Discussion and Perception of Information in Groups and Judge-Advisor Systems

Participants were given information about three different vacation destinations to read before discussing them in a group. Some information was given to all three group members before the discussion (shared) and some information was only given to one participant (unshared). Participants were randomly assigned to discuss the issue in either unstructured groups or Judge-Advisor Systems (JASs). A JAS is a group in which one member has the role of decisionmaker and the other two members act as advisors to the decisionmaker. Participants in JASs discussed more information and repeated a higher percentage of both their own unshared information and others’ unshared information than participants in unstructured groups. The hypothesis that others’ unshared information would be rated as more important and valid in JASs than groups was not supported.     

A Grounded Practical Theory Reconstruction of the Communication Practice of Instructor-facilitated Collegiate Classroom Discussion

Instructor-facilitated collegiate classroom discussion (IFCCD) is a highly valued yet undertheorized instructional practice. Research examining the structure of classroom interaction, scholarship advocating rationales for discussion-based pedagogy, and an investigation of a related interactive classroom communication practice provide an informative backdrop for this study. The data in the study were collected using action-implicative discourse analytic techniques throughout a semester in three classrooms at the same university. Reconstructing the three levels of the practice through grounded practical theory—the problem/dilemma level, the normative situated ideals level, and the talk/discourse techniques level—provides some insight into why in two of these cases of IFCCD, engaged and participatory discussion was accomplished. The shared dilemma of the practice is reconstructed as the problem of engagement in which both individual engagement with curricular content and shared engagement in co-creation of the discussion are valued. The dilemmatic nature of the practice is explored specifically in terms of traditional and nontraditional teacher talk and associated participation structures. Significant similarities and differences across the three cases are found and examined in the reconstructions of instructor situated ideals and third-turn facilitation techniques. Initial conclusions are incorporated in the discussion of discourse-based applications for practitioners interested in facilitating discussion in college classrooms.     

When in Rome,Do as the Romans Do: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese and American New Teachers' Compliance-Gaining Strategies

The exchange of information and of member preferences are two different avenues for social influence during group discussion with potentially differing implications. The goal of the study was to evaluate the impact of three factors proposed to influence the relative proportion of preference and reason statements during group problem-solving discussion. As hypothesized, groups beginning in consensus discussed relatively more preferences than groups beginning in disagreement. Contrary to expectation, judgmental and intellective tasks did not differ in proportions of preference and reason statements. Opposite of prediction, the opportunity to form a pre-discussion preference resulted in a smaller proportion of preference statements than the absence of this opportunity.     

Tweeting Apart: Applying Network Analysis to Detect Selective Exposure Clusters in Twitter

Twitter users see content mostly from the other users they select to follow. Networks of connected users on Twitter define the set of content to which each user is exposed. We developed a Selective Exposure Cluster (SEC) method to study these connected networks and their discussion patterns in Twitter. To illustrate the SEC method, we collected networks of connections among users who talked about a shared topic: the U.S. President's State of the Union speech in 2012. Cluster analysis was applied to identify subgroups of users who were densely interconnected. These users followed users from their own cluster more than they connected to users in other clusters. In each cluster, the primary distributors of information—the hub users—were identified, along with the hashtags, hyperlinks, and top-mentioned usernames in the content of the messages. Each of these indicators was labeled in terms of its political orientation. An analysis of the resulting patterns of selective exposure suggests that users participate in fragmented interactions and form divided groups in which people tune in to a narrow segment of the wider range of politically oriented information sources. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed Selective Exposure Cluster method.     

