Digital Commons Network^™

National Agricultural Library (Nal) Search., Leah Everitt, Sonya Lemke

Publications

SEARCH is the USDA National Agricultural Library (NAL)'s main discovery platform that provides integrated access to the NAL Digital Collections, Special Collections, PubAg and AGRICOLA. NAL SEARCH is a valuable tool for health science librarians, students, and professionals seeking veterinary science, nutrition, or animal experiment alternatives. This article aims to give users a comprehensive overview of this resource.

“I Was Well Informed. It Was A Great Advantage”: Pre-Arrival Information Seeking, Information Intelligence, And Immigrants’ Settlement, Nafiz Z. Shuva, Paulette Rothbauer

Publications and Research

This study reports on the role of pre-arrival information seeking and informed decision making in the settlement experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada. Despite the importance of immigrants in shaping Canada’s future in innovation, economy, and population, this research shows a significant mismatch between immigrants’ expectations and their actual settlement experiences, particularly in terms of their employment. This mismatch can lead to depression, frustration, and anxiety, affecting integration into Canadian society. While there has been a recent increase in immigrants’ settlement information behavior research in LIS, most focus on post-arrival information needs and seeking. Research findings of this study contribute …

Wrack Lines Spring-Summer 2026 Volume Number 1, Margaret Cozens, Johann Heupel, Owen Placido, Paul Salopek, Judy Benson

Wrack Lines

“Building community around the places we love,” is the theme of the Spring-Summer 2026 issue of Wrack Lines magazine. Learn about the work of the Six Lakes Park coalition in Hamden, Riverfront Recapture in Hartford, MyCoast in southeastern Connecticut and the statewide land conservation conference. Additional stories tell about the artistry and mission of photographer-videographer Tomas Koeck, and National Geographic explorer Paul Salopek, who is traveling the world on foot.

Proper Imposters: Four Novellas, Allison Faix

The Southeastern Librarian

Authors: Chaya Bhuvaneswar, Mauricio Montiel Figueiras, Jason Ockert, & Jeff Parker

Pensacola: Panhandler Books, distributed by University of Florida Press, 2025

ISBN: 9780991640485

206 pp. $24.95 (Pbk)

Disaster Justice: Queer And Disabled Mobilities And Infrastructures Of Care In The Pacific Northwest, Rachel Springer

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation examines the social, political, and environmental pressures that drive LGBTQ+ migration to the Pacific Northwest and the social infrastructures people find on arrival. Drawing on thirty-four semi-structured interviews with LGBTQ+ adults who relocated between 2022 and 2025, it argues that these movements are best understood as responses to slow-onset disasters produced by the compounding interaction of legislative targeting and infrastructural violence.

State-level legislation targeting LGBTQ+ people—particularly transgender individuals—has fractured the geography of safety in the U.S., producing a landscape where civil rights, healthcare access, and everyday security vary dramatically across space. For those navigating these conditions at the …

Mob Rule In The Ozarks: The Missouri And North Arkansas Railroad Strike, 1921-1923, Kristine Stilwell

The Southeastern Librarian

Author: Kenneth C. Barnes

Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2025

ISBN: 9781682262627

304 pp., $24.95 (Pbk)

Building Community At An Academic Library With Bilingual Story Trails, Laura Bright, Janice S. Lewis

The Southeastern Librarian

A story trail is an activity that combines exercise and literacy as visitors read sequentially displayed book pages while walking. Story trails are often set up outdoors along existing paths and feature rotating selections of children’s picture books. Many story trails are set up and maintained by community groups, public libraries, or schools. Academic libraries can use story trails as opportunities to promote literacy, foster a sense of local community, support families, and encourage healthy habits. The authors of this article use City of Greenville (North Carolina) StoryWalks® created by staff at East Carolina University’s Joyner Library as an example …

Cultural Humility In Libraries: A Call To Action And Strategies For Success, Megan Callaghan

The Southeastern Librarian

Authors: Shannon D. Jones & Beverly Murphy, eds.

Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2024

ISBN: 9781538162156

196 pp. $39.95 (Pbk)

News From The States, Blake Denton

The Southeastern Librarian

Library news reports from SELA member states

Defining The Dynamic Role Of Belongingness In Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment, Brendan E. Walsh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drinking is intertwined with social processes, including social support and group belongingness. Although drinking can transiently enhance social functioning, escalating to heavy use can be detrimental to it. It is well-known that excessive drinking and social dysfunction exacerbate each other over time, and it follows that social support and belonging are key mechanisms of addiction recovery. Yet, less is known about how changes in belongingness throughout treatment dynamically affect drinking outcomes, and even less is known about how drinking outcomes and other social processes (e.g., therapeutic alliance, interpersonal drinking consequences) dynamically influence belongingness. The current project (N = 210) studied …

Life Sustaining Well-Being Practices And Physiological Health Among Black Men, Dakota W. Cintron, Monique N. Golden, Jennifer M. Boylan, Julia K. Boehm, Tomiko Yoneda, Hebi Wang, Erik M. Hines, James L. Moore Iii

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

To identify culturally grounded well-being practices among Black men in midlife and examine their associations with physiological health.

