Digital Commons Network^™

In Media Res, Christopher Andrew Sisk

Theses and Dissertations

We are inundated by a constant feed of media that responds and adapts in real time to the impulses of our psyches and the dimensions of our devices. Beneath the surface, this stream of information is directed by hidden, automated controls and steered by political agendas. The transmission of information has evolved into a spiral of entropy, and the boundaries between author, content, platform, and receiver have blurred. This reductive space of responsive media is a catalyst for immense political and cultural change, causing us to question our notions of authority, truth, and reality.

Online Communication Settings And The Qualitative Research Process: Acclimating Students And Novice Researchers, Katherine Gregory

Publications and Research

In the last 20 years, qualitative research scholars have begun to interrogate methodological and analytic issues concerning online research settings as both data sources and instruments for digital methods. This article examines the adaptation of parts of a qualitative research curriculum for understanding online communication settings. I propose methodological best practices for researchers and educators that I developed while teaching research methods to undergraduate and graduate students across disciplinary departments and discuss obstacles faced during my own research while gathering data from online sources. This article confronts issues concerning the disembodied aspects of applying what in practice should be rooted …

Caught In The Frame: A Critical Analysis Of Australian Media Representations Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 2014–2015, Mayyada Mhanna

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Despite the many current conflicts in the Middle East and the world, the Israeli- Palestinian conflict is still one of the most significant conflicts of the modern era. The reasons for this include the history and violence of this conflict and the lack of practical solutions for it. The significance of this conflict is reflected in its prevalence in many disciplines, such as political science and media studies. Related literature shows that Australian media coverage of this conflict has not been investigated thoroughly. Hence, this study attempts to bridge this gap in literature, aiming to identify how Australian media portray …

The Politics Of Twilights: Notes On The Semiotics Of Horizon Photography, Michael W. Raphael

Publications and Research

Visual sociology is crucial for exploring the indexical meanings that thick description cannot capture within a cultural setting. This paper explores how such meanings are created within a subset of the domain of photography. Using data gathered over several years, I constructed the semiotic code ‘horizon’ photographers use when ‘in the field’ for photographing periods of twilight. This code explains the relevance of subject matter to the photograph’s aesthetics. Specifically, I detail how ‘the horizon’ communicates the potential for the photographer to ‘capture’ the index of a symbol that later permits the photographer to culturally mark scenes with ‘light’. In …

The Big World – Reha Erdem And The Magic Of Cinema, Andreas Treske

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Reha Erdem’s latest film Big Big World (Koca Dünya) was selected for the “Horizons” (“Orizzonti”) section at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival in 2016 and won a prestigious special jury award. The Venice selection is standing for a tendency to hold on, and celebrate the so-called “World Cinema” along with Hollywood blockbusters and new experimental arthouse films in a festival programming mix, insisting to stop for a moment in time a cinema that is already on the move.

Modernizing A Podcast Media Organization Via Social And New Media Rebranding Methods, Randi A. Hair

Journalism

The following study and subsequent public relations campaign is intended to explore the difficulties, opportunities, caveats and all facets of transitioning a traditional travel media organization to new media. It unearths the pitfalls/barriers that naturally occur and aggregate over time when an organization or journalist (specifically “Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer” in this scenario) has not adapted nor altered their practices for changing common practices in the media industries. In this campaign, journalist Thomas Wilmer is seeking to increase his podcast audience and digital presence.

The research conducted for this study is two-fold. Firstly, the research demonstrates best practices …

Extending The Marketing Dialog On Poverty, Ravi S. Achrol, Philip Kotler

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

We appreciate Professor Aneel Karnani’s contributions to the marketing dialog on poverty and our article “Marketing’s Lost Frontier: The Poor” (Achrol and Kotler 2016). We do not necessarily disagree with some of his criticisms but rather see them as an opportunity for expanding the discussion of marketing’s role in reducing world poverty. In this response, we revisit and elaborate on Social Marketing for the bottom-of-the-pyramid (BOP) and Distributed Production-Consumption view presented in the original article. These new marketing models – focused on distributing economic opportunity, income and standards of life to local communities – can substantially displace the giant centralized …

Measuring Social Engagement Within A Triple Helix Cluster Consisting Of The Academic Institute, The Innovation Centre And The Public Authority Using Sociometers, Shay Ryan

Theses

This thesis examines tools used to measure social engagement in a Triple Helix cluster. Triple Helix members were identified in the following areas: Academic Institute, Innovation Centre and Public Authority. The main objectives of the study were to; 1) Identify how formal and informal communication occurs in a Triple Helix Cluster; 2) Measure and analyse communication within and between groups using sociometers and 3) Use qualitative techniques to establish the communication experiences of Triple Helix members.

