Communication Research Research Articles

How CEOs can Increase Public Engagement via Microblogs: The Role of CEO Gender and Content Orientation

AbstractIn the social media era, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are increasingly using microblogging sites to communicate with the public. Drawing on schema‐congruity theory and gender egalitarianism, we investigate how CEO gender and work–life content orientation interact to influence public engagement with CEOs on microblogs. Using China as our research setting, we conduct a content analysis of data collected from 63 high‐profile CEOs’ microblogs and four laboratory studies with some 2000 respondents. Our results show that for female CEOs, work‐related content leads to greater engagement than life‐related content; for male CEOs, the effect is reversed. We find that such outcomes are driven by the incongruity between stereotypical gender roles and content orientation, which enhances perceived novelty and audience interest, thus leading to greater engagement. This effect diminishes when the audience has a very high or very low perception of gender equality in their society; or when the audience supports male privilege values personally. Our research provides new theoretical insights for online leadership communication, public engagement and gender research. It also offers useful managerial guidance for executives to effectively leverage the capabilities of social media in engaging with the public.

Using incident reports to diagnose communication challenges for precision intervention in learning health systems: A methods paper

AbstractIntroductionPoor communication is a leading root cause of preventable maternal mortality in the United States. Communication challenges are compounded with the presence of biases, including racism. Hospital administrators and clinicians are often aware that communication is a problem, but understanding where to intervene can be difficult to determine. While clinical leadership routinely reviews incident reports and acts on them to improve care, we hypothesized that reviewing incident reports in a systematic way might reveal thematic patterns, providing targeted opportunities to improve communication in direct interaction with patients and within the healthcare team itself.MethodsWe abstracted incident reports from the Women's Health service and linked them with patient charts to join patient's race/ethnicity, birth outcome, and presence of maternal morbidity and mortality to the incident report. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of incident reports using an inductive and deductive approach to categorizing communication challenges. We then described the intersection of different types of communication challenges with patient race/ethnicity and morbidity outcomes.ResultsThe use of incident reports to conduct research on communication was new for the health system. Conversations with health system‐level stakeholders were important to determine the best way to manage data. We developed a thematic codebook based on prior research in healthcare communication. We found that we needed to add codes that were equity focused, as this was missing from the existing codebook. We also found that clinical and contextual expertise was necessary for conducting the analysis—requiring more resources to conduct coding than initially estimated. We shared our findings back with leadership iteratively during the work.ConclusionsIncident reports represent a promising source of health system data for rapid improvement to transform organizational practice around communication. There are barriers to conducting this work in a rapid manner, however, that require further iteration and innovation.

Communication and Deliberation for Environmental Governance

Environmental governance occurs through and is shaped by communication. We propose a typology of public communication, classifying it by directionality (one-way or two-way) and objective (informational or operational). We then review how communication types influence individuals’ cognitive frames, values, and environmental behaviors. Though one-way communication is common, its impact is often limited to influencing cognitive frames. Research on two-way informational communication demonstrates a greater ability to align cognitive frames and values among individuals, and research on two-way operational communication demonstrates the greatest impact on conceptual frames, values, and environmental behaviors. Factors that affect the impact of communication include the medium through which it occurs, trust, timing, and social-material context. Among these, our review considers new directions in public communication research that focus on the role of digital platforms, misinformation, and disinformation. We conclude by synthesizing research on deliberative communication, a case of communication among citizens guided by democratic ideals.

Propositional claim detection: a task and dataset for the classification of claims to truth

AbstractThis paper introduces Propositional Claim Detection (PCD), an NLP task for classifying claims to truth, and presents a publicly available dataset for it. PCD is applicable in practical scenarios, for instance, for the support of fact-checkers, as well as in many areas of communication research. By leveraging insights from philosophy and linguistics, PCD is a more systematic and transparent version of claim detection than previous approaches. This paper presents the theoretical background for PCD and discusses its advantages over alternative approaches to claim detection. Extensive experiments on models trained on the dataset are conducted and result in an $$\hbox {F}_{1}$$ F 1 -score of up to 0.91. Moreover, PCD’s generalization across domains is tested. Models trained on the dataset show stable performance for text from previously unseen domains such as different topical domains or writing styles. PCD is a basic task that finds application in various fields and can be integrated with many other computational tools.

