Digital Commons Network^™

Survey Data For Decision Support Tool Development With A Focus On Emerging Design Spaces, Tyson Humphrey, Chris Mattson, Michael L. Anderson, Colin C. Engebretsen

ScholarsArchive Data

This dataset contains the survey responses and PASE matrix used to support the derivation of nine development principles for decision support tools in emerging design spaces. The survey captures observations from a multidisciplinary DST development team, while the PASE matrix documents relationships among desired DST outcomes, architecture strategies, effects, and supporting literature.

A Square Peg In A Round Hole: Academic Review And Exhibitions, Cory L. Nimer, Megan E. Frost

Faculty Publications

Academic libraries increasingly use exhibitions as scholarly communication, yet conventional peer-review models rarely account for their collaborative, interdisciplinary nature. Museums and other GLAM institutions have developed standards addressing exhibition goals, audiences, interpretation, attribution, access, and visitor engagement, offering a useful foundation for academic library practice. At Brigham Young University, a library task force examined peer-review models across disciplines and adapted museum standards into a policy for evaluating exhibitions as scholarship in retention and promotion processes. Approved in January 2025, the policy was first applied to By Study and By Faith: 150 Years of BYU, an exhibition developed for the …

Developing A Protocol To Obtain Source Directivity Of Hydroacoustic Transducers In A Water Tank, Benjamin White

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis describes the formulation and application of a methodology designed to obtain source directivity of hydroacoustic transducers in the BYU Underwater Acoustics Laboratory. Piezoelectric transducers are presented, and common methodologies to measure their directivity are reviewed. The schematics of the BYU Underwater Acoustics Lab are explained, including the use of positioning robots to position the source-receiver pair in the measurement chain. The protocol is divided into different configurations comprising various source-receiver orientations. The processes of time gating, calculation of OASPL, and plotting onto directional axes are described. The protocol is tested across four different alternative configurations, including one method …

Data Management Fundamentals, Maggie Marchant, Paul Kj Robbins, Adam Griggs, Ellen Amatangelo

Library Scholarly Communications Workshops

This session will teach good principles of data management including:

• Data management lifecycle
• File naming conventions
• Readme files and data documentation
• Data formats and storage

God's Will Or Man's? The Power Of Religious Rhetoric In Shaping Wartime Domestic Policy Preferences, Claire E. Brimhall

Undergraduate Honors Theses

How do individuals represent their religious beliefs in the political sphere? Is this impacted by levels of conflict in a given society? In times of war, people of faith often rally behind leaders and policies that diverge from the values upheld by their religious institutions. In fact, in many such cases, religious affiliation and church attendance are among the strongest predictors of support for these political actors.

This thesis examines two such cases where religious voters support policies that contradict the moral teachings of their faith, advancing a theory that a state’s appeals to religion can fundamentally reshape how believers …

Interpreting Title Vi: Translation Theory And The Making Of Language Policy, Olivia A. Allred

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act provides the primary statutory basis for the development of policies supporting language access. Rather than explicitly requiring institutions to accommodate individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP), the statute establishes a broad prohibition against discrimination based on race, color, and national origin. This thesis examines the process through which that broad statutory mandate has been interpreted and applied to specific language-access policies.

To elucidate the application of language access polices at the federal level, this analysis focuses on three landmark Supreme Court decisions concerning Title VI: Lau v. Nichols, Regents of the University …

Actionable Hydrologic Data To Information With National Water Model-Based Derived Dataset, Cutting-Edge Data Services, And Agentic Ai System, Sujan Chandra Mondol

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrologic data are the cornerstone of many complex hydrologic research and operational workflows that produce useful hydrologic information for water resources decision-making, flood risk communication, and water availability implications. The National Water Model (NWM) is a valuable source of hydrologic data, particularly for its extended coverage of unmonitored streams and the large-scale continuity of hydrologic processes. Precomputed secondary datasets derived from this simulated data, such as streamflow indices, can improve operational efficiency through thresholding. Disseminating the data through modern technologies, such as application programming interfaces, is required for ready integration into applications. However, if extraction requires an intermediate service, there …

"Tithing Is An Insurance Premium": A Framing Analysis Of Speaker Innovation And Diachronic Trends In Latter-Day Saint Religious Discourse, Reid Empey

Theses and Dissertations

Religious language relies on shared metaphor and frames that contextualize religious experience and practice. Current approaches to frame semantics (Fillmore 1982) and cognitive metaphor (Lakoff & Johnson 1980) lend important insight into religious language, particularly in describing the role that figurative language serves in a religious speech community. However, a vital component of many religious speech communities is the presence of and engagement with a scriptural canon, which often contains metaphorical and framing language that religious speakers can directly reference. Yet, past conceptualizations of speech communities have not accounted for this engagement with a shared canon. To illustrate the role …

