Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Large Language Models As Qualitative Instruments: A Review Of Ai For Qualitative Research, Luis Miguel Dos Santos

The Qualitative Report

This review examines AI for Qualitative Research: A Hands-On Guide for Management Scholars (Quevedo & Kuri, 2026), an open-access Palgrave Pivot volume published by Palgrave Macmillan (Cham). The book examines the methodological inflection in management and social science research, particularly with the normalization of large language models (LLMs) in writing, teaching, and qualitative data analysis. Rather than treating AI as either a substitute for interpretation or a threat to interpretivism, the authors argue that LLMs are computational tools that can be employed and audited responsibly. This book review summarizes two important parts. Part One introduces AI, natural language processing …

Neural Networks In Economics: A Selective Review, Xiaohong Chen, Luis Hoderlein, Jonas Lieber

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

The "deep learning revolution" has led to remarkable success of neural networks in applications across a wide range of fields, such as computer vision, speech recognition, natural language processing, code generation, protein structure prediction, image and video generation, and dynamic control. This review introduces neural networks to economists. Recent advances and challenges in approximation theory, neural network architecture, computation, econometric theory and practice are presented. Finally, we survey the rapidly evolving applications of modern neural networks and Large Language Models in economic research.

Ethical Pedagogy In Marketing: Faculty Perspectives On Generative Artificial Intelligence Using Thematic Analysis, Maria Naureen Shahid, Oscar Robayo-Pinzon, Sandra Rojas-Berrio, Sana Irfan

The Qualitative Report

Because of the potential misuse of ChatGPT for coursework and student learning, marketing educators must investigate how to protect students' honesty and integrity. Additionally, it is crucial to examine whether marketing professors are modifying their pedagogy to promote learner autonomy rather than dependence on Artificial Intelligence (AI). This study addresses two central questions: How do marketing educators preserve students' honesty and integrity amidst the potential misuse of ChatGPT for coursework and learning? How are marketing professors adjusting their pedagogy to ensure learner autonomy rather than dependency on AI tools like ChatGPT? To explore these issues, semi-structured interviews were conducted with …

The Sociologists And The Anthropologists: Intellectual Imaginations Of Mennonite Settlements In The Paraguayan Chaco, Samuel Boucher

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

The debates over Indigenous rights and missionary intervention in Paraguay’s Chaco were shaped not only by international declarations and local conditions but by the sociologists and anthropologists who interpreted—and contested—them. North American sociologists such as J. Winfield Fretz, Jacob Loewen, and Calvin Redekop studied the Mennonite colonies as agents of modern development, weighing the achievements and shortcomings of their mission efforts. The Paraguayan anthropologist Miguel Chase-Sardi cast those same colonists as foreign capitalists exploiting their Indigenous neighbors, drawing international scrutiny through his contribution to the 1971 Barbados Declaration and its charge of ethnocide. The ensuing clash with administrators such as …

Using Amish Scribes’ Newspaper Letters To Portray The New Wilmington, Pa, Amish Settlement, Kristin Park

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

In studying distinctive ethnoreligious communities, it is preferable to listen to and analyze the voices of members themselves. This paper interprets the professed values, activities, and priorities of an understudied, hybrid Andy Weaver / Old Order Amish settlement using Amish scribes’ letters to two Amish and one non-Amish newspaper. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis of the newspaper letters discovered dominant themes of emotional expression, illness and accidents, visits, weather, and work and compared their prevalence across the newspapers. Amish newspapers were more emotionally expressive and highlighted members’ illness and injury while the non-Amish newspaper primarily focused on visiting, weather, and …

Exploring Psychological Traits And Feedback Strategies In Physical Therapy Providers Learning Acceptance And Commitment Therapy, Dustin Cox

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Providing treatment interventions to clients with chronic pain is a complex task for any professional. Research suggests that clients with chronic pain experience declines in physical, emotional, and psychological quality of life. Client’s that have chronic pain have complex effects from dealing with this condition in their lives. Clients with chronic pain (i.e., pain lasting > three months) process pain through the emotional and reward circuitry in the brain which is different than client with acute pain. The literature base provides evidence that clients with chronic pain who receive psychologically based interventions along with physical rehabilitation have better outcomes than individuals …

