Digital Commons Network^™

Why Do We Need To Prove That Pigs Feel?, Aranza Vera-Espinoza, Nancy Harlet Esquivel-Marín

Animal Sentience

Birch's framework manages uncertainty but overlooks the likelihood that citizen panels have speciesist biases that reduce precaution to mere harm-management even in species that undoubtedly feel.

Wip: Developing A Generative Ai Autoethnography Assistant, Jyoti Suhag, Jennifer Drewyor, Kathryn Bugbee, Michelle Jarvie-Eggart, Lynn Albers, Leo Ureel

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Generative AI (genAI) is transforming educational research, offering new possi-bilities for conducting interviews while local sandboxing minimizes data privacy risks and hallucinations. Purpose: This work-in-progress presents the AI Autoethnography Assistant, a project investigating how large language models (LLMs) can support autoethnographic interview design and execution. Approach: Using prompt engineering grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Anal-ysis, paraphrasing techniques, and structured follow-up questions, we developed protocols that incorporate po-sitionality and prompt reflection on origin stories and pivotal life moments. Outcomes: Conversations conclude at the user’s discretion, with the AI generating a thematic summary. We tested refined prompts across four platforms (Gemini, Claude, …

Exploring Licensed Clinical Social Workers’ Past Trauma And Current Practice: A Strengths-Based Perspective, Michael E. Conner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of licensed clinical social workers to examine how they manage, reinterpret, and integrate their childhood trauma into their professional clinical identities. Adverse childhood experiences among clinicians are often framed through a risk-based lens of burnout and impairment, leaving social work leaders without empirical models to support post-traumatic growth and workforce retention. The purpose of this study was to examine how clinicians leverage past adversity to inform contemporary practice. A basic qualitative design was used, with semistructured interviews conducted with 11 participants. Participant narratives were examined through the dual lenses of shattered assumptions theory …

Design And Evaluation Criteria For Community-Based Ict4d Artefacts, Tinaye Tanatswa Mushore, Gwamaka Mwalemba

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

The widespread use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) worldwide has underscored the importance of research initiatives in Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D). It has become crucial to understand the extent to which ICTs contribute to development, particularly for relatively disadvantaged members of society, given the persistent inequality despite technological advancements. However, many ICT4D projects launched to address challenges in multidisciplinary contexts suffer chronic failure rates, often linked to researchers' limited understanding of and consideration for local conditions and the contexts in which the projects are intended. This study proposes design and evaluation criteria that embed ICT4D guidelines …

From Crisis Necessity To Sustained Use: A Process Model Of Mobile Banking Use In An Unequal Global South Context, Saadiek Basadien, Molefe Maloma, Mariam Jacobs-Basadien, Papama Mtambeka

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Mobile banking (m-banking) has become an important financial infrastructure, especially during crises. This study examines how users in the Western Cape, South Africa, adopted m-banking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a qualitative design with a construct-informed interview guide and thematic analysis of interviews, we show that adoption was driven less by innovation-seeking and more by situational necessity to maintain financial continuity and minimise health risk. Over time, crisis-triggered use evolved into value-sustained engagement anchored in convenience, financial control, and growing digital confidence. The findings identify social mediation, risk-management practices, and digital literacy as key mechanisms shaping this trajectory. We developed …

C.S.A. Assessment - Tamp Family Health Center Portal, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This C.A.S. assessment evaluates how the Tampa Family Health Centers website influences userattention, cognitive processing, information accessibility, navigation efficiency, and digital user experience.The assessment examines whether the platform supports intentional engagement and informed decision-making while minimizing cognitive overload, distraction, confusion, and unnecessary attentional demands.

TFHC serves as a healthcare access portal providing appointment scheduling, patient resources, providerinformation, healthcare services, MyChart access, payment services, and community health resources.These functions make attention management and information clarity critical to successful user outcomes.

