Analysis Of Blogs Research Articles

Reframing the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan: new communication and mobilization strategies for the Twitter generation

The USA and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have been waging war against the Taliban in Afghanistan for more than a decade, with territorial gains by coalition forces often proving to be ephemeral. This paper traces the origins and evolution of the current Afghan insurgency and explores the framing of the Taliban movement's discourse on Twitter and other interactive websites. The paper postulates that Taliban activists are utilizing social media to disseminate their views and frame their movement in the phraseology of militant Islamism, traditional Pashtun folklore, anti-imperialism, social justice, and universal human rights. Taliban militants are attempting to align their discursive frames with various transnational ideologies that resonate not only with prospective recruits and supporters in Central and South Asia and the Middle East, but also potentially receptive audiences in the West. Such frame alignments are essential components in the micro-mobilization of movement participants. Taliban activists apparently recognize that there are important symbols, narratives, and channels already in existence that can facilitate the growth of their insurgency, while effectively discrediting coalition forces. This paper examines frame alignments and other insurgent-mobilization communication strategies by conducting a content analysis of recent tweets and blogs written by Taliban cyber-activists.

Academic Library Websites Show Heavy Use of Web 2.0 Applications

A Review of:
 Boateng, F., & Liu, Y. Q. (2014). Web 2.0 applications’ usage and trends in top US academic libraries. Library Hi Tech, 32(1), 120-138. doi:10.1108/LHT-07-2013-0093
 
 Abstract
 
 Objective – To explore Web 2.0 application use in academic libraries through determining: Web 2.0 applications used, the purpose of using these applications, and how the use of Web 2.0 is changing.
 
 Design – Exploratory survey of academic library websites using content analysis of websites, blogs, and social networking service platforms.
 
 Setting – Websites of academic libraries in the United States, blog platforms, and social networking services.
 
 Subjects – 100 academic libraries.
 
 Methods – The researchers based their selection of academic library websites on the US News & World Report’s 2013 list of the top 100 best colleges in the United States. The authors created a checklist to determine which Web 2.0 technologies were used by the academic libraries on their websites and for what purposes. The researchers searched for Web 2.0 applications on the main page and one subpage down from the main page. The researchers also used keyword searches on the library’s website to find Web 2.0 applications and searched blog platforms and social networking sites.
 
 Main Results – The authors found that Facebook and Twitter were the most popular Web 2.0 applications and that all of the libraries analyzed used social networking services. Blogs were the second most popular Web 2.0 tool at 99% participation rate, followed closely by RSS (97%) and instant messaging (91%). Libraries used these Web 2.0 tools for information sharing including: outreach, promotion, providing online reference services, subject guides, tutorials, highlighting resources, and posting announcements.
 
 Conclusion – The academic libraries analyzed in this study use Web 2.0 applications to a much greater extent than previous research had shown. The researchers expect to see increased use of Web 2.0 applications by academic libraries in the coming years. They suggest that future research focus on Web 2.0 use by historically black colleges in the United States and on collaboration between academic libraries and other academic units when offering Web 2.0 services.

Ukrainian Euromaidan: The exclusion of otherness in the name of progress

Although criticism of Enlightenment ideas has become widespread within academic circles, the basic Enlightenment narrative – an inexorable movement to a progressive condition – remains a dominant assumption within the discourses of modernization and democratization. This article analyzes how the ‘progressive’ imagination of Euromaidan protesters in Ukraine discursively produced the internal ‘other’ as a singular monolithic subject whose ‘underdeveloped’ intellectual condition was judged against an imagined scale of human progression. The argument is explicated through the discourse analysis of popular blogs on Ukrainian Pravda – a political web site that played a crucial role in organizing Maidan protests. The article analyzes 189 postings of Ukrainian Pravda bloggers starting from 26 November 2013 – the day when the bloggers’ group ‘Maidan’ was formed – until 21 January 2014, which denoted the beginning of a murderous stage of the Maidan protest.

Online Dynamic Asynchronous Audit Strategy for Reflexivity in the Qualitative Paradigm

The trustworthiness of a qualitative study can be increased by maintaining high credibility and objectivity. Of utmost importance to these factors is the reflexivity of the researcher. Standard journaling techniques are frequently used to maintain an audit trail and document tentative interpretations of a study. One of the major limitations to paper-based reflexivity is the lack of regular audit feedback. Online blogging tools can facilitate reflexivity and subsequent auditing with ease. Blogs are potentially cost-free, and only a rudimentary understanding of a web browser and word processing program are necessary for effective use. Moreover, blogs provide a simple, contiguous interface for an effective auditing process. An analysis of a reflexivity blog and subsequent audits is examined here. Findings indicate that the multiple perspectives of the auditors gave additional insights and that might not normally be considered by a researcher, providing a multi-arrayed perspective to interpretation of a study data set.

