationship of the legal community’s cognitive authority, institutions, techné (technology, medium and method), geopolitical factors, and the past and future to understand the changes in this information milieu. The article also explains generative …

Unveiling Legacies: Exploring And Analyzing Cultural Artifacts In The Higbee Collection, Samantha Staller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anthropology and the Cummings Center to find ways to properly analyze an archaeological collection's artifacts to understand the overall significance of everything better. Before starting my research, I came up with the following questions: Can any artifacts be considered culturally affiliated? Is everything in the collection authentic? What is the overall background of the collection? Does this collection have any connection to Ohio history? Can anything in the collection be dated? Throughout the research, I will create an Excel inventory list to include qualitative and quantitative data from the artifacts to give insight into what is included in the Higbee …

Predicting Crises On The African Frontier Stock Markets With Investor Sentiment Indicators: A Machine Learning Approach, David Korsah, Lord Mensah

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This study examined the predictive ability of machine learning algorithms in identifying crises within African stock markets. The study employed seven distinct machine-learning models, analyzing historical stock prices from eight stock markets, three major sentiment indicators, and the exchange rates of local currencies against the US dollar, with each data spanning from May 1, 2007, to April 1, 2023. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) emerged as the most effective algorithm for predicting crises. Historical stock prices and exchange rates were identified as the most critical features for prediction. On the sentiment side, investors’ perceptions of potential volatility on the S&P 500, …

Profiles Of First-Year First-Generation Students’ Library Perceptions And Use: An Intersectional, Mixed Methods Study, Megan Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

To effectively support first-generation students, academic libraries must understand their needs. However, limited library research has been conducted into how these students, who often embody multiple structurally disadvantaged identities, perceive and use academic libraries or how their intersecting identities manifest in differing library needs. This study aimed to build understanding of first-year first-generation students’ perceptions and use of academic libraries. To do so, the researcher used an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. First-year first-generation students at Virginia Commonwealth University were surveyed using Winkler and Sriram’s (2015) Academic Capital Scale and Anwar et al’s (2012) AQAK: Library Anxiety Scale for Undergraduate Students. …

Implementing Information Literacy Practices In Curriculum, Ongelle Schroeder

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This literature review explores the value of integrating information literacy instruction into existing curricula, with a focus on collaboration between faculty and librarians. As students face an overwhelming volume of information, equipping them with the skills to navigate, evaluate, and use sources effectively is increasingly essential—especially in course that require source-based writing, research, and critical analysis. The review highlights key approaches and resources to support educators in embedding information literacy into instruction. While this literature review was written for the contexts of ENG 101 and COMM 100/102, its themes are applicable to a wide range of teaching contexts.

From Philosophy To Nlu: Evolving Definitions With Research Hypotheses, Jian Wu, Sarah Rajtmajer

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Over the past decades, alongside advancements in natural language processing, significant attention has been paid to training models to automatically extract, understand, test, and generate hypotheses in open and scientific domains. However, interpretations of the term hypothesis for various natural language understanding (NLU) tasks have migrated from traditional definitions in the natural, social, and formal sciences. Even within NLU, we observe differences defining hypotheses across literature. In this paper, we overview and delineate various definitions of hypothesis. Especially, we discern the nuances of definitions across recently published NLU tasks. We highlight the importance of well-structured and well-defined hypotheses, particularly as …

From Philosophy To Nlu: Evolving Definitions Of Research Hypotheses, Jian Wu, Sarah Rajtmajer

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Over the past decades, alongside advancements in natural language processing, significant attention has been paid to training models to automatically extract, understand, test, and generate hypotheses in open and scientific domains. However, interpretations of the term hypothesis for various natural language understanding (NLU) tasks have migrated from traditional definitions in the natural, social, and formal sciences. Even within NLU, we observe differences defining hypotheses across literature. In this paper, we overview and delineate various definitions of hypothesis. Especially, we discern the nuances of definitions across recently published NLU tasks. We highlight the importance of well-structured and well-defined hypotheses, particularly as …

Can Llms Beat Humans On Discerning Human-Written And Llm-Generated Science News, Dominik Soós, Meng Jiang, Jian Wu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Science news is increasingly important in connecting scientists and the public by sharing discoveries and innovations. With the rise of large language models (LLMs), there is potential to automate science news creation, but concerns exist about the quality of LLM-generated news versus human-written news. This paper explores whether LLMs can outperform humans in distinguishing between human-written and LLM-generated news. Inspired by the Chain-of-Thought prompting method, we designed a simple yet effective variant called Guided Few-shot (GFS), which encodes the characteristics of news of two types with examples. Our experiments indicated that GFS with just a single example effectively boosted the …

An Analytical Review Of Preprocessing Techniques In Bengali Natural Language Processing, Sovon Chakraborty, Protiva Das, Shakib Mahmud Dipto, Md Aktaruzzaman Pramanik, Jannatun Noor

