Building Credibility Research Articles

Building credibility for human systems integration in model‐based systems engineering

AbstractRobust and trusted digital human representations are necessary to successfully account for human considerations in model‐based systems engineering (MBSE). Multiple domains and modeling frameworks leverage verification, validation, and accreditation (VV&A) processes to characterize when and under what conditions a model is valid to establish credibility. A literature review was completed on mathematical, physics‐based, software development, discrete event simulation, agent‐based, system dynamics, and MBSE models with the goal of proposing a process for performing VV&A on digital engineering (DE) and MBSE models for sociotechnical systems. However, this research also revealed the need for a broader framework to characterize the risk associated with using these models for making high‐consequence decisions. While accomplishing the literature review, another approach to building credibility was identified that is used heavily in the financial industry, namely model risk management (MRM). This process is extended by leveraging MRM approaches from within the financial community to propose a framework for sociotechnical model users to characterize the risk of using MBSE models to make programmatic decisions. The primary contribution of this work is to document a meta‐analysis of model VV&A while proposing an alternative approach to characterizing and communicating credibility that was discovered during this analysis. This approach could be a viable option for ensuring the credibility of human systems integration in MBSE models.

Technology start-ups in tourism and hospitality: A networked social capital theory perspective from early-stage start-up founders

Technology start-up entrepreneurship serves as the backbone of innovations within the tourism and hospitality industry. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research investigating the perspectives of founders who are the original innovators. Via social capital theory, this study aims to explore the entrepreneurial processes of founders during the critical early stages, determining the survival of technology start-ups. The research adopts a qualitative in-depth interviewing approach with seventeen early-stage tourism and hospitality start-up founders in Hong Kong and Thailand. By employing abductive thematic analysis, the study develops a novel conceptualization of the networked social capital, comprising four interconnected themes: team building, fundraising and resource acquisition, collaboration and partnerships, and credibility building. Also, the study highlights the evolving social dynamics among start-up ecosystem actors influenced by cutting-edge technologies. This study contributes to the tourism and hospitality literature and offers practical implications for start-up entrepreneurs, public policymakers, and tourism and hospitality firms.

Towards feasible and credible building modelling reflecting the operational energy use and indoor environment – Nordic climate case study

Credible building modelling is essential to the building energy certification and building renovation towards better energy performance and indoor climate. The primary objective of this work is to assess the consequences related to the level of effort necessary to simulate the building geometry and its facilities and to guide practitioners in building modelling by providing insights about the model simplification consequences both for the energy performance and comfort. This work focuses on the sensitivity of model geometry simplification and heating system and the influence of these on the energy and thermal comfort KPIs in standard simulation conditions. Moreover, the study presents models verification towards operational performance, investigates the complexity of adapted simulation conditions, e.g., heating setpoint, actual people load on the model credibility comparing to monitored data. The sensitivity study main conclusion is that there are relatively small differences in heating demand among models with different zoning methods of geometries, while the implementation of detailed heating systems in the simulation has a more noticeable effect on the results of all output KPIs. The Model verification activity main conclusion is that adapted people’s load can improve the model accuracy. Models with detailed geometry, lead to more accurate results when the heating set-point in the model is defined as monitored data per apartment. For dwellings with a limited number of IAQ measured points, use of the standard set-point is advised instead of monitored. For the apartments with sufficient IAQ sensors, adapted heating setpoint and people load can significantly improve the model predictions.

Building credibility of computational models in cardiovascular medicine through verification and validation

Building credibility of computational models in cardiovascular medicine through verification and validation Cardiovascular diseases affect 15 million people in Europe and digital solutions are now seen as very useful tools in the search for new drugs and medical devices. SimCardioTest is a 4-year project funded by the European Commission that aims to develop credible computer modelling and simulation approaches on a cloud-based platform for testing cardiac drugs and devices in silico.

