Digital Commons Network^™

God > Grit: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Intrinsic And Extrinsic Motivating Factors For Black Male Students Previously Labeled “At-Risk”, Marcia J. Watson-Vandiver

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This phenomenological study examines the intersections of faith, learning, and racialized experiences in K-12 schooling. In doing so, this research explores the experiences of Black[1] males in U.S. public schools who were once labeled academically or behaviorally “at risk.” Here, at-risk is a term that typically applies to students “in jeopardy of progressing academically due to circumstances that may impact educational performance” (MSDE, 2018). While the purview of academic, school discipline, and behavior discourse are saturated with conversations on racial disparities, the exigent problem still remains. As such, this research provides a nuanced probe into intrinsic and extrinsic motivating …

Navigating Identity, Finding Belonging: Exploring Muslim Students’ Experiences In Higher Education, Milie Majumder

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This phenomenological, qualitative study explores how institutional experiences contribute to Muslim students’ sense of belonging in higher education institutions on the West Coast of the United States. The data presented are drawn from a subset of a larger dissertation study conducted in May 2024. Using an informational survey with open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews, the study examined students’ perceptions of belonging. The sample included 23 survey responses and 10 in-depth interviews. Grounded in the Minoritized Religious and Spiritual Campus Climate (MRSCC) framework, the study examines how participants interpreted the adequacy of institutional accommodations for their religious and spiritual needs and …

Perceptions Of The Divine In Secular Spaces: A Study Of U.S. Public-School Teachers, Dennis Eastman, Nicholas Block

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Teaching is often understood by Christian educators as a vocation shaped by divine purpose, yet little empirical research has examined how teachers perceive God’s active involvement in their daily professional practice. This qualitative study investigates how Christian teachers interpret perceived divine activity in their work, focusing on specific experiences of guidance, influence, and sustenance rather than general religious identity. Thematic analysis of open-ended survey responses from practicing teachers (N = 267) identified seven themes, including perceived impact on students’ lives, divine guidance in instructional and relational decisions, and endurance amid professional strain. Participants commonly described God’s activity as …

Application Of Assistive Technologies And Rendering Assistive Services To Students With Special Needs By Federal University Libraries: A Survey, Emmanuel Chidiadi Onwubiko

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The world as of today, is being said to be witnessing what one may tagged a technological revolution as never before and is transforming for the better, the future of global education in which case, every learner is considered. These newly created technological tools and plans did place librarians as information managers and digital literacy drivers in better position to come up with environments that are inclusive for all learners to achieve their desired goals. The study therefore is a survey on the application of assistive technologies and rendering assistive services to students with special needs by federal universities libraries …

Scheduled Coal Plant Retirements In The Mountain West, 2022-2031, Kerima Awol, Sophia Booth, Ty Tan, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet presents data on publicly announced coal-fired power plant retirements in five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, between 2022 and 2031. The Visual Capitalist’s 2021 report, “Road to Decarbonization: U.S. Coal Plant Closures,” includes information on the location, retirement year, and electricity generation capacity of coal-fired power plants scheduled for retirement across the United States.

Trustworthiness As Inferential Accountability In Qualitative Research, Aamir Rashid, Rizwana Rasheed

Publications and Research

Trustworthiness is a cornerstone of qualitative research rigor, yet it is frequently operationalized as a procedural checklist rather than as a coherent logic for justifying qualitative knowledge claims. As a result, qualitative studies often demonstrate methodological diligence without fully explicating how empirical materials warrant the interpretations advanced or how the scope of those interpretations should be bounded. The purpose of this paper is to reconceptualize trustworthiness as inferential accountability, understood as a governing evaluative principle for qualitative inquiry that provides a coherent and contemporary framework for the justification, evaluation, and delimitation of qualitative claims. The paper adopts a conceptual and …

From Research To Decision In A Uk Parliamentary Office: How Internal Communication Translates Complex Information Into Workplace Action, Donovan Singh

Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works

This project examines how internal workplace communication translates complex information into guidance that a decision-maker can use. The project uses an anonymised UK parliamentary office as a practice-based case study. The elected representative is referred to as MP A, the placement office as Parliamentary Office A, and the placement supervisor as Supervisor B. Anonymisation is necessary because the project analyses briefing practice and workplace feedback rather than the identity, political position, or internal operations of a specific office.

