Participation In Forums Research Articles

Ключевые проблемы развития Приморского края: взгляд населения, региональной власти, экспертов

The article represents the results of a comparative analysis of the opinions of the population, regional authorities on key socio-economic problems of Primorsky Krai, and these results correlate with the opinions of the participants of the Eastern Economic Forum – 2022 on those areas that should be the focus of attention and funding from the federal authorities. The results of this analysis are disappointing: the population of the region and regional officials, together with the country's political elites (represented by the Forum participants) think in different paradigms. The population cares about solving current vital problems, while officials prefer solving global ambitious tasks to be implemented in the long term. The article proposes measures for the formation of such public agenda in which the choice of a scenario for the investment development of the region would be synchronized with a long-term strategy for the socio-economic development of Primorsky Krai in terms of resources and interests of all major social groups in the region.

A conditional embrace-Swedish LGBTQ+ spaces through the eyes of ethnic minority non-heterosexual individuals.

In research on sexuality, marginalized sub-groups within sexual minorities have often been overlooked. From the vantage point of Sweden, internationally ranked as an exemplary progressive nation in equality issues and LGBTQ+ rights, and with an increasingly diversified population, the lived experiences of ethnic minority non-heterosexual people are still very much lacking in voice and visibility. The present study aimed to examine experiences within Swedish non-heterosexual spaces, held by ethnic minority non-heterosexual individuals. A thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 22 Swedish non-heterosexual individuals, 13 cis-men and nine cis-women, with diverse first- and second-generation immigration backgrounds, was conducted. Two main themes were identified. The first theme, "Constantly contested identities," is composed of the sub-themes "Ingrained, intersecting ideals" and "Prejudiced spaces," and the second theme, "Effects and counteractions," of the sub-themes "Never fully human" and "Representation and separatism." The results, presented starting from a more theoretical level, moving to situated knowledge, and finally to psychological and practical implications, demonstrate that ethnic minority non-heterosexual people experience problematic and intersecting ideals, with related discrimination, in various Swedish non-heterosexual settings. Experiences of alienation, exotification, and tokenism were common among the participants and had negative psychological effects, including multiple-minority stress and a constant outsider feeling. Representation and participation in separatist forums were utilized as primary strategies to counteract the negative effects. The findings shed light on previously under-researched ideals and actions within Swedish LGBTQ+ spaces, and raises questions about how positive belonging can be achieved for multiple-minorities. Further research and continued critical discussions about ethnic minority non-heterosexual people's plight within non-heterosexual settings in Sweden, and beyond, is advocated.

“You Can’t Self-Care Your Way Out of a Broken System”: The 2022 Urban Libraries Trauma Forum

ABSTRACT The Urban Libraries Trauma Study (ULTS) conducted by Urban Librarians Unite (ULU) examines trauma that urban public library workers experience in the workforce through their work with the public and interlibrary relationships. Drawing on interviews, focus groups, and a trauma forum, this paper discusses the problem of trauma in the library. It demonstrates a grounded way to engage library staff in research and change. Finally, this paper concludes with ideas proposed by the forum participants to begin addressing trauma in the library workplace and provide areas to look to going forward.

Use of an Online Forum for Relatives of People With Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder: Mixed Methods Study.

Relatives of people with psychosis or bipolar disorder experience high levels of distress but are typically not offered the support they need. Online peer forums may offer a solution, but knowledge about who uses them, how, and why is limited. This study reported on online forum use during the Relatives Education and Coping Toolkit (REACT) trial. We aimed to report who used the forum and why; how sociodemographic factors are associated with participation; the relationship among frequency, type of use, and outcomes; and how the forum was used. The relationships between key sociodemographic characteristics, levels of forum use, and distress were statistically analyzed. We used thematic and semantic analyses to understand the reasons for relatives joining the forum and the key topics initiated by them. We also used the University Centre for Computer Corpus Research on Language Semantic Analysis System to compare how relatives and REACT supporters (moderators) used the forum. A total of 348 participants with full forum use data from REACT were included in this study. The forum was accessed by 59.4% (207/348) of the relatives across the entire age range, with no significant associations between sociodemographic factors and forum participation, or between level or type of use and relatives' distress levels. Relatives joined the forum primarily to find people in similar circumstances, express concerns, and talk about stressful events. Relatives were most concerned about recent events, negative emotions linked to caring, experiences of conflict or threat, and concerns about suicide. These posts underscored both the challenges the relatives were facing and the fact that they felt safe sharing them in this context. Although only a proportion of REACT participants engaged actively with its forum, they were widely distributed across age and other sociodemographic groupings. Relatives used the forum for information, support, and guidance and to offer detailed information about their experiences. The topics raised highlighted the burden carried by relatives and the potential value of easy-access, moderated, peer-supported forums in helping relatives to manage the challenges they faced.