Value-Chain Factors Influencing Production Volume And Gross Margin: Evidence From A Thai Dairy Processing Firm, Jiranij Jareonsawat, Aqeel Raza, Kittisak Ajariyakhajorn, Davids Makararpong, Henk Hogeveen, Chainarong Paoin, Nampueng Mesprasat, Chaidate Inchaisri

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The dairy industry is vital for food security and economic stability, particularly in developing markets such as Thailand. Understanding factors related to production volume and gross margin in dairy processing firms can help inform performance and profitability considerations. Based on Porter’s value chain framework and a perception-based survey approach, this study used document reviews, in-depth interviews with 14 key informants, and an employee perception survey (n = 21) covering 74 relevant factors. Results indicated significant differences across ten activity categories for both production volume (Χ2 = 53.59, df = 9, P < 0.001) and gross margin (Χ2 = 26.89, df = 9, P < 0.001). For production volume, research and development (3.96 ± 0.66), human resources management (3.93 ± 0.63), and external factors (3.82 ± 0.82) had the highest mean perceived importance scores. For gross margin, external factors recorded the highest mean score (3.96 ± 0.81). At the factor level, the Thai government-regulated raw milk price was classified as the most important factor associated with production volume, while fuel prices were the most important factor related to gross margin. Both factors had the highest proportion of “High” and “Very High” responses (90.5%). These findings highlight the importance of aligning internal activities with external conditions within an institutional and policy context. This study provides insights into how institutional and policy constraints shape the way firm-level activities and external conditions are perceived and prioritized, and how these perceptions relate to performance in dairy processing firms in Thailand.

Charting Queer Visibility: A Content Analysis Of Queer Picture Books, 2000-2024, Amanda Melilli, James W. Rosenzweig, Alicia G. Vaandering

Library Faculty Research

This poster session presents findings from a content analysis of queer picture books published from 2000 to 2024. In an initial review of more than 650 books, the authors analyzed narrative themes and the identities, orientations, and BIPOC and/or disability intersectionality of queer characters in each book. This research built a final book sample of more than 430 unique titles with identifiably queer characters. The findings map queer representation and narratives in picture books published in the U.S. and Canada during the twenty-first century.

From Pathology To Ecology: Rethinking Student Well-Being Through Consciousness-Centered Education, Molly Beauregard

Journal of Conscious Evolution

This article revisits a five-year mixed-methods study conducted from 2012 to 2018, involving 207 student participants (n = 207), of an undergraduate sociology course—Consciousness, Creativity, and Identity—that integrated group meditation and mindfulness into a standard curriculum. Earlier analyses interpreted positive outcomes primarily as reductions in stress and improvements in attention among students. This paper reconsiders that interpretation, arguing that such a framing risks locating dysfunction within students rather than the social and cultural environments they inhabit.

Drawing on an ecological perspective, the study reexamines survey, reflection, and interview data documenting changes, not only in affect and attention, …

Accounting And Economic System Classification: An Adverse Effect Of The Misconceptualization Of Capital, Henry Zeno Chalu

Business Management Review

This paper discusses the influence of accounting on economic system classification. Particularly, it traces how a misconception of the accounting term ‘capital’ led to a misleading characterization of capitalism and socialism as inherently oppositional economic systems. This misunderstanding stems from neglect of the two complementary modes of thought on which accounting as a science rests: reasoning, which is the conceptual, idealistic dimension, and proving, which is the technical, physicalist dimension. Both modes are integral to the construction of most of the accounting terms used in economics. If an accounting conceptualization had been followed, capitalism and socialism would not …

A Multi-Stakeholder Perception Model Of Study Tour Resources: A Grounded Theory Study, Zhao Junming, Diana Mohamad

The Qualitative Report

Understanding stakeholders’ perceptions of study tour resources is essential for improving resource planning, enhancing program quality, and fostering more sustainable tourism practices. In this study, "study tour resources" refers to the educational, cultural, natural, and service elements, among others, that support experiential learning during organized study tour activities. This study addresses the research question: What are the key dimensions of stakeholders’ perceptions of study tour resources, and how do these dimensions interact to form a coherent perception model? Our study endeavors to construct a comprehensive perception model of stakeholders regarding study tour resources. To achieve this end, guided by constructivist …