The research question is: How does internal communication translate complex information into clear, accurate and actionable guidance for workplace decision-makers? The project …

How Migrants Fleeing The Mexican Drug War Changed American Labor Markets, Mark Borgschulte, Yuci Chen, Eduardo Medina-Cortina

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Trust And Signaling: An Exploratory Study Of Residential Attitudes Towards Energy Efficiency Advisors And Outdoor Media, Hal T. Nelson, Ivana Osmanovic

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

As the building sector shifts toward community-led energy efficiency (EE) initiatives to mitigate the climate crisis, scaling adoption requires understanding behavioral drivers. This study examines key drivers of EE measure adoption: perceived non-energy benefits, trusted advisors, and behavioral signaling. This research contributes to the energy policy and social science literature by empirically linking social trust with signaling preferences. It extends existing EE adoption decision theories by identifying distinct clusters of “expert” versus “close” advisors across demographic groups. Data from an experimental survey (n = 238) in Portland, Oregon, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate regression modeling. Results …

Scraping The Earth: Testing Ndvi As An Indicator Of Military Ground Maneuver Within The Israeli Invasion Of The Gaza Strip, Thomas A. Bergeron

LSU Master's Theses

The advancement of open-source (OSINT) and geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) has allowed independent researchers to study human conflict in new ways, with tools that were previously reserved only for state intelligence agencies. In order to advance methodologies, researchers must continue to evaluate new tools to study war.  Valued for its accessibility and moderate spatial resolution, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is one such tool that has not been widely systematically tested for its use in an open-source GEOINT investigation of modern conflict. This study tests NDVI as an indicator of military maneuver by leveraging a mixed-method approach against open-source kinetic …

Law Enforcement Help-Seeking Behaviors And Organizational Mental Health Supports, Jordan Elizabeth Longendorf

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to the traumatic and repetitive nature of law enforcement work, mental health support is often needed by officers, but is not consistently sought. Law enforcement leaders need to understand this concern as a leading indicator of workforce well-being, organizational effectiveness, and officers’ willingness to seek needed mental health support. Guided by the conceptual framework of Rickwood and Thomas’s help-seeking behaviors, the purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore law enforcement officers’ lived experiences of help-seeking behaviors for emotional and mental health issues. Data were collected through six semistructured interviews with current law enforcement officers in four different …

Blue Economy In Madura: Research Trends And Structural Change, Herry Yulistiyono, Aditya Tri Prasetyo, Ari Warokka

Jurnal Ekonomi dan Studi Pembangunan

This study examines the development of the blue economy in Madura through bibliometric analysis, focusing on research trends and economic structural changes from 2020 to 2024, as well as analyzing gaps and potential areas for future research. The methodology employed is a quantitative approach utilizing bibliometric methods. Data were obtained from scientific publications and analyzed using metrics that measure the ratio of citations to publications.

The results indicate a significant increase in the number of publications on the blue economy in Madura, peaking in 2023 with 29 researchers focusing on diverse topics. Performance metrics analysis revealed Marine Policy as the …

Nil And Contract Law: Advising A Prospective College Athlete Through Competing Name, Image, And Likeness Agreements, Jason Kight, Marcy Faircloth, Lori Mikl, Rachel Silverman

The COSMA Journal

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) agreements have created significant financial opportunities for amateur and collegiate athletes while also introducing complex legal, ethical, and strategic decision-making challenges. This decision-focused teaching case places students in the role of trusted advisors to Archie Stafford, a highly recruited high school athlete who must evaluate and compare multiple NIL contract offers connected to his preferred college options. By analyzing NIL agreements, students assess contract enforceability, identify key legal and business risks, weigh legal, contractual, ethical, and reputational disclosure obligations, and formulate a reasoned recommendation aligned with Archie’s academic, athletic, financial, and long-term career goals. The …

A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Media Framing Of Illegal Mining In Ghana, Ebenezer Ato Kwamena Aidoo, Patrick Ansah, Fredrick Daoyenikye, Maame Aba Afful

Faculty Scholarship

Illegal mining in Ghana has attracted considerable public and policy attention due to its far-reaching environmental, social, and health consequences. Our study examines how Ghanaian news media frame illegal mining, the tone of media coverage, and the stakeholders represented in news narratives. Using a quantitative content analysis, 800 news articles were sampled from six widely read media outlets, Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, TV3 Ghana, GTV, Joy FM, and Citi Newsroom. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed to examine differences in framing, tone, and stakeholder representation across outlets. Findings indicate that news organizations emphasize distinct frames, resulting in varied …

