Online Forums Research Articles

Exploring the role of online discussion forums in endorsing Egyptian undergraduates’ EFL learning

eLearning Management systems (eLMS) are software applications used in universities worldwide to implement specific educational goals. eLearning platforms have several features that support traditional Face to Face (FTF) teaching and provide valuable opportunities for independent, self-paced learning. One of these features is the Online Discussion Forums (ODFs). This research paper investigates the role of ODFs in endorsing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning by examining students' perceptions of its accessibility, peer/instructor interaction, assessment criteria, and discussion topics. The paper also investigates the influence of gender on students' perceptions of the role of ODFs. This is a non-experimental research design, and 108 Egyptian undergraduates completed a semi-structured questionnaire of five dimensions. Percentages of frequency were calculated and quantitatively analysed via the SPSS. Research findings revealed male and female students’ positive perceptions of using ODFs in their learning process. Results also revealed that students highly perceived choice of topics and assessment as crucial factors for successful learning via ODFs, followed by peer/instructor interaction and accessibility of the tool. Implications for further research include employing ODFs to improve project-based teaching in different disciplines.

A rapid review of the evidence for online interventions for bereavement support.

Grieving is a natural process, and many people adjust with support from family and friends. Around 40% of people would benefit from additional input. Online bereavement support interventions may increase access to support. Evidence regarding their acceptability and effectiveness is emerging but needs to be synthesised. To synthesise evidence on the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, impacts and implementation of online interventions to improve wellbeing, coping and quality of life after bereavement. A rapid review of evidence regarding online bereavement support. We appraised study quality using AMSTAR 2 and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. English language articles published 1 January 2010 to 4 January 2024, using Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase and APA PsycINFO. Eligible articles examined formal and informal online interventions to improve bereavement outcomes. We screened 2050 articles by title and abstract. Four systematic reviews and 35 individual studies were included. Online bereavement support was feasible, acceptable and effective in reducing grief intensity, stress-related outcomes and depression. Where reported, participant retention was typically >70%. Positive impacts included: access to a supportive community at any time, reduced isolation; opportunities to process feelings; normalisation of loss responses; access to coping advice and opportunities for meaning-making and remembrance. Negative impacts included upset due to insensitive comments from others via unmoderated online forums. Online interventions can widen access to acceptable, effective bereavement support and improve outcomes for bereaved people. National policies and clinical guidelines relating to bereavement support need to be updated to take account of online formats.

Exploring collaborative writing among large groups in online distance learning through a public forum and private chat tool

Abstract This study explored how collaborative writing, an often-used instructional strategy in second language (L2) learning, intersects with large-group dynamics, and investigated their potential impact on the quality of writing outcomes in an online distance learning course. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research scrutinized intra-group interaction processes in two large groups undertaking a computer-assisted language learning writing assignment and evaluated the impact of these interaction processes on their writing products. Data from discussions in both a public online forum and a private social communication platform (WeChat) were collected, systematically coded, and analysed quantitatively and qualitatively based on language functions. Data collection also included an assessment of the written products and follow-up group interviews. The findings indicate distinct interaction patterns between high-performing and low-performing groups, characterised by an expert/participant pattern and a dominant/passive pattern, respectively. Additionally, insights from the interviews shed light on these interaction patterns and the potential impact on student learning outcomes. The study suggests practical implications, highlighting the importance of task design in promoting high levels of collaborative knowledge construction to enhance students’ writing skills and L2 language learning in large-group settings.

Pharmacists' Professional Satisfaction and Challenges: A Netnographic Analysis of Reddit and Facebook Discussions.

