Digital Commons Network^™

Launching Growing Your Oer Program: A Marketing And Advocacy Toolkit, Theresa Huff, John M. Jackson, Jessea Young, Karna Younger, Swetta Abeyta

Librarian Publications & Presentations

This presentation is for the launch of Growing Your OER Program: A Marketing and Advocacy Toolkit, a free, openly licensed resource designed to help OER champions build awareness, strengthen advocacy efforts, and support sustainable program growth. Funded by a 2025 Michelson Spark Grant, this toolkit was developed to support busy OER authors, small teams, and under-resourced institutions. We created customizable Canva templates, practical guidance, and ready-to-use promotional materials, the toolkit makes OER marketing easier and sustainable.

Effectiveness And Ethics Of Biometrics In Homeland Security, Aaron Akintayo Akindiya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeland security agencies increasingly deploy biometric technologies, including facial recognition and fingerprint scanning, to enhance identity verification and threat detection at airports and borders. However, these technologies raise ethical concerns regarding privacy, algorithmic bias, data protection, and civil liberties. Limited research captures the perspectives of frontline professionals who implement these systems. This study explored how homeland security professionals perceive the balance between effectiveness and ethics. Guided by the technological determinism theory, semistructured interviews were conducted with 13 professionals from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: effectiveness in enhancing …

The Undergraduate Students' Rate Of Bisexuality And Its Acceptance In Their Own And Others' Romantic Relationships, Na'ni Machenry Caliste

SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research

This research explores SMU’s undergraduate students in their own identities and romantic relationships in the realm of the bisexuality spectrum using the Kinsey Scale. I developed a 46-item online survey comprised of six component parts, which incorporated previous scales of Kinsey, Consensual Non-Monogamy, Self-Acceptance of Sexuality Inventory, and Experience in Close Relationships scales, to measure respondents’ sense of attraction and preferences as well as attachment scales and assess the participants’ relationship beliefs pertaining to consensual non-monogamy. A total of 312 undergraduate students started the survey, but only 250 consented and completed it. I present descriptive and inferential statistics on participants’ …

Framing Ecclesiastical Issues As Identity Questions: A Comparative Analysis Of Digital Media In North Macedonia And Montenegro, Martin Protogjer

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines how digital media frame ecclesiastical issues as identity questions in North Macedonia and Montenegro. The analysis compares two distinct but structurally related cases: the media reception of the recognition and normalization of the status of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric in North Macedonia in 2022, and the media reception of the Law on Freedom of Religion and the church processions associated with the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro in 2020. The study employs qualitative content analysis with a framing approach, based on two purposively selected digital media corpora consisting of 20 media texts from North …

Myth, Spirituality, And Thought Patterns In Two African And Brazilian Ritual Dramas, Dele Layiwola

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

This essay conceptualizes and historicizes the phenomena of religion, custom, and belief systems by utilizing two celebrated dramatic texts and performances as practical illustrations of the complex roles they play in the social, political, and cultural lives of human beings, irrespective of their geographical locations. The arguments demonstrate that religion or spirituality is a given phenomenon in the personal and public lives of the denizens of various societies. It possesses its own logic and rules, which may not be mutually compatible, nevertheless constitute a constant universal principle. The paper employs dramatized examples to show that in classical or modern times, …

Ikenga: Symbolism, Spirituality, And Sociocultural Importance In Igbo Traditional Belief Systems, Chinyere Ndubuisi

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

The Ikenga, a noteworthy relic of the Igbo people of southern Nigeria, is examined in this paper as a major art object for a better understanding of African traditional religions and belief systems. Ikenga is a wooden sculpture traditionally made to represent an individual's power, achievements, and spiritual essence among the Igbo. Ikenga is ascribed the embodiment of the relationship between personal action, ancestral respect, and divinity within Igbo mythology. Within the framework of Igbo traditional religion, this paper examines the ontological significance, spiritual purposes, and social consequences of the Ikenga. The symbolic relevance of Ikenga as both a personal …

Situating Everybody Hates Chris (Ehc): The Appeal Of The Show, Elizabeth Johnson, Donald Culverson