Empowering Emotion: Illustrating And Affirming The Affective Dimensions Of Research, Joshua Altshuler

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This poster intends to enrich instructional librarians’ methods and practices for emphasizing the affective contexts of interacting with information. Rather than concentrating on library anxiety, this work is grounded in uplifting a broader spectrum of user emotional capacities, including determination, empathy, grief, and wonder. Specific course-integrated examples, with exhibited representations, will help attendees apply practical classroom exercises: introducing connections to information through close readings of graphic memoir and journalism comics panels; producing personal research disposition collages for a gallery walk; exemplifying the affective journey of acquiring and passing down knowledge using map visualizations. Whether they are run separately or collectively, …

Examining The Impact Of A Positive Psychology Service-Learning Experience On Undergraduates’ Mental Health And Career Intentions, Cydney E. Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Universities currently face a growing public health concern regarding college students’ mental health and well-being (Hobbs et al., 2022; Sheldon et al., 2021). Given this, research has explored experiences that are advantageous for students’ overall well-being, including courses on positive psychology and service-learning experiences that may promote flourishing (Hobbs et al., 2022; Maples et al., 2022). Service-learning is also well situated to support undergraduate career development (Collison & Eck, 2022). Kranzler et al. (2011) described how the pedagogical approach of service-learning aligns well with positive psychology, leading them to implement a positive psychology service-learning course. However, to date, no study …

Governance Success Factors In The Nglanggeran Sustainable Tourism Village, Indonesia, Dwi Kristanti, Hartuti Purnaweni, Ida Hayu Dwimawanti, Teguh Yuwono

The Qualitative Report

Our qualitative case study examines the dynamics of governance in the Nglanggeran Tourism Village, Yogyakarta—a recipient of various national and international awards for sustainable tourism. Through in-depth interviews with 15 stakeholders, field observations, document analysis, and focus group discussions, we identified five key interrelated factors in governance success: (1) community participation and empowerment, (2) transformative leadership, (3) multi-stakeholder collaboration, (4) adaptive strategic planning, and (5) integrated socio-ecological resource management. Our research's significance lies in analysing how these factors interact dynamically in specific socio-cultural contexts to produce adaptive and resilient governance systems. The findings contribute to a theoretical understanding of sustainable …

K4) Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage Inscription: End Of The Road Or A New Beginning?, Michał Duda, Bogdan Włodarczyk, Marzena Makowska-Iskierka

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The aim of paper is to examine the changes triggered by the inscription of religious traditions on intangible cultural heritage lists - the national level and at the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Such inscriptions generate transformations observable at heritage sites, among communities safeguarding these traditions, and in the behaviours of visitors - phenomena referred to as the “UNESCO effect.” These changes often extend beyond individual sites, inspiring other communities and heritage bearers to seek heritage recognition.

The paper focuses on religious cultural heritage associated with the tradition of creating floral carpets for the Feast of Corpus Christi in Spycimierz, …

K1) Negotiating The Sacred: Religious Sensitivities Within Contemporary Tourism Practices, Polyxeni G. Moira Dr

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study critically analyses ways of managing religious sensitivities in the contemporary tourism environment, focusing on the dynamic intersections between religious-cultural heritage, spirituality, and the visitor experience. Recognizing the diversity of tourist motivations—which range from traditional pilgrimage to purely cultural, historical, or educational pursuits—the study argues for the need for flexible models of governance. These models must strike a delicate balance between the accessibility of sacred sites and the necessary respect for their sanctity.

Through a thorough review of the interventions of international organizations (such as UNESCO, UNWTO, and ICCROM) and the analysis of good practice studies from various continents, …

L3) Drawing, Religious Experience And The Pilgrim’S Mind, Stephen F. Haller

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

While some tourism activities can be a positive obstacle to awareness and connection, other tourism activities, like drawing, can lead to inner development, wonder, and a heightened experience. A traveller’s activity of sketching and drawing is a meditative exercise in concentration and focus that can transform one’s experience and enhance their perception. It often facilitates the experience of connection to the place being drawn; to nature; and to a community. If developed as a frequent habit, drawing can be a character-building activity with virtues that continue even after the act of drawing is over. It is a method of altering …

L2) More Than Faith: Self-Fulfilment As A Key Driver Of Memorable Religious Tourism, Sau Ying Pamela Ho, Jing (Bill) Xu

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

While traditional perspectives on religious tourism often emphasize faith as the primary motivator, this study challenges that assumption, revealing that the pursuit of self-fulfilment is a more powerful and significant driver of memorable visitor experiences. This research delves into the psychological underpinnings of pilgrimage, seeking to understand what transforms a simple visit into a profoundly impactful journey that enhances a visitor’s sense of self-worth.