Pharmacists, essential healthcare providers, face significant challenges in professional satisfaction and well-being. This study investigates the factors influencing pharmacists' professional satisfaction, mainly focusing on workload, organizational support, job autonomy, work-life balance, and resilience against burnout. Data were collected from relevant online forums on Facebook and Reddit using a netnographic methodology. The data were anonymized and thematically coded to identify key themes from 23 conversation threads, primarily involving or concerning Romanian pharmacists. The analysis revealed several critical issues: widespread dissatisfaction with salaries, challenges in professional recognition, and the demanding nature of university education. Additional themes included economic and financial insights, global trends and technological impacts, personal experiences and satisfaction, professional growth and education, regulatory and market environment, and workplace dynamics. Findings indicate these factors significantly impact pharmacists' job satisfaction and overall well-being. The study concludes that addressing these issues through targeted interventions, such as policy reforms, educational updates, and enhanced organizational support, can improve the professional lives of pharmacists, thereby enhancing their contributions to healthcare outcomes.

“Empathy for children is often missing”: a mixed methods analysis of a German forum on COVID-19 pandemic measures

BackgroundThe pandemic and its preventive measures disrupted daily routines and posed unforeseen obstacles for families. Users of public online forums chronicled these challenges by freely expressing their sentiments in unrestricted text-length formats. We explored a German COVID-19 forum to understand family perspectives and experiences of pandemic measures, particularly in terms of testing and vaccinating children. Our findings aim to inform future epidemic health policies.MethodsWe retrieved all 11,207 entries from a COVID-19 forum during its lifespan (June 2020 - December 2021), posted during the height of the pandemic. We classified the entries into topic clusters including general pandemic situation, testing, or vaccination using state-of-the-art text embeddings and clustering algorithms. The clusters were selected based on the research’s aims and analysed qualitatively using a health policy triangle framework.ResultsUsers generally appreciated pandemic public health safety measures for everyone’s protection, yet voiced concerns about inconsistent policies and disproportional disadvantages for children compared to other societal groups, like the elderly. Non-compliers were overwhelmingly regarded with skepticism and critiqued. Users found COVID-19 (exit) strategies and information about the benefits of vaccination unclear. This created hurdles for parents and caregivers in navigating their children’s school and social life. Users endorsed vaccinating children mainly for “normalising” children’s lives rather than for their physical health benefits. Some users suggested prioritising teachers and early childhood educators on the vaccination eligibility list to speed up a return to “normality”.ConclusionsDuring pandemics, governments should prioritize addressing the societal and mental health needs of children by implementing participatory and family-oriented public health measures for schools and kindergartens. Clear communication coupled with consistent design and implementation of safety measures and regulations, would be crucial for building trust in the general population and for ensuring compliance regarding testing and vaccination. Communicating the benefits and risks of vaccinating children is of paramount importance for informed decision-making among parents. In future epidemics, computer-aided analysis of large online qualitative data would offer valuable insights into public sentiments and concerns, enabling proactive and adaptive epidemic responses.

Detecting the Severity of Depression in Online Forum Data by Leveraging Implicit Semantic Inferences

Depression, a prevalent mental health disorder with global implications, exerts a profound negative influence on individuals’ lives. While the prediction of depression (as a binary classification task) is a well-established research area, depression severity detection is a new research direction with limited studies. In the context of detecting the severity of depression through online forum data, this research endeavors to offer two distinct solutions by employing Ada embeddings, GPT 3.5 Turbo, and LIWC as feature engineering techniques, while AutoSklearn serves as the ensemble learning algorithm. Notably, the outcomes of this study significantly outperform existing state-of-the-art models on both depression severity annotated datasets used in this research. The results also showcase the potential reuse nature of the proposed models in diverse data sources due to their high performance in both datasets. Furthermore, as a valuable practical outcome, a software prototype has been developed, capable of providing the depression severity level, along with associated symptoms and keywords, upon inputting an online forum post.

Information Regarding Male Infertility in the Nordic Countries’ Fertility Clinics’ Websites: An Evaluation of Readability, Suitability, and Quality

Background There is a shortage of information on infertility targeted at men on the Internet, and the quality of websites on fertility-related information varies. This may lead men to seek information on the Internet, as the anonymity of online forums may appeal to some men. However, this information is not a substitute for proper diagnosis and treatment. Aim To examine whether online information on male infertility on private or university infertility clinics in Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden is readable, suitable, and of good quality. Methods A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate 83 fertility clinics’ websites focusing on male infertility by using the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM), and the DISCERN instrument. Results The results indicated that information pertaining to male infertility was scarce but had an “adequate” readability and was easy to comprehend. The findings also pinpoint several elements on websites that necessitate enhancement, notably updated evidence-based information. Conclusions The conclusion was that the information on the websites must be reliable, so that men can base their choices concerning their fertility issues on trustworthy facts. It is crucial that healthcare professionals develop high-quality sources of information regarding male infertility.