Zeus Network And The Commercialization Of Conflict: A Critical Analysis Of Exploitation, Representation, And Reality Television, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examines Zeus Network as a prominent example of the commercialization of conflict within contemporary digital media. Through reality based programming that frequently emphasizes confrontation, public humiliation, emotional volatility, and interpersonal disputes, the network has cultivated a profitable entertainment model built upon spectacle and controversy. Drawing upon conflict theory, critical race theory, and media sociology, this paper investigates whether Zeus functions as a platform for cultural representation and economic opportunity or as a system that monetizes dysfunction for audience consumption. Particular attention is given to the portrayal of Black women and Black communities, whose experiences often become central to …

Navigating Ethical Ai Use In Online Education: Leveraging The Framework For Information Literacy For Higher Education, Grace Kaletski-Maisel

FDLA Journal

As generative AI transforms online education, students are confronted with the many ethical quandaries that this technology poses. A document known as The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (Framework) has great potential to serve as a tool for educators who strive to guide students towards ethical decision-making in AI use. Information literacy is “the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.” This definition was posed by the Association of College …

Sociology Of Mind Trap In Nepal, Makar Bahadur Sarki

Transformations

Nepali society is multilingual, culturally and ethnically diverse. It holds great potential for development and thought. However, the existing mental traps in society are creating obstacles to fulfilling those potentials. Mental entrapment is a problem in which people follow someone's words with complete faith, just like someone who runs after a crow without touching their own ears after hearing that it has ears. This forces people to live in illusion. This leads to individuals mistrusting their own abilities and pushing society towards inaction. This situation is not only due to individual thinking, but is the combined result of social structural …

Socioeconomic Indicators And Terrorist Incidents In Sub-Saharan Africa: An Empirical Panel Analysis, 1970 – 2020, Ifeoma Okoye, Suhaad Awudu, Kaeviya Butler

African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies

Terrorism remains a major security and development challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), yet the influence of socioeconomic conditions on terrorist activity remains unclear. This study examined the relationships between poverty, unemployment, GDP per capita, and terrorist incidents across 45 Sub-Saharan African countries using a quantitative explanatory design and secondary panel data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) and the World Bank's World Development Indicators (WDI). Terrorism trends were analyzed for 1970–2020, while inferential analyses focused on 2000–2020 because of greater socioeconomic data availability. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and negative binomial regression analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics. Pearson correlation …

Perceiving A Competitor: Culture And Cognitive Biases Of The Strong Enemy And The Pacing Threat, Allison Abbe

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The United States and China are prone to systematic cognitive and cultural biases that distort their mutual perceptions. Addressing these biases through cultural education and professional development is essential to overcoming blind spots in understanding the United States’ primary competitor. By applying dynamic constructivist theories from cross-cultural psychology to national security, this monograph builds on existing scholarship to reveal specific cognitive asymmetries between Western and East Asian observers. Differences such as holism, dialecticism, social inference, and perspective taking reflect the cultural lenses through which security actors perceive their competitors’ actions and intentions, but US observers often overlook the cultural factors …

Cultural Integration Of Ethiopian Immigrants And Refugees And Role Of Ethnic Nonprofits In Chicago, Aklilu Abraham Adeye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the availability of institutional services and interventions, cultural integration outcomes among refugees and immigrants often remain uneven. Existing literature has demonstrated the important role of nonprofit organizations in supporting refugee and immigrant resettlement and early integration. However, comparatively little research has examined how refugees and immigrants themselves experience the influence of nonprofit services on long-term cultural integration. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to explore how nonprofit services and programs influence the cultural integration experiences of Ethiopian refugees and immigrants in Chicago through the lens of the new assimilation theory and the integration context perspective. Data were …

Impact Of Emerging Technologies On Leadership Identity Of Behavioral Health Leaders, Jenah Habermehl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emerging technologies are reshaping behavioral health leadership by changing documentation, communication, ethical responsibilities, and role expectations. Qualitative case study research methodology was used in this study. The problem addressed in this case study was the limited understanding of how emerging technologies influence the leadership identity and professional values of behavioral health leaders. The Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework guided this study of behavioral health leaders at a privately operated behavioral health organization in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Data were collected by conducting semistructured interviews with four behavioral health leaders at the organization and gathering internal archival and …