Family Religious Socialization Index: Development And Preliminary Validation, Kaelie Rene Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

A key area of interest for religious scholars is how religious beliefs are passed across generations, or religious socialization. To expand this field of study, a theoretically grounded, validated measure of this construct is needed. This article describes the development and validation of the Family Religious Socialization Index (FRSI), a multi-informant, multidimensional assessment of the processes through which parents socialize religion and faith in their children. Based on Social Cognitive Theory and through a rigorous development and validation process, three subscales were developed to represent the primary processes of religious socialization. The FRSI consists of two parallel scales, a parent …

Is “No Change” Really No Change?: A Qualitative Analysis Of Clients With “No Change” On Routine Outcome Monitoring Who Report Improving In Therapy, Audrey Louise Stewart Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Routine outcome monitoring (ROM), the practice of tracking client progress in therapy by administering regular questionnaires to assess functioning, has demonstrated a significant positive effect on psychotherapy outcomes, especially for clients are who not improving as expected. However, some researchers argue the symptom-based measures and outcome classification criteria commonly used in ROM may not represent a complete picture of client change. A recent body of mixed-methods research has investigated these ROM-determined outcome categories to gain insight into client experiences and whether the category and client perception of therapy outcome align. In this investigation, researchers have found significant variety within outcome …

Full Issue

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

Letters From The Levant: An Astellian Reading, Tanner Stott

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Among the more startling friendships of early 18th-century London’s literary scene is that of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and Mary Astell. Their commonalities—remarkable self-education, political activism, and prolific writing—are dwarfed by vast differences of class, politics, and character. Astell, a curiously conservative woman nearly twenty-three years Montagu’s senior, spent her unmarried life squarely in the middle class. Montagu, on the other hand, began her life in England’s loftiest social echelons—the daughter of a Duke, she eloped with untitled Edward only to see him become one of England’s wealthiest men. Montagu lived colorfully with “principles,” according to Lady Irwin, “as corrupt …

“Wak[Ing] Up A Sleeping Giant”: Zions Opinion’S Crusade For Independent Governance And Free Speech At Brigham Young University During The 1968–1969 School Year, Joseph Boysen

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In 1968, university and college students across the United States demanded a larger voice in university governance. Sit-ins, rallies, and demonstrations were common, whether for civil rights, free speech, women’s rights, or against the Vietnam war and the draft. For instance, students took over the office of the President of Columbia University to protest the University’s appropriation of land that might have benefited the Black community. In this context, the students at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, had the chance to consider how they were going to pursue their own calls for change. Although they did not engage in …

Reshaping Home: Chinese Immigrant Women’S Adaptation And Family Transformation Under Exclusion, Chloe Nicole 零星 Isom

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In 1941, Jew Law Ying arrived at the port of San Francisco with her infant daughter, Bak Heong, seeking admission to join her merchant husband, Yung Hin Sen, in the United States. Upon arrival, immigration officials detained Jew Law Ying and her daughter and required both her and her husband to answer nearly two hundred detailed questions about themselves to prove their identities and relationship. Officials designed these questions to uncover inconsistencies and expose fraudulent relationships, and they were so intricate that, despite their legal and legitimate marriage, Jew Law Ying and Yung Hin Sen had prepared extensively, memorizing answers …

Threads Across The Atlantic: A Dialogue Of Feminist Writings Between Portugal And Cape Verde, Elliana Shillig Venancio

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the feminist literary traditions of Portugal and Cape Verde through a comparative analysis of Ana de Castro Osório’s Infelizes and Dina Salústio’s Mornas eram as noites. Separated by nearly nine decades and an ocean, these two works nonetheless converge in their insistence on women’s autonomy, bodily sovereignty, and resistance to patriarchal structures. Drawing on Hélène Cixous’s theory of écriture féminine and Kimberlé Crenshaw’s framework of intersectionality, this thesis argues that despite the significant differences in time, geography, and socio-political context that separate these authors, powerful threads of feminist consciousness bind their writing together. At the same time, …

Analyzing The Transition From Writing Center Tutor To Graduate Student Instructor, Luci Mackenzie Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

Writing center tutoring is almost universally considered to be beneficial preparation for graduate student instructors (GSIs) of writing, so much so that many programs require writing center experience as part of their GSI training. Despite various similarities between the roles of tutor and teacher, the precise ways in which writing center experience influences GSIs as teachers remain unclear. This IRB-approved, mixed-methods study builds on previous empirical scholarship on transfer between tutoring and teaching to determine how new GSIs with previous writing center experience integrate practices, knowledge, and dispositions developed in the writing center. My findings echo those of previous studies …