What aspects of outcome measurement instruments are important to parents and caregivers in child health trials: Survey protocol

Background Trials of interventions to prevent illness and/or improve health outcomes in children play a crucial role in the advancement of paediatric healthcare, research, and policy. It is important for researchers and trialists involved in such trials to understand factors which are important to parents/caregivers when deciding to participate and provide data about their child. There is little evidence to date surrounding the impact of outcome measurement instruments (OMIs) on parents/caregivers’ decisions about participation and provision of data in trials. The aim of this project is to examine what characteristics of OMIs are important in parents/caregivers’ decisions to engage with and participate in trials of interventions to prevent childhood illness and/or improve child health outcomes. Methods An online cross-sectional survey is being conducted. Survey recruitment began July 2024 and will be completed in October 2024. Parents/caregivers are eligible to participate if they have at least one child up to 12 years of age; there are no restrictions based on factors such as gender or nationality. Survey participants are being recruited using convenience sampling via social media, parenting websites, and online forums. This survey includes questions about parents/caregivers’ preferences for how, when, where, and with whom data is collected in child health research, as well as the types of OMIs parents/caregivers would be most comfortable using. Data will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Conclusions Findings from this study will address the current gap in knowledge related to preferences of parents/caregivers in how data are collected in trials of interventions to improve health outcomes in children. Study findings will inform trialists in the design and conduct of child health research in the future. Implementation of study findings in future trials can also improve experiences of children and their caregivers engaged in research and enhance the quality and quantity of data being collected.

Tweeting, talking, or doing politics? Testing the influence of communication on democratic engagement

Being politically and civically engaged is known to benefit society. Using online forums, such as Twitter (the social media platform now known as X), for democratic engagement is now commonplace. However, research is inconclusive on whether offline and online activities similarly result in real-world engagement. Using secondary analysis of Pew data, both types of engagement are compared among Twitter users. Results show Twitter users engaged online, but not offline. However, those who posted about political/social issues democratically engaged both offline and online.

7784 Perspectives Of Anabolic Steroid Users On Steroid Use, Side Effects, And Patient Education

Abstract Disclosure: D.D. Lam: None. M. Potemkin: None. J. Kreutz: None. H. Shah: None. P. Patel: None. P.K. Doyle-Baker: None. Background: Details on first-hand perceived and experienced effects of anabolic steroids (AS) on users are sparse. Furthermore, there is limited information on what type of AS knowledge users possess, irrespective of current published works in AS pharmacology. This study aimed to identify insights of AS users regarding their knowledge and patterns of AS use, commonly experienced side effects, sources used for steroid education, and their unique needs as a population. Study Design: AS users from Calgary, Alberta, Canada of various sexes and ages ≥ 18 were recruited through gyms in Alberta with convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Participant-centered-qualitative research using semi-structured interviews was conducted. Participants discussed their experiences as a user and shared their understanding of AS, details of usage including compounds used, and their commonly experienced or perceived side effects through one-on-one interviews of varying durations. Interviews were coded using NVivo 14 Software prior to thematic analysis. Resulting codes were organized into overarching themes based on researchers' consensus. Results: Seven AS users were confidentially interviewed over Zoom. Several important themes emerged. There existed a wide variety of AS that users have identified, with some of the most commonly mentioned being Anavar, Nolvadex, Testosterone, and Trenbolone. Steroid users frequently identified increased strength with faster recovery from training and better overall appearance as prominent advantages of AS use. Conversely, hair loss, gynecomastia, acne, aggression, erectile dysfunction, altered libido, hypogonadism, infertility, and injection related discomfort were commonly identified disadvantages of AS use. Lastly, individuals using AS report having consulted many different sources to learn about appropriate dosing, techniques, and side effects. These sources ranged from peers, coaches, online forums, social media, and scientific research articles, but rarely included healthcare professionals. Conclusions: This study identified the need for education and research in exploring the impact of AS use. A variety of AS exist on the market, yet information pertaining to the side effect profiles of these AS from a patient’s perspective is lacking and exploration of this topic is warranted. Further investigation as to the impact of user education on their understanding of the risks versus the benefits of AS use must also be conducted. Presentation: 6/1/2024