Vaccination equity and the role of community pharmacy in the United States: A qualitative study

ObjectivesTo identify strategies community pharmacists utilized to support equitable vaccination in their communities. Study DesignQualitative, descriptive design. MethodsKey informant interviews were conducted virtually via teleconference using a mix of purposeful and snowball sampling of Pennsylvania community pharmacy personnel who participated in COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Interviews were conducted from March until August 2022 when thematic saturation was reached. A qualitative, inductive thematic data analysis was utilized to identify major themes and strategies that emerged from the data. ResultsPharmacists utilized three philosophies: (1) prioritizing trust, (2) meeting people where they are at, and (3) building capacity within their teams and communities to create “safe spaces” for people to receive vaccinations. Nine discrete strategies used in practice exemplify how respondents implemented these philosophies: (1) Build Community Partnerships; (2) Establish Trust to Build Credibility; (3) Address Transportation Issues; (4) Provide Patient Education and Address Health Literacy Barriers; (5) Address Language Barriers; (6) Create a Safe and Accessible Space for Those with Individualized Needs; (7) Provide Patient-Centered and Culturally-Sensitive Care; (8) Train Staff on Health Equity and Patient Engagement; and (9) Advocate for Community Pharmacy Policy and Payment Reform. Definitions for these philosophies and key examples that illustrate how each strategy was employed in practice are provided. ConclusionThe findings highlight unique strategies respondent community-based pharmacy teams use to contribute to equitable vaccination efforts in communities and further emphasizes the importance of their role in public health initiatives.

Fake news jako tekst. Wybrane struktury językowe (komunikacyjne) oraz ich funkcje

Fake news as text. Selected linguistic (communication) structures and their functions The article presents the results of the research on selected linguistic (communicative) structures observed in fake news in Polish. As a result of the analysis of 435 texts deemed false by AFP fact-checkers, semantic and structural elements characteristic of this type of message were reconstructed. The reconstructed elements were subjected to functional analysis in the context of tools of persuasion and manipulation, encoding of emotions, and building credibility through replication of elements and structures of news. Keywords: disinformation, fake news, linguistic structure, news.

Credibility building in the sovereign debt market: Evidence from prewar China

AbstractThis paper qualitatively and quantitatively examines the development of the sovereign debt market in Prewar China under different governments. During the Beijing Era (1912–26), accompanied by the establishment of necessary financial institutions, the sovereign debt market emerged to meet fiscal needs. Surprisingly, the Nationalist government, in power from 1927, successfully cultivated a robust market characterized by its expanding size and liquidity. Setting itself apart from its predecessors, the government established credibility as a borrower in two key ways. Firstly, it demonstrated unwavering commitment to debt service by settling previous debts and offering well‐structured new ones, even during challenging times. Furthermore, the government escrowed fiscal revenue, pledged for debt repayments, to a semi‐independent committee of private bankers on behalf of debtholders, enhancing public confidence. Secondly, the government showcased its ability to secure tax revenues for debt repayments. However, starting from 1931/2, the debt market experienced a decline due to the government's compromised ability to pay resulting from external wars and shifting political priorities that weakened its commitment to debt repayments. Empirical evidence confirms the market's responsiveness to regime shifts and policy changes. This paper sheds light on how a nascent autocratic government can successfully borrow from the public.

Implementing a Community-Led Arsenic Mitigation Intervention for Private Well Users in American Indian Communities: A Qualitative Evaluation of the Strong Heart Water Study Program.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring toxicant in groundwater, which increases cancer and cardiovascular disease risk. American Indian populations are disproportionately exposed to arsenic in drinking water. The Strong Heart Water Study (SHWS), through a community-centered approach for intervention development and implementation, delivered an arsenic mitigation program for private well users in American Indian communities. The SHWS program comprised community-led water arsenic testing, point-of-use arsenic filter installation, and a mobile health program to promote sustained filter use and maintenance (i.e., changing the filter cartridge). Half of enrolled households received additional in-person behavior change communication and videos. Our objectives for this study were to assess successes, barriers, and facilitators in the implementation, use, and maintenance of the program among implementers and recipients. We conducted 45 semi-structured interviews with implementers and SHWS program recipients. We analyzed barriers and facilitators using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and the Risks, Attitudes, Norms, Abilities, and Self-regulation model. At the implementer level, facilitators included building rapport and trust between implementers and participating households. Barriers included the remoteness of households, coordinating with community plumbers for arsenic filter installation, and difficulty securing a local supplier for replacement filter cartridges. At the recipient level, facilitators included knowledge of the arsenic health risks, perceived effectiveness of the filter, and visual cues to promote habit formation. Barriers included attitudes towards water taste and temperature and inability to procure or install replacement filter cartridges. This study offers insights into the successes and challenges of implementing an arsenic mitigation program tailored to American Indian households, which can inform future programs in partnership with these and potentially similar affected communities. Our study suggests that building credibility and trust between implementers and participants is important for the success of arsenic mitigation programs.

