Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Framework Of Key Internal Control And Governance Principles For Robotic Process Automation (Rpa), Marc Eulerich, Nathan Waddoups, Martin Wagener, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

Although robotic process automation (RPA) usage is growing rapidly in accounting, concerns are emerging regarding the internal controls and overall governance structure surrounding RPA. To help address these concerns, we use a design science research approach and work with a Fortune 500 company to develop an RPA governance framework. The framework consists of 4 governance areas and 14 control requirements, which help maximize the benefits and minimize the risks associated with the use of RPA. We validate that the framework is useful and generalizable to many organizations by presenting the framework to and subsequently interviewing and surveying 84 professionals at …

Chatbots Mitigate Help-Seeking Avoidance, James Gaskin, Eva Blondeel, Ryan Schuetzler, Rachel Serre, Jacob Steffen, David A. Wood

Faculty Publications

This research explores the transformative role of large language model (LLM) chatbots in fostering help-seeking behaviors among introverted and underrepresented students in educational settings. Despite the importance of help-seeking for academic success, certain groups exhibit avoidance behaviors due to self-presentation concerns and stereotype threats. By integrating LLM chatbots as non-judgmental, anonymous teaching assistants in an introductory information systems course, the study demonstrates how technology can mitigate these behaviors and promote inclusivity. The chatbots provided real-time, unbiased support, significantly enhancing the students' willingness to engage in help-seeking behaviors without fear of judgment. This practical application of chatbots not only supports academic …

Assessing Virtual Reality’S Influence On Honesty In Reporting, Jeffrey Pickerd, Nathan Waddoups, David A. Wood, Xiaomei (Grazia) Xiong

Faculty Publications

Organizations, businesses, and society are exploring and adopting virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). VR is expected to boost the global economy by $1.5 trillion by 2030. In this study, we focus on the effect of VR on an important accounting variable—reporting honesty. We examine reporting honesty across two tasks, various measures, and various populations, that are commonly used in existing research. In our initial experiment, participants misreported more in a dice rolling task when performing it in a VR setting than in a non-VR setting. However, in a second and third experiment attempting to replicate and extend our …

Association Between Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists Use And Change In Alcohol Consumption: A Systematic Review, Mohsan Subhani, Ashwin Dhanda, James A. King, Fiona C. Warren, Siobhan Creanor, Melanie J. Davies, Sally Eldeghaidy, Stephen Bawden, Penny A. Gowland, Ramon Bataller, Justin Greenwood, Stephen Kaar, Neeraj Bhala, Guruprasad P. Aithal

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Despite the availability of various pharmacological and behavioural interventions, alcohol-related mortality is rising. This systematic review aimed to critically evaluate the existing literature on the association between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists use (GLP-1 RAs) and alcohol consumption. Methods: Electronic searches were conducted on Ovid Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, clintrials.gov, and ProQuest until the end of March 2024. An updated search was done on 7th of August 2024. The primary outcome was to explore the association between GLP-1 RAs use and change in alcohol consumption. Secondary outcomes included evaluating the impact of GLP-1 RAs on occurrences of alcohol-related events, healthcare utilisation, …

Which Components Of Behavioral Weight Management Programs Are Essential For Weight Loss In People Living With Obesity? A Rapid Review Of Systematic Reviews, The Progroup Programme Team, Lily K. Hawkins, Lorna Burns, Dawn Swancutt, Shokraneh Moghadam, Jonathan Pinkney, Mark Tarrant

Peninsula Medical School

The optimal treatment and organization of care for people with obesity is one of the greatest challenges facing today's health services. While surgery and pharmacotherapy offer effective treatment options for some people with obesity, behavioral interventions are important to support long-term behavioral change. However, little is known about the most effective components of behavioral interventions, and this is especially the case for people with complex or severe obesity (i.e. body mass index [BMI] > 35 kg/m²). Accordingly, the current rapid review aimed to identify which behavior change techniques (BCTs) are effective for weight loss in adults with (severe) obesity. …

An Exploration Into How Print And Online News Journalists Manage Political Fake News In Ireland, John William Hogan