Understanding e-Cigarette Addictiveness: Triangulation of Focus Group and Netnographic Data.

Numerous studies have shown that e-cigarettes are addictive. For example, we previously showed that users of e-cigarette online forums discuss experiences of addiction in a netnographic analysis. However, it is unclear what makes e-cigarettes addictive apart from nicotine. In a focus group analysis, we recently identified 3 unique features of e-cigarettes that users linked to experiences of addiction: the pleasant taste, unobtrusiveness, and unlimited usability of e-cigarettes. This study aimed to validate the previously identified features of e-cigarette addictive potential by triangulating data from the netnographic analysis and focus group discussions. Drawing on a netnographic analysis of 3 popular, German-language e-cigarette forums, we studied whether experiences of addiction were linked to specific e-cigarette features. We included 451 threads in the analysis that had been coded for addictive experiences in a previous study by our team. First, we conducted a deductive analysis with preregistered codes to determine whether the features of pleasant taste, unobtrusiveness, and unlimited usability were mentioned in relation to the addictive potential of e-cigarettes in the online forums. Second, an inductive approach was chosen to identify further possible addictive features of e-cigarettes. Our deductive analysis confirmed that the features highlighted in our previous focus group study (pleasant taste, unobtrusiveness, and unlimited usability) were also frequently discussed in online forums in connection to addictive symptoms. In addition, our inductive analysis identified nicotine dosage as a significant feature linked to addiction. Users reported varying their nicotine doses for different reasons, leading to the identification of four distinct user types based on dosing patterns: (1) high doses for intermittent, (2) high doses for constant use, (3) low doses for constant use, and (4) switching between high and low doses depending on the situation. Our comprehensive analysis of online forum threads revealed that users' experiences of addiction are linked to 4 specific features unique to e-cigarettes: pleasant taste, unobtrusiveness, unlimited usability, and nicotine dosage. Recognizing these addictive features of e-cigarettes is crucial for designing cessation programs and informing public health policies to reduce the addictiveness of e-cigarettes.

The Manifest and Latent Structures of Medicalization and Psychologization in Lay Depression Discourses — A Word Embedding Analysis of Online Forums

AbstractOnline depression forums are emerging platforms of the e-mental health sector. Exploring the ongoing lay discourses has the potential of better understanding first-person accounts of depression and developing new technologies of health promotion. Based on these premises, the article analyzes the hypothesis concerning the discursive transformation of sadness into depression (elaborated by Horwitz and Wakefield), that is the ‘medicalization’ and ‘psychologization’ of social suffering. While these generic theoretical diagnoses describe a long-term discursive transformation, they rely on a limited methodological toolset as they are based on the retrospective examination of key discursive sources (such as the consequent generations of DSM). While these analyses certainly have a heuristic value, their conclusions require further empirical testing. Our analysis focuses on the largest English-language online depression forums, while relying on word-embedding modelling. Our results do not simply reinforce or falsify the original hypotheses; instead, they imply a more complex model: on manifest level, the medicalization or psychologization of social suffering is detectable only partially; however, on a latent level, many of these solutions still follow either an instrumental-medical or a supportive-psychological logic. Based on these results, the reinforcement of online forums hosting social suffering discourses of depression is suggested.