Methods

Analyzing data from the 2004–2005 Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, we examined, 116 open-ended responses to the question, “What do you do to make your life go well?” Network topic modeling identified six topics: (1) interpersonal kindness and positive mindset; (2) caring for children; (3) practicing spirituality and faith; (4) maintaining social connections and well-being; (5) avoiding stress; and (6) meaningful work and daily activities. Topic scores, reflecting participants’ tendency to discuss these themes, predicted allostatic load and …

Seeing Through Similar Eyes: How Social Identity Shapes Reinterpretation Of Ambiguous Stimuli, Eli Bailit

Cognitive Science Senior Theses

Identical sensory input can lead to a variety of subjective experiences and interpretations. In the face of such ambiguity, we often turn to our social context. Does the identity of the person providing an alternative interpretation to an ambiguous stimulus impact someone’s likelihood to adopt it? This study examined whether perceived interpersonal similarity modulates reinterpretation of ambiguous visual stimuli. Thirty Dartmouth undergraduates completed a modified “MadLibs” paradigm in which they generated initial interpretations of ambiguous photographs, indicated their confidence in their interpretations, then decided how much to update those interpretations upon viewing an alternative sourced from an individual of varying …

Category Learning Under Verbal Interference, Yawen Xue

Cognitive Science Senior Theses

What happens to cognition when you disrupt language? What does language actually do as a representational medium for cognition? Much literature shows a facilitative role of language on categorical thinking. This work specifically examines the role of language in category learning using a verbal interference paradigm. I ran two experiments where participants learned to distinguish between two novel categories of bugs while under conditions of verbal or visuospatial interference. In Experiment 1, category membership was determined by an XOR rule; in Experiment 2, category membership was determined by an AND rule.

In Experiment 1, participants on average did not succeed …

Beyond Social Disconnection: The Unique Relationship Between Existential Loneliness And Depression, Lauren Beatrice Edwards

Masters Theses

Depression and loneliness are among the most pressing mental health concerns in the United States, yet their relationship remains incompletely understood. Research has extensively examined social-emotional, or general, loneliness. However, existential loneliness (EL), the felt sense of being fundamentally alone in one's existence, has remained on the theoretical periphery. This study examined EL as a meaningfully distinct dimension of loneliness and explored its unique relationship with depressive symptoms in a sample of 301 U.S. adults recruited via Prolific. A joint exploratory factor analysis confirmed that EL and general loneliness are empirically separable dimensions of loneliness. Regression analyses revealed that EL …

Viral Visions Of Femininity: A Visual Thematic Analysis Of Trending Tradwife Imagery On Instagram, Phoebe L. Lim

Masters Theses

This study uses visual thematic analysis and a semiotics lens to examine how trending tradwife content on Instagram constructs domestic femininity through recurring signifiers of whiteness, homemaking, motherhood, and hyperfeminine aesthetics. Current rhetorical analysis of the tradwife movement argues that the imagery of sweet, nostalgic traditionalism functions to mask visual and semiotic codes associated with patriarchal hierarchies, anti-feminism, pronatalism, and alt-right ideologies (Proctor, 2022). Drawing on the theoretical models of Saussure, Peirce, and Barthes (1972), this research analyzes how strategically curated visuals of domesticity and femininity function as ideological signifiers within digital culture. Analysis of 100 posts under #tradwife found …

Tinder Troubles: Testing The Motivation-Based Model Of Online Disinhibition In A Mobile Dating App Context, Zachary Schleter

Masters Theses

As individuals turn to dating apps to find romance, friendships, sex, and more, understanding the factors that shape user behavior on these platforms has become increasingly important. Guided by Wen and Miura’s (2023) motivation-based Model of Online Disinhibition, this study examined how individual factors and motives for using Tinder predict online disinhibition and subsequent disinhibited behaviors. Specifically, using an English translation of Wen & Miura’s Multi-dimensional Measure of Online Disinhibition (2024), the study tested whether gender and five Tinder use motives—sexual experience, entertainment, romance, socializing, and distraction—predicted levels of online disinhibition on Tinder and whether online disinhibition, in turn, predicted …