Investigating the relationship between heat load and shade seeking behaviour in dairy buffaloes.

The study presented in this Research Communication aimed to investigate the relationship between physiological responses, body surface temperature and shade-seeking behaviour in Nili Ravi dairy buffaloes during summer months. We enrolled 60 buffaloes, and each animal was observed for three consecutive days starting before sunrise until they moved towards the shade structures. A repeated measures ANOVA was employed to assess the changes in physiological parameters and body surface temperature between the early morning and the occurrence of shade-seeking behaviour. The average temperature humidity index and heat load index during the behavioural monitoring period (0400 to 1200 h) were 81.3 ± 6.5 and 92.9 ± 17, respectively (mean ± sd). There was no significant difference in core body temperature between sunrise and the time of shade-seeking event. However, the buffaloes had a slightly higher respiration rate at the time of shade-seeking (19.2 vs. 22.4 breaths/min). In addition, body surface temperature, measured at the flank region, shoulder, base of the ear and forehead was significantly higher at the occurrence of shade-seeking behaviour compared to the early morning. On average, the buffaloes sought shade when the surface temperature was 2°C higher than the temperature recorded before sunrise. Overall, the current findings suggest that body surface temperature, rather than core body temperature was strongly associated with shade-seeking behaviour in dairy buffaloes. These findings could be useful in developing strategies to mitigate the effects of heat stress in dairy buffalo herds and thereby improve animal welfare.

Image types revisited. A texto-material approach for creating image types

In visual communication research there are already several methodological approaches for creating image types. These approaches work with creating typologies based on the representational features of visuals / image motifs, reducing the complexity of extensive visual material. However, we argue that in everyday visual communication, the meaning of images depends largely on the practices in which they are embedded and not on the motif. This paper’s aim is to propose a methodological design for an image type analysis that considers both the representational and the artifact-related component of images, following a texto-material understanding of images. We illustrate the procedure step by step through an empirical study that explores visuals in couple relationships in Switzerland. The method enables a qualitative analysis of a large number of visuals that combines a) the creation of image types and b) a dynamic approach to in-depth visual analysis. Image types resulting from this procedure are more heterogeneous in motifs compared to previous traditions of image type analysis but allow for considering both the visual and the material dimensions of visuals, e.g., practices in which images are embedded. The approach builds on existing methods and contributes to the advancements of methods within visual communication research.

Images, clusters and types – Making sense of (large) image corpora and related practices in and with digital media

In November 2021, the Visual Communication Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK) celebrated its 20th anniversary at the University of Trier with a one-year pandemic delay. Marion G. Müller, Katharina Christ and Christof Barth organized an excellent conference to mark the occasion and to reflect on past and current trends, topics, and challenges in visual communication research. Resuming the thematic scope of the division’s first conference held in Hamburg in 2000, the conference focused on “The power of images – Images of power. On visual political communication in digital contexts.” While analyses of press photography in the tradition of political iconology were the main approaches twenty years ago, the program of the anniversary conference demonstrated diversified thematic foci and methodological approaches. The presentations examined a broad range of visual digital media and visual communication exerted by various actors ranging from the press to politicians to activists and citizens. Concurrently, we also saw a considerable diversity concerning methodological approaches and a rising influence of computational methods for analyzing the increasingly large numbers of images in digital media environments. With the panel “Image type / image cluster analysis as an approach to analyzing large numbers of images in online environments,” a discussion on diverse methodological approaches and their potentials and challenges among our members started. After the conference, we decided to open up our internal discussion and reach out to international colleagues working on similar questions. The long-term result is this Thematic Section on diverse methods for structuring image data corpora drawing on different traditions of visual analysis.