EXERCISES FOR DEVELOPING CRITICAL AND DIGITAL THINKING IN TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

The article explores the interplay between critical thinking and digital literacy in today's technology-driven society. This article explores various exercises designed to enhance critical and digital thinking skills in the context of teaching foreign languages. It emphasizes the integration of language learning with digital literacy, presenting activities for developing critical thinking such as source evaluation, comparative analysis, digital footprint assessment, online discussion evaluation, ethical considerations, digital content analysis, online research and presentation tools to produce their project, reflective blogging, virtual debate. Additionally, it highlights the importance of engaging in digital scavenger hunt, evaluating online language tools, creating digital content, online discussion forums, web-based language projects, analyzing digital media, digital storytelling, online forums for better digital communication and project-based learning for collaboration based on digital thinking.

Further semantic change of the derogatory sociomorpheme tái in Chinese gender-related Internet neologisms

Internet neologisms provide discursive spaces for grassroots netizens. This study examines a pair of gendered labels gaining popularity in Taiwanese online forums: táinán ‘Tai-man’ and táinǚ ‘Tai-woman’. The quantitative keyword analysis based on a corpus of online data suggests that táinán and táinǚ are pejorative labels. The qualitative discourse analysis of the keywords in context presents gender stereotypes associated with táinán and táinǚ, respectively. Converging evidence for the negative attitudes toward táinán and táinǚ is obtained in a questionnaire survey. The shared morpheme tái inherits localness-related ideologies and interacts with gender ideologies concerning ideal manhood and womanhood, and it has come to index an ideological contrast between favorable foreignness and unfavorable localness. This study contributes to the current literature on Chinese morphological patterns studied in social contexts. Moreover, this study presents evidence that changes in social meanings also follow the dominant trajectories of other semantic changes.

Use of Offensive Animal Metaphor as an Interactional Activity in Online Forum Discussions

ABSTRACT This paper investigates offensive animal metaphors in blog comments about the management of donations of money and medical relief during the coronavirus pandemic in China. Rather than understanding the metaphorical usage of language as a cognitive process, we consider its situational usage as a social action and invoke insights from Conversation Analysis. Based on data retrieved from Sina Weibo, we show how discussants use animal metaphors to accomplish varying actions and construct intelligibility between themselves and others about the relationship between actions, moral accountability, and description of social events. We therefore argue that CA with its focus on topicality, action and societal membership can complement the cognitive understanding of the proximity between the source and the target domains.

Reproducible brain PET data analysis: easier said than done.

While a great deal of recent effort has focused on addressing a perceived reproducibility crisis within brain structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI research communities, this article argues that brain positron emission tomography (PET) research stands on even more fragile ground, lagging behind efforts to address MRI reproducibility. We begin by examining the current landscape of factors that contribute to reproducible neuroimaging data analysis, including scientific standards, analytic plan pre-registration, data and code sharing, containerized workflows, and standardized processing pipelines. We then focus on disparities in the current status of these factors between brain MRI and brain PET. To demonstrate the positive impact that further developing such reproducibility factors would have on brain PET research, we present a case study that illustrates the many challenges faced by one laboratory that attempted to reproduce a community-standard brain PET processing pipeline. We identified key areas in which the brain PET community could enhance reproducibility, including stricter reporting policies among PET dedicated journals, data repositories, containerized analysis tools, and standardized processing pipelines. Other solutions such as mandatory pre-registration, data sharing, code availability as a condition of grant funding, and online forums and standardized reporting templates, are also discussed. Bolstering these reproducibility factors within the brain PET research community has the potential to unlock the full potential of brain PET research, propelling it toward a higher-impact future.