Economic Development Corporations In Small Communities, Mary L. Bullock

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Type A and Type B Economic Development Corporations (EDCs) in supporting economic growth in small Texas communities. Using key indicators such as population trends, employment, infrastructure, housing, and legal frameworks, this paper compares how each EDC structure addresses these issues. While both Type A and Type B Economic Development Corporations contribute to economic growth, Type B EDCs are generally more effective in small Texas communities due to their broad ability to fund housing projects, create critical infrastructure, and shape quality-of-life community development projects that have a more immediate and measurable impact on unemployment, population …

Artificial Intelligence And Law Enforcement: Transforming Current And Future Policing Operations, Decision-Making, And Public Trust, Chad Taylor

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Artificial intelligence is having a major impact on our society. Many of our industries are attempting to grasp the benefits of this technology, and law enforcement is no different. Investigative, efficiency and administrative tools are all utilizing artificial intelligence to some degree. However, new tools bring new concern from communities. This article will investigate how artificial intelligence is being integrated into current and future law enforcement operations and decision-making. It will also investigate how AI affects public trust and what the profession needs to do to build community confidence. Regardless, artificial intelligence is a technology that is here and will …

The Human Side Of Leadership: How Personality Assessments Build Self-Aware, Accountable, And Emotionally Intelligent Public Sector Leaders, Hillary Faulkner

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Public sector organizations face a persistent set of leadership challenges, including miscommunication, inconsistent accountability, and reactive decision-making, that are rarely resolved through technical training alone. This study examines how the intentional use of personality assessments can improve self-awareness, emotional intelligence, accountability, and communication among public sector leaders, and how those improvements contribute to more effective and cohesive leadership teams. Using a qualitative case study design, this research draws on Organization Analysis and Design (OAD) personality assessment data and in-depth interviews with two supervisors at a municipal government organization in Henderson, Texas, who participated in a structured six-month personality-based leadership development …

How Can Electronic Timekeeping Systems Provide Cost And Time Savings Compared To Manual Time Entry And Paper-Based Timesheets?, Jill Childs

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Paper-based timekeeping methods have historically been the default way for both municipalities and businesses to document hours worked by employees. However, due to analog timekeeping’s lack of verification methods, human error and intentional dishonesty combine to make this method unreliable. These discrepancies are also costly, as human resources staff must be compensated for the time it takes to verify entries and correct mistakes, and if unchecked, the falsified time can potentially result in thousands of dollars of unearned wages lost. This article details various methods and motivations for falsification and argues for the implementation of electronic timekeeping systems, such as …

Succession, Sustainability, And Service: Workforce And Leadership Challenges In Rural Municipal Governments, Dewayne Armstrong

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Rural municipal governments across Texas and the United States face a convergence of workforce and leadership challenges that threaten long-term service delivery and organizational sustainability. An aging public-sector workforce, persistent recruitment and retention constraints, and fragile leadership continuity interact in ways that uniquely affect small and rural communities. Public works departments, which play a vital role in infrastructure maintenance and regulatory compliance, are particularly vulnerable as experienced employees approach retirement without adequate succession pipelines or mechanisms for institutional knowledge transfer. At the same time, small-town governments face ongoing difficulty attracting and retaining qualified personnel due to constrained fiscal capacity, geographic …

Probation Officers’ Experiences Supervising Domestic And Intimate Partner Violent Probationers, Megan Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study includes insights regarding potential supervision challenges that are faced by probation officers overseeing domestic and intimate partner violence (IPV) probationers, emphasizing the importance of effective management to enhance offender accountability and victim safety. The relationship dynamic between probation officers and domestic and IPV probationers influences recidivism rates, highlighting the importance of effective and empathetic supervision. The purpose of this study was to identify gaps in training, supervision strategies, and resources, with a focus on integrating attachment-based practices to improve outcomes. Guided by the attachment theory, the research included key questions about supervision effectiveness and relational dynamics. Employing a …