Conference papers

This paper examines how a number of Irish political journalists, working for both traditional newspapers and an online news website, deal with the problem of fake news. The aim is to gain an understanding of what the journalists’ perception of political fake news is and the methods they employ to manage it - a sorely under researched topic. Our findings show that the journalists we spoke with feel there are a range of forms that fake news assumes, many of them insidious and challenging to overcome with facts. The paper highlights the important role journalists play in confronting political fake …

Development Of Realistic Hazard Scenarios In A Malaysian Driving Simulator For Education, Cheng Yun Quan, Sarina Mansor, Chin Ji Jian, Hezerul Abdul Karim, Ban Kar Weng

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

In this paper, we present the development of a driving education prototype simulator, aiming to address dangerous traffic situations frequently encountered in daily life, particularly in urban areas like Klang Valley, Malaysia. Our initial driving simulator version focused on track-based training tailored to Malaysian driving exams, but we recognized its limitations in preparing learner drivers for real-world challenges due to the lack of risk. To add the value of study to our project, we designed three scenarios based on common dangerous situations observed in dashboard camera (dashcam) footage from Malaysian drivers. Due to the lack of reliable openly discussed methods …

Safer Keyham Community Survey: Phase Two Final Report 2024, Caroline Watson, Rebekah Southern, Zoe James, Katie Mcbride

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This report sets out the findings of the autumn 2023 community survey that was conducted in Keyham and the surrounding neighbourhoods of Ford, North Prospect, and Morice Town in Plymouth, Devon. The survey served as a comparison to the survey completed 12 months earlier for the Safer Keyham evaluation (Watson et al., 2023), which was an independent evaluation of the Home Office funded community policing and community safety activities and the Ministry of Justice funded victim support activities in Keyham and the surrounding areas following the shooting incident of 12 August 2021.The aims of the autumn 2023 survey were:• To …

Climate Change And Sustainability Literacy: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Attitudes To Climate Education In Secondary Schools, Alison Anderson

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Climate change and sustainability are inherently socio-political issues and education plays a key role in mobilising action on climate change and environment. This study builds on interdisciplinary work on youth and climate change education including science communication, environmental education, environmental psychology, and sociology. It reports on novel mixed-methods research on attitudes to climate change and sustainability education in secondary schools in the UK. The study was undertaken in conjunction with the British Science Association (BSA) Future Forums. Drawing on the findings of a national cross-sectional survey of young people aged 14-18 (n= 1000) and two follow up in-depth workshops (n= …

Addressing Digital Exclusion Via The Inter-Generational Codesign Of Extended Reality, Underwater Telepresence, Social Games, And Voice Ai Technologies, Ray Jones, Rory Baxter, Marius Varga, Oksana Hagen, Amir Aly, Dena Bazazian, Alejandro Veliz Reyes, Swen Gaudl

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Addressing Digital Exclusion via the Inter-Generational Codesign of Extended Reality, Underwater Telepresence, Social Games, and Voice AI Technologies

How And When Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family Is Measured: A Scoping Review, Kati Hayes, Sam Harding, Bronagh Blackwood, Jos M. Latour

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Objectives: Family members of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients can experience mental health difficulties. These are collectively described as Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family (PICS-F). There are no standardised outcome measures to benchmark the impact of PICS-F. This scoping review aimed to map and characterise interventions, outcomes, and outcome instruments related to PICS-F. Methods: Eight databases were searched in June 2023: Pubmed, CINAHL, Ovid Medline, EMBASE, PsycInfo, AMED, Emcare and Cochrane. The grey literature was also searched. Studies published after 2012 related to PICS-F were included. Search strategy included: (Population) family members of adult ICU patients, (Concept) PICS-F, (Context) ICU settings. …

Insights From Co-Design Of Underwater Telepresence And Extended Reality Technologies With Digitally Excluded Older Adults, Oksana Hagen, Marius Varga, Rory Baxter, Ray Jones, Amir Aly, Dena Bazazian, Swen Gaudl, Alejandro Veliz Reyes

