Online Research Tools Research Articles

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.

What Huntington's Disease Patients Say About Their Illness: An Online Direct-to-Participant Pilot Study.

Direct-to-participant online reporting facilitates the conduct of clinical research by increasing access and clinically meaningful patient engagement. We assessed feasibility of online data collection from adults with diagnosed Huntington's disease (HD) who directly reported their problems and impact in their own words. Data were collected online from consenting United States residents who self-identified as 1) having been diagnosed with Huntington's disease, 2) able to ambulate independently, and 3) self-sufficient for most daily needs. Data for this pilot study were collected using the Huntington Study Group myHDstory online research platform. The Huntington Disease Patient Report of Problems (HD-PROP), an open-ended questionnaire, was used to capture verbatim bothersome problems and functional impact. Natural language processing, human-in-the-loop curation of verbatim reports involving clinical and experience experts, and machine learning classified verbatim-reports into clinically meaningful symptoms. All 8 questionnaires in the online pilot study were completed by 345 participants who were 60.9% men, 34.5±9.9 (mean±SD) years old, and 9.5±8.4 years since HD diagnosis. Racial self-identification was 46.4% Caucasian, 28.7% African American, 15.4% American Indian/Alaska Native, and 9.5% other. Accuracy of verbatim classification was 99%. Non-motor problems were the most frequently reported symptoms; depression and cognitive impairment were the most common. Online research participation was feasible for a diverse cohort of adults who self-reported an HD diagnosis and predominantly non-motor symptoms related to mood and cognition. Online research tools can help inform what bothers HD patients, identify clinically meaningful outcomes, and facilitate participation by diverse and under-represented populations.

Conducting collage elicitation research online: what happens when we remove the scissors and glue?

PurposeThis autoethnographic article presents the adaptation of collage—an arts-based method traditionally used in face-to-face settings—into an online research tool. It emphasizes the increased relevance of such a transition in the wake of the digital shift and the Covid-19 pandemic. The work aims to reveal how digital collages can facilitate in-depth participant responses in a time when conventional research settings are inaccessible.Design/methodology/approachThe article incorporates autoethnographic vignettes, which are identified in italics, that offer insights into my personal reflections on the transition and adaptation to an online mode. Firstly, I review how collage can be a valuable tool to include in focus groups and for elicitation during semi-structured interviews. Secondly, I review the challenges I experienced when conducting focus groups online to create the collages. Thirdly, I explore, in more detail, three examples of collages that reflect the diverse ranges that were produced and the insightful discussions that emerged from the participants describing the visual elements of their collages. Finally, the reflective nature of my autoethnographic vignettes provides an insight into the world of the researcher during this turbulent time.FindingsFindings show that collage, whether physical or digital, remains an effective tool for eliciting nuanced understandings from participants. The research contributes to the arts-based research narrative by showcasing how the digital adaptation of collage methods can yield profound insights into participants' perspectives, therefore enriching the data beyond what traditional interviews could unveil.Originality/valueThese observations can provide support for other researchers who are contemplating the adoption of online arts-based research methods. Understanding how traditionally face-to-face arts-based research methods can be adapted for the digitally evolving landscape is important for shaping the future of online research.

The Influence Of Customer Value, Customer Trust And Electronic Service Quality On Customer Satisfaction Of Traveloka

The purpose of this study is to determine whether customer value, trust, and e-service quality affect customer satisfaction. In this research, the population is active internet users who are familiar with online transactions, the number of which is unknown or can be said to be in the infinite category. This study's sample strategy combines a purposive sampling approach with a non-probability sampling technique. There were 100 samples used in this investigation. Both primary and secondary data are used in this study. Researchers employed web-based electronic questionnaires and online research tools to obtain primary data. Numerous inferences can be made based on the study's findings and the subsequent discussion, including the following: Customer satisfaction is significantly improved by the quality of e-services. Customer satisfaction is significantly positively impacted by customer value. Customer pleasure is positively impacted by trust. Customer happiness is influenced simultaneously by e-service quality, customer value, and trust.