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

"Everybody Hates Chris" (EHC) achieved critical success by employing comedy to address significant social issues, distinguishing itself in early-2000s television. Unlike earlier and contemporary series such as "Moesha," "The Hughleys," and "The Cosby Show," EHC offered a nuanced portrayal of Black family life, engaging an audience often overlooked or misrepresented by mainstream media. This article examines shifts in the television industry from the late 1990s to the early 2000s that facilitated EHC's innovative approach. The series departed from traditional family sitcoms, functioning not merely as entertainment but as a social commentary on the complexities of the family as a societal …

Between Tradition And Profession: Intersectionality Of Javanese Women Journalists In Surakarta’S Newsroom, Rahman Hakim, Vanggi Eka Riski

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

Javanese female journalists in Surakarta navigate the simultaneous pressures of professional journalism and deeply internalised Javanese cultural values such as nrimo (acceptance of one’s circumstances), andhap asor (humble and deferential conduct), and tepa selira (attentiveness to the feeling of others). These values shape their everyday conduct in the newsroom yet often remain unacknowledged in existing literature. Combining Intersectionality Theory, Face-Negotiation Theory (Ting-Toomey), and Self Theory (Rogers) as complementary frameworks, this qualitative study adopts a constructivist paradigm and employ phenomenological method to explore how female journalists make sense of the intersection between gender norms and local cultural values. Data were collected …

Upright: Zheng 正 And The Semantics Of Political Legitimacy, Kaz Wegmuller

Open Educational Resources

This article examines the semantic structure of the left-right political binary in contemporary Anglophone discourse. It argues that the fusion of “right” as directional orientation with “right” as moral correctness produces a form of semantic over-determination that complicates the articulation of democratic legitimacy in periods of political crisis. The claim is not that directional metaphors determine political outcomes, but that they furnish a discursive resource that can be mobilized in struggles over authority, order, and rectitude. To illuminate the contingency of this fusion, the article turns to the East Asian concept of zheng 正 (uprightness), whose semantic independence from handedness …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Artificial Intelligence In The Indonesian Film Industry, Louisa Christine Hartanto, Patrisia Amanda Pascarina, Cosmas Gatot Haryono

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

This study explores how stakeholders in the Indonesian film industry perceive the emergence and use of artificial intelligence (AI). Framed by Roger's Diffusion of Innovation theory, this study explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is positioned as an emergent technological innovation, spreading via communication channels across the film industry's social ecosystem. This approach illuminates how distinct categories of adopters collectively construct the meaning of AI and shape their varied responses to its encroachment on creative labour. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the study draws on data from two Focus Group Discussions involving directors, actors, government experts, academics, emerging filmmakers, students, and …

Staying Relevant: Radio’S Shift Toward Gen Z’S Listening Habits, Rocky Prasetyo Jati

JURNAL KOMUNIKASI INDONESIA

The digital transformation of media has reshaped audio consumption and challenged traditional radio to stay relevant, particularly among Generation Z, the digital-native cohort. This article examines how community and hyperlocal radio stations are adapting to shifting media dynamics by combining conventional broadcasting with digital innovations. The study employs qualitative methods. As Gen Z prefers flexible, personalized, and on-demand content, radio stations are repositioning broadcasters as multi-platform content creators and online community managers. Adaptation strategies include integrating radio with visually oriented social media platforms, offering curated playlists, and adopting participatory models such as digital tipping (saweran). Radio stations are …

Principles Of Sociopolitical Competency In Psychological Practice, Research, And Teaching, Richard E. Redding, Nina C. Silander

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Research shows that sociopolitical attitudes and values (SPAVs) often play an important role in people’s personal and social identity, life choices, psychological and behavioral functioning, and interpersonal relationships (including those between psychologists and their clients). Thus, SPAVs are frequently relevant to the work that psychologists do, whether as clinicians, researchers, or educators. After reviewing the research on the impact of SPAVs on people’s lives and relationships, we provide a set of evidence-based principles for effectively addressing SPAVs in clinical practice, psychological research, education and professional training, and professional ethics.