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The Intergenerational Co-design of Novel Technologies In Coastal Communities (ICONIC) project is running co-design workshops with older (50+) and younger people (16-30) to design technologies suitable for older people’s wellbeing. We aim to design four novel technologies in extended reality (XR), underwater telepresence (UT), social games and voice interaction. This late breaking report focuses on workshop results for the first two technologies. Ten workshops were held (August 23 - February 24) involving 24 older people and 12 younger people. Our co-design methods were demonstrably feasible although recruiting younger people is difficult. Nevertheless, the thematic and content analysis showed the importance …

Understanding Cyber-Risks In Complex Next-Generation Maritime Technologies: Autonomy And Offshore Wind Energy Operations, Kimberly Tam, Avanthika Vineetha Harish, Kevin Jones

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

When developing maritime technology, each new technology is often developed and assessed separately. However, it is likely with the convergence of systems, and greater interconnectivity between systems in the sector, that new technologies will be inter-connected digitally or operationally. Understanding the cyber risks of the larger systems of systems is important. This paper looks at the potential cyber-physical risk of future autonomy and offshore renewable energy solutions co-existing together. A threat scenario is presented using real cyber-vulnerabilities in autonomy and offshore wind systems. This paper discusses potential overall vulnerabilities when combining these two emerging technologies. It concludes with suggested mitigations …

Privacy-Preserving Pedestrian Movement Analysis In Complex Public Spaces, Kunchala Anil

Doctoral

Every journey starts and ends with a walking phase. As a fundamental mode of transportation, it plays a crucial role in the functioning of urban societies. Cities should strive to create public spaces that promote walking by designing pedestrian-friendly infrastructure that is accessible, safe, and convenient for all. An essential step in designing pedestrian-friendly infrastructure is understanding pedestrian usage patterns and behaviour in existing public spaces and infrastructure.

Learning From 50 Years Of Aboriginal Alcohol Programs: A Summary, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This publication is a summary of key messages from the book, Learning from 50 years of Aboriginal alcohol programs: beating the grog in Australia by Peter d’Abbs and Nicole Hewlett.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of the many actions taken over the last 50 years to prevent and reduce alcohol harms among Aboriginal people with a focus on actions led by Aboriginal communities. This summary of the book was developed by the HealthInfoNet Alcohol and other Drugs Knowledge Centre in collaboration with the authors, and aims to provide an accessible synthesis of the information and lessons learned as …

The Lived Experience Of Acculturation And Transnationalism Of The First And Second Generation Of Post-2004 Polish Migrants In Ireland. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Joanna Kossykowska

Doctoral

This thesis intersects the theoretical fields of migrant acculturation and transnationalism. The key research question guiding this study is: How do the first and second-generation Polish migrants in Ireland make sense of the experience of acculturation and transnationalism? Despite much research on immigrants in Ireland, qualitative studies still need to be done on Ireland's 'new' communities. Psychological research is scarce on the lived experience of acculturation and transnational connections with the home country of first and secondgeneration Polish migrants. Thus, this thesis considers migration at a micro level, and the focus is to explore the phenomenon of psychological acculturation at …

Meeting The Sustainability Challenges: An Assessment Of Entrepreneurial Education, Anna Zherdeva, Intesar Madi, Abrar Alzankawi, Lucia Morales Dr, L. Pop, A. Soler-Dominguez, J.C. Saez

Conference papers

The importance of sustainability and entrepreneurship education is highlighted in this study. The world economies are facing significant challenges as they try to enable the transition towards more sustainable economic and business models. Therefore, at the centre of the transition process, it is critical to consider the role that business education can play and, more specifically, the role of business schools in integrating and supporting the development of skills and competencies that align with our contemporary society's needs. In this paper, we initially assess the need to connect entrepreneurial and sustainability education by exploring the educational offerings at Technological University …

Collaborative Publishing And Multivalent Research: Writing Center Journal Scholarship From 2001 To 2020, Joseph Cheatle

The Writing Center Journal

This work examines articles published in the Writing Center Journal between 2001 and 2020 in order to understand more about the publishing, scholarship, and research practices of the field of writing center studies. Through analyzing articles published in the Writing Center Journal between 2001 and 2020, this work makes three contributions to the field. The first contribution of this work is an overview of the shift from scholarship to research in the field of writing center studies. The second contribution of this work is to highlight the growth of collaborative scholarship and research during this time. As is demonstrated in …