Validating the COVID Check-In: A co-produced online platform enabling integrated care for people with Long COVID

Introduction: ‘Long COVID’ describes the sustained and debilitating symptoms experienced by many people following acute COVID-19 infection. This study builds on previous work by Deakin University and the Western Health COVID-19 Recovery Collaboration (WHCOVRE). In this previous work, a team of 4 health researchers and 6 consumers with Long COVID co-designed the COVID Recovery (or DisCOVeRY) model of care. This model provides a framework for appropriate and effective care by providing an integrated pathway that incorporates existing community supports, tailored to individual consumer need. Consumers receive a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment using a co-designed patient rated outcome measure (PROM) called the ‘COVID Check-In’ (CCI), the World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-36), EQ-5D and the 100-point Goal Attainment Scale (GAS). Assessment outcomes determine which clinical stream is offered – self-managed (DisCOVeRY-SM) or intensive rehabilitation (DisCOVeRY-IR).
 Aim: The aim of this project was to validate the automated component of DisCOVeRY-SM for people with Long COVID. Is the CCI a valid, reliable, relevant and accessible Patient Rated Outcome Measure (PROM) for people with Long COVID?
 Methods: A quantitative descriptive approach was adopted, providing a psychometric analysis of the validity of the CCI. The CCI was delivered using “Platform O”; a flexible online research tool developed at Deakin University to meet both end-user and researcher needs. The interactive content builder fully integrates with questionnaire applications, online video platforms, animated content, and third-party interactive applications. “Platform O” also includes engagement tools (e.g., star ratings, personalised reminders) and security features to support user testing, continuous quality improvement and communication between end-users and the project team.
 All Australians meeting the World Health Organisation case description of Long COVID aged over 18 years were eligible to participate. For divergent validity analysis, a separate sample of Australians diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) aged over 18 years were also eligible to participate. Participants were invited to complete the comprehensive baseline assessment outcome measures only on a single occasion on Platform O. Brief ‘pop’ up questions about the comprehensiveness, relevance and comprehensibility of the CCI were included to evaluate content validity. Correlations between CCI scores, WHODAS-36, EQ-5D and the GAS assessed convergent validity. While Long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome share some symptoms, they are distinctive syndromes whose differences were used to assess divergent validity.
 Results: The face and construct validity of the CCI was tested in a small sample (n=20) at Western Health. Further validation is currently underway (n=260 consumers) to ensure its quality prior to broader scale up of the DisCOVeRY-SM, and these results will be reported in this conference paper. 
 Conclusion: The CCI is the first co-produced PROM for people with Long COVID, and specifically reflects their needs and priorities. Rigorous validation of this measure will support its broader dissemination both within and outside of Australia, to enable people with this syndrome to receive integrated, high quality and individually tailored care.

Building Digital Projects to Outlive Their Funding

Sustainability is a well-known issue in the digital humanities, but it is rarely discussed in print. Too many valuable online research tools struggle to secure the funding to remain available indefinitely. This problem is especially pronounced in the case of short-term, grant-funded projects, which face the dual problem of limited development time and a horizon of active support. Yet these projects often produce bodies of knowledge that remain useful long after the project ends. Taking one specific case as a prototypical example, The Zodiac Glossary, this paper examines various strategies for ensuring the longevity of online digital resources. What works in extremis is easier to implement in other circumstances. This paper is, on one hand, an implicit call for better funding for digital projects. On the other, it is a brief guide to navigating the situation as it stands. Those working on digital projects may find strategies here to guide their own decision-making processes.

Evaluating and expanding usability and user satisfaction of an online research portal

Whilst online learning has gained rapid momentum, the development of online technology and practices that support the delivery of online courses with a large research component has been slow. In 2017, the School of Psychological Sciences at Monash University, Australia, developed a potentially scalable and transferable online research portal. This is an all-in-one platform that is designed to facilitate and support online research and research supervision, for supervisors and students. The research portal has evolved to currently provide research and research supervision support to over 700 online psychology students at the university. This paper describes the development, implementation and impact of the research portal and presents data from a preliminary evaluation of its usability and user satisfaction. Both research students and supervisors from the fully online fourth-year Graduate Diploma of Psychology Advanced program at Monash University participated in a series of focus groups, individual usability testing sessions, and surveys, and reported favourably on the research portal’s research supervisor and supervisee user satisfaction and usability. Qualitative and quantitative feedback provided useful information supporting research portal improvement and expansion possibilities, allowing an increasingly valuable contribution to online research supervision, research and research teaching. Implications for practice or policy All research students will be able to complete their research-related professional training online. Research supervisors and students will be able to access a standardised best practice online research supervision and research tool across courses and topics. Course leaders will be able to expand online education with an online research supervision and research tool that supports all research programs. Universities will be able to provide a research learning pathway for all students.

