Wither health science librarianship? Many questions,many options

The 2019 virtual issue of the Health Information and Libraries Journal (HILJ) is published to link to the 2019 EAHIL Workshop taking place in Basel, Switzerland on 17‐20 June 2019. The workshop is structured around six topics: (i) Roadmap of our Profession; (ii) Technology Uptake; (iii) Ecology of Scholarly Communications; (iv) Impact + Assessment; (v) Benchmarking + Advocacy; (vi) Evidence‐Based Practice. These themes have been used to compile this virtual issue, which contains published articles selected from HILJ from the March 2019 issue through to June 2017. The virtual issue mirrors the format of a regular issue of HILJ, namely a review article, five original articles and articles from our three regular features: ‘Dissertations into Practice’, ‘International Perspectives and Initiatives’ and ‘Teaching and Learning in Action’. The authors come from the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, Iran and Belgium. All articles included in this virtual issue are available free online.     

Standpoint: Mapping a discipline—Broadcasting in America

This study used a 2 x 2 X 2 design to examine the effects of warning labels, bleeping, and gender on viewers' perceptions and enjoyment of a docudrama. We also examined the individual difference variable of verbal aggressiveness to test for possible interactions. Overall, the warning labels increased enjoyment of the program containing profanity among college students. Bleeping had no effect on either program liking or perceptions of realism; however, bleeping decreased perceptions of the program's offensiveness, and increased viewers' perceptions of profanity frequently estimates. Lastly, verbally aggressive participants perceived the program as more realistic, and the language as less offensive     

Interpersonal communication in high tech culture: Eastern or western?

This study investigates interpersonal communication in a high tech organization to determine whether practices are more Eastern or Western. Information gathered from organizational practice and participant observations comprise the data. The organization emerges significantly Western on seven of nine categories. The external environment, organizational mission, and life cycle stage are offered as explanations for these findings. Results suggest that this organization would not be a suitable candidate for Japanese management practices.     

The sub‐text: Unspoken communication

We rarely think of the possible beneficial results of training in something “everyone knows how to do”—such as learning from television. This article is drawn from Mr. May's M.A. thesis, completed in 1963 at the University of Maryland under the direction of Prof. George F. Batka. Mr. May is presently working toward a PhD. in the University of Wisconsin, as a teaching assistant in the Division of Radio‐Television‐Film.     

Couples’ communication problems: The counselor's perspective

Marital and relational counselors bring their normative ideas about couples’ communication to the therapeutic setting and these ideas become a part of the ongoing dialogue between counselors and their clients. Although many therapists emphasize couples’ communication problems as a source of relational difficulty, it is not clear how therapists conceive of, and explain, those problems. The current study addresses this issue by examining counselors’ perceptions of, and attributions for, couples’ communication problems. Interviews with 50 couples’ counselors suggest that communication problems are common among clients. The most frequently noted communication problems involved failing to take the other's perspective when listening, blaming the other for negative occurrences, and criticizing the other. Most of counselors’ attributions for couples’ communication problems referred to stable, unchanging causes and focused on external factors. A content analysis of the attributions further indicated that many counselors felt communication problems were the result of patterns taught to individuals by their family of origin. Finally, when asked to identify the most central problem for dissatisfied partners, only about one‐fourth of the counselors cited issues directly related to communication. The majority noted that communication was usually a manifestation of other, more fundamental, difficulties. Taken together, the findings indicate that counselors tend to focus on individual, rather than interpersonal and relational factors when conceiving and treating the cause of communication problems.     

Do we have any theories of group communication?

The essay presents criteria for a “good theory” and then reviews advances in small group communication research during the 1980s. The fact that comparatively few scholars are dedicated to such research is then related to the criteria for good theory in discussions of, first, metaphors and imagination; second, puzzles and problems; and third, real‐world significance and outcomes. A call is made for the kind of research that will result in better small group theory.     

What next? Three knowledge objectives for communication researchers

This essay identifies as knowledge objectives the need to (1) understand the interrelatedness of communicative contexts, (2) pinpoint more precisely the serial nature of communication, and (3) establish the relationship between laboratory and naturalist investigations     

Engagement@web 2.0 between the government and citizens in Singapore: dialogic communication on Facebook?

Responding to the rapid adoption of new technologies, political parties, both incumbent parties and minor ones, have been quick to leverage web 2.0 technologies for party communication and mobilization. A coterie of work addressed how social media such as Facebook are used as political tools for the promotion of candidate and party campaign platforms. However, a present bias is observed as current literature focus on western democracies. To bridge the gap, this study examines the gradual, yet significant, evolution in technology deployment by the ruling elite in Singapore. This paper traces the developments in e-engagement to bridge the affective gap between the ruling elite and an increasingly IT-savvy population, one which has demonstrated its astuteness in using new media to articulate its disenchantment. Developments in the last five years indicate that the government's earlier endeavor to centralize and streamline its political engagement via a single portal, REACH, is insufficient to say the least. Between the general election in 2006 and the watershed election in May 2011, the repertoire of media tools deployed by the political elite has broadened, with the inclusion of personal blogs, Facebook, and Twitter. In this paper, we apply Kent and Taylor's public relations dialogic communication framework to examine how Facebook fosters greater mutuality, propinquity, and empathy between the government and the electorate. However, problems arising from new technologies themselves inadvertently create risks and challenge the government's ability to commit to dialogic communication.     

A consumer's view of crisis communication: Can an organization benefit from having a response plan?

Crisis communication research establishes the importance of relationships between organizations and their publics. While theoretical treatments and case studies support this relationship, limited empirical investigations have examined how organizational responses to crisis influence public responses. This study sought to determine if grocery shoppers responded differently to organizations engaging in crisis communication practices and those that do not. Results indicate that respondents express stronger intention to continue purchasing from an organization and see the organization as concerned and respectful of the consumer when it engages in crisis communication practices. The discussion section addresses implications of these findings for future research and public relations practice.     