The Relative Strength Of Social Media Motives, Perceived Race Relations, And The Centrality Of Black Identity In Predicting Black Community Activism, Johnnie Gordon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As social media has become a central context for identity development, sociopolitical awareness, and civic engagement among Black emerging adults, exposure to racialized content, experiences of online discrimination, and competing narratives regarding racial progress may heighten awareness of systemic inequities and strengthen collective racial identity. To date, the potential of these experiences to motivate engagement in Black community activism to advocate for community empowerment has not been investigated. Informed by social identity theory, this quantitative study assessed the relative importance of motives for social media use, perceived racial progress, and Black identity centrality in predicting Black community activism among emerging …

Sleep Restriction And Its Affects On Mood, April M. Rummery Lamb

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

Sleep plays a fundamental role in the human body being able to function effectively, in particular it plays an essential role in mood regulation. Previous research on sleep and mood has found that there is a correlation between receiving an inadequate amount of sleep and having a negative mood. However, the current field has mostly looked at the relationship between disordered sleep and mood disorders as opposed to everyday sleep patterns and daily mood. The present study aims to look at how sleep restrictions which occur naturally (not caused by sleep disorders such as insomnia) effect daily mood. To conduct …

Civil Discourse: A 3-Part Lesson Plan With Media Literacy Connections, Greg Davis

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

This article presents a three-part lesson plan designed to help students develop civil discourse skills through emotional self-regulation, value exploration, and structured debate. Drawing inspiration from Alaa Al-Musalli’s work on “Unteaching Divisive Argumentation,” the lesson introduces students to the emotional dynamics of disagreement, the ethical diversity that underlies opposing viewpoints, and the practice of respectful argumentation. The culminating activity—a classroom debate over a fictitious local law regulating electric bikes and scooters—invites students to reflect on how tone, listening, and self-awareness affect discourse. Integrating media literacy, the lesson concludes with a discussion of memes and online bias, prompting students to evaluate …

Beyond Self-Defense: A Critical Analysis Of The Biden Administration’S Application Of ‘Just War’ Theory In The Israel-Hamas War, Thomas Elias

Graduate Student Research Symposium

Abstract

The Israel-Hamas war has ignited critical questions regarding the justification for violence, particularly the right to self-defense. Harm to Palestinian noncombatants and the conflict’s prolonged duration has contributed to critiques and doubts about Israel’s military operations and the Biden administration’s substantial military aid post-October 7th. The war’s extensive destruction and dehumanization creates a stark tension with the Biden administration’s invocation of just war theory. This paper critically analyzes the Biden administration’s use of just war theory in supporting the Israel-Hamas war, investigating how Christian theological ethics on just war and self-defense have been utilized and misapplied since October 2023. …

Information Exposure, Communication Channels, And Ssgi 2024 Data Utilization In Health Bureaucracy, Fachrudin Ali Ahmad, Tetrian Widyanto, Leny Wulandari, Ully Adhie Mulyani, Evi Suryani, Grace Lovita Tewu, Herianti Herianti

Jurnal Vokasi Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the influence of information exposure frequency and communication channel choice on the utilization of SSGI 2024 data. This study used mixed methods, quantitative and qualitative. Data were collected through a survey of 153 respondents, predominantly government officials, and in-depth interviews with 7 key informants. Analysis was conducted using the Chi-Square test and source triangulation. The frequency of information exposure was shown to have a significant effect on data utilization (p=0.001), where high exposure increased the likelihood of data utilization by 1.7 times. In contrast, the type of communication channel (formal vs. informal) did not have …

Lived Experiences Of Emotional Competence Development Among Online Doctoral Clinical Psychology Students During Clinical Training, Michelle Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emotional competence is essential for effective clinical practice, professional development, and client care. However, limited research has examined how emotional competence develops among students in fully online doctoral clinical psychology programs. This qualitative descriptive phenomenological study explored how students enrolled in online doctoral clinical psychology programs experience the development of emotional competence during clinical field training. Guided by Goleman’s emotional competence framework, the lived experiences of doctoral students as they developed emotional awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, and relationship management skills was examined. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 purposively selected participants enrolled in online doctoral clinical psychology programs …