Internal crisis communication: The effects of negative employee-organization relationships on internal reputation and employees’ unsupportive behavior

This study seeks to advance the growing body of research in internal crisis communication by exploring the role of negative employee-organization relationships (NEOR) in determining crisis outcomes (employees' unsupportive behavior and internal reputation). The current study was conducted using 465 full-time employees working in the technology sector (phone manufacturing industry) in the United States. The employees were recruited using an online research tool, Qualtrics. Multiple hierarchical regression and path analysis were used to analyze the results. The results reveal that a) NEOR affects internal reputation negatively and increases the likelihood of unsupportive behavior, b) timing does not affect the relationship between NEOR and crisis outcomes, c) rebuilding strategies help in overcoming employees' unwillingness to support the organization during a crisis, and d) negative emotions influence the effect of NEOR on the crisis outcomes. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Progression through time: Development of birdwatcher careers based on propensity score matching

Recreation specialization postulates that people progress through a career when engaging in a leisure activity. This has been studied by cross-sectional and few panel studies, but both methods have some shortcomings. Here, I studied German birdwatchers from the 16 federal states of Germany by employing the propensity score matching method. Data were collected using the online research tool SoSciSurvey between 14 February 2020 and 15 June 2020 include study population, sampling, data collection, and analysis in short. Three career stages of the same size were defined according to birdwatching experience in years. Then, respondents were matched according to age, gender, federal state, and educational level but differed in their leisure career stages by propensity score matching, thus birders of the same age, gender, educational level, and federal state were identified that differed in their birding experience in years. Stage 1 was birders with ≤10 years of birding, stage 2 with 11–34, and stage 3 with ≥35 years. This led to 177 pairs in the stage 1–2 comparison and 113 pairs in the group 2–2 comparison. The recreation specialization construct based on the dimensions behavior, skill, and commitment was applied. There was a highly significant effect concerning skill/knowledge and behavior between stage 1 and 2 (p < .001 for both). However, no differences were found concerning personal and behavioral commitment (p > .5). Skill/knowledge increased again between stage 2 and 3 (F = 4.554, df = 112, p = .035), no significant changes concerning the other three dimensions behavior, personal, and behavioral commitments were found (p > .2). The study provides evidence for a career development in leisure.

Company Competitiveness Profiles on the example of Polish enterprises in the Silesian Region in 2020

Motivation: The concept of competitiveness is used to define the ratio of enterprises to competitors and results from many internal features and the ability to deal with an external environment. However, comparing main elements of company competitiveness to each other does not give detailed position in the market sector, which is the main area of competition. Therefore it is necessary to look for a different method of companies comparison in the field of their competitiveness.&#x0D; Aim: The purpose of this paper is to present a assessment method of company competitiveness based on the Company Competitiveness Profile in a market sector. The Company Competitive Profile consists of different variables of a competitive potential, a strategy of competition and a competitive advantage. This method is verified based on results of the Company Competitiveness Barometer conducted in 2021 in 177 Polish companies in the Silesian Region. The Company Competitiveness Barometer is an online research tool for assessing company competitiveness which has been used by the authors since 2012.&#x0D; Results: The questionnaire used in the Company Competitiveness Barometer contains 48 questions. 45 of them are related to the characteristics of the company that are affecting its competitiveness, and 3 questions are metric questions. The questionnaire can be found on http://sensorium24.com. There were 2 hypotheses which were verified in the paper: H1: The configuration of the components of the Company Competitiveness Profile is different in different sectors of the economy. H2: Each company can be characterized in a sector by its individual Company Competitive Profile. The papers presents verification of two hypothesis which concern the Company Competitive Profiles and their use in assessment of company competitiveness in an economic sector. This is also an added value and an original contribution to company research methodology.

Facing the challenge of digital sustainability as humanities researchers

Humanities researchers are increasingly united in their concerns about the long-term sustainability of digital resources. Much of our work is now reliant upon the use of resources such as databases, online research tools and digital editions. Libraries and archives are undertaking programmes of �mass digitisation�, making our primary sources available to view as digital images on the web. This article presents a view of the current landscape as well as thoughts for the future of digital research for scholars in the humanities. It considers four aspects of sustainability (technological, financial, environmental and �human�), and offers a new working definition for digital sustainability in this context. This centres on sustainability not just as a technical concern but as a multifaceted activity within which humanities researchers can play a crucial role.