Doing Something ‘Worthwhile’: Intersubjectivity and Morality in Gap Year Narratives

Gap years are often put forward as an opportunity to engage in individualized, reflexive, identity work. In contrast to this position, I draw upon a qualitative analysis of young people's travel blogs to highlight the tendency for gap year narratives to stick to standard scripts. Four key narratives frame gap years, which centre on making the most of time to do something worthwhile. I explore issues of intersubjectivity in the representation of gap year experiences, in terms of tacit consensus, moral boundary-drawing and reflexivity prompted by dialogue. Considering intersubjectivity in such accounts can add to our understanding of critical reflection in self-development strategies without resorting to the voluntarism of a reflexive model of identity. It also provides a critique of the individualized responsibility placed on young people to make the right choices.

Uncovering ED: A Qualitative Analysis of Personal Blogs Managed by Individuals with Eating Disorders

Previous studies have investigated the potential harmful effects of pro-eating disorder (ED) websites. Websites, such as personal blogs, may contain eating disorder content that may hold important information as well and must be considered. Fifteen blogs hosted by the site “Tumblr” were qualitatively analyzed. Each blog owner was anonymous and all were female. Ten main themes were extracted using grounded theory: interaction, negative self-worth, mind and body disturbances, pictures, eating disorders, suicide, diet, exercise, stats, and recovery. Additional themes also appeared in the study. Results indicate that although each individual blog is unique to its owner, common concepts existed among the majority. The implications for the information in the ED blogs and directions for future research are discussed.

Media errors and the ‘nutty professor’: Riding the journalistic boundaries of the Sandy Hook shootings

This study explores the relationship between social media and threats to journalism’s authority during coverage of the mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Two related threats are examined. One threat concerned widespread errors in early reporting of the shootings. A second threat came shortly after, in the aftermath of a communication professor’s blog claiming a conspiracy between media and government. Through textual analysis of news articles, columns, and blogs, the study considers the concepts of paradigm repair, boundary work, what-a-story news, and memory in the renegotiation of journalistic authority. Findings suggest that with increased reliance on social media for reporting, increased media errors threaten the boundaries of appropriate professional journalistic practice, which both mainstream and social media attempt to rebalance.

Assessing tourists' perceptions and behaviour through photographic and blog analysis: The case of Chinese bloggers and New Zealand holidays

This study used thematic analysis to identify the perceived destination image held by Chinese tourists to New Zealand. By analysing 6968 photographs from 384 blog entries posted by Chinese visitors, ten themes of New Zealand as a tourism destination were identified. The findings indicate a reinforcement of New Zealand's branding based on natural landscapes but subsidiary purposes are of interest. These include the role of tourist bloggers as sources of information to their readers. Additionally the results indicate that content analysis of visual materials in blogs, when read with accompanying text, provide rich information about perceived destination image. It is suggested that online photographs and blogs are not only valuable information sources for potential visitors, but also an effective way to understand the Chinese market. Based on the results, implications for destination marketing are discussed.

Sentiment Analysis of Chinese Micro Blog Using Machine Learning and an Improved Feature Selection Method

With the rapid development of Internet and occurrence of social media services, many users are becoming the creators of social information. However, the normal manual work can't deal with a large number of subjective messages. As a new kind of social media service, micro blog has been widely accepted and can be used for sentiment analysis. This paper compared performances of three machine learning methods on sentiment analysis of Chinese micro blog. We also proposed an improved feature selection method that increases the accuracy of classification. Experiment results show that SVM is closed to Naïve Bayes and they are better than logistic regression in most cases.

Technology maturity assessment based on blog analysis

Abstract RD one important yet scientifically less considered aspect of informetrics is technology maturity. The portrayal of a technology in text media changes with its maturity; this change can be measured. Our paper focuses on blog analysis as one part of informetrics. It represents a proof of concept for an approach based on changes induced by technology maturity in blog texts. We operationalize the technology life cycle model by Sommerlatte and Deschamps (1986) and measure the utilization of terms specifically used in the context of pacing technologies and basic technologies , both concepts stemming from the selected technology life cycle model. We test this approach on six technologies and make use of fuzzy logic to assess a technology's maturity. We triangulate the results from blog based analysis with results from an expert survey. Our method provides a quick orientation regarding technologies; it helps compare their maturity, monitor development speed as well as maturity state changes, and even identify re-emerging basic technologies. So far, R&D managers have rated the resulting information as a valuable and intuitive supplement to information sources available.