The Relative Strength Of Justice-Related Satisfaction, Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs, And Self-Compassion In Predicting Perceived Control Over Stressful Events, Katherine Mooney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coercive control and domestic violence perpetrated by men against women are global social problems sustained by patriarchal norms that normalize gender-based violence. These norms often contribute to victims' maladaptive self-beliefs, leading women to believe they provoked the abuse. When survivors seek legal protection, they may experience revictimization through legal processes that minimize their claims and enable perpetrators to continue exerting power and control through the justice system. As a result, dissatisfaction with the legal system may reinforce self-blame, while low self-compassion may further undermine women's perceived control over stressful events in both the short and long term. While previous research …

Medical Tourism Patient Guidance: A Content Analysis Of Risk Reduction Guidelines Available To Global Health Seekers., Alicia Mason, Angela Ashmore

Faculty Submissions

This study examines medical tourism (MT) patient guidance messages intended to reduce procedural risks—those directly related to biomedical treatments—and process risks, which involve logistical, administrative, and interpersonal challenges of seeking healthcare abroad. The analysis focuses on print and digital publications authored by individuals independent of the MT industry, including policy researchers, travel health experts, lifestyle reporters, and consumer-focused medical travel writers. Using a two-phase digital and database search strategy, 27 publications from 2009 to 2024 were identified and analyzed using exploratory content analysis methods. Findings reveal important differences in the scope and depth of guidance aimed at reducing risks for …

Hubungan Paparan Informasi Anemia Dan Tablet Tambah Darah (Ttd) Melalui Media Digital Dengan Kebiasaan Konsumsi Makanan Ibu Hamil Berdasarkan Food Frequency Questionnaire (Ffq), Muthiah Salsabilah, Bernadette Oktavia Jelita, Thariq Zafar Surapati, Alya Khairunnissa, Primasti Nuryandari Putri, Ratu Ayu Dewi Sartika

Perilaku dan Promosi Kesehatan: Indonesian Journal of Health Promotion and Behavior

Background: Proper nutrition is important for the mother and baby. The media is an important source of information for every pregnant woman, but the information might be inaccurate.

Aim: This study aims to examine the association between exposure to digital media information on anemia and iron-folic acid (IFA) supplementation and the food consumption habits of pregnant women as measured by the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) at Puskesmas Kecamatan Beji, Depok City in 2024.

Method: This study utilized a cross-sectional design involving secondary data analysis of the 2024 antenatal care (ANC) survey conducted at Beji Primary Health Center, Depok City. Purposive …

The Consequences Of Using Human Behavior To Train Ai, Lauren Treiman

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now an integral part of everyday decision making. These systems not only help us make choices but also learn from our behavior. Therefore, it is important to understand how our interactions with AI influence these systems. Current approaches often assume that the behavior used to train AI accurately reflects how people would naturally behave. However, people are often informed that their choices will be used for AI training, and as a result, may change how they would normally act. In this dissertation, we combine psychological and computer science perspectives to investigate the consequences of this awareness. …

Relationship Of Covid-19-Related Racial Discrimination And Oppressed Identities On Chinese American Mental Health, Allison A. Fong

Doctoral Dissertations

Although anti-Asian hate has been present throughout history, the country witnessed an uptick in race-based violence and discrimination against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing the framework of intersectionality, this quantitative cross-sectional study aimed to capture the additive impact of various forms of oppression, including COVID-19-related racial discrimination, on levels of depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction in Chinese American college students (n = 35) in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Within this relationship, bicultural identity integration was also explored as a possible moderator. Although regression analysis did not show significant relationships between COVID-19-related racial discrimination and intersectional discrimination …

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Creating An Outreach Booth, Aurora Hughes Villa, Tyelar Haines, Rita Hagevik, Kathy Cabe Trundle, Michelle Parslow

All Current Publications

An outreach booth is a physical presentation that allows your audience to learn more about a subject and how they can participate. It provides information on a topic (e.g., an environmental issue or a community project) through direct interaction with experts in the field. Through this approach, people become engaged, and discussions emerge that foster a sense of community around the topic. Interested in creating one for yourself? Follow the steps outlined in this fact sheet.