Creating An Ip&T-Specific Resource Library For Networking & Job Searching, Abby Marks

Instructional Psychology and Technology Graduate Student Projects

This report covers the research, designing, development, testing, and deploying a custom networking and job searching resources, specifically for Instructional Psychology & Technology Students at BYU, as well as IP&T alumni, and those in the instructional design field. The product itself is a online learning library  hosted on Canvas, designed to be used on-demand, asynchronously, and entirely as needed by current and post-graduate IP&T students. I describe the audience analysis, source material, the prototyping process, relevant precedents, design solutions, and significant, positive results provided by my assessment and evaluation user testing data collections.

Walking Through History: Designing A Byu Women's History Walking Tour, Reese M. Rugg

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis appears in two parts. The first is an analysis where I present a brief literature review of women’s history and women in editing and publishing. I also discuss the creation process and methods of applying design principles to a copyfitted manuscript of a BYU women’s history walking tour. The second is the copyfit 176-page manuscript and book cover, created in InDesign and Photoshop.

This project represents a continuation of recent efforts to highlight women who have built BYU in a more equitable way. The purpose of this project is to highlight the discrepancies in women’s archival history and …

A Systematic Review Of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Hispanic Immigrants In The United States, Rashel Acireale

Theses and Dissertations

This study systematically reviews the literature on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Hispanic immigrants in the United States, a population exposed to cumulative trauma across the migration process. Stressors may occur before, during, and after migration and include violence, family separation, dangerous travel conditions, discrimination, and fear of deportation. Despite these risks, findings on PTSD prevalence remain mixed, and Hispanic immigrants are underrepresented in clinical research and culturally informed interventions. This review examines sample representation, types and timing of trauma, PTSD measurement approaches, and the inclusion of cultural and contextual factors such as acculturation and immigration-related stress. It also evaluates …

Depictions Of Girls With Adhd In Contemporary Picturebooks: A Critical Content Analysis, Madison Briann Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how girls with ADHD are depicted in contemporary picturebooks through the theoretical framework of critical disability studies (CDS). While research has increasingly explored disability representation in children's literature, depictions of girls with ADHD remain underexamined despite the ways in which ADHD manifests in female populations and the historical underdiagnosis of females with the condition. Using critical content analysis (CCA), six contemporary picturebooks featuring female protagonists with ADHD were analyzed for their visual and textual representations of neurodiversity. Findings were organized into two overarching themes: strength-based and deficit-based depictions. Strength-based portrayals emphasized creativity, identity formation through adult mentors, …

Comparing Principal Component Analysis And Sequential Fusion Deeponet With Varying Dataset Size For Design Space Exploration Of Hypersonic Flow, J. Dallan Trentman

Theses and Dissertations

Design space exploration and optimization of hypersonic vehicles is costly due to the difficulty of producing high fidelity CFD simulations in the hypersonic domain. Reduced order modeling can allow for design optimization at a fraction of the computational cost. This paper investigates the amount of training data required to produce an accurate Reduced Order Model. A PCA based ROM is developed and compared to a Sequential Fusion DeepONet by comparing model prediction accuracy, training time, and prediction time, across dataset sizes from 25 samples to 1024 samples. These models are applied to 2D hypersonic CFD simulations of the Orion reentry …

Rfsoc Based Ground Penetrating Radar For Detection And Avoidance Of Underground Utilities, Brady Bowerbank

Theses and Dissertations

Preexisting underground utilities present a considerable danger to underground boring projects. Gas and electrical lines can be damaged, leading to major economic impact and even loss of life. While maps of underground utilities exist, they are not always accurate and gas and electrical lines can shift over time, necessitating tools to accurately detect utilities so that crews can steer the machines away from any possible danger. In this thesis, the design of a new frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) ground penetrating radar (GPR) is outlined. The design of a lightweight, flexible radar is demonstrated using the CASPER FPGA framework with an operating …

Isoperimetric Soft Robots, Mihai Stanciu

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents two advances in isoperimetric soft robotic trusses that improve their performance, modularity, and configurability. The first contribution introduces a large-scale modular robotic truss designed as a lightweight, reconfigurable structure for lunar applications. The system consists of inflatable fabric tubes routed through motorized roller units and interconnected by a newly developed spherical joint that enables multiple robotic triangles to connect at a common vertex. The resulting truss can be assembled into structures beyond a single octahedron while retaining compact stowage when deflated and untethered operation after initial inflation. Experimental validation demonstrates modular assembly, long-term pressure retention, load-bearing capabilities …