Genotypic insights to Panton-Valentine leukocidin positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from cattle mastitis.

In this research communication we investigate the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of S. aureus harboring virulent genes responsible for mastitis in cattle of Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 690 milk samples were collected from commercial dairy farms for analysis of the prevalence of subclinical and clinical mastitis and isolation of S. aureus. Virulence ability and methicillin resistance in S. aureus (MRSA) was determined by targeting the pvl (the gene for Panton-Valentine leukocidin) and mecA genes, respectively. A total of 175 S. aureus isolates exhibiting prevalence of pvl gene (6.28%) and mecA gene (22.28%) were determined. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of pvl positive and negative MRSA against different classes of antibiotics revealed 100% resistance against β-lactams while 100% sensitivity towards tylosin and linezolid.

A Research of Subtitle Translation and International Communication of Chinese Cultural Documentary from the Perspective of Eco-Translatology

With the acceleration of globalization, the internationalization of film and television works has become a powerful tool to enhance Chinese culture’s international influence. As an important carrier for telling Chinese stories, subtitle translation of Chinese cultural documentaries is very favorable to cultural dissemination. The documentary “China Bouquet” shows the colorful history, folk customs, and humanities of China and is widely disseminated on overseas media platforms. Based on eco-translatology, this paper interprets the subtitle translation skills and international communication effects of it. It finds that translators adapt to translation ecological elements in linguistic, cultural and communicative dimensions to enhance the acceptance of overseas audience. With domestication as the main strategy and foreignization as the auxiliary strategy, translators adopt free translation, conversion, transliteration, omission etc. to demonstrate the charm of Chinese culture and promote effective cultural communication.

Metasurface-based wide-angle reflective metalens with consistently constant focusing efficiency

Terahertz (THz) communication technology has drawn a lot of attention due to advancements in global research and aspirations for 6G communication as well as the development of THz technology. It is desirable to have a reflective metalens that can gather light from many directions and focus it at a fixed place. We employed the diffractive neural network (DNN) to design a wide-angle metasurface-based reflective metalens in order to meet this technical need. This reflective metalens is capable of consistently and efficiently reflecting incident light from a wide angle of incidence and focusing it into one spot. The DNN is used to quantitatively optimize the phase distribution of the reflective metalens and the resonance phase modulation approach is adopted to develop the unit structure. Both simulation and experimentation in a 220 GHz environment were used to confirm the reflective metalens's functionality. Through increased wide-angle reflection and directional focusing homogeneity and efficiency, the suggested technology offers a practical means of addressing the problems associated with 6G communication.

Delay of Transmitted Data in the Remote Patient Monitoring System through AMQP and CoAP

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is a healthcare solution that uses technology to monitor patients outside conventional healthcare settings. It is especially useful for people with chronic conditions or needing regular monitoring. One of the main reasons for the increase in the number of deaths each year is the increase in cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension. Online blood pressure monitoring offers many advantages but also potential challenges. This work reviews the key communication technologies and research challenges in the real-time transmission of measured blood pressure data. Delay in these systems is not tolerated as it involves human lives. To conduct the experimental studies, a prototype of an experimental intelligent system was created to study the delay and processor load of the RPI4 gateway. The measured blood pressure data is sent to the Things Board cloud using the AMQP and CoAP protocols. The experimental results are particularly useful for RPM system designers. The results of this research facilitate an informed decision on the choice of protocol that transmits the data from the gateway to the cloud in the process of designing remote patient monitoring systems.