A critique of the literature is presented pertaining to Triple Helix theory, Knowledge, Social Engagement and Measuring Social Engagement. The empirical approach involved using …

Quality Improvement Initiative To Reduce Fall Risk In The Snf, Ramona C. Lancaster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Residents who fall in SNF either sustain significant decline to quality of life or die from their injuries. The average fall costs about $34,000 per incident. On average, 19.8% of residents fall at least once per month. The purpose of this project was to assess, identify, and advance nursing practice to decrease falls by evaluating current facility standard of practice, fall policy, procedures, and protocol. The objective was to create actions that would close the communication gap between clinicians and residents. This project encourages clinicians to intertwine resident feedback and strategies into the plan of care to help reduce fall …

Recovery From Design, Cassandra J. Ellison

Theses and Dissertations

Through research, inquiry, and an evaluation of Recovery By Design, a ‘design therapy’ program that serves people with mental illness, substance use disorders, and developmental disabilities, it is my assertion that the practice of design has therapeutic potential and can aid in the process of recovery. To the novice, the practices of conception, shaping form, and praxis have empowering benefit especially when guided by Conditional and Transformation Design methods together with an emphasis on materiality and vernacular form.

Multicultural Advertising And Updated Branding For Wedding Photographers, Kaitlyn Wimmers

Honors Projects

A traditional image of a couple getting married includes one man, one woman, who are young, white, and do not have children. Yet, demographics of prospective couples have become more diverse in terms of age, race-ethnicity, sexual orientation, and family composition. This project examines the extent to which these changes toward diversity in prospective couples are reflected in wedding photographers’ marketing strategies, using content analysis of photographs (N = 960) from photographers' Wedding Wire profiles, personal photography websites, and professional Facebook pages. Eight photographers were chosen from the Midwest (Chicago and Indianapolis) and the West Coast (Los Angeles and San …

Identifying Terrorist Affiliations Through Social Network Analysis Using Data Mining Techniques, Govand A. Ali

Information Technology Master Theses

In a technologically enabled world, local ideologically inspired warfare becomes global all too quickly, specifically terrorist groups like Al Quaeda and ISIS (Daesh) have successfully used modern computing technology and social networking environments to broadcast their message, recruit new members, and plot attacks. This is especially true for such platforms as Twitter and encrypted mobile apps like Telegram or the clandestine Alrawi. As early detection of such activity is crucial to attack prevention data mining techniques have become increasingly important in the fight against the spread of global terrorist activity. This study employs data mining tools to mine Twitter for …

Volume 08, Meghan Enzinna, Casey Dawn Gailey, Raven Collins, Chiara Enriquez, Amelia Mcconnell, Alexander Morton, Emma Beckett, Leah G. Parr, Briana Adhikusuma, Taylor Embrey, Rowan Davis, Danielle Sisson, Bianca Cherry, Melissa Cacho, Chloe Woodward, Catherine Rollins, Carson Reeher, Landon Cooper, Haley Vasquez, Marlisha Stewart, Eric Whitehead, Sabrina Walker, James Bates

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction from Interim Dean Dr. Jennifer Apperson

Indigenous Peoples and the Modern Era by Meghan Enzinna

"Who Says": How Selena Gomez and the Scene Attempt to Subvert the Popular Standards of Beauty by Casey Dawn Gailey

Art by Raven Collins

Meltdown on Social Media: Amy's Baking Company Meets Kitchen Nightmares by Nathena Haddrill

Art by Chiara Enriquez

Design by Amelia Mcconnell

Worth More Than a Thousand Words: A Visual Rhetorical Discussion of Virtual Reality by Examining "Clouds Over Sidra" by Alexander Morton

Design by Emma Beckett

The Sonata: An Analysis of Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Minor, K. …

Initiating Global Service-Learning Movement : Best Practices From Petra Christian University, Indonesia, Ir. Rolly Intan

International Symposium on Service-Learning: Network Strengthening for Service-Learning Regional Collaboration

No abstract provided.