Criteria for assessing action undertaken by border municipalities towards a “green smart city”

The article presents a proposal for a research tool that might assess the ecological activity of municipalities, with particular emphasis on those that lie on national boundaries. With climate change, it has become necessary to take into account the principles of sustainable growth while maintaining high living standards in the long term. Systematic research on the action undertaken by municipalities in this area is a necessary requirement in the coming years. For this reason, the main directions and areas of research in the process of approaching the concept of a “green smart city” have been outlined. The available literature is limited to research in the field of smart cities and examines solutions for large urban agglomerations. The evaluation criteria of “ecological maturity” proposed in this paper are designed for small border municipalities. One may accept the thesis that due to their specificity, location, natural diversity and the opportunities for cooperation with a foreign partner that they offer, border municipalities can create a model of ecological behaviour in terms of a “green smart city”. This evolution requires support and monitoring for policymakers, and the proposed online research tool may reveal “ecological immaturities”, decisional errors or just plain negligence. One might only hope that, as a result of these indications, the recommendations will prove valuable for all local government units. On the other hand, a number of doubts and dilemmas are raised that researchers are unable to eliminate at this stage.

Developing critical appraisal and evidence synthesis skills in future microbiologists.

ABSTRACTThe Covid-19 pandemic has demanded modifications to undergraduates’ learning experiences and promised a more challenging scientific world in which they will live. Bespoke evidence synthesis and critical appraisal skills modules are an opportunity to utilize our information-saturated world to our advantage. This program of study made use of a virtual journal club, structured literature searches, scoping review methods and a variety of online research tools to navigate and critique the literature. The program design is here outlined with sample learning objectives and reference to the resources used.

Depiction and Broadcasting of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Pakistan through Social Media.

The position of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the face of the wealth of information and skills that are passed on from one generation to another. (ICH) is expressed through the progression, expressions, knowledge and skills they represent and the associated objects and cultural spaces that people differentiate as a component of their cultural heritage that they describe through the generations and are regularly rebuilt, ensures that humanity is the simplest form of identity and continuity. Intangible cultural heritage is vital for the existence and development of society. Pakistan is a country with a culture of Indus Valley civilization of over six thousand years. All provinces of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have their own distinct cultures and traditions. This rich intangible culture is in an exceptionally very fragile state and must be lost due to various internal and external factors and will be preserved and promoted. This article presents some phenomena and intangible cultural heritage of Pakistan through social media. The possible role of social networks in the process of preserving intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is to provide space, information and the dissemination of innovation. The areas of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) that focus on strategies and desire the role of online media are growing with the development of the latest online knowledge, research tools, analyses and visual presentation. Sharing is at the heart of the awareness process, with social networking sites, online promotion, digital objects (ICH) representing, educating and reviving.

Investigating the Effects of Online Research Skills Instructions: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Grade 8

This article reports on a part of a larger mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study which investigated the effect of a comprehensive model of online source- use on developing online research skills and lessening copy-paste trend in the writing pieces of Grade 8 ESL students ( n = 172) in three private schools in Saida, Lebanon. Eight teachers were randomly assigned into experimental and control conditions along with their respective classes. Five of these teachers implemented a ten–session intervention. The main researcher collected pre and post data on online research and comprehension assessment tool (revised-ORCA). Supported with current research and informed by the principles of the social- cognitive, socio-cultural, and the new literacies theories, statistical analyses revealed that the experimental group outperformed the control group, showing higher score gains from pre-test to post-test on an overall score of revised ORCA as well as on its subskills. It was also noted that the contribution of the intervention on the scores of communicate ideas responsibly was almost twice the effect on the rest of subskills. Theoretical and pedagogical implications generated from this study were discussed. Recommendations for school policies and further research were also provided. Keywords : online research skills, copy-paste, middle school, ESL/EFL DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-33-11 Publication date: November 30 th 2020

A utilização da plataforma Google Forms em pesquisa acadêmica: relato de experiência

Objetivo: Descrever o uso da plataforma do Google Forms como método de pesquisa. Metodologia: Trata-se de um relato de experiência vivenciado por discente e docente, na qual obteve como método a utilização da plataforma do Google Forms como ferramenta de pesquisa online. Relato de experiência: A coleta de dados por intermédio do questionário online que a Plataforma do Google Forms, permitiu vivenciar experiências significativas frente à distância entre os participantes podendo assim obter um número significativo de participantes de diferentes locais de todo o território nacional. Conclusão: É importante que os docentes e os discentes se apropriarem dessa ferramenta do Google, pois ela apresenta um grande potencial em relação as pesquisas a distância e possui um vasto campo de abrangência, a fim de que possam vir a inovar em suas práticas.