一种通过挖掘研讨记录来促进学生思考的在线督导系统

为促进学生思考并提高响应速度,提出一种从历史研讨记录中挖掘相关信息的在线问答推荐方法。该方法包括建立技术词汇层次树、提取任务词汇、文本段落划分、特征抽取、主题识别过滤和计算文档得分6个步骤。通过设计两个实验来评估所提出的方法:第一个实验比较TF-IDF、TF-IDF+主题过滤以及TF-IDF+LSA+主题过滤三种推荐方法,结果表明使用TF-IDF+主题过滤的算法可以获得最好的推荐效果;第二个实验将系统用于一个学期的在线课程研讨中,现场评估结果表明,文档推荐系统可以促进学生研讨,并且有较高的感知有用性和易用性。本研究表明,中等相关程度的历史研讨记录可以被自动挖掘出来,并且向学生提供这些信息可以促进学生思考和研讨。     

对"图书馆员第一"讨论的综述

“图书馆员第一”的管理理念提出后,在我国图书馆界引发了一场大讨论。本文按反对者、支持者和部分接受者三种观点对相关文献进行了综述。认为部分接受者的观点在讨论中稍占上风,并代表着今后讨论发展的新趋势。     

Seeking Out and Avoiding the News Media: Young Adults’ Proposed Strategies for Obtaining Current Events Information

This study takes a closer look at the role the news media plays in how young adults inform themselves in the high-choice media age. In-depth interview data with 21 young adults from varying socioeconomic backgrounds were used to identify the strategies they had for locating current events information. During the interviews, the young adult participants responded to six hypothetical “vignettes” by articulating the steps that they would take to find information about current events. Findings revealed two strategy patterns that interviewees voiced—one set of strategies directly involved use of the news media, and another set avoided the news media in favor of functional information alternatives. Common among all the interviewees, however, was the need for information skepticism when navigating the contemporary media environment. Implications for social inequality and news media literacy are discussed.     

Communication and emergent group leadership: Does content count?

Past research has been clear that talk time during discussion is directly associated with emergent group leadership, but has been inconsistent concerning whether communication content has an effect. The present study directly examines whether content has any impact on perceptions of leadership above the impact of quantity of talk. It utilizes a re‐analysis of data previously described in Pavitt, Whitchurch, McClurg, & Petersen (1995), consisting of a content analysis of discussion by zero‐history groups performing an ad‐hoc task and standing groups performing a task with real consequences to the members. Results suggest that content may count for the standing groups but not for the zero‐history. The implication, that content counts when groups perform “real”; tasks but not ad‐hoc exercises, may disambiguate the earlier ambiguous findings.     

WHAT RESPONDENTS LEARN FROM SCALES: THE INFORMATIVE FUNCTIONS OF RESPONSE ALTERNATIVES

Survey respondents are often asked to report the frequency withwhich they engage in a certain behavior by checking the appropriatealternative from a list of response categories provided to them.A psychological research program, reviewed in the present paper,indicates that response alternatives are not only measurementdevices but constitute a source of information for the respondent.Specifically, respondents assume that the average or typicalbehavior is reflected by values stated in the middle range ofthe response alternatives and that the extremes of the listreflect the extremes of the distribution. This assumption affectstheir own responses in various ways. First, respondents usethe range of the response alternatives as a frame of referencein estimating their own behavioral frequencies and report higherfrequencies on scales that present high rather than low frequencyresponse alternatives. Second, respondents extract comparisoninformation from their own location on the response scale anduse this information in making comparative judgments. Finally,if the target behavior is open to interpretation, as is oftenthe case when subjective experiences are assessed, respondentsuse the response alternatives to determine the exact referenceof the question. Accordingly, the same question in combinationwith different response alternatives is likely to assess differentexperiences. Implications for questionnaire construction arediscussed.     

How to Talk to IT about Digital Preservation

When an archivist talks with the information technology (IT) personnel about providing access to digital collections, the discussion often proceeds smoothly. They have shared assumptions, the common goal of the platform is well understood by both parties, and the vocabulary used to describe actions, tasks, and items is substantially the same, or at least agreed-upon. However, when the discussion turns to digital preservation, there may be a divergence in priorities and understanding. While the archivist’s priority is on making sure their digital assets are preserved and accessible forever, the IT personnel’s focus may be on making current data publicly accessible, making sure that systems are running smoothly right now. To further complicate matters, IT personnel have been performing an activity that sounds very much like digital preservation: archiving, backups, and storage of multiple copies. This column will explore the convergence and divergence of the archival and IT professions in regards to digital preservation, as well as suggest the topics and questions that need to be discussed so that both parties have a mutual understanding of meeting the needs of providing appropriate digital preservation.     