Slouching Towards Causality: Does Our Writing Center Tutoring Work?, Dennis Paoli, Jack Kenigsberg

The Writing Center Journal

Replicable, aggregable, data-supported (RAD) research has become standard in writing center studies. Choice of research question is determined by local conditions and exigencies, often influenced by institutional assessment policy and national mandates. The methodology of choice in most writing center research is qualitative inquiry, though quasi-experimental quantitative studies, with their inherently difficult protocols and ethical problems, persist in their effort to address the question fundamental to writing center labor: Does writing center tutoring improve student writing? In a quasi-experiment applying propensity score matching to a sample of student users of the Rockowitz Writing Center at Hunter College of the City …

Explainability And Understandability Of Artificial Neural Networks, Jan Stodt

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have achieved significant success in fields likehealthcare, but their "black box" nature challenges transparency and user trust.Existing Explainable AI (XAI) methods aim to interpret ANN decisions, yet manyare not understandable to non-AI-experts, emphasizing the need for approachesthat prioritize both accuracy and usability, especially in high-stakes environments.This thesis investigates the reliability and usability of selected existing XAI meth-ods, evaluating how effectively they convey meaningful explanations to users withAI varying expertise. Assessments of methods like LIME, GradCAM, and Fast-CAM identify key limitations, such as inconsistent visual saliency maps and a lackof user-centred design. These findings underpin the need …

Exploring Cognitive And Neural Substrates Of Search And Foraging Behaviour Across The Lifespan: From Younger To Older Adults, Sarah Salo

School of Psychology Theses

Research suggests that search and foraging behaviours serve as valuable markers for pathological ageing. However, existing tasks have been limited to two-dimensional settings, neglecting additional cues and reference frames. To address this gap, a comprehensive plan of research was developed to establish a new three-dimensional paradigm, drawing from and integrating search traditions with foraging principles. This paradigm was then tested with older adults alongside neuropsychological profiling. Across seven experiments, this thesis investigates whether the neural and cognitive foundations of search and foraging behaviour can be predicted using a large-scale immersive virtual reality (VR) task, exploring the essential roles of executive …

The Effect Of Mindfulness-Based Interventions On Anxiety Disorders Through Intolerance Of Uncertainty And Resilience, Aysun Parlar Yazici

School of Psychology Theses

Anxiety is one of the most complicated and widespread mental health conditions, and effective treatment of anxiety disorders is vital to public health. Investigating the mechanisms that are linked to and contribute to anxiety disorders, such as intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a transdiagnostic factor of all anxiety disorders, may be an appropriate approach for a better understanding of anxiety disorders. Furthermore, examining the role of resilience, which has a protective function in mental health conditions, could contribute to improving our understanding of anxiety and treatment. This thesis investigates the impact of mindfulness-based interventions (MBI), on anxiety, IU, and resilience. The …

Framing A Feminist Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Lived Experiences Of Women Entrepreneurs, Edicleia Oliveira, Serge Basini, Thomas M. Cooney

Articles

Purpose: This article aims to explore the potential of feminist phenomenology as a conceptual framework for advancing women's entrepreneurship research and the suitability of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to the proposed framework. Design/methodology/approach: The article critically examines the current state of women's entrepreneurship research regarding the institutional context and highlights the benefits of a shift towards feminist phenomenology. Findings: The prevailing disembodied and gender-neutral portrayal of entrepreneurship has resulted in an equivocal understanding of women's entrepreneurship and perpetuated a male-biased discourse within research and practice. By adopting a feminist phenomenological approach, this article argues for the importance of considering the …

Exploring The Spiritual Dynamics Of Orthodox Religious Tourism: An In-Depth Study Of Visitor Experience At Osovica Monastery, Ivan Kosta, Anđelina Marić Stanković, Danijel Pavlović, Marija Bratić, Slobodan Čerović