Comparing perceived empathy and intervention strategies of an AI chatbot and human psychotherapists in online mental health support

AbstractBackgroundGiven the growing potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance therapeutic interventions and work with a large number of people, it is crucial to understand AI's differences, advantages and limitations compared with human therapists.MethodologyThis study compared an AI chatbot's and human psychotherapists' capabilities in responding to mental health enquiries in an online forum. One hundred and fifty questions from a Reddit forum, where qualified therapists provide mental health support, were selected. Each question received two responses: one from a human therapist and one generated by AI. These 300 responses were coded and compared based on empathy indices and psychological intervention types.ResultsThe results indicated that AI scored significantly higher in perspective‐taking (V = 12,957, p < .001, r = .53) and empathic concern (V = 17,400, p < .001, r = .60). AI was more likely to use supportive interventions (42.2% vs. 21.8%) and slightly more likely to aim for insight‐driven change (6.41% vs. 4.57%). In contrast, human therapists were more inclined to provide advice and information (47.84% vs. 39.81%), explore dysfunctional patterns (19.95% vs. 10.29%) and ask clarifying questions (4.09% vs. 0.97%). A chi‐squared test confirmed significant differences between the intervention types used by AI and human therapists (χ2[8, N = 300] = 67.80, p < .001).DiscussionThese findings highlight AI's potential for basic perceived empathic support, especially in administrative tasks and therapist training. However, the study's scope is limited to single interactions, without the consideration of the nuanced communication available to human therapists through speech, facial expressions and body language.

Searching for Love and Babies: A Qualitative Study on Online Social Support Among Women with Infertility

ABSTRACT With the popularity of computer-mediated communication, accessing online social support has become more accessible for women confronting infertility, yet the role of such support for Chinese women remains understudied. This study investigates the online social support experiences of Chinese women navigating infertility within the framework of Cutrona and Suhr’s social support. Employing netnography and semi-structured interviews alongside thematic analysis, the findings highlight challenges in informational support due to limitations in online information dissemination, with some degree of overlap observed between informational support and network support. Emotional support proves crucial and esteem support aids in mitigating self-blame among online forum members. Tangible assistance primarily involves expressed willingness to help. This research advances social support theory by exploring new areas, clarifying online support mechanisms using Daena Goldsmith’s normative approach, highlighting sociocultural influences, and enhancing understanding of esteem support in the context of stigmatization.

Online Portfolio Based on Trend Trading Strategy Considering Investor Sentiment Using Text Analysis

Intelligent online portfolios have become an important research topic in the field of quantitative finance. This paper proposes an online portfolio based on trend trading strategy using fuzzy logic technology analysis method and considering investor sentiment. Firstly, the paper uses SVM classification algorithm to analyze stock comment text data in online forums and constructs investor sentiment indicators. Secondly, the paper transforms the heuristic algorithm of technical trading into corresponding fuzzy IF-THEN rules and combines them into a fuzzy investment decision system. Thirdly, the paper constructs a new online portfolio based on trend trading strategy. Finally, the paper uses the text data of investor reviews and stock trading data on the internet for empirical analysis to illustrate the effectiveness of the online portfolio strategy constructed. The results indicate that online portfolios constructed based on trend trading strategies can achieve higher performance than benchmark strategies while considering transaction costs.

Oocyte freezing intention for non-medical reasons: the interplay with childbearing intention, age and self efficacy

ABSTRACT In recent years, the possibility for healthy women to consider or undertake oocyte freezing for non-medical reasons (OFNMR) allows women who want to have biological children, to enable motherhood at a later time, while protecting against age-related fertility decline. The present study explored the intended OFNMR among healthy Israeli women by looking at the interplay of age, childbearing intention and general self-efficacy – a personal resource. Two hundred fifty-one Israeli women were recruited through social networks and online forums related to women’s issues in general. Participants completed self-report questionnaires addressing socio-demographic data, childbearing intention, general self-efficacy, and OFNMR intention. The results revealed that the association between women’s age and OFNMR intention was insignificant. However, childbearing intention moderated the association between women’s age and OFNMR intention. Specifically, the association between age and OFNMR intention was positive and significant for women with childbearing intention while for women without childbearing intention, it was negative and significant. General self-efficacy was not found to be associated with OFNMR intention. The current study shed light on the role of childbearing intention in the context of fertility decisions, especially among women who verbalize their intention for OFNMR. Routine discussion between health-care professionals and women regarding childbearing intentions is recommended, especially with women nearing age-related decline in fertility