Persuasion in Multimodal Digital Genres: Building Credibility in Video Abstracts

Persuasion in Multimodal Digital Genres: Building Credibility in Video Abstracts

Rafael Has Pretty Eyes by Elaine McCluskey

Reviewed by: Rafael Has Pretty Eyes by Elaine McCluskey Marcie McCauley Elaine McCluskey Rafael Has Pretty Eyes Fredericton, New Brunswick. Goose Lane Editions. 2022. 256 pages. THE EPIGRAPH TO Elaine McCluskey’s fourth collection of stories is drawn from her story “Hope”: “Life is just one extended series of anecdotes strung together until they kill you.” Her stories and two novels consistently challenge readers’ expectations; she reframes narratives, with characters that other writers relegate to secondary status occupying center stage, and deftly navigates the terrain between defeat and determination. Hope is “obsessed with avoiding the superficial, believing that everything good, salient, and worth preserving lived below it. Below the obvious.” Like Hope, McCluskey peels back the layers. Readers meet Brian in “It’s Your Money,” for instance, “two hours into his shift . . . where he makes fifteen dollars an hour, which buys one bottle of Pinot Grigio poured into a Thermos under his desk.” The details of Brian’s working life build credibility and arouse curiosity, but McCluskey develops his character via his observations about the payday loan business’s clientele, too. Subtly but strategically, the reader’s understanding accumulates via layered anecdotes: readers care because Brian cares, and Brian cares because McCluskey cares. “People here are no different than people anywhere else,” although McCluskey focuses on “the liars, the betrayers, and the trifling ne’er-do-wells who never experience the ephemeral joy of good intentions” (from “Skunk Boy”). A character in “Let It Go” feels “sour drunk and stupid,” and one in “The Gates of Heaven” seems to be “a one-woman atmospheric condition.” The bulk of “We Were Lucky” is “things . . . never talked about . . . avoided,” and, throughout, readers study the “liner notes” of characters’ lives (from “Little Green Men”). Aspects of this collection speak to McCluskey’s Atlantic Canadian life, including her native Nova Scotia (where Dartmouth is the City of Lakes and Spryfield is the home of the real-life Trailer Park Boys), the nearby maritime province of Prince Edward Island (where in “Is That All You Got?” the CBC reports on “a woman who kept a snowball in her freezer for fifteen years”), as well as specific Canadian references like the television series Little Mosque on the Prairie. At the heart of McCluskey’s stories are “underdogs” and “people whom society decides have no business reaching for greatness, no business upsetting the natural order of things” (from “Remember”). In Rafael Has Pretty Eyes, McCluskey proves that she knows how to string it all together, and she reminds us stories can bring us back to life. Marcie McCauley Toronto Copyright © 2022 World Literature Today

Include Bot Responses That Build Credibility

Successful FundraisingVolume 29, Issue 8 p. 3-3 Incorporate AI Into Donor Communications Include Bot Responses That Build Credibility Megan Venzin, Megan VenzinSearch for more papers by this author Megan Venzin, Megan VenzinSearch for more papers by this author First published: 03 July 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/sfr.31768Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume29, Issue8August 2021Pages 3-3 RelatedInformation

The Role of Regulatory Agencies in Agenda-Setting Processes: Insights from the Italian Response to the COVID-19 Infodemic.

International organizations such as the WHO have worked to raise awareness of the massive infodemic that accompanied the COVID‐19 outbreak and made it hard for people to find trustworthy sources of information and reliable guidance for their decisions. Our contribution focuses on the Italian case, where the Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM) was able to act as first mover in its field so as to strategically frame the problem of disinformation in the absence of a pre‐existing policy intervention. An emerging body of research shows that the activity of formally independent regulators is not necessarily limited to the implementation of delegated regulatory competencies. We discuss the implications of the activity of independent regulators for the fight against disinformation during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We find that as a political actor in its own right, the Italian media regulator claimed control over sectoral expertise in order to shape the crucial first steps of the response to the infodemic.