Predictors of Library and Information Science Undergraduates’ Participation in the Online Discussion Forum

The study examined predictors of Library and Information Science undergraduates’ participation in a discussion forum. Through a total enumerative sampling technique, the entire 115 students in (2010/2011) academic session in the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Ilorin, Nigeria were selected to represent the sample for the study. A questionnaire was used to gather data on the study. Three research questions were developed to guide the study. The results demonstrate that computer and Internet search efficacy together with emotional intelligence significantly correlate with and predict users’ participation in an online discussion forum. Similarly, the results suggest that computer and Internet self-efficacy and emotional intelligence constructs are good predictors of participation in the online forum. Based on these findings, the study recommended that LIS students need to be more Internet and computer self-efficacious, as it has been proved that these will promote their participation in the online discussion forum.     

Crafting policies about controversial values: How wording disputes manage a group dilemma

Over a six-month time period a school board and its community discussed their district's strategic plan goals about diversity. This article analyzes that discussion within the practical theory frame articulated by Craig. Meeting talk and documents were analyzed to determine how the group's policy deliberation became an argument over what words to have (or avoid) in the strategic plan document. Proposals about document language were framed as technical editing, as inadvertent changing of a policy, and as wordsmithing. In addition to each frame being used, each was also challenged as to its being used to advance some group members' interests at the expense of others. Moving back and forth between using and resisting wording proposal frames, we suggest, is a reasonable way for groups to manage a dilemma they face in crafting policies about controversial, abstract issues. The paper concludes by identifying implications for dilemma theorizing and future study of groups.     

论图书馆服务向弱势群体倾斜

关注弱势群体是人类社会高度文明的体现，也是现代图书馆精神之所在。人人生而享有获得教育和信息的权利。国内公共图书馆的现状难以为公众提供应有的服务，更不用说向弱势群体倾斜。只有国内各类型图书馆资源共享，才能保障包括弱势群体在内的广大公众的信息需要。     

Users' Perspective on Regulation to Protect Privacy on the Web

This research employed Q methodology to examine how much privacy the public wants and what regulation it wants to impose on on-line companies. Respondents were 23 adults who sorted 40 Q-sample statements. Results revealed three factors or types: “absolute privacy advocates”, “consumer first advocates” and “objective privacy advocates”. The three types shared some viewpoints: All strongly agreed that consumers deserve notice and choice when a company uses personal information on themselves, even after they provide personal information for the company. Beyond this overlap, they had their own traits. Absolute privacy advocates believed in absolute privacy protection. They also understood power of on-line technology and were suspicious of companies selling data without considering consumer's benefits, but still did not want to regulate the private sector. Consumer first advocates were interested in consumer protection of privacy while ignoring companies' need to collect data on consumers. Objective privacy advocates wanted to restrict a company in its use of personal data while acknowledging the company's need to collect personal data. Who should be an on-line privacy regulator didn't seem to be a salient issue to the adult groups yet. Direct government intervention or legislation as a privacy protection method did not register strongly with the three groups. Ages and occupations seemed to be no type determiner. But when it comes to on-line purchasing experience, consumer first advocates and objective privacy advocates seemed to do more on-line shopping than absolute privacy advocates.     