To investigate these dynamics, the study adopted the ABC Model of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). This framework posits that an Activating event (visiting a religious attraction) triggers an individual’s internal Belief system (religiosity and self-fulfilment), …

L1) Religious Tourism In Islam: Between Spiritual Purpose And Sincere Intention, Tariq Elhadary, Razaq Raj

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study explores religious tourism in Islam through the interrelated concepts of spiritual purpose and sincere intention. It argues that the Islamic understanding of religious experience extends beyond physical travel or the visitation of sacred sites, grounding its value in the inner dimension of faith. Islam prioritizes the essence of actions over their outward form, establishing conviction of the heart before verbal affirmation and physical practice. Accordingly, intention serves as the primary criterion for assessing the validity, acceptance, and spiritual completeness of deeds. Religious journeys such as Hajj, Umrah, and visits to holy sites therefore attain their authentic significance when …

K3) From Sacred Landscape To Pilgrimage Environment: The Case Of Monte San Giorgio And Mendrisio, Lorenzo Cantoni, Adine Gavazzi

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Across Europe, numerous historic pilgrimage landscapes no longer function as dominant religious destinations, yet devotional practices persist in fragmented, latent, or reinterpreted forms. Pilgrimage however appears to be undergoing a process of transformation within postsecular communities, where spiritual meaning coexists with heritage tourism, community identity, and cultural landscape management. Building on religious tourism studies, pilgrimage is understood as mobility toward sacred sites as well as a ritual process embedded in tradition, motivation, and lived experience (Griffin & Raj 2017). Contemporary scholarship emphasises that pilgrimage preserve the experiential and relational practice linking people, landscape and belief systems, while fighting the tourist …

K2) (Over) Tourism And Tolkien’S Doors Of Durin: Challenges And Opportunities For St Edward’S Local Parish Church, Ruth Dowson, Karen Wellman

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper considers the impacts of overtourism on the local parish church in the English Cotswolds that allegedly inspired Tolkien’s Doors of Durin (Lord of the Rings), and which was also the location of the ending of the English Civil War in the 17th Century. As a convenient stopping place for coaches, the picturesque village of Stow-on-the-Wolds has numerous tea shops; its unique historical and literary connections have made St Edwards Parish Church into a destination for approximately 200,000 visitors a year (the equivalent of ten coaches every day). This research project assesses the visitors’ footprint: demographics; where they come …

J1) Reorienting The Pilgrim-Tourist Dichotomy, Daniel H. Olsen

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Over the past decade, the pilgrim–tourist dichotomy, originally articulated by Smith (1992), has come under sustained scrutiny, particularly in light of postmodern critiques that problematize rigid dualisms and emphasize the fluidity of personal identity. Scholars have long debated the usefulness of this binary framework. On one hand, some have sought to refine the dichotomy by inserting additional categories along a spectrum, attempting to capture the nuances between pilgrims and tourists. On the other hand, many critics have dismissed the model’s analytical utility entirely, often without offering a concrete alternative to understand the distinctions between these two types of travelers.

This …

J2) Whose Sacredness? A Systematized Review Of Theoretical Grounding And Social Representation In Tourism Studies, Ana Maria Candell Saldarreaga, Silvia Aulet

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This paper presents a critical and systematized literature review of how sacred spaces and sites are conceptualized within tourism studies. Although research increasingly engages with religious, spiritual, heritage, and secular sites, the concept of 'sacredness' is frequently employed without explicit definition or consistent theoretical grounding, often leading to an analytical ambiguity between traditional devotion and contemporary heritage consumption. Consequently, the central question this study addresses is: In what ways is tourism scholarship conceptualizing sacrality, and what is being overlooked in the process. To address this, the study examines dominant disciplinary perspectives, the types of spaces analysed, and the positioning of …