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Research in Bengali Natural Language Processing (BNLP) is rapidly expanding. Despite being one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, BNLP research remains insufficient, particularly in Bengali speech recognition. The languages rich morphology, agglutinative structure, and diverse dialects make text and speech processing especially challenging. However, these challenges can be addressed with effective preprocessing techniques. Various organizations in Bangladesh and West Bengal are integrating Natural Language Processing (NLP) into their services, but without a thorough understanding of preprocessing, these implementations remain incomplete. Applying proper preprocessing techniques to the Bengali language will serve as a foundation for developing robust …

An Uphill Battle: School Library Professionals Fostering Student Reading Engagement, Margaret Kristin Merga, Saiyidi Mat Roni

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reading engagement influences students’ literacy attainment. School library professionals provide resources, environments and guidance to promote reading for pleasure, but little is known about how this role is currently supported or challenged. Drawing on mixed methods survey responses from 971 school library professionals from 63 countries, integrated findings suggest that younger students had greater access to the library, and that limiting access may negatively influence student engagement. The educative value of reading aloud and reading for pleasure may be poorly understood in some schools. Most parents had no access to the school library; in some contexts, this was due to …

Investigating Post-Adoption Abandonment Of Mental Health Mobile Applications Among Young Adults, Donald Harris

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The rising prevalence of mental health issues among young adults has driven increased interest in Mental Health Mobile Applications (MHMAs), which offer accessible and cost-effective solutions to traditional barriers such as financial limitations, stigma, and restricted healthcare access. Despite their promise, MHMAs frequently experience high rates of attrition and abandonment, significantly limiting their long-term effectiveness. Employing a mixed-methods, multi-stage research design, this dissertation explores the determinants of MHMA abandonment among young adults, emphasizing the interplay between technological inhibitors and enablers, individual user characteristics, and the mediating roles of user satisfaction and perceived usefulness.

Study 1 utilized quantitative text analysis, including …

Preface Vol. 14 No. 3 (Desember), Rahayu Surtiati

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

In the December 2024 edition, Paradigma presents ten articles covering four regions: Surakarta, Southeast Sulawesi, Minangkabau, Ponorogo; and also areas: cinema, dance, language, fashion, and education. All research are about cultures in Indonesia and written by Indonesian researchers.

This open journal is read by the international public, so we hope that humanities researchers in various regions of the world will participate with their writing, not only reporting research in Indonesia, but also research in other regions of the world. Paradigma is preparing to become an international journal and in time its triannual publications will be in English so that more …

Symbolic Cultural Value: Creativity And Counterproductivity In Citayam Fashion Week 2022 In Indonesia, Fuad Noorzeha, Agus Sutono, John Abraham Ziswan Suryosumunar

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

The phenomenon of Citayam Fashion Week has symbolically influenced the way lower-class youth dress in central Jakarta. What was once an urban area in Sudirman has transformed into a fashion arena after videos of young people sporting distinctive clothing styles went viral. More than just a social gathering, this occurrence has attracted significant attention on social media, showcasing unique fashion expressions. However, this spontaneous and instantaneous trend has sparked a wide range of responses, with opinions varying from viewing it as a creative expression to considering it counterproductive. This study employs Jean Baudrillard’s theory as its formal framework in qualitative …

The Voice Of The Voiceless: Countering The Festival And Elevating Reyog Obyokan As Cultural Capital, Albert Tallapessy, Ikwan Setiawan

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This article examines two performance models of Reyog Ponorogo: the festival model and the obyokan model. These two competing models represent differing perspectives on one side, the interests of the artists and the community, and on the other, the interests of the state. By applying cultural studies theories, particularly those of representation and hegemony, this study analyzes data collected through observations of Reyog performances at both festival and obyokan events, as well as interviews with artists and community members. The findings reveal that the obyokan model emphasizes an egalitarian spirit, allowing artists greater aesthetic freedom and providing the community with …

Graduate Student Journal Article Writing Group: Creating Community Around Publishing, Gabrielle Brehne, Catherine Baird, Alicia Remolde

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

At Montclair State University, the online and outreach librarian and the assistant director of the Center for Writing Excellence paired up to create a supplemental program to support graduate students seeking to publish journal articles. A graduate assistant joined the team and created content based on Wendy Laura Belcher’s book Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks. We will discuss how we collaborated to establish this writing group and what we learned from the experience. A journal article writing group is a great addition to any graduate program, and we hope our story will inspire others.

Interview With Cyndee Landrum: Usm Slis Graduate And Acting Director Imls, Gabriel Morley, E.D.

SLIS Connecting

Cyndee Landrum, a 2006 graduate of the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at The University of Southern Mississippi was named acting director of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent federal agency charged with supporting and empowering the country’s libraries. Dr. Morley interviewed her history and her perception of the future.