Users’ Perspective on Regulation to Protect Privacy on the Web

This research employed Q methodology to examine how much privacy the public wants and what regulation it wants to impose on on-line companies. Respondents were 23 adults who sorted 40 Q-sample statements. Results revealed three factors or types: “absolute privacy advocates”, “consumer first advocates” and “objective privacy advocates”. The three types shared some viewpoints: All strongly agreed that consumers deserve notice and choice when a company uses personal information on themselves, even after they provide personal information for the company. Beyond this overlap, they had their own traits. Absolute privacy advocates believed in absolute privacy protection. They also understood power of on-line technology and were suspicious of companies selling data without considering consumer's benefits, but still did not want to regulate the private sector. Consumer first advocates were interested in consumer protection of privacy while ignoring companies' need to collect data on consumers. Objective privacy advocates wanted to restrict a company in its use of personal data while acknowledging the company's need to collect personal data. Who should be an on-line privacy regulator didn't seem to be a salient issue to the adult groups yet. Direct government intervention or legislation as a privacy protection method did not register strongly with the three groups. Ages and occupations seemed to be no type determiner. But when it comes to on-line purchasing experience, consumer first advocates and objective privacy advocates seemed to do more on-line shopping than absolute privacy advocates.     

Crafting policies about controversial values: How wording disputes manage a group dilemma

Over a six-month time period a school board and its community discussed their district's strategic plan goals about diversity. This article analyzes that discussion within the practical theory frame articulated by Craig. Meeting talk and documents were analyzed to determine how the group's policy deliberation became an argument over what words to have (or avoid) in the strategic plan document. Proposals about document language were framed as technical editing, as inadvertent changing of a policy, and as wordsmithing. In addition to each frame being used, each was also challenged as to its being used to advance some group members' interests at the expense of others. Moving back and forth between using and resisting wording proposal frames, we suggest, is a reasonable way for groups to manage a dilemma they face in crafting policies about controversial, abstract issues. The paper concludes by identifying implications for dilemma theorizing and future study of groups.     

Tell Me Who Your Sources Are

This study found that while participants rated their own Facebook friend as more credible and more similar to them than a news organization, they rated news articles as more credible when they are shared on Facebook by a news organization than when they are shared by their own Facebook friend. Source, however, interacts with motivation. News articles shared by a news organization are rated more credible only when motivation is high. There were no significant differences between sources when motivation is low.     

The information needs and information-seeking behaviours of home-care workers and clients receiving home care

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Discusses findings from doctoral research on the information behaviour of home-care workers and their clients. The paper focuses on the findings, which have implications for health library and information services. SAMPLE AND METHODS: The qualitative research methods included participant observation in the homes of clients (n = 7), over a period of 18 months, in a city in the UK, complemented by in-depth interviews of home-care staff (n = 47). RESULTS: Home-care staff perceived requests for information on a variety of topics as an indivisible part of their caring role. Clients asked for more information than they had in the past, and home-care workers were expected to respond to a wide variety of enquiries about health, welfare, leisure and domestic concerns. Clients trusted their advice as much as they might have trusted members of the family. Home-care workers from an agency used a variety of resources at the agency office to help them, such as leaflets on welfare benefits, and health conditions. Few had used NHS Direct, and library use (by a third of the home-care workers) was generally associated with course work or training. Some family members and home-care staff used self-help groups, but the research found that family members were sometimes reticent to ask advice on sensitive issues in self-help groups. Home-care workers learnt from each other and shared experience. CONCLUSIONS: Libraries and information services need to target provision of formal information carefully, as it is advice and counsel that is required in the home-care setting.     

Colorimetric measurement of anxiety: A clinical and experimental procedure∗

This study investigated the effects of leader structuring style (attention to group interaction procedures) on group member satisfaction and communication performance when the task‐orientation of group members varied. Results indicated little difference in the behavior of high task‐oriented subjects regardless of whether they interacted with structuring or nonstructuring leaders. Subjects low in task‐orientation, however, were significantly more satisfied with their leader and their group's task performance, and were rated by judges of discussion tapes as being in higher quality discussion groups and as making more communication skills statements and fewer social‐emotional contributions when they worked with structuring leaders than when they worked with nonstructuring leaders.     

Professional Military Journals

Professional military journals are valuable resources thal have been generally overlooked in library literature. While they do often carry institutional bias, they offer information on defense developments in greater depth than the general media. Moreover, they offer insight into the development of military thought. The journals reviewed are those that address the needs of professionals in the defense sector. The issuing bodies are composed of three groups: trade publishers, associations and service schools.