Portuguese

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14244/19827199746 Blogs are used for communication and interaction among people, and have been used in the educational context as a resource and pedagogical strategy, or as a reflective portfolio and collaboration space, in the informal continuing education of teachers. This study aims to describe how blogs are being used in the teaching context, and the impacts of their use. To this end, we carried out a survey of theses and dissertations on this topic, published in the past ten years, in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), Brazil, using the descriptors 'blog', 'blogs', 'blogue' and 'blogues'. We selected the theses and dissertations that dealt with the use of blogs in the educational context both in their utilization as educational resources and as tools in the training of teachers. In order to select these theses and dissertations, the abstracts were read, selected, and then the full paper was analyzed. Three theses and 12 dissertations were selected. They were categorized according to the area of knowledge in which they were produced, year of publication, focus of the research, and impact in the educational context. The results show that the papers were produced mainly in the area of education, and that 40% of them were published in 2011. These studies present different focuses, which may be classified into (i) analysis of blogs, (ii) application for teaching, and (iii) teacher training. These studies show that the impacts of the use of blogs in education are positive, because they help in the process of teaching and learning, but they can be negative if teachers do not change their attitude. Keywords: Blogs, Education, Pedagogical practice.

A content analysis of influential wine blogs

Purpose – The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze the content of influential wine blogs. Design/methodology/approach – The study used content analysis software, Leximancer, to analyze the entire contents of five influential amateur wine blogs. Findings – A key finding is that these blogs all balance self-promotion with the content of their blogs, namely, wine and wine-related topics. The wine blogs, though evaluating wines in different ways, review not only the product attributes but also the experience surrounding wine. Research limitations/implications – Limitations of this study include that the analysis only included five wine blogs and the content analysis was conducted by a sole researcher using a computerized approach. Practical implications – Wine blogs have increasing influence in the wine industry, especially those written by amateur wine bloggers. As such, understanding the tactics used by wine bloggers is of interest to practitioners who aim to market their wines using such channels as well as providing insight into this contemporary platform for current and aspiring wine critics. Originality/value – This is the first content analysis study that analyzes the content of wine blogs as the readers themselves see it. It provides insights of value not only to those involved in marketing in the wine industry but also to those interested in the developments of amateur blogs in marketing.

The political blog space: A new arena for political representation?

While the academic interest in the political blogosphere has grown exponentially in recent years, existing research is predominantly dedicated to political campaigning. In view of the “diminishing prestige of the electoral process” and the “rise of new forms of legitimacy” a broader political analysis of blogs is called for. This article investigates whether the political blogosphere is an arena for political representation by asking (1) how representatives communicate with citizens through blogging in order to aid central functions of political representation, such as accountability, connectivity, and inquiry, and (2) what strategic, technological, and normative factors explain differences in representatives’ communication with citizens. The empirical analysis, based on a survey questionnaire targeting all Swedish blogging representatives, illuminates four different approaches to blogging, with different drivers and implications for the representative democracy.

How web tracking changes user agency in the age of Big Data: The used user

Big Data enhances the possibilities for storing personal data extracted from social media and web search on an unprecedented scale. This paper draws on the political economy of information which explains why the online industry fails to self-regulate, resulting in increasingly insidious web-tracking technologies. Content analysis of historical blogs and request for comments on HTTP cookies published by the Internet Engineering Task Force illustrates how cookie technology was introduced in the mid-1990s, amid stark warnings about increased system vulnerabilities and deceptive personal data extractions. In conclusion, online users today are left with few alternatives but to enter into unconscionable contracts about the extraction of their personal data when using the Internet for private purposes.

An Unstructured Information Management Architecture Approach to Text Analytics of Cancer Blogs

In this research the authors explore the potential of the Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA) platform in text analytics of cancer blogs. The application is developed using the UIMA open source platform. They use the text analytics methods of categorization, clustering, taxonomic classification, and others to identify and analyze the patterns in cancer blog postings. The authors establish a comprehensive UIMA methodology for developing text analytics applications for the analysis of cancer blogs. Additional insights are extracted through the development of categories or keywords contained in the blogs, the development of a taxonomy and the examination of relationships among the categories. The application has the potential for generalizability and implementation with health content in other blogs and social media. It has the potential to provide insight and decision support for cancer management and to facilitate the efficient and relevant search for information on cancer.