The Sling Effect: Croatia and SEE After the Fall of the Berlin Wall

The concentration of real convergence in a short period before the Great Recession (2001-2008) is a characteristic shared by many countries, but it was particularly pronounced in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria. Bulgaria managed to converge after the Great Recession, but convergence in other mentioned countries was meagre; Slovenia even diverged since 2010. Direct effects of post-Yugoslav wars belong to the past, but indirect effects may have had more persistent effects: a lost decade of the ’90s led to weak institutional development and the creation of the local form of state capitalism, which provides weak fundamentals for economic growth. Monetary policy and exchange rate regimes in the region are mostly centred around stable exchange rates and strive for the introduction of the Euro (Bulgaria and Croatia joined the ERM II in 2020). However, the impact of exchange rate regimes on long-run economic growth is neutral. Preference for credibility building monetary regimes is a legacy of the past. Financial predictability served as a shock absorber and a substitute for good institutions in order to attract inflows of international capital, which flooded ex-communist countries after the emerging markets crisis in the late ’90s. However, when the wave of capital inflows stopped in the Great Recession, more fundamental growth factors emerged, explaining the slow convergence of the majority of SEE countries in the second decade of the 21st century.

Reproducible validation and replication studies in nanoscale physics.

Credibility building activities in computational research include verification and validation, reproducibility and replication, and uncertainty quantification. Though orthogonal to each other, they are related. This paper presents validation and replication studies in electromagnetic excitations on nanoscale structures, where the quantity of interest is the wavelength at which resonance peaks occur. The study uses the open-source software PyGBe: a boundary element solver with treecode acceleration and GPU capability. We replicate a result by Rockstuhl et al. (2005, doi:10/dsxw9d) with a two-dimensional boundary element method on silicon carbide (SiC) particles, despite differences in our method. The second replication case from Ellis et al. (2016, doi:10/f83zcb) looks at aspect ratio effects on high-order modes of localized surface phonon-polariton nanostructures. The results partially replicate: the wavenumber position of some modes match, but for other modes they differ. With virtually no information about the original simulations, explaining the discrepancies is not possible. A comparison with experiments that measured polarized reflectance of SiC nano pillars provides a validation case. The wavenumber of the dominant mode and two more do match, but differences remain in other minor modes. Results in this paper were produced with strict reproducibility practices, and we share reproducibility packages for all, including input files, execution scripts, secondary data, post-processing code and plotting scripts, and the figures (deposited in Zenodo). In view of the many challenges faced, we propose that reproducible practices make replication and validation more feasible. This article is part of the theme issue 'Reliability and reproducibility in computational science: implementing verification, validation and uncertainty quantification in silico'.

Community Based Pollution Prevention for Two Urban Cities—A Case Study

Pollution prevention is an approach for generating less waste using fewer toxic chemicals while conserving water and energy. Even though pollution prevention practices have been encouraged for over thirty years, many smaller businesses have not considered or adopted such techniques. This study examines the effect of a community-based approach designed to emphasize the benefits to the health and economic well-being of urban communities when source reduction practices are implemented by businesses in the community. Partnering with existing community groups in Newark and Jersey City, NJ, technical assistance was provided to small and medium-sized businesses under grant funding from Region 2 of the US Environmental Protection Agency. In this research, 32 small and medium-sized businesses were evaluated for source reduction opportunities and implementation plans were drawn up. After these businesses implemented operational changes, emission and cost savings were determined and reported back to respective small business owners as well as to the communities during community meetings designed to encourage additional participation. Based on 32 case studies, several measurable benefits were achieved, including the yearly saving of 932 pounds of hazardous waste, 3917 pounds of non-hazardous waste, 13.62 metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE) of greenhouse gases and $5335 USD. The initial findings suggest that community-based programs such as this can be beneficial but must be sustained over a period of time. One issue that was repeatedly observed, and is likely widely believed, is the concern of small business operators that cooperation with any group funded by a government program may lead to the assessment of fines or penalties for environmental violations. This concern limits the willingness of many smaller businesses to participate. The findings of this study suggest that a sustained community-based program may overcome that concern through demonstration of the benefit to the business and the community, and through credibility building achieved by regular community reporting and the absence of official intervention.

Public involvement in risk governance in the internet era: impact of new rules of building trust and credibility

The article draws attention to the multidirectional impact of the widespread Internet communication on public involvement in risk governance processes. The prevalence of Internet communication changes the rules of building credibility and trust, and a position of expert knowledge. As online peer-to-peer information are not verified by any single trustworthy institution, the expert community often perceives it as a source of disturbance in risk governance. We refuse to frame online communication simply in terms of a threat to responsible dealing with risks and, instead, demonstrate how it creates new conditions for public involvement in risk governance, which may strengthen or hamper responsible risk governance, potentially compensating for the shortcomings of the system based solely on state agencies’ activities. Basing on the qualitative analysis of three critical cases, we show how the involvement of Internet-enabled groups impacts the risk governance of specific issues in Poland. Specifically, the Internet-enabled participation amplifies evidence-based concerns (the case of city air pollution), signals new “unknown unknowns” (the case of fracking), or weakens procedures based on the body of scientific knowledge (the case of vaccination controversy). To decide when and how to harness the potential of internet-enabled public involvement and when to focus on limiting the harms it may engender, we propose a framework that takes into account the level of uncertainty, the extent to which risk mitigation policy in place reflects the scientific consensus (if there is one), and the accepted rules of credibility and trust by Internet-enabled groups to expert knowledge. We claim that risk governance processes should routinely involve analyses and actions aimed at governing risks that ignore the impact of widespread Internet use may prove counter-effective.