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious tourism is increasingly becoming a significant component of global tourism trends, contributing to a substantial increase in tourist traffic worldwide. This study focuses on analysing the motives, reasons, effects, and expectations of visiting Osovica Monastery, a recently renovated sanctuary of the Serbian Orthodox Church within the Banja Luka Diocese in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through a comprehensive literature review and empirical analysis, this research explores the motivations behind visiting the monastery, the impacts of these motivations on visitor satisfaction, and the factors influencing revisits and positive feedback. Utilising a methodological approach that incorporates both psychological and …

Ailim Healing, Thomas M. Cooney, Martina Brophy

Case Study

For Niamh Malone, her challenges are typical of a high-tech start-up (i.e., raising funding, building an entrepreneurial team, creating a successful business model). However, these challenges are exacerbated by the additional difficulties associated with her disabilities. For instance, Niamh has difficulty securing financial lending due to her poor financial history as a result of not being able to work and having significant medical expenses. This case study requires a student to identify and address key issues in a business start-up, but they must also take cognizance of the additional and distinctive challenges faced by entrepreneurs who have a disability.

Emotional Intelligence Coaching For Higher Education Lecturers: Their Experience And Its Impact On Trait Emotional Intelligence, Stress, And Teaching Self-Efficacy, Eoghan Guiry

Doctoral

Previous research has established that emotional intelligence (EI) can be developed through targeted intervention; however, this was previously untested with lecturers. Guided by the job demands-resources model, this study explored the impact of an EI coaching intervention on lecturers’ trait EI, perceived stress, work-related stress, and teaching self-efficacy at Technological University Dublin. Additionally, the study explored the lecturers’ experiences of partaking in the intervention. Employing a pragmatic approach, mixed methods were used in a randomised controlled trial.

Chatting For Change: Insights Into And Directions For Using Online Peer Support Groups To Interrupt Prolonged Workplace Sitting, Ekaterina Uetova, Lucy Hederman, Dympna O'Sullivan, Robert J. Ross, Marily Oppezzo

Conference papers

Prolonged sedentary behavior and insufficient physical activity increase the risk for non-communicable diseases. Online peer support groups, driven by the widespread use of mobile phones and social media, have gained popularity among people seeking health condition management advice. This position paper examines the role of online peer support groups within a behaviour change intervention, MOV’D (Move Often eVery Day), which promotes physical activity and reduces sedentary behavior in the workplace. We conducted a thematic analysis of post-study interviews from two randomized control trials to identify the benefits and limitations of online peer support groups and provide recommendations for improvement. We …

Psychosocial Factors Associated With Physical Activity In People With Dementia: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study, Nicolas Farina, Uzma Niazi, Riona Mc Ardle, Johanna Eronen, Ruth Lowry, Sube Banerjee

Peninsula Medical School

Objectives: To understand how psychosocial factors associated with physical activity differ based on disease severity in people with dementia, and how these factors are associated with physical activity participation. Methods: Eighty-seven people with dementia, alongside their family carer were asked to complete a series of questions related to physical activity participation, including barriers, motivators, and facilitators. Regression models were developed to understand how psychosocial factors were associated with physical activity participation in the cohort. Results: In the final models, only the absence of intrapersonal barriers was associated with overall physical activity and regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Feelings of relatedness were …

Interim Best Practice Guidelines For Training Professional Carers In The Administration Of Buccal (Oromucosal) Midazolam For The Treatment Of Prolonged And/Or Clusters Of Epileptic Seizures In The Community, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

The Mini-Cog: A Community Screening Tool For Dementia In Indonesia, Yuda Turana, Nicolas Farina, Imelda Theresia, Tara Puspitarini Sani, Ika Suswanti, Fasihah Irfani Fitri, Emiliano Albanese, Adelina Comas-Herrera, Martin Knapp, Sube Banerjee

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Early detection of dementia enables more effective planning and can enable access to treatment and support. The Mini-Cog is a widely used screening instrument in Indonesia; however, this instrument has never undergone a translation and cultural adaptation process. Currently, there is no data on how accurate the tool is against diagnostic criteria, particularly in low-education. Methods: Embedded within the community-based dementia prevalence study was the Strengthening Responses to Dementia in Developing Countries (STRiDE) project; older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) were randomly recruited from sites in Jakarta and North Sumatra, Indonesia. All participants were asked to complete the Mini-Cog …