Conflict Resolution Behaviors And The Affect Of Identity Standards And Empowerment Needs On Individuals Using External Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices, Amy R. Parker

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with communication impairments (CI) are at a distinct disadvantage when attempting to interact through more traditional conversational means. Although their intentions may be similar to peers, physical limitations make verbal articulation of thoughts and feelings a more laborious undertaking. For some, the use of external augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has offered an otherwise unavailable communicative opportunity. However, this type of communication requires more of the non-AAC using conversation partner and, unlike traditional forms of communication, may increase the likelihood of miscommunication. Although there is agreement as to the importance of understanding the experience of individuals using external AAC, …

An Empirical Assessment Of Employee Cyberslacking In The Public Sector, Wilnelia Hernández

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing use of the Internet, new challenges are presented to employees in the workplace. Employees spend time during work hours on non-work related activities including visiting e-commerce Websites, managing personal email accounts, and engaging in e-banking. These types of actions in the workplace are known as cyberslacking. Cyberslacking affects the employees’ productivity, presents legal concerns, and undermines the security of the organization’s network. This research study addressed the problem of cyberslacking in the public sector, by assessing the ethical severity of cyberslacking activities, as well as how employees perceived that the frequency of such activities occurred by their …

Social Grief: A Grounded Theory Of Utilizing Status Updates On Facebook As A Contemporary Ritual, Celese Catania-Opris

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

The popular Social Networking Site, Facebook, offers its users the ability tocommunicate with others from all over the globe. Individuals can create a virtual identity for themselves enabling members to call, message, and locate others in a matter of seconds. The number of Facebook users appears to increase; yet, the number of members who die daily is not normally accounted. Facebook now permits the memorialization ofthe deceased’s profile. This allows members to continue commenting, sharing photos and videos, and visiting the deceased’s Facebook page. This trend led to the central question of this study, “What benefits, if any, are individuals …

Women's Professional Sports: A Case Study On Practices That Could Increase Their Profitability, Danielle H. Mcardle

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Women’s professional sports leagues have often been considered a risky business endeavor. Critics cite low attendance, lack of sponsorships, lack of media rights deals, and numerous other reasons for why women’s professional sports leagues are not profitable. In analyzing the current landscape of women’s professional sport leagues, this paper uses a case study approach to develop a strategy that will highlight lessons learned from past women’s professional sports leagues, current professional sports leagues, sponsorship agreements, fans, social, digital, and mobile marketing strategies, and management practices to show how the business of women’s sports could be made into a more profitable …

Visionary Sociology In Action, Luke Castle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation are to provide research that will further facilitate an understanding of two matters of sociological interest: public sociology and video ethnography. In order to achieve this overall objective, a video ethnographic case study was conducted with eight undergraduates at an elite southern university. The students in the study self-filmed week-to week thoughts, feelings, and experiences to provide a methodical comparison of past and current literature of the lifestyles students construct while on campus. A qualitative approach, such as the video diary protocol established for this dissertation, is unlike most research protocols because informants (in this …

Picturing Development In Malawi, Norma Anderson

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Law Enforcement Innovation And Diffusion: A Network Analysis Of Police Accreditation, Jeremiah Paul Johnson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study seeks to identify network structures capable of predicting innovation uptake among law enforcement organizations. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, diffusion is studied through the lens of a single innovation, state law enforcement accreditation. Quantitative data culled from a variety of social artifacts in two New England states are used as a basis for the study. Relational data extracted from meetings held by a private police chief's association over an 11 year period were used to construct an affiliation matrix. Social network analysis demonstrates that actors with high levels of centrality are more likely to self-select state accreditation enrollment than …

Design Research: Typography Within The Israeli Linguistic Landscape, Shayna Tova Blum

Faculty and Staff Publications

A linguistic landscape signifies language used within a physical or virtual public space, in which communication is presented in typographic form, portraying a message to an audience. Within the state of Israel, the linguistic landscape presents a unique situation in which it is common to view municipal and commercial multilingual signs that are designed using Hebrew, English, and Arabic letterforms. By studying the diverse linguistic landscape within Israeli urban environments, the article offers perspectives on the use of multilingual visual language, based on discussions with five Israeli designers in the summer of 2015.