Legislative Signals And Human Rights Advocacy: A Longitudinal Analysis Of U.S. Congressional Resolutions And Ngo Reporting In The Post-Cold War Era, 1989-2004, William J. Manosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This thesis examines the unique relationship between nongovernmental human rights reporting, and U.S. congressional attention during the post-Cold War period, 1989-2004. Using a longitudinal content analysis research method, it compares human rights-related resolutions from the 101st through 108th Congresses with materials from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Human Rights First. Rather than claiming causation, the study evaluates whether congressional country or issues mentioned overlapped with NGO reporting during those same sessions. The findings show recurring overlap between congressional attention and NGO-identified countries, abuses, and normative claims. This convergence suggests that NGOs operated within a democratic information environment yet simultaneous …

The Protective Factors Of Alcohol Use And Problem Drinking By Emerging Adults During The 2020s And The Era Of Covid-19, Aubrey A. Coplon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research investigated the protective factors that shape alcohol use and problem drinking among emerging adults during the 2020s, with a spotlight on the COVID-19 pandemic. As this age group grapples with the complexities of self-discovery and independence, the pandemic introduced a new set of challenges and shifts. Through qualitative interviews, this study worked to uncover the resilience strategies and support systems that have emerged as crucial in mitigating alcohol misuse. It examined the role of social connections, mental health resources, coping mechanisms, and evolving social norms in buffering against problem drinking. While the pandemic intensified some risks, it also …

Iran’S Development Of Criminal Foreign Policy Capabilities In The United States From 2013–2020, Scott James Harr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Iran’s development of criminal foreign policy capabilities in the United States represents an emerging phenomenon that is transforming the U.S.-Iran foreign policy relationship from a national security issue, primarily executed abroad, into a homeland security threat located within the United States. As an emerging dimension of the U.S.-Iran foreign policy relationship, this behavior by Iran must be thoroughly understood to aid U.S. policymakers in developing relevant policies to address the issue. However, Iran’s motivations for its international behavior are hotly debated among scholars of international relations (IR) theory. Some see Iran’s behavior as ideologically based, while others claim Iran’s behavior …

The Impact Of Student Behavioral Demands On Teacher Burnout In Secondary Education, Adrienne J. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Teacher burnout is a growing concern in secondary education because it affects teacher well-being, instructional effectiveness, and retention (Anton & Ryzin, 2024; Madigan & Kim, 2021). This quantitative correlational study examined the relationship between behavioral demands and emotional exhaustion among 64 Texas secondary public-school teachers. Guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) model and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the study also examined whether teacher self-efficacy and school climate moderated this relationship. Behavioral demands were measured as a composite of student aggression, defiance, and inattentiveness. Pearson correlations and moderation analyses conducted in Jamovi indicated that behavioral demands were positively associated …

Switching Sides: A Grounded Theory Study Of Transition From Christian To Atheist, Joel C. Furches

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study developed a data driven, six stage model of deconversion, defined as the transition from publicly identifying as a Christian to publicly identifying as an atheist. Using a Grounded Theory approach for analysis, and an archival approach for data collection, the research analyzed 35 autobiographical accounts of deconversion to identify common psychological, social, and behavioral processes underlying religious-deidentification and atheist identification. The findings revealed six background features characteristic of religious environments with higher likelihood of producing deconverts, four categories of objections that precipitate dissonance, and six coping strategies individuals employ in response to that dissonance. Central to the model …

Repeated Disasters, Evolving Plans: Flood Mitigation Strategy Change Across Pre- And Post-Disaster Planning Periods In High-Loss U.S. Communities, Jenifar Selim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

This research explores how flood mitigation planning has evolved in counties exposed to multiple billion-dollar flooding disasters. The research focuses on two case studies: Jefferson County, Texas, and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, two Gulf Coast communities with repeated flood exposure. Using comparative content analysis of pre- and post-disaster hazard mitigation plans, the study evaluates how local planning approaches and strategies shift following major flood events. Findings indicate that local governments largely remain reactive rather than proactive; however, these efforts are increasingly expanding beyond traditional infrastructure to incorporate broader resilience strategies, including nature-based solutions and regional coordination. The results highlight a gradual …