Състояние и потребителски нагласи на студентите от ВТУ при използване на дебитни карти и разплащания с тях

The continuous processes in the banking system in view of the improvement of electronic services have become more and more characteristic in recent years in Bulgaria.Consumers who trust them are also gradually increasing.This research has attempted to analyze the opinions and attitudes of consumers who use debit cards, pay cash with them, and use online banking.The target group of the study are students from the Faculty of Economics at “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” University of Veliko Tarnovo in regular form of training.The survey was conducted through online research tools during the academic year 2018/2019. Conclusions and recommendations are based on the results obtained based on the responses of 340 students (51% of all full-time students).

Assessing the visual Q method online research tool: A usability, reliability, and methods agreement analysis

The traditional paper-based Q method was introduced to the social sciences in the 1930s. However, despite its unique capability for measuring peoples’ subjective opinions, the method has not been broadly employed by researchers. Moreover, despite recent efforts to administer the Q method surveys via the Internet, they have been mostly limited to the usage of textual prompts. Besides, there is no concrete evidence on the usability, reliability, and agreement analysis between the online Q method research tools and the traditional paper-based Q method. Therefore, the visual Q method online research tool was developed to resolve these deficiencies and add new dimensions (audio and video) to the Q method research. The development of the visual Q method platform was a three-stage process that commenced with a usability test on 31 visitors to a local museum. Second, a test–retest reliability analysis with a convenient sample of 37 students resulted in a high reliability coefficient superior to that of the traditional paper-based Q method. Third, the analysis of agreement between the visual Q method and the traditional paper-based Q method on a sample of 10 students revealed substantial similarities between their generated (V)Q sorts. Overall, the study findings provide substantial evidence on the usability and rigor of the visual Q method online research tool.

PdumBase: a transcriptome database and research tool for Platynereis dumerilii and early development of other metazoans

BackgroundThe marine polychaete annelid Platynereis dumerilii has recently emerged as a prominent organism for the study of development, evolution, stem cells, regeneration, marine ecology, chronobiology and neurobiology within metazoans. Its phylogenetic position within the spiralian/ lophotrochozoan clade, the comparatively high conservation of ancestral features in the Platynereis genome, and experimental access to any stage within its life cycle, make Platynereis an important model for elucidating the complex regulatory and functional molecular mechanisms governing early development, later organogenesis, and various features of its larval and adult life. High resolution RNA-seq gene expression data obtained from specific developmental stages can be used to dissect early developmental mechanisms. However, the potential for discovery of these mechanisms relies on tools to search, retrieve, and compare genome-wide information within Platynereis, and across other metazoan taxa.ResultsTo facilitate exploration and discovery by the broader scientific community, we have developed a web-based, searchable online research tool, PdumBase, featuring the first comprehensive transcriptome database for Platynereis dumerilii during early stages of development (2 h ~ 14 h). Our database also includes additional stages over the P. dumerilii life cycle and provides access to the expression data of 17,213 genes (31,806 transcripts) along with annotation information sourced from Swiss-Prot, Gene Ontology, KEGG pathways, Pfam domains, TmHMM, SingleP, and EggNOG orthology. Expression data for each gene includes the stage, the normalized FPKM, the raw read counts, and information that can be leveraged for statistical analyses of differential gene expression and the construction of genome-wide co-expression networks. In addition, PdumBase offers early stage transcriptome expression data from five further species as a valuable resource for investigators interested in comparing early development in different organisms. To understand conservation of Platynereis gene models and to validate gene annotation, most Platynereis gene models include a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis across 18 species representing diverse metazoan taxa.ConclusionsPdumBase represents the first online resource for the early developmental transcriptome of Platynereis dumerilii. It serves as a research platform for discovery and exploration of gene expression during early stages, throughout the Platynereis life cycle, and enables comparison to other model organisms. PdumBase is freely available at http://pdumbase.gdcb.iastate.edu.

An Evaluation of Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, Its Rapid Rise, and Its Effective Use

Over the past 2 decades, many social scientists have expanded their data-collection capabilities by using various online research tools. In the 2011 article “Amazon’s Mechanical Turk: A new source of inexpensive, yet high-quality, data?” in Perspectives on Psychological Science, Buhrmester, Kwang, and Gosling introduced researchers to what was then considered to be a promising but nascent research platform. Since then, thousands of social scientists from seemingly every field have conducted research using the platform. Here, we reflect on the impact of Mechanical Turk on the social sciences and our article’s role in its rise, provide the newest data-driven recommendations to help researchers effectively use the platform, and highlight other online research platforms worth consideration.