Increasing Organizational Accountability And Performance: Activity Tracking For Employment Consultants, Alberto Migliore, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Jeanine Pavlak, Steve Aalto, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

The Study Of Regular And Service-Learning Programs In The Packaging Design Class, Listia Natadjaja, Elisabeth Christine Yuwono

Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning 亞太地區服務研習會議

Since year 2000, we have implemented regular and Service-Learning programs in our packaging design class in Visual Communication Design Department. This paper examines the comparison of the study of packaging design between regular and Service-Learning classes in order to share the benefits and obstacles of both methods. We use qualitative method to examine the data that we collect from the students' reflections and through deep interviews with them. The research outcome gives important descriptions that in the regular class, students could explore their creativity, but their design tend to be expensive and sometimes difficult to be implemented. In the class …

In A Pickle: A Marketing Analysis Of Images And Textual Descriptions On Food Packages And How They Influence College Students' Grocery Purchases, Lauren Doyle

HIM 1990-2015

The reason for confusion in grocery stores is the fact that many of the same types of food products are being marketed with different labels. Many packaging labels contain keywords such as “organic,” “farm fresh,” and “all natural.” Some products incorporate the use of images such as a picturesque farm or a “happy” cow. Using data collected from the surveys of 349 college students, this study examines student choices of food products based on organic and non-organic and brand and generic foods. Variables also examined include sex, health, and living arrangements. The results of this study can help provide an …

Number 3 - Mainstreaming Gender In Mediation Practice, Adeyinka Bruce Omotunde

Peace and Conflict Management Working Papers Series

Cultural difference associated with being male or female can be rich and interesting, and can generate excitement that continually change the nature of human relations. In this respect, African culture is dynamic in the exploration of gender difference/similarities, roles, and stereotypes. The dynamism can be a source of great confusion and conflict. In general, gender debates on the extent to which men and women are similar/different cut across cultures and the conversation is on-going. Similarly, research is strong on the differences between men and women as third party interveners, and how disputants are different on gender styles and standards of …

‘The Internet Is Magic’: Technology, Intimacy And Transnational Families, Valerie Francisco

Faculty Publications, Sociology

Drawing on multi-sited ethnography and qualitative research, I argue that the visual register in particular modes of communication technology like Skype and Facebook ushers in a different quality of relationships for transnational families. Most participants in this study are undocumented immigrants unable to return to their families for long periods of time because of legal consequences that will ban them from coming back and working in the USA. On the other hand, their families in the Philippines cannot visit the USA without proper documentation. The economic necessity of working abroad and legal conditions deter family reunification. Consequently, since these families …

A Study Of The Effects Of Usability On Risk Perception And User Affinity Of Risk Finder, Erin Jacobson

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

In October 2013, Climate Central, a non-profit research organization, released Risk Finder, an online, interactive mapping tool that allows users to explore the effects of rising sea level in a specific geographic region. A research study for client Dan Rizza of Climate Central was conducted on the usability of the Risk Finder tool in an effort to identify potential system errors, improve user experience, and assess the future use of this tool based on user perception. Primary investigators Dr. Daniel Richards and Mrs. Megan McKittrick utilized an approach known as “productive usability,” which allows researchers to openly observe participants …

Ba Design Visual Communication Re-Branding Project With Men's Health Forum Ireland, Technological University Dublin

Students Learning with Communities

No abstract provided.

Bilingual Typography: Study Of The Linguistic Landscape Of Jeddah, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Shayna Tova Blum

Faculty and Staff Publications

Abstract: With the rise of globalization and the spread of Western culture across the globe, the use of English as an “international” language is often represented in bilingual and multilingual typographic signage. Throughout the Middle East North Africa and the Gulf region, the integration of Arabic and Latin letterforms is commonly viewed within the signage of storefronts, street signs, advertising billboards, and informational materials. This paper explores the use of bilingual/multilingual typography within the linguistic landscape of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.