Self‐Perceptions of communication effectiveness: An exploratory study

With increasing evidence of non‐maximal communication skills, an investigation of variables that could impact the inclination of students to continue development was undertaken. This study initiates exploration of student perceptions of communication effectiveness relative to self peers and people‐in‐general. Results indicate that most students perceive themselves to he very effective communicators and perceive others to be less effective. A reverse pattern was evidenced by high apprehensive students. The challenge for communication education is discussed. Potential action paths are elaborated.     

The relationship between computer‐mediated communication and communication related anxieties

This study examines how communication related anxieties are related to individuals' use of computer mediated communication (CMC). 225 respondents were given the PRCA‐24, WAT, and RAT tests. They were also given a measure of computer anxiety. Respondents were then asked to indicate the extent to which they used e‐mail, interactive messaging, or web browsers. The results indicate that there is no relationship between communication anxieties and CMC use. Computer anxiety appears to be the main predictor of e‐mail, chat, and web use.     

Willingness to communicate,communication apprehension,introversion, and self‐reported communication competence: Finnish and American comparisons

The purpose of this research was to make comparisons between Finnish persons and persons from other populations, particularly those from the United States, on a variety of common measures of communication orientations. The results of the study indicated that differences between Finnish and United States samples do exist, but the differences are primarily restricted to willingness to communicate and introversion. Data relating to communication apprehension and self‐perceived communication competence for the two cultures are remarkably similar. However, these two variables appear to be much less predictive of willingness to communicate for Finns than they are for Americans.     

Goals,obstacles, and strategies in risk communication: A problem‐solving approach to improving communication about risks

Research in the field of risk communication, the study of communication about uncertain physical hazards, has chiefly focused on enhancing understanding of risk concepts or making the development of risk management policy more democratic. For risk communication to be effective, a third focus is also necessary: risk communicators need an understanding of communication as a problem solving process. To facilitate this understanding, this paper offers a framework for analyzing risk communication situations and developing messages to use in those situations. The paper discusses four goals frequently pursued by risk communicators: creating awareness about the existence of important phenomena, enhancing understanding of complicated ideas, developing agreement about policy options, and motivating action. Obstacles to these goals and strategies for achieving them are identified in a diverse set of literatures.     

Strategic communication? Measurement and evaluation of Twitter use among municipal governments

Government entities utilize social media to communicate with primary, secondary, and tertiary constituents. The microblog Twitter serves as a rapid and inexpensive means of communication, allowing municipal governments to reach a large and diverse audience with limited time or resource costs. Lacking in the existing research are examinations of whether governments are using social media outlets like Twitter as strategic communication tools or merely as ad-hoc communication outlets. By applying the Barcelona Principles 3.0 as the theoretical framework, this study explores whether U.S. municipalities measure and evaluate their Twitter activity as part of a formal communications process informed by modern public relations standards, an whether differences in municipal resources and demographics predict the integration of social media measurement and evaluation. The results suggest that while formal communication plans are reported to exist, there is not a sufficient presence of goals, policies, procedures, and metrics to consider Twitter a formal, strategic communication tool for participating municipalities. Total population and the administrative role of the social media account manager were also found to impact the perception of defined procedures and specific assessment metrics. Though these results suggest a lack of formal integration of social media measurement and evaluation, more research is needed to explore the factors which may impact this situation.     

Interpersonal communication satisfaction and biological sex: Nurse‐physician relationships

This study examined the extent to which the biological sex of nurse‐physician interactants related to the interpersonal communication satisfaction experienced by the nurse. The sample included 153 male and female nurses. Results indicated that same‐sex interactions are more satisfying for female nurses, while mixed‐sex interactions are more satisfying for male nurses. Nurses reported greater communication satisfaction when interacting with female physicians.     

Research productivity in communication: An analysis, 1996‐2001

The study provides an analysis of those scholars who produced a substantial number of articles in 24 communication journals during the period, 1996‐2001. The purpose of the study was to update the information provided in previous studies. Using data similar to that previously found in the Index to Journals in Communication Studies, the authors found that during the period a number of new names has appeared. As a result, the authors develop a list of the top one percent (50) of those researchers, as well as providing data on the institutions which these scholars represent. The minimum number of articles necessary during the period to be included was nine.     

Communication civility codes: Positive communication through the students’ eyes

Courses: Presentational courses such as Public Speaking, Interviewing, Business and Professional, Persuasion, Interpersonal; any course where civility may be promoted in the classroom.

Objectives: At the end of this single-class activity, students will have an understanding of civility in order to: (1) identify civility and consequences of behaviors, (2) create their own communication civility code for classroom behaviors and presentations, and (3) practice civility throughout the semester.     

Supporting Mexican immigrants’ resettlement in the United States: an ethnography of communication approach to building allies’ communication competence

This research explores interactions among Mexican immigrants and their U.S.- and Mexican-born allies at an immigrant support center (ISC) in the U.S. Southwest. I propose that to support Mexican immigrants in resettling, allies who work at this ISC must apply cultural knowledge about competent communication for Mexican speakers to structure their strategic actions (Sprain & Boromisza-Habashi, 2013). Taking an ethnography of communication (EOC) approach, I investigate the means and meanings of communication (Hymes, 1972) for speakers that point to cultural knowledge about competent communication. Data for this study include 7 months of observation, interviews with 37 community and staff members, and public documents collected during fieldwork. Findings reveal five means of communication that are meaningful for speakers at ISC. This research demonstrates the practical utility of the EOC in understanding how cultural expectations for communication may both assist and limit ISC’s efforts to support resettlement.