The Second Most Important Pitch: How Nascent Digital Ventures Build Credibility by Briefing Analysts

It is well known that if nascent ventures secure coverage from an intermediary, this enhances their credibility, but detailed examination of how intermediaries decide to focus attention on particular ventures, and what their backing provides, are rare. Based on an inductive qualitative study in the digital area, we develop a process model describing the mechanisms by which digital ventures engage with intermediaries along a continuum where they move from being an unknown quantity to participating in their screening processes to being able to leverage intermediary support as a credibility strategy. We reveal how it is becoming common for nascent ventures to pitch to intermediaries to win their attention rather than carry out generic market actions as suggested by the literature. Through drawing on valuation studies scholarship, we identify the critical processes in these pitches that facilitated movement along the continuum. Our study extends understanding of why nascent ventures successfully pitching to analysts and receiving positive evaluations is essential in furthering their growth and development.

The perspectives of allied health clinicians on the working alliance with people with stroke-related communication impairment

ABSTRACT The processes by which working alliances develop in stroke rehabilitation are not well understood. The aim of this study was to explore the ways in which experienced allied health clinicians establish and maintain alliances with people with stroke-related communication impairment, and to identify factors that may influence the strength of these alliances. In-depth interviews were completed with 11 clinicians from the disciplines of occupational therapy, speech-language pathology and physiotherapy. Interview transcripts were coded and analysed using strategies consistent with constructivist grounded theory. Participants described processes that were captured by the themes of enabling interaction, being responsive, building relational capital and building credibility. Practices that supported communication and emphasized responding, both within an interaction and over time, aligned with examples of strong alliances. Professional credibility and relational practices such as everyday conversations and the use of humour were viewed as important. Difficulty accessing a shared mode of communication due to stroke-related communication impairment altered relational processes and influenced perceptions of the alliance, although examples of strong alliances were present. In this study, reflections on challenging alliances highlighted potentially helpful practices. A responsive approach to rehabilitation, supported by reflective practice, may assist clinicians to better navigate their working alliances with this population.

POLA PENDEKATAN DAKWAH BERKELANJUTAN: PERSPEKTIF MODAL SOSIAL

Current model of dakwah has to deal with complexity of challenges. In tacking such complexity, relevant and contextual approaches are necessarily needed. One of them is social capital based approach. This approach highlights aspects of trust and honesty, norm and values, networking, solidarity, responsibility, local wisdom, local culture, harmony and quality of life. The use of this approach has already been able to answer the challenge of current Dakwah. From the perspective of social capital, the use of basic values from it contributes to the dai’s credibility building. This credibility results in sustainable activities of dakwah and therefore, creates more effective results. The effectiveness of sustainable dakwah emphasizes on efforts to set up good self-image for the da’i and improved relevant relational patterns with the mad’u.

Cycling alone: Team Sky’s difficult quest for credibility during the 2015 Tour de France

This article aims to address the question of credibility as a key issue for sports stakeholders. Due to the number of doping scandals, professional cycling offers an interesting example to understand how agents try building credibility after facing mistrust. The present study provides an example of how a professional team (Sky) faced controversy during the 2015 Tour de France. The dispute about Sky riders’ performance reflects the rejection of their occupational self-definition. Relying mainly on Goffman’s sociology to analyse public interactions, we have observed how Sky tried to convince their audience that their performance was credible. However, the team’s quest for credibility remains uncertain for two reasons. First, the legacy of doping scandals in cycling – in addition to the low trust in the organizations in charge of anti-doping regulations – weakens its credibility. Second, the mistrust in cycling drives journalists and experts to stage their independence in order to avoid being considered an ally or accomplice. As a consequence, collaborative networks were rendered fragile, and Sky could not rely on a large ‘team presentation’ to face criticism. This research shows that the lack of credibility is a central issue for the sport since it threatens its whole economy.