Challenges and problems of petrochemical companies’ use of secondary resources

The environmental agenda for the development of economic systems necessitates the formation of a market for secondary petrochemical products . A comparative analysis of the policies of sustainable development of petrochemical companies showed that the policy of sustainable development of individual budinesses is currently focused on the use of the following tools : development of the product portfolio , participation in international initiatives , partnerships and forums ; voluntary industry initiatives and private projects to implement the first steps towards the collective goals of sustainable development . Among the main solutions of the reviewed organisations are products made of renewable raw materials and recyclable products . At the same time , the implementation of the responsible production and consumption by petrochemical companies is limited by the production and technological solutions of manufacturers of consumer goods . Environmentally unsustainable use of polymers by such enterprises makes their recycling difficult and limits the implementation of the concept of circular economy in petrochemicals . The article identifies key problems in the management and use of secondary resources : underdeveloped waste market conditions ; uneven scale and geography of waste ; inconsistent and inefficient ( unsystematic ) measures of waste market regulation , difficulties in forecasting prices for key raw materials and building a pricing mechanism in key markets , which are represented by polyethylene terephthalates , high density polyethylene , low density polyethylene and polypropylene . The introduction of chemolysis into the well-established technological processes of oil and gas chemical companies to work with secondary polymers requires an assessment of the acceptable level of risk . The needs of the market on the part of customers are not fully formed , so the dynamic changes , creating difficulties for petrochemical companies . Most of the highlighted problems are typical for both Russian and global markets of secondary petrochemicals . At the same time , the features of state regulation and logistics services for secondary petrochemical products are regional in nature , therefore , they are considered in the work for the conditions of the Russian Federation.

SOCIAL INEQUALITIES INFLUENCING AWARENESS OF GOOD AGRICULTUAL PRACTICES AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN MURANG’A COUNTY IN KENYA

Awareness of GLOBAL G.A.P. standards is the bedrock for the growth of export horticulture as it provides livelihoods to many small-scale farmers in developing countries. However, non-compliance with food safety requirements has evoked questions about farmers’ levels of awareness. Previous studies have overlooked the awareness-seeking behavior of smallholder farmers with diverse social characteristics. Therefore, this study was conducted in Murang’a County in Kenya to investigate the influence of social characteristics on awareness-exposure behavior among smallholder French bean farmers. The study systematically selected 115 small-scale French bean farmers. Questionnaires were administered through face-to-face interviews to elicit the data. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics by employing Pearson’s correlation and the Chi-square test. The study found that farmers differed in their awareness of different components that constitute GLOBAL G.A.P. Gender, farmer’s position in household, occupation, and wealth status were among the social inequalities that had a significant influence on the awareness of GLOBAL G.A.P. standards. In addition, farmer’s participation in awareness forums and affiliation with multiple sources of information on GLOBAL food safety standards had a significant influence on their level of awareness. This study recommends that proponents of farming innovations should always consider the socioeconomic status of potential adopters.

Theorizing Multilevel Closure Structures Guiding Forum Participation

Abstract Understanding how stakeholders choose to participate in different policy forums is central to research on complex, polycentric governance systems. In this article, we draw upon the Ecology of Games Theory (EGT) to develop theoretical expectations about how four incentive structures may guide how actors navigate the world of policy forums. We test these expectations using unique data on a three-mode network of actors, forums, and issues related to climate change adaption in the state of Ohio, in the US Midwest. Results of an exponential random graph model suggest that multilevel closure structures, which are a function of transaction costs and direct benefits, guide actors’ forum participation in ways that can either reinforce sub-optimal, ineffective governance arrangements, or conversely, encourage opportunities for innovation, increase diversity in representation, and facilitate policy learning. From a methodological standpoint, our research highlights the benefits of examining complex governance systems through the more precise approach allowed by three-mode network analysis, which has not been frequently used in research on polycentric governance systems up to this point.