The Phenomenology Of Residential Youth In Child Welfare Settings And The Social Workers Who Work With Them., April Leigh Rorabaugh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study examines the experiences and challenges faced by social workers in child placement for adolescents aged 12-18 within North Carolina’s child welfare system, an issue that warrants immediate attention. Hardworking and determined social workers are on the ground fighting in an already overtaxed system that is resulting in options that are frighteningly few for the care our youth so desperately need. Many of the most vulnerable children in the welfare system are being placed in other states for residential treatment. This is not only traumatic but also robs youth of everything they are familiar with at such a …

Understanding The Perceptions Of Racial Socialization As A Protective Factor Influencing Resiliency Adaptation Among Black Males Who Matriculated To College In Northeastern Florida When They Were Aged 18 – 24 And Who Had A History Of Criminogenic Risk Factors Or Criminal Justice System Contact, C. Darnell Stroble

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aimed to explore the perceptions of racial socialization (“RS”) as a protective factor that leads to resiliency adaptations among Black males who matriculated to college in Northeastern Florida when they were aged 18 – 24 and who had a history of criminogenic risk factors or criminal justice system contact. Grounded in Unnever and Gabbidon’s (2011) Theory of African American Offending (“TAAO”), the study used a qualitative phenomenological case study research design to explore participants’ understanding of RS messages from their parents and their resiliency adaptations in response to those messages. Two research questions guided the study: (1) How …

Stuck In A Paradox: Loving An Unseen God While Hating The Neighbor That Is Visible: A Quantitative Correlational Study, Felisha A. Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Racism within the Christian church is a persistent concern that may influence interpersonal relationships and spiritual development. Although research has examined this broadly, there has been limited research on the relationship between perceived racism and spiritual maturity in a Christian church setting. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between racism and spiritual growth amongst Christians, assess the perceived prevalence of racism in the church, and explore perceptions of responsibility for addressing racism in the church. It was hypothesized that a negative relationship would be found between racism and spiritual maturity. Data was collected from …

Exploring The Relationship Between Divine Grace And Guilt/Shame Among Christians With Same-Sex Attraction, Christopher Tyler Carroll

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the experiences of guilt, shame, and divine grace as they relate to Christians with same-sex attraction (SSA). Although divine grace, defined as unmerited favor and love given by God, has been linked to favorable psychological outcomes in general samples, it is unclear whether experiencing divine grace protects Christians with same-sex attraction from guilt and shame. The Perceptions and Experiences of Grace Scale (PEGS), Factor 1 and The Guilt and Shame Experience Scale (GSES) were used to assess whether an association exists between these variables. Findings from multiple regression models indicated that experiencing divine grace does not significantly …

The Effect Of The Dobbs Decision On State Abortion Policy Regarding Telemedicine, Margo Deihl Nicholas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Telemedicine is a growing area of health care that has become one of the primary policy tools to enhance abortion access following the 2022 Dobbs decision, which gave states full autonomy over abortion policy as a result of overturning the landmark case Roe v. Wade (1973). The purpose of this dissertation is to study the effect of the Dobbs decision on state abortion policy regarding telemedicine and understand how these policies are used to either restrict or protect abortion at the state level. This dissertation was guided by Buchanan’s Public Choice Theory. The following research question guided the study: What …

Caring For ‘Lewy’: The Lived Experiences Of Adult Children Caregivers Of A Parent With Lewy Body Dementia, Tina Ellis Long

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of adult children caregivers of a parent with Lewy body dementia (LBD). The study was guided by Pearlin’s stress process model (SPM) and Thibault and Kelley’s social exchange theory (SET), as these theories informed aspects of caregiver burden and stress, as well as caregiver motivation. The study implemented a qualitative design with a transcendental phenomenological approach, exploring caregivers’ subjective individual experiences, while also observing caregivers’ common objective experiences. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, journal prompts, and cognitive representations, and was analyzed using the Colaizzi open coding …