I3) The Apparitions Of Notre Dame Du Lac (Our Lady Of The Lake) In Togo: Or The Roman Church's Strategy In Africa, Pierre Fournié, Henri Dou

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

"Our Lady of the Lake. Mother of Mercy”, reads the inscription on the statue of Virgin Mary. Overlooking Lake Togo, visible from many points within the Marian shrine, it symbolizes the devotion that illuminates the site since its inauguration in November 1973. The weakest, the poorest, those who suffer come here seeking the care and protection. Since the Virgin was seen by villagers above the waters in 1971, and the visit of Pope John Paul II consecrating the place in 1985, the sanctuary welcomes every year on the shores of Lake Togo, thousands of believers, faithful, curious people, but also …

J3) The Autopoiesis Of Pilgrimage Tourism: How Cruise Passengers Self-Organise Transformational Meaning In Mass Tourism, Taja Macek, Tadeja Jere Jakulin

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Modern cruise tourism presents a theoretical paradox for the Mediterranean basin. Every year, millions of passengers sail along maritime routes that follow ancient pilgrimage routes. They head towards Rome, the Holy Land, and the coastal approaches to Lourdes, Santiago, and Montserrat. All this takes place within one of the most operationally regulated and commercially standardised forms of mass tourism. Even within this structural rigidity, travellers regularly report profound personal transformation, spiritual encounters, and meaning-making that are strikingly reminiscent of traditional pilgrimage narratives (Collins-Kreiner, 2010; Olsen & Timothy, 2006). This discrepancy between the system's design and the individual's experience poses a …

I1) Ancient Pilgrimage Routes As Tools For Durable Territorial Development: Insights From The Camino De Santiago And The Via Francigena, Maria Laura Gasparini

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

Pilgrimage is a practice common to all major religions, involving a journey undertaken for spiritual or religious purposes towards a sacred site (Smith, 1992). Considered a forerunner of modern tourism (Di Giovine & Elsner, 2016; pilgrimage today is experiencing a notable phase of rejuvenation (Collins-Kreiner, 2016), increasingly marked by personal quests for meaning and spirituality (Trono, 2015). Beyond its religious and spiritual dimension, pilgrimage has been revitalised globally as a form of outdoor and slow tourism. The growing development of both historical and contemporary routes has captured the attention of policymakers, who increasingly recognise their potential for fostering local development, …

I2) Unlocking The Potential Of Pilgrimage Tourism For Post War Tourism Recovery: Evidence From Tigray, Ethiopia, Asefash Dejine Asefash Ayallew, Silvia Aulet

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

This study examines the role of pilgrimage tourism for supporting post conflict tourism recovery in Tigray, Ethiopia, with particular focus on the pilgrimage site of Saint Mary Axum Zion in the historic city of Axum. The region possesses rich religious and cultural heritage that has historically attracted large number of pilgrims and visitors.

The need for this study arises from the devastating Tigray war (2020–2023), which resulted the destruction of religious sites, looting of artifacts, collapse of tourism services and loss of livelihoods connected to the sector. However, despite these challenges several pilgrimage destinations have continued as important point of …

Enhancing Research Communication With Visual Tools, Sonya Fogg

Library Class: Lunch & Learn

Understand the role of visual communication in medical research. Distinguish between data visualizations, infographics, and visual abstracts. Identify best practices and some resources and tools for creating effective visuals.

From Interpretation To Experience: Narrative As A Space Of Encounter With The Sacred In Religious Tourism, Tomasz Duda

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

No abstract provided.

H3) "Between Paths And Beliefs: Religious Tourism As A Tool For Cultural Understanding And Social Transformation", Maria Angelica Alvarez Orozco, Silvia Aulet

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

From the beginning of humanity, walking has been the way humankind has regained its equilibrium, creating a natural connection towards the path and what it represents. Pilgrimage was the first form of tourism to emerge thousands of years ago; in fact, the development of tourism cannot be understood without understanding the practice of pilgrimage since ancient times.

Therefore, this ongoing research, entitled "Between Paths and Beliefs: Religious tourism as a tool for cultural understanding and social transformation," aims to delve into the understanding of pilgrimage as a religious tourism itinerary that contributes to the transformation of individuals through travel. Through …