Illuminating Sanja Matsuri: Lived Religion And Festival Practice In Asakusa, Caleb R. Merckle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Sanja Matsuri, a major Shintō and Buddhist festival in Asakusa, Tokyo, through the lenses of lived religion, participant observation, autoethnography, and anthropology. Departing from institution-centered approaches, it foregrounds the experiential dimensions of festival participation, showing how physical devotion, collective movement, and festive intensity function as expressions of spiritual meaning. Ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2023 and 2025 included participant observation, informal interviews with local and foreign participants, and Reflexive Discourse Analysis of fieldnotes and bilingual transcripts. Analysis reveals a dynamic interplay between formal sacralization strategies — such as mitama-ire rituals and structured processions — and spontaneous, informal participant …

Notes From The Field - Conference Proceedings, Summer Fellows 2025, Center For Latin American, Caribbean, And Latino Studies (Clacls)

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

CLACLS presents proceedings papers from the third CLACLS Summer Fellows Showcase Conference, held on November 12, 2025.

The daylong event showcased the research endeavors of fourteen Summer Fellows, who offered succinct presentations on their projects funded by the CLACLS Summer fellowship. The included three panels: “Feminist and Queer Critical Perspectives”, “Language, Archive and Power”, “Social Movements and Political Imaginations.”

Addressing The ‘Chicken-And-Egg’ Dilemma: Pension Reform, Market Coordination, And Policy Design, Shujaat Khan, Bo Li, Yunhui Zhao

Journal of Banking and Financial Economics

Why do domestic stock markets in many emerging market economies fail to develop, even in the presence of high savings rates? In this paper, we argue that this may be a ‘chicken-and-egg’ problem, which we formalise as a market coordination failure. We first develop a stylised game-theoretical model, showing that when long-term equity investment is subject to network externalities, the Pareto-optimal, high-investment equilibrium is not robust to noise. Individual investors, fearing defection by others, will rationally choose a low-investment (or ‘run’) strategy, trapping the market in a state of underdevelopment. We then show how a specific institutional design – a …

The Specifics Of Green Mortgages: A Case Study Of Poland, Mateusz Tomal, Ewa Gorlecka-Łabiak

Journal of Banking and Financial Economics

The green mortgage market in Poland has received limited research attention. Therefore, this article aims to present the specifics of the green mortgage market in Poland. To thoroughly investigate the issue, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 banking sector representatives, each with varying experience and professional roles. The study’s findings revealed that there is no formal definition of green mortgages, which hinders both banks and their customers. Currently, green mortgages are rarely granted due to their limited economic benefit to borrowers and the small number of residential properties that qualify. For banks, green mortgages present an opportunity to expand their …

Female Resistance To Patriarchal Norms: A Study Of Identity And Self-Determination In The Film Enola Holmes (2020), Mikkial Muna, Eli Nofriati, Zuraini Zuraini

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study examines the representation of women's resistance to patriarchy through identity formation and self-determination in the film Enola Holmes (2020). Set in the Victorian era, the film portrays a patriarchal society that limits women's rights, educational opportunities, and freedom to determine their own lives. This study employed a descriptive qualitative design with a grounded theory approach. The primary data were collected through repeated observation of the film, focusing on relevant scenes, dialogues, character actions, and visual elements, and were analyzed using thematic analysis interpreted through the perspectives of patriarchy and liberal feminism. The findings reveal that patriarchy is represented …

Artificial Intelligence And Challenges Of Sustainable Library Services For Children And Young Adults In Nigeria, Ishioma Nwanapayi Iwegbue, Chigozie Blessing Mba

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

No abstract provided.

Psychosocial Characteristics Of Self-Identifying Incels, Joleen Koroluck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research examining individuals who self-identify as involuntary celibates (incels) has increased in response to concerns surrounding online grievance communities and violence-related rhetoric. Despite growing scholarship, limited research has examined the psychosocial lived experiences of individuals who identify as incels. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore these experiences and examine factors associated with violent or extremist beliefs within incel-related online communities. Guided by social comparison theory and social identity theory, reflexive thematic analysis was used to examine 90 publicly available forum posts collected from 4Chan, Incel.is, and Looksmaxx. The data were manually coded and analyzed through iterative thematic …

Signal And Substance: Why Methodological Sophistication Fails To Guarantee Inference, Aamir Rashid, Rizwana Rasheed