The Relationship Between Self-Stigma, Psychological Inflexibility, And Help-Seeking Attitudes Across Three Different Groups: A Cross-Cultural Study, Mst Tajlima Tamanna

Masters Theses

Self-stigma of mental illness is one of the most important factors that influence people’s help-seeking attitudes. A higher level of self-stigma is associated with less favorable attitudes toward help-seeking. Additionally, psychological inflexibility may also contribute to this process by increasing people’s tendency to internalize the negative stereotypes associated with mental illness, which contributes to higher self-stigma. The present study examined the relationships between self-stigma of mental illness, psychological inflexibility, and help-seeking attitudes across three groups: Bangladeshi students living in Bangladesh (Group 1), Bangladeshi students living in the United States (Group 2), and United States college students (Group 3). A total …

Lesson Plan For Dataone Lifecycle’S “Describe” Stage Using Historical Data From The Alabama Insane Hospital Annual Report (Aihar) Collection, Marla Hertz, Tricia Martone

Libraries Professional Work

This activity will teach the value of documentation in research data management using real data from Alabama mental institutions. During the Describe stage of data management, the why, who, what, when, where, and how of the data is provided to improve the interpretation and reuse of research data. This lesson includes options to complete the activity in an analog or digital fashion and is appropriate for undergraduate students and up.

Learning outcomes:

• Learners will be able to articulate the value of documentation in data creation and sharing.
• Learners will be able to construct a data README to describe their data …

Exploration Of Maryland African American Veterans’ Experiences Utilizing Information On Federal Benefits And Services, Shontrea Bazemore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Perspectives On Civil And Social Peace In Palestine: Internal Factors And Forces That Obstruct Palestinian Civil Peace, Osama Tawfeeq Jarrar Dr., Prof. Ayman Talal Yousef Professor

Peace and Conflict Studies

The process of building “civil peace” is a dynamic process that aims at creating appropriate conditions of peace when conflicting forces, groups, and polices diverge. This concept is relative because it contains components that balance the internal and external environment, where peace-building is not undertaken in a historical or cultural vacuum, but rather works to develop comprehensive civic and national values: “The movement from the present toward the desired future is not a straight line, but rather a set of dynamic initiatives” (Lederach, 10). Civil peace entails social life as distinct from internal conflicts and tensions. Attaining civil peace thus …

Towards An Inclusive Labour Market: Skills For The Future, Eva Erjavec

Economic and Business Review

In the transition to a knowledge-based society, human capital has become a key driver of economic growth, innovation, and social progress. As industries evolve and new technologies reshape labour markets, the development of future skills plays a crucial role in ensuring workforce adaptability, productivity, and long-term competitiveness. A bibliometric analysis aims to examine the importance of human capital for economic growth and the transition to a knowledge economy, synthesizing existing research and academic discussions. By systematically reviewing the literature, this paper seeks to provide insights into how skills and education contribute to sustainable economic development and social resilience. Furthermore, it …

The Reading Quiz And Reflective Writing At The Start Of Class, Geert Dhondt

Open Educational Resources

This assignment uses brief, unannounced reading quizzes and reflective writing exercises at the beginning of class to promote preparation, engagement, and accountability in introductory economics courses. Through low-stakes assessment and opportunities for reflection, students develop critical thinking, metacognitive awareness, and a deeper understanding of course material while providing instructors with immediate insight into student comprehension and misconceptions. By informing class discussions and encouraging collaborative learning, the assignment creates a student-centered environment that supports active participation, independent learning, and ongoing intellectual growth.

Public Acceptance Of Meat-Reduction Policies Across Cultures: Comparing Singapore And Switzerland, Bianca Wassmann, Shu Tian Ng, Mark Chong, Angela K. Y. Leung, Michael Siegrist

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Purpose – As meat-reduction policies are discussed across the globe, many are met with public resistance. Cultural values may help explain this pushback, yet their role in shaping support for food policy remains poorly understood. This study is the first to apply cultural cognition theory to food policy by examining how cultural worldviews shape the acceptance of meat-reduction interventions in Singapore and Switzerland—two economically developed countries with contrasting cultural profiles. Design/methodology/approach – In an online survey, participants (Singapore: n = 357; Switzerland: n = 495) rated their acceptance of 11 meat-reduction interventions (e.g. taxes, subsidies, labelling). We then analysed to …

The City As Showroom: Singapore And The Rise Of The "Urban Solutions" Industry, Sol Andrew Stokols

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This article uses the concept of the “city as showroom” to describe an emergent logic shaping urban development that stems from the growing importance of “urban solutions” as an industry. Focusing primarily on Singapore, the article examines how certain urban districts and high-profile sites are conceptualized as “showrooms” for the infrastructure and urban technologies they aim to export around the world. The idea of the “city as showroom” combines aspects of the curation of a city’s image through showcase districts, as well as “testbed urbanism” seen in certain smart-city projects. Singapore's need to reproduce itself as a model of urban …