Vaccination Double Bind: A Study of Pregnancy and COVID-19 Vaccine Decision-Making

ABSTRACT COVID-19 vaccination rates among pregnant people are among the lowest in the United States. To better understand how pregnant people are seeking, assembling, and making meaning of different types of information and support, this essay reports on a study of a social media forum created for pregnant and breastfeeding people to discuss COVID-19 vaccination. Data come from 435 forum posts and 17 interviews with forum participants. Findings document four rhetorical strategies that participants developed to move themselves from vaccine uncertainty to vaccine confidence: (1) seeking embodied evidence to personalize vaccine decision making, (2) localizing scientific evidence to their lived contexts, (3) optimizing vaccination, and (4) attending to the affective and relational dimensions of vaccination. These strategies show how participants calibrated two powerful and conflicting rhetorics—one rhetoric that they should get vaccinated as soon as possible, and another that they should make personalized health decisions for their families.

Policy forums and learning in fields underpinned by regulatory science

In policy fields where regulatory science underpins government decision making, barriers to policy learning tend to be more entrenched. Presented with new and improved scientific methods and technologies, a key question increasingly facing regulatory authorities is how best to adapt established procedures without alienating stakeholders who value stability and low regulatory uncertainty? Focusing on the highly institutionalized field of environmental chemical risk assessment and drawing on recent advances in the conceptualization and operationalization of policy learning and policy forums, this paper explores factors linked to individuals and forum dynamics that encourage policy learning in fields underpinned by regulatory science. Using survey research, we analyze the learning experiences reported by policy actors who participated in an international ecotoxicology policy forum. Results suggest that open, balanced, and professional norm-driven forums will not necessarily produce efficient policy learning in fields underpinned by regulatory science due to motivated skepticism insomuch as forum participants are acutely aware that scientific advance may introduce uncertainty into regulatory processes and outcomes. Results also suggest that the longevity of actors’ forum participation is important to facilitate learning.

Discussion Forums in Massive Open Online Courses - as a Tool for Building Knowledge

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) provide excellent learning opportunities as a modern distance learning technology. Discussion forums are the most active pedagogical component of massive open online courses. Forums are characterized by a number of opportunities, such as the creation of a global community of learners, active exchange of ideas and interaction, collaborative problem solving, building knowledge and development of digital skills. The purpose of the research is  to identify characteristics of discussion forums and opportunities of applying them in the educational process. It will be effective in solving didactic problems if we use modern distance learning technologies in the process of virtual learning, such as discussion forums in massive open online courses for an active interaction, sharing and building knowledge with a broad audience. As a result of the research, based on the analysis of the international review of literature, forum peculiarities and their application in massive open online courses are theoretically summarized. In addition, a brief survey is conducted to examine the experiences and attitudes of 3rd year students' participation in educational discussion forums at Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University. A total of 87 students participated in the study. As a result of the study, it was found that students have little experience related to massive open online courses and discussion forums but they express high motivation to participate them. Key words: Massive open online courses (MOOCs), connectivism, discussion forums

ICANN: A Study of Its Working

Abstract: The Cyberspace is a borderless space and has led to many legal and jurisprudential problems and challenges for the enactment, enforcement and interpretation of laws. Governance of internet has always been a debated issue around the world. The internet society promotes net neutrality, open access, internet resilience and stability, freedom of expression, privacy and identity of the users. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international community where Member organizations and the civil society work together to develop Web standards. The governance structure and processes introduced by IGF provide opportunities to integrate social media ways that enhance both remote and local participation in the yearly forums and throughout the year.

External drivers of participation in regional collaborative water planning

AbstractWhat drives participation in collaborative planning? How does this vary across different institutional contexts? Public managers must navigate emerging challenges in public service provision; perceived risk and capacity to act can play a pivotal role, shaping managerial behavior. In water management, for example, issues stemming from climate change and water‐intensive growth create new concerns about continued water supply. Strategic decisions may improve local public service provision, but can also have cascading effects on other systems, as water is a mobile—and subtractable—resource. Many public water systems have participated in collaborative planning to overcome collective challenges for this reason, but participation is not feasible for all prospective participants. Using data from administrative records and surveys, we fit a binomial logistic model to examine the roles of capacity and perceived risk among water service providers as drivers of participation in collaborative planning forums. By evaluating this relationship in California and North Carolina, we find similar results across unique institutional contexts: participation in regional water planning is associated with perceived risk to water supply from changing climatic conditions, but not from perceived risk of changing patterns of demand. Also, system capacity—as measured by the size of the population served—corresponds to increased likelihood of participation.