Audio-as-Data Tools: Replicating Computational Data Processing

The rise of audio-as-data in social science research accentuates a fundamental challenge: establishing reproducible and reliable methodologies to guide this emerging area of study. In this study, we focus on the reproducibility of audio-as-data preparation methods in computational communication research and evaluate the accuracy of popular audio-as-data tools. We analyze automated transcription and computational phonology tools applied to 200 episodes of conservative talk shows hosted by Rush Limbaugh and Alex Jones. Our findings reveal that the tools we tested are highly accurate. However, despite different transcription and audio signal processing tools yield similar results, subtle yet significant variations could impact the findings’ reproducibility. Specifically, we find that discrepancies in automated transcriptions and auditory features such as pitch and intensity underscore the need for meticulous reproduction of data preparation procedures. These insights into the variability introduced by different tools stress the importance of detailed methodological reporting and consistent processing techniques to ensure the replicability of research outcomes. Our study contributes to the broader discourse on replicability and reproducibility by highlighting the nuances of audio data preparation and advocating for more transparent and standardized practices in this area.

Message-level Claims Require Message-level Data Analyses: Aligning Claims and Evidence in Communication Research

ABSTRACT Researchers often invoke individual-level correlations (correlations between properties of individuals) as a basis for message-level claims (claims about properties of messages). For example: “People who are more transported by a narrative message are generally also more persuaded by it; individuals’ transportation and persuasion scores are positively correlated. Therefore narratives that are more transporting will be more persuasive than narratives that are less transporting.” But that inference is mistaken. The reasoning mistake is not specific to that example, but rather is a common mistake in communication research. This article explains the reasoning mistake, identifies multiple examples of the mistake, and discusses implications of and remedies for this circumstance.

Student impressions of instructors based on Zoom backgrounds: investigating perceived technology skills of instructors and affective learning of students

The purpose of this study is to identify how Zoom backgrounds affect students’ affective learning and perceptions of an instructor’s technology use skills in online learning experiences. Data collected from undergraduate students in the U.S. indicate that with certain Zoom backgrounds, male students perceive the instructor having lower technology skills and experience less affective learning towards the instructor and course content than do female students. Overall, the study’s findings provide meaningful contributions to instructional communication research and suggest recommendations for strategic use of Zoom backgrounds to cultivate the best impression of an instructor and positive learning experiences.

VR-EX — An immersive virtual reality serious game for science communication about the electrical resistivity tomography measurements in the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory, Switzerland

This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of VR-EX, a combination of a virtual field trip and a serious game in immersive virtual reality. The application’s purpose is the communication of research conducted in the Mont Terri underground research laboratory in Switzerland. VR-EX enables users to actively attend electrical resistivity tomography measurements within a geological experiment, from planning to execution to analysis of the results, and in this way implements an active and playful learning approach. The work conducted in underground research laboratories has a high relevance for society as it contributes to research on the final disposal of nuclear waste. Therefore, the active communication of research methodology and results is crucial to increase understanding of scientific processes and boost interest. VR-EX was evaluated in a user study with 35 participants to measure its overall quality and its effectiveness of the knowledge transfer. Taking the evaluation’s qualitative results into account, the application was improved in an iterative process. Overall, the results prove the good quality of the application and its high effectiveness in terms of knowledge transfer. The reported high engagement, joy, and immersion indicate the benefits of employing immersive virtual reality for vivid science communication.

Patient research partner involvement in rheumatology research: a systematic literature review informing the 2023 updated EULAR recommendations for the involvement of patient research partners

BackgroundPatient research partners (PRPs) are people with a disease who collaborate in a research team as partners. The aim of this systematic literature review (SLR) was to assess barriers and...

How-To in Short-Form: A Framework for Analyzing Short-Format Instructional Content on TikTok

Purpose: TikTok’s rise in popularity has invited creators across a broad spectrum of interests to contribute content to the platform, including non-expert, instructional subject matter. Previously, technical communication scholars have described ways to assess video instruction online, in relatively long-format lengths. Our project outlines a framework for assessing the video production qualities of instructional content across TikTok. Method: We performed a content analysis of existing frameworks and sets of heuristics for assessing long-format instructional videos. We then analyzed a set of instructional content found across the TikTok platform and analyzed them using previous frameworks. After comparing and contrasting, we developed a new framework for assessing short-format video instructional content. Results: After assessing long-format instructional video frameworks and instructional content found across TikTok, we found that many dimensions and heuristics from previous frameworks applied to short-format video. Unique to short-form video were the dimensions of tempo and level of detail, which describe the pacing of the video from a temporal perspective and the fidelity of instruction, respectively. Instruction on TikTok can take place without explicit step-by-step instruction. Conclusion: We found that many dimensions and heuristics from long-form frameworks carry over to short-form video, but there are features, social norms, and creative norms on TikTok that lend themselves well to “bite-sized” instruction.