Mediating the voice of personal blogging: an analysis of Chinese A-list personal blogs

Voice reveals stance, position and other evaluative aspects of texts. In spite of its major role in establishing blogs’ recognition and participation in the social networking space, voice has not received adequate attention in online communication research. This paper attempts to explore the voice of blogs through examining personal blogs. Data were collected from three A-list Chinese personal blogs hosted on top blog service providers in China. Drawing upon appraisal analysis, this study examined voice of personal blogs through analysing the written texts and images of the blogs. The findings revealed that personal blog authors employed different resources in constructing individualized voices. These were constrained by various factors such as gendered projections, audiences, and culturally specific rhetoric. The paper concludes with a suggestion that further research in exploring voice representations in blogs, however heterogeneous, needs to consider technological and semiotic resources, genre features, and sociocultural and institutional conditions.

Revealing hidden attractions in a rural Kenyan periphery

Tourism geographers have noted the tendency for enclaves to develop in attraction-rich tourism zones and population centres. The accumulation of tourism in such enclaves can act to limit the spread of benefits to the most impoverished regions and their inhabitants. This research addresses the question of whether peripheral regions can utilise the inherent motivations of specific types of tourists in order to reveal hidden attractions and build sustainable tourism. Within the frameworks of enclave theory and complex systems analysis, this case study of a charitable field project in Gatarakwa, Kenya, utilises qualitative approaches including in-depth interviews, blog analyses and participant observational research to examine whether a philanthropist-as-tourist model could reveal hidden attractions and spread the benefits of tourism beyond the enclaves. It was found that the philanthropists’ religious motivations, cultural drives and desire to experience poverty and to assist in its alleviation enabled their broader engagement with the largely experiential offerings of the peripheral region. This created an alternative tourist attraction at no cost to the local community and with no repatriation of profits to foreign investors. The programme also created transferable job skills and had the potential to generate income for local businesses. If managed accordingly, such projects can reveal the attractiveness of peripheral areas of other developing countries and so spread the benefits of tourism more equitably.

Perceived Benefits of Spa Experiences: Tourist Insights from the Blogosphere

The Asian spa has seen considerable growth in recent years. Nonetheless, the dearth in the literature about the spa industry in Asia is evident. Tourist spa experiences are an intriguing aspect in this industry. In this study, blog analysis, which involved a progressive four-stage process, was employed to explore travel bloggers’ spa experiences in India, Thailand and the Philippines. More specifically, this paper presents overview of travel blogs that contain accounts of tourist spa experiences as well as bloggers’ perceived benefits from their spa experiences. The findings suggest that spa experiences are by and large positive experiences that benefit multiple dimensions of tourist well-being.

A Network Analysis of Greek Tech Blogs: A Lonely Road

Technology ranks second among the top topics on blogging. However, little research effort has been devoted to investigating “tech” blogs while it is interesting to provide insights on their network, as they may have strong influence in the way that readers act and make decisions. In this vein, the paper records Greek “tech” blogs and their incoming links reported through their blogrolls. A directed network was created where blogs are noted as nodes and linked as directed arrows—arcs. The resulting network is analyzed using centrality and topological measurements and results are discussed in the social network analysis context. The network is a small world, with sparse density for a real-life social network and is low in-degree that shows off a kind of immaturity. Bloggers prefer to link to nodes with smaller degrees perhaps due to the fact that they are afraid of the growing competition thus they have reservations.

Insurgent space in Malaysia: Hindraf movement, new media and minority Indians

Insurgent space is a prerequisite for a public city to accommodate a wide variety of social actions and activities. Based on content analysis of blogs and interviews with bloggers, the discussion in this article presents the interplay between urban space and minority politics in the technological context in Malaysia. The fact that the government failed to uplift the status of the Indians, coupled with issues relating to religiosity, outraged the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) advocacy group, which was empowered by new media to organise itself for action, resulting in the successful mobilisation of a crowd of 30,000 people on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 25 November 2007. The outcome of this rally reflects the potential that urban space can be (re)claimed, appropriated and put to use (via links to cyberspace) for political action, even in a ‘semi-democracy’ like Malaysia, when sufficient conditions, such as grievances, identity politics, organisational forms and collective consciousness a...