Voicing student recovery: Embracing diversity in collegiate recovery programs

Objective: To discuss the engagement of patients and stakeholders (ie, faculty, staff, healthcare providers, and university administrators) in capacity building activities to prepare for future patient-centered research on collegiate recovery. Participants: 502 attended capacity building activities and provided input on priorities for future research in collegiate recovery and 77 participated in the deliberative democracy forum process. Methods: We used surveys and the deliberative democracy forum method, which includes framing sessions and forums for data collection. This method enables individuals with diverse backgrounds to share and learn about differing viewpoints to build consensus for decision making. Results: Forum participants prioritized barriers to recovery for future research and discussed the need to address diversity in collegiate recovery programs, including racial/ethnic diversity in the student recovery population and diversity in pathways to recovery, to decrease barriers to recovery. Conclusions: Institutional support for research on collegiate recovery is critical to move the field forward.

Psychedelic Forum Member Preferences for Carer Experience and Consumption Behavior: Can “Trip Sitters” Help Inform Psychedelic Harm Reduction Services?

Background: There is limited research on the provision of harm reduction services to people who use psychedelics. Little is known about provision of care to people consuming psychedelics outside of clinical trials. Methods: We investigated how people who used psychedelics discussed their preferences for care (or “trip sitting”) on two online forums: The Shroomery and DMT Nexus. A thematic analysis of the discussion was conducted to better understand consumer preferences for harm reduction services and resources. Results: We identified two key themes: experience and remote sitting. Forum participants valued trip sitters who had experienced psychedelic and other non-ordinary states of consciousness, who had knowledge of the health and medical industry, psychedelic literature and/or had previously cared for other psychedelic consumers. Forum participants also identified the value of consuming a psychedelic without somebody who was in their physical proximity, through communicating their plans to a remote trip sitter. The use of online tools was identified as a way to maximize the benefit of privacy while retaining carer benefits. Conclusion: Demand for trip sitters with lived psychedelic experience is likely influenced by stigma and empathy. Trip sitters who could relate to the effects of psychedelics assisted consumers in avoiding stigma while vulnerable under the effects of psychedelics. As such, psychedelic harm reduction services should be delivered by peers to ensure care maximizes the benefits of empathy. Psychedelic harm reduction services should consider how remote workers could be employed. There is a clear demand for remote psychedelic care services and to our knowledge this has not yet been explored.

Congressional Committees, Electoral Connections, and Legislative Speech

This article examines the effects of committee specialization and district characteristics on speech participation by topic and congressional forum. It argues that committee specialization should increase speech participation during legislative debates, while district characteristics should affect the likelihood of speech participation in non-lawmaking forums. To examine these expectations, we analyze over 100,000 speeches delivered in the Chilean Chamber of Deputies between 1990 and 2018. To carry out our topic classification task, we utilize the recently developed state-of-the-art multilingual Transformer model XLM-RoBERTa. Consistent with informational theories, we find that committee specialization is a significant predictor of speech participation in legislative debates. In addition, consistent with theories purporting that legislative speech serves as a vehicle for the electoral connection, we find that district characteristics have a significant effect on speech participation in non-lawmaking forums.

Investigating online football forums: a critical examination of participants’ responses to football related racism and Islamophobia

ABSTRACT This article used a critical sampling approach to investigate a series of football forums which respond to and discuss racism and Islamophobia. A thematic analysis of 1,064 forum posts identified 19 themes which led to the construction of five overarching themes which are: i) racism has decreased; ii) denying and downplaying racism and Islamophobia; iii) racism has increased; iv) victims and perpetrators; and, v) the action that should be taken. Our qualitative analysis illustrates that most of the football fans ascribe to a narrow understanding of racism in that it is perceived as overt. Very few forum participants offered a nuanced understanding of racism meaning that implicit racism, and how it can be challenged, was overlooked. While overt racism and Islamophobia was infrequently observed across the forums, fans’ tendency to downplay racism, and distance themselves from it, was noteworthy as this acts as a barrier to the anti-racist action.

Who do you think you are? Individual stakeholder identification and mobility at the Internet Governance Forum

In order for the Internet Governance ecosystem to work effectively, it requires a variety of expertise and advice from different sectors and backgrounds. Drawing on the public Internet Governance Forum (IGF) participation lists from 2006 to 2019, this paper analyses how individual participants chose to identify themselves in the given frameworks applied across the IGFs, and how they ‘travel’ through the Internet Governance ecosystem over successive fora. Identifying 18,968 unique IGF participants from 2006 to 2019, representing 7326 unique organisations, this paper thus provides an unprecedented level of detail as to who is present in multistakeholder discussions. It sets the scene for a more reflective discussion on the inclusivity and effectiveness of the multistakeholder model pursued at the IGF and engages with literature in the field of stakeholder mobility and stakeholder interests, opening up potential for further research on the legitimacy of multistakeholderism.