Publications and Research

Despite increasing analytical sophistication, empirical research in organization studies continues to suffer from fragile inference, uneven theoretical accumulation, and contested credibility. This paper seeks to explain why these problems persist by shifting attention from authors’ methodological choices to the evaluative dynamics of peer review. Adopting a conceptual and theory-analytic approach, the paper theorizes peer review as an inferential gatekeeping system. Drawing on research design, theory evaluation, and philosophy-of-science literatures, this study develops an analytical framework to examine how evaluative routines shape what constitutes empirical rigor during the review process. The analysis identifies five recurring reviewer blind spots: inferential scope inflation, …

Fuse It Or Lose It: Powering Franklin University’S Scholarship & Archives, Marc Jaffy, Samantha Kapp

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Franklin University's Institutional Repository - FUSE - provides researchers throughout the world access to the scholarly works of Franklin University faculty, staff, and students. It also hosts the university archives which allows users to learn about our institution's history. This session will explore both the scholarly works and archival materials in FUSE, and demonstrate how faculty, staff, and adjuncts can contribute. Join us to learn how FUSE supports visibility, long-term preservation, and the broader impact of your work.

Strategies To Prevent The Development Of Dependence Among Head Start Beneficiaries, Shira Stallworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Head Start programs provide educational, health, nutritional, and family support services to children from low-income families. Despite these benefits, concerns remain regarding factors that may contribute to dependency among some beneficiaries. Understanding these factors is important because public administrators seek to promote family self-sufficiency while ensuring support programs effectively address community needs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of Head Start teachers and an education specialist regarding factors that may contribute to dependency among beneficiaries and to identify strategies that promote family self-sufficiency. The practice-focused research question was: What potential issues may contribute to …

Senator Mark O. Hatfield And The Commitment To Intellectual Rigor And Integrity, Carlos A. Arias

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Message From The Editors

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

No abstract provided.

Domestic Gastrodiplomacy In The U.S. During The Great Depression And International Relations Theory, Leah Tucker

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

International Relations scholarship has generally treated food as an outward-facing instrument of soft power, leaving its domestic political functions comparatively underexamined. This paper argues that, during periods of systemic crisis, food policy can also operate inwardly as a mechanism of regime stabilization with broader political implications. Using New Deal food programs during the Great Depression as a case study, it introduces the concept of “domestic gastrodiplomacy” to describe how the management of subsistence can reinforce confidence in governing institutions when that confidence is under strain.

The paper evaluates this claim through realist, liberal, and constructivist perspectives. Each highlights a different …

Unspent Donations In Donor Advised Funds - Policy Recommendation, Oriel Nolan-Smith

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

Billions of dollars are sitting in Donor Advised Funds, delaying support for charitable organizations seemingly at odds with the intent of U.S. charitable tax policy. With no requirement for annual distribution nor timelines for disbursement, Donor Advised Funds allow individual and institutional donors to postpone directing funds to charitable organizations - despite already claiming tax benefits. As a result, some DAFs distribute less than 5% of assets annually, while many of the institutions managing the DAFs continue collecting fees.

Two complementary policy interventions are recommended: (1) the issuance of a federal regulation requiring annual minimum distributions from all DAFs, and …

From Policy To Practice: Analyzing Inclusive Education Strategies In Nigerian Internally Displaced Persons (Idps) Camps, Chukwuyem Joel Arimie, Williams Okotie Dr

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

Through high-quality education delivery, inclusive education indicates the pursuit of social justice for all marginalized societies. The study examines how the Edo camp's internally displaced people are impacted by inclusive education policies. Relevant policy and regulatory frameworks pertaining to inclusive education in Nigeria were examined in the research. Because the Hope for the Needy Foundation provides for the educational needs of the children in the camp, interview responses suggest that despite the policy frameworks, strategies for the effective execution of the policy in the IDP camp have not yet been put in place. The article makes the case that the …

Licensed Social Workers’ Perceived Structural And Systemic Treatment Barriers For Clients With Severe Mental Illness, Myron Curtis White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There was a gap in the existing strategies in social work practice regarding the structural and systemic barriers to health care treatment for clients with serious/severe mental illness (SMI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented that addressing mental health destabilization in the United States is important and requires an understanding of the mental illness to be addressed, including its causal factors, the relationships between the mentally ill and their community/environment, and the methodology for effecting care. This general qualitative study explored what licensed social workers perceived as structural and systemic barriers to health care treatment access for their …