Exploring The Experiences Of Nigerian Army Personnel With Toxic Leadership, Shamsideen Toyin Shafaru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Toxic leadership has been shown to be present in Nigeria, promoting negative consequences for organizations and adverse effects on employee performance. However, how toxic leadership behaviors impact Nigerian Army operations and the performance of personnel have not been studied. Exploring toxic leadership in the Nigerian Army is important because the way in which leaders exercise influence determines the effects it has on followers. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of Nigerian Army personnel who had worked as subordinates of individuals who exhibited toxic leadership traits and its impact on their performance. The theoretical …

``But What About Me?'': A Structural Redesign For Cascading Trust Into An Integrated Culture Of Care, Hazelin Hei Laam Ngan

Patient Experience Journal

In healthcare, patient experience (PX) and employee experience (EX) are often managed as separate priorities despite their interdependence. This article presents a case study from NYC Health + Hospitals/Community Care, a 250-person safety-net division providing home-based services across New York City. In response to frontline staff repeatedly asking, ``But what about me?'' when offered PX best practice suggestions, the organization integrated patient experience, staff engagement, and wellness into a unified Care Experience portfolio led by the Chief Experience Officer. From this structural redesign emerged a practical framework for trust-building organized around three pillars: Purpose, Presence, and Partnership. Purpose aligns staff …

Building A Culture Of Trust: Engaging Teams With Targeted Tactics For Meaningful Improvement In Patient Experience, Anna Buckner, Kimberly Lewis

Patient Experience Journal

Rising financial pressures and the need to revitalize culture prompted a renewed emphasis on patient experience at Billings Clinic. This case study describes the impact of redefining patient experience as a measure of trust and a set of care processes. It presents an alternative to the more traditional view of patient experience as an outcome metric based on meeting patient expectations. Billings Clinic chose the patient survey question likelihood of recommending as an organizational goal or key performance indicator (KPI). Under the direction of executive leadership, the patient experience team developed a new strategic framework aimed at driving improvement for …

Plan Of Day | Plan Of Stay: How Inter-Disciplinary Communication Improved Patient Experience And Hospital Throughput, Theresa Jean Dionne, Felicia Hurst, Danna Qunibi, Lauren Lazar, Sydney Mccurdy, Ashlyn Coenraad, Brittney Ward, Whitney Black, Ashley Nelson, Judd Salem, Luisa Restrepo

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Effective communication among healthcare team members is critical for delivering high-quality, patient- and family-centered care while optimizing hospital operations. This case study examines the implementation of a structured ``Plan of Day | Plan of Stay'' model, leveraging bedside whiteboards to enhance inter-disciplinary communication in a pediatric hospital setting. By providing a clear, visual summary of daily care plans, care team members, and discharge goals, whiteboards foster transparency, empower patients and families, and facilitate coordinated clinical decision-making. Purpose: This quality improvement initiative evaluated the implementation of a standardized Plan of Day | Plan of Stay communication model on a pediatric …

Patient Psychological Safety: A Qualitative Study Of Patient Experiences, Derick R. Simmons, Cheryl Rathert, Ryan Valayil, Maria Joseph, Ibraheem Jawadi

Patient Experience Journal

There is growing interest in understanding patients' experiences with psychological safety during healthcare encounters. Recent studies reveal that patients describe needing patient psychological safety (PPS) to form connections with their care providers, which are associated with better health outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to examine indicators of PPS. Using a phenomenological interpretive approach, this study utilized a patient narrative survey methodology to qualitatively explore how and why patients experience a lack of PPS during their healthcare encounters. We surveyed patients from across the U.S. and analyzed responses among a sub-sample of respondents to an open-ended question whose responses indicated they …