Online listening responses and e-learning performance

PurposeThis research investigates the impact of learners' non-substantive responses in online course forums, referred to as online listening responses, on e-learning performance. A common type of response in online course forums, online listening responses consist of brief, non-substantive replies/comments (e.g. “agree,” “I see,” “thank you,” “me too”) and non-textual inputs (e.g. post-voting, emoticons) in online discussions. Extant literature on online forum participation focuses on learners' active participation with substantive inputs and overlooks online listening responses. This research, by contrast, stresses the value of online listening responses in e-learning and their heterogeneous effects across learner characteristics. It calls for recognition and encouragement from online instructors and online forum designers to support this activity.Design/methodology/approachThe large-scale proprietary dataset comes from a leading MOOC (massive open online courses) platform in China. The dataset includes 68,126 records of learners in five MOOCs during 2014–2018. An ordinary least squares model is used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses.FindingsOnline listening responses in course forums, along with learners' substantive inputs, positively influence learner performance in online courses. The effects are heterogeneous across learner characteristics, being more prominent for early course registrants, learners with full-time jobs and learners with more e-learning experience, but weaker for female learners.Originality/valueThis research distinguishes learners' brief, non-substantive responses (online listening responses) and substantive inputs (online speaking) as two types of active participation in online forums and provides empirical evidence for the importance of online listening responses in e-learning. It contributes to online forum research by advancing the active-passive dichotomy of online forum participation to a nuanced classification of learner behaviors. It also adds to e-learning research by generating insights into the positive and heterogeneous value of learners' online listening responses to e-learning outcomes. Finally, it enriches online listening research by introducing and examining online listening responses, thereby providing a new avenue to probe online discussions and e-learning performance.

The Camera-on or Camera-off, Is It a Dilemma? Sparking Engagement, Motivation, and Autonomy Through Microsoft Teams Videoconferencing

A videoconferencing system to communicate synchronously is an indispensable tool for educators, teachers, students, parents, and administrators in online courses. One of the effective online learning platforms that can increase student engagement and motivation in online courses is Microsoft Teams. This research aimed to explore English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ views of enacting Microsoft Teams videoconferencing. This study employed a mixed-method design complemented by observation, open-ended questionnaires, as well as in-depth interviews for qualitative analysis in capturing and exploring their experience of synchronous learning using the Microsoft Teams in the post-pandemic. Furthermore, close-ended questionnaires were also distributed as quantitative data. The results revealed that Microsoft Teams helped the learners to be more involved in debates with both faculty and students as a result of their participation in discussion forums. They also gained a better comprehension and knowledge of language learning. It was clear that they were highly motivated and enjoyed the online course due to its ease of use and fun features, and they appreciated direct feedback in the synchronous online meeting. Thus, the learners with strong motivation can develop their learning autonomy. They can monitor and evaluate their self-progress in learning. Further research is highly recommended for exploiting Microsoft Teams to create innovations in a virtual classroom.

The future of the oncology workforce: Presenters at an international trainee oncology conference.

11035 Background: In 2017, ASCO established the ASCO medical student and resident Abstract Forum. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of the ASCO medical student and resident abstract forum participants. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational study of Abstract Forum participants from 2017 to 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the participants' demographics by gender, stage of training, and institution location. We reported the publication rates and career paths of presenters. Results: The number of participants has more than tripled in the five years since the program's inception. Female participants are almost half of the total. In 2017, there was only one international participant. Over the subsequent five years, international members have steadily increased and represented nearly one-third of all participants in 2021. In the inaugural year, most forum participants were from institutions with ASCO Sponsored Oncology Student Interest Groups (OSIG), but in 2021 almost half were from institutions without OSIGs. The majority of participants were medical students, followed by internal medicine residents. Of a total of 179 abstracts presented between 2017 and 2021, 35 (19.55%) were subsequently published as full-text peer-reviewed manuscripts. Studies presented orally and studies presented by participants from the United States were significantly more frequently published as articles. 58.49% of medical student presenters that started residency chose Internal Medicine or Radiation Oncology. 50% of the student presenters that graduated internal medicine residency went to Hematology-Oncology fellowship. Most of the resident presenters that completed residency went to pursue careers in Hematology-Oncology (72.73%). Conclusions: The steady increase in participants since the program's creation demonstrates interest in the medical student and internal medicine resident community in these types of initiatives. The increase in international participants over the years highlights opportunities for ASCO to expand its global reach and efforts, particularly in low-income countries where trainees have the highest need for mentoring and organized support. Our study provides critical insights into the profile of participants of the Abstract Forum. Participation in this program should be encouraged, especially in countries with high cancer prevalence and mortality.