Book Review: Creating Inclusive Libraries By Applying Universal Design: A Guide By Carli Spina, Katrina Williams

School of Information Student Research Journal

Creating Inclusive Libraries by Applying Universal Design: A Guide is a practical and useful resource for improving libraries so that they are accessible to the broadest range of people possible. The format is well organized, and the case studies illustrate principles in engaging and recognizable ways. A reader who starts with no knowledge of Universal Design would acquire a working knowledge and be able to assess their own spaces with the guidance provided through examples and checklists. Rather than focus on resources for disabled patrons, Spina encourages readers to adopt a reflective practice for considering the needs of all library …

Neo-Documentation’S “Copernican Revolution” Upon Information Science, Ronald E. Day

Proceedings from the Document Academy

The article discusses neo-documentation's "Copernican Revolution" upon information science from the aspect of Heideggerian phenomenology and a documentality of relation and emergence.

Modeling Context And The Characteristica Universalis, John Kausch

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This paper proposes prototypes for the exploration of the context of terms in a knowledge organization system by visualizing machine learning produced word embeddings. It puts this work in the context of the search for a universal language, typified by Leibniz’s characteristica universalis. This tradition of the search for universal languages is put in the context of universalizing tendencies in taxonomic classification in library and information science. Following this there is a discussion of the use of machine learning models to represent context. These two concerns inform the construction of prototypes for exploring the contextual spaces produced by word embeddings …

Thinking With Our Grandmothers: Past, Epidata, And Future In Designing A Proximity Affordance, Laurie J. Bonnici, Brian C. O'Connor, Gary Samson

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This paper examines the limitations of historical documentation, focusing on the lives of mill girls in Manchester, New Hampshire’s textile mills through photographic images and family memories. While photographs, like those by Lewis Hine, provide insight into the physical conditions and harsh realities faced by young workers, they do not capture the inner lives of child laborers or the broader social context shaping their experiences. The authors highlight the shortcomings of traditional archival practices, particularly the subject headings applied to Hine’s photographs, which fail to reflect the complexities of mill girls' lives. Drawing on personal perspectives from the authors—whose grandmothers …

A Longitudinal Analysis Of Navigating Ethical Reflections Through The Evolution Of Information Profession Dreams, Rahmi Rahmi, Rusdan Kamil

Proceedings from the Document Academy

This study presents a longitudinal analysis of the ethical reflections and evolving professional aspirations of students in the Information Profession course at Universitas Indonesia. Through reflective writing exercises, 192 students explored their future career goals and addressed ethical challenges related to professional documentation, focusing on issues such as privacy, integrity, and responsibility. Using corpus analysis tools like AntConc, the research tracked changes in ethical concerns as students progressed in their studies, revealing an increasing awareness of ethical complexities, particularly in roles like archivist and data analyst. These findings offer valuable insights for developing profession-specific ethical guidelines for information professionals.

Digital Scholarship Lab Summer 2024 Survey Report, Sean Winslow

Reports and White Papers - Milner Library

During the Summer of 2024, the Digital Scholarship Lab at Milner Library conducted a survey to garner feedback on user interests and needs to help guide the work of the new Digital Scholarship Coordinator, Dr. Sean Winslow, who joined the library in April. The Digital Scholarship Lab opened in August 2023, but many potential users did not know it existed or the specifics of its infrastructure as it relates to their needs.

Building On Strengths: A Collaborative, Asset-Focused Approach To Teaching Critical Information Literacy Skills, Rebecca B. Penrose, Kristi J. Chavez

Communications in Information Literacy

This article showcases an instructor–librarian collaborative model for teaching critical information literacy (CIL) skills in a higher education course by incorporating interactive workshops into a sequence of required course assignments. Using an asset-focused design, this assignment sequence allows students to first demonstrate their existing research strategies and then evaluate those strategies during workshop activities, applying the CIL principles they are learning. In this way, the approach recognizes students’ existing strengths and builds upon them, while emphasizing self-reflection opportunities and an intentional research focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation. Results from our one-year study are also highlighted. The suggested instructional …

Safeguarding Ecological Knowledge From The Effects Of Climate Change: An Archival Approach, Daena Jean Carrillo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Creating resources that facilitate the preservation of community-based archives and ecological knowledge in the Louisiana coastal region is integral to its survival amongst the effects of climate change. Research and records created and stored within the Louisiana coastal region have a higher predisposition to the drastic and pervasive effects of climate change and natural disasters. Modern archivists can insert themselves into the work of climate change action through their advocacy of safeguarding collections that have been created by communities and individuals through raw scientific and observational data and unpublished research. Just as archivists continue to frame their professional work around …

More Than A Place For Social Capital Creation: Public Library As A Place For Immigrants’ Social Integration, Nafiz Z. Shuva

Publications and Research

Studies have shown that public libraries, one of the most trusted social institutions, play an important role in helping immigrants adjust to their host country. Although there have been quite a few international studies reporting the role that public libraries play in newcomers lives in the host country, few studies, especially in the context of the U.S., comprehensively reported local public libraries’ role in newcomers’ social integration. Previous studies on immigrants’ usage of public libraries have mainly focused on highlighting public libraries as meeting places that facilitate social capital creation for newcomers or describing the usage of public libraries among …

News From The States

The Southeastern Librarian

News from participating Southeastern states.