Preferred Communication Medium Research Articles

Characteristics of Intimate Partner Violence and Survivor's Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights From Subreddits Related to Intimate Partner Violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collecting actionable IPV-related data from conventional sources (e.g., medical records) was challenging during the pandemic, generating a need to obtain relevant data from non-conventional sources, such as social media. Social media, like Reddit, is a preferred medium of communication for IPV survivors to share their experiences and seek support with protected anonymity. Nevertheless, the scope of available IPV-related data on social media is rarely documented. Thus, we examined the availability of IPV-related information on Reddit and the characteristics of the reported IPV during the pandemic. Using natural language processing, we collected publicly available Reddit data from four IPV-related subreddits between January 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021. Of 4,000 collected posts, we randomly sampled 300 posts for analysis. Three individuals on the research team independently coded the data and resolved the coding discrepancies through discussions. We adopted quantitative content analysis and calculated the frequency of the identified codes. 36% of the posts (n = 108) constituted self-reported IPV by survivors, of which 40% regarded current/ongoing IPV, and 14% contained help-seeking messages. A majority of the survivors' posts reflected psychological aggression, followed by physical violence. Notably, 61.4% of the psychological aggression involved expressive aggression, followed by gaslighting (54.3%) and coercive control (44.3%). Survivors' top three needs during the pandemic were hearing similar experiences, legal advice, and validating their feelings/reactions/thoughts/actions. Albeit limited, data from bystanders (survivors' friends, family, or neighbors) were also available. Rich data reflecting IPV survivors' lived experiences were available on Reddit. Such information will be useful for IPV surveillance, prevention, and intervention.

A multi-tasking model of speaker-keyword classification for keeping human in the loop of drone-assisted inspection

Audio commands are a preferred communication medium to keep inspectors in the loop of civil infrastructure inspection performed by a semi-autonomous drone. To understand job-specific commands from a group of heterogeneous and dynamic inspectors, a model must be developed cost-effectively for the group and easily adapted when the group changes. This paper is motivated to build a multi-tasking deep learning model that possesses a Share–Split–Collaborate architecture. This architecture allows the two classification tasks to share the feature extractor and then split subject-specific and keyword-specific features intertwined in the extracted features through feature projection and collaborative training. A base model for a group of five authorized subjects is trained and tested on the inspection keyword dataset collected by this study. The model achieved a 95.3% or higher mean accuracy in classifying the keywords of any authorized inspectors. Its mean accuracy in speaker classification is 99.2%. Due to the richer keyword representations that the model learns from the pooled training data Adapting the base model to a new inspector requires only a little training data from that inspector Like five utterances per keyword. Using the speaker classification scores for inspector verification can achieve a success rate of at least 93.9% in verifying authorized inspectors and 76.1% in detecting unauthorized ones. Further The paper demonstrates the applicability of the proposed model to larger-size groups on a public dataset. This paper provides a solution to addressing challenges facing AI-assisted human–robot interaction Including worker heterogeneity Worker dynamics And job heterogeneity.

LEARNER NEEDS ANALYSIS OF FUTURE JOURNALISTS THROUGH THE PRISM OF PERSONAL-ORIENTED AND PRAGMATIC APPROACHES TO INTEGRATED LEARNING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The presented study reveals the theoretical prerequisites for the expediency of applying personally oriented and pragmatic approaches to the integrated learning of English for special purposes, in particular, when studying the learner needs of future journalists. The necessity to explore the specific learner needs in the field of professionally oriented English communication (POEC) of future journalists is determined by the requirement to adapt the language policy in higher education institutions in accordance with the demands for interrelated vocational and professional English language training of a future specialist. The formation of the secondary professional English-speaking personality of a future journalist depends on support of communicative interaction in English at classes; strengthening of conscious language learning; providing the journalism contextualized input; integrated development of POEC skills; compliance with the social and cultural norms of English-language communication in the professional field of journalism and the development of intercultural tolerance. Understanding of the specifics of the POEC is facilitated by the involvement of linguistic and social categories of pragmatics in the context of foreign language learning, especially in the integrated learning of English for the special purposes (ESP) of future journalists, where the social dimension is equally significant as the cognitive one. Based on the consideration of the concept of learner needs and description of the main types, a questionnaire was drawn up for the analysis of the specific learner needs of future journalists in ESP. The questions relate to the objective and subjective educational needs, shed light on the peculiarities of students' perception of the necessity to develop English proficiency for successful journalism career, the frequency of performing specific types of job-related activities at ESP classes, awareness of preferred style, channel and medium of communication, and as well as pragmatic functions of journalist's speech. Levels of English language proficiency and knowledge of journalism terminology are taken into account, as well as the main challenges of