Public Preferences For Critical Mineral Mining In The U.S.: Evidence From A Discrete Choice Experiment, Bamidele Ajiga, Kwame Awuah-Offei, Mahelet G. Fikru

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Even though there is widespread recognition that we need to mine more critical minerals for national security and energy needs, concerns about environmental impacts often lead to public opposition to proposed new mining projects. The literature lacks sufficient data from communities with proposed mineral projects to assess drivers of differences in support. This study investigates public preferences for mining projects in three states in the United States with proposed critical minerals projects, using a discrete choice experiment. Respondents evaluated projects that vary in job creation, state tax revenue, tailings reprocessing content, groundwater impacts, and surface water impacts. We also randomly …

Rhode Island Teen Institute Remains Impactful After More Than A Decade Hiatus, Tayla Von Ash, Anusha Gupta, Michael J. Thompson, Jennifer Stevens, Terese Gregg, Sandra Del Sesto

Journal of Youth Development

Rhode Island Teen Institute (RITI) is a 5-day residential program based on the Positive Youth Development approach that exposes participants to intensive training in individual and community advocacy, decision-making, interpersonal communication, and leadership development. Results from prior iterations of RITI (2002-2009) demonstrated that the program was efficacious at improving leadership and other related skills among participants. However, unfortunately due to loss of funding, the program did not run from 2010-2023. The present study assesses the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the 2023 implementation of RITI after more than a decade-long hiatus. The program was successfully implemented with 44 youth …

White Matter Microstructure Of Sensorimotor Projection Fibers In Chronic Low Back Pain, John R. White, Jennifer M.C. Vendemia, Zachary Baty, Sheri Silfies, Stephen A. Coombes

Faculty Publications

Introduction: 

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is linked to altered cortical sensorimotor structure and function, yet white matter microstructure in sensorimotor projection fibers remains poorly characterized. Objective: To address this gap, we used diffusion MRI to comprehensively characterize sensorimotor projection fibers in 44 patients with cLBP and 41 matched healthy controls.

Methods: 

We estimated an array of microstructural measures, including fractional anisotropy (FA), extracellular free water fraction (FW), free water–corrected FA (fwcFA), and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) metrics.

Results: 

General linear models identified significantly higher FA and fwcFA and lower orientation dispersion index (ODI) in cLBP vs …

Report On The Ethical Use Of Ai For Participatory Planning, Sahana Kotha, Blythe Wilson

City and Regional Planning

This report provides an overview of key considerations for using artificial intelligence for community engagement in urban planning. As interest in AI adoption in the public sector increases, an understanding of ethical issues is needed to guide responsible AI implementation. Informed by a literature review and interviews with urban planning practitioners and academics, this report describes and analyzes different AI-supported community engagement methods, explores case studies, and outlines key concerns and opportunities for using AI. We recommend that AI use for community engagement prioritizes transparency, human oversight and accountability, intentional AI implementation, and community involvement.

Evidence Brief: Shifting Attitudes And Social Norms On Fgm Through Community-Based Interventions In Somaliland, Stella Muthuri, Dennis Matanda, Francis Obare, Stephen Kizito, Chi-Chi Undie

Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Choices

This study, conducted in Sool and Sanaag regions of Somaliland within the context of The Girl Generation Support to the Africa-Led Movement (TGG-ALM), provides insights into how community-based, dialogue-driven interventions influence attitudes, social norms, and behavioural intentions related to FGM and gender.

Findings show that while personal opposition to FGM is relatively high, this does not consistently translate into perceived or collective opposition. Individuals tend to view their own attitudes as more progressive than those of their families and communities, pointing to a critical “norms misalignment” that constrains behaviour change. This gap suggests that entrenched social expectations – particularly around …

Social Media Is A Juggernaut: Lagged Correlation Analysis Using Ngram Data On “Internet” And “Social Media” With Amplification By The Advent Of The “Iphone”, William Zywiak, Gao Niu, Nicolas Petrell, Victoria Nichele, Kirsten Hokeness

Mathematics and Economics Faculty Journal Articles

The amount of new information transmitted per day can be overwhelming. The data available through Ngram Viewer allows statistical examination to determine the most salient topics, as well as lagged correlation and lagged variance to support possible causal connections between concepts. Using this database, we determined that COVID, crypto, microplastics, and especially social media are important topics of the last few years. We also present results that suggest the development of the internet and the iPhone fueled the prominence of social media, and the access of the iPhone also increased access to the internet.