Recognition Of Autism Characteristics In Females: An Examination Of Stakeholders, Laurel Lyn Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

Autism is a neurodevelopmental communication disorder, characterized by differences in social communication, attention, interests, and sensory perception. Diagnostic criteria have historically applied to males, but clinical diagnostic criteria beginning in 2022 now include slight differences in traits comprising the female phenotype. Until recently, autistic females may be missed by the professional and education community or diagnosed later than males. Like their autistic male counterparts, they face an increased risk of suicidal ideation, but they also face more difficulties in peer relationships, academic problems, and increased anxiety and depressive symptoms, but may not get supports. School-age girls spend their days with …

When The Road Leads You Home: A Self-Study Of An Appalachian Return Migrant Educator, Brianna Gerstner

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores one Appalachian educator's beliefs and judgments about her students' literacy practices after returning to her Appalachian hometown to teach at her alma mater. Upon her return, she experienced discomfort with the thoughts she had about her Appalachian students, recognizing that they reinforced stereotypes. Through the S-STEP process, the educator identifies her beliefs and judgments of her students, the teaching practice she engaged in over time, and the changes in her beliefs and judgments during a community literacy project. This period of critical self-study lasted 3 months, and the educator intentionally engaged in culturally sustaining pedagogy. Findings revealed …

Temporal Legitimacy And Civilizational Logic: A Sociological Perspective On The Foundational Principles Of Chinese Civilization, Yuk Man Cheung

Comparative Civilizations Review

This article departs from the recent social-scientific analytical framework for comparative civilizations proposed by the sociologist Liah Greenfeld (2024a, 2024b, 2025) and puts forward several basic conjectures regarding the analysis of the characteristics of Chinese civilization, with the aim of assisting our understanding, execution, and integration of empirical studies. Precisely because these are conjectures, they differ from conventional academic research–especially the case-study-oriented research style dominant in contemporary Anglophone academia. Accordingly, this article can only be regarded as an attempt that, starting from sociological theory, offers preliminary conjectures and tentatively constructs a theoretical framework within which specialists from different fields may …

The Concept Of A ‘State-Civilization’ In Russia: The Contest For National Dignity In The Form Of A Civilizational Analysis, Ivan Nokhrin

Comparative Civilizations Review

This article examines the contemporary Russian concept of the “state-civilization” as articulated in official discourse, educational materials, and nationalist thought. It argues that the notion of Russian civilization functions primarily as a symbol of national dignity and exceptionalism rather than an analytically coherent concept. Through analyzing narratives surrounding traditional values, state-centrism, family, and patriotism, the study demonstrates that these themes largely reproduce longstanding patterns of Russian nationalism and its opposition to the West. Drawing on Greenfeld’s theory of civilization, the article contends that Russia is best understood as part of the broader monotheistic civilization rather than a distinct civilization of …

The Family As A Mechanism Of Civilizational Continuity: Absorption, Localization, And Rejection Of Modern Values In The Indic Case, Monika Monika

Comparative Civilizations Review

Contrary to the common view that the family socializes the individual into a given culture, this paper insists that the family performs a far more profound, indeed, a constitutive function. It is not simply the first school of civilizational values; it is the primary institutional site through which a civilization reproduces its symbolic order and, in so doing, acts as the gatekeeper of civilizational continuity and change. It is here that a civilization’s foundational principles are first internalized; and it is here, too, that modern values, or new norms thrust upon it by encounters with alien civilizations ⎯ are first …

Woven Into One, Elise Marie Hatch

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

A recent late-night walk to the library was joyfully interrupted by a young child. Her unique perspective framed by the diminished height and wholesome innocence of a seven-year-old, this child was eager to share what she, from her vantage point, saw, discovered, and valued. “Mom!” she yelled with brilliant curiosity, “Look at the lights!” Guided by her pointing hand, I too turned around. I saw my home city—where I wake and work and study every day—transformed, through the curiosity of a child, into a symbolic landscape of dappled lights and abstracted forms.

Shake Hands: A Challenge And A Statement On The Woman’S Role In American Society, Brynne Petty

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

Nineteenth-century America was a time ripe with change. New inventions were created every day; many felt the call of Manifest Destiny and pushed for Westward Expansion; and the country endured a brutal civil war, all while enduring the growing pains of a young nation. Every decade delivered more opportunities for artists to create paintings that told of epic battles and the courage of men as they faced the wild frontier. Yet, somewhere in the midst of all this, the American ideal shifted. Many artists turned their efforts toward creating genre paintings that depicted the everyday lives of the middle and …