Leaders’ knowledge systems in strategizing communication in high-uncertain and low-uncertain crises: balancing operational and relational outcomes

Purpose Research on leaders’ knowledge management systems focuses exclusively on how leaders gather and disseminate knowledge in collaboration with external actors. Not much is known about how leaders address the psychological aspects of employees and strategize internal communication. In addition, while previous work has treated high uncertainty as a default feature of crisis, this study aims to propose that perceived uncertainty varies in experience/meaning and has a crucial bearing on the relative balance of cognitive/emotional load on the leader and behavioral/psychological responses. Design/methodology/approach The authors contribute by qualitatively examining the role of leader knowledge systems in designing communication strategies in the context of the COVID-19 crisis by investigating communication characteristics, style, modes and the relatively unaddressed role of compassion/persuasion. In this pursuit, the authors interviewed 21 C-suite leaders, including chief executive officers, chief marketing officers, chief financial officers, chief human resource officers and founders, and analyzed their data using open, axial and selective coding, which were later extracted for representative themes and overarching dimensions. Findings Drawing from grounded theory research, the authors present a framework of knowledge systems and their resultant communication with employees in high uncertain and low uncertain crises. The authors highlight interactions of a set of concepts – leaders’ preparedness, leaders’ support to employees tailored communication adapted to perceived uncertainty, leading to enhanced trust – in the achievement of outcomes related to balancing operational and relational systems with employees. The findings suggest that a structured process of communication helps employees mitigate any concern related to uncertainty and feel confident in their leadership. Originality/value The research has implications for leaders in managing their knowledge systems, for human esources practitioners in designing effective internal communication programs, as well as for scholars in knowledge management, communication and leadership.

Trump Goes to Tulsa on Juneteenth: Placing the Study of Identity, Social Groups, and Power at the Center of Political Communication Research

ABSTRACT The increase in elites’ use of racial appeals has compelled some scholars of political communication to tell a more comprehensive story about political identity in the United States and elsewhere around the world . This occurred alongside the field of communication’s , and subfield of political communication’s , longstanding failures to develop a racial analytic – a clear reflection of the field’s overwhelming whiteness. In this forum essay, we contextualize and review some strains of new literature on identity in political communication, with a focus especially on the U.S. context and the intersection of race and political power. Our aim is to call attention to what we see as an emerging approach to centering power, identity, and social groups in the field. These works are diverse theoretically and methodologically, and their authors may or may not recognize themselves as doing work in political communication at all. But we see tremendous value in what they share analytically, substantively, and normatively, and aim to mark the emergence and – we hope – flourishing of this work.

Hate-sharing: A case study of its prevalence and impact on Gab

This article brings frameworks from literary and cultural studies and methods from network science to bear on a central topic in political communication research: polarization. Recent studies have called into question the argument that digital “echo chambers” exacerbate polarization by preventing members from encountering a diversity of information and opinions. Using Gab, a far-right social media platform, as a case study, we offer further evidence that even members of highly polarized publics do engage in “cross-cutting.” However, we develop a distinct concept of hate-sharing, or sharing content for the purpose of disagreeing with or denigrating it. We show that hate-sharing is common on Gab. Moreover, it is associated with stronger community structure than other kinds of sharing and appears to confer substantially greater influence on those who engage in it. We interpret these findings as evidence that social networks incentivize the production of networked outrage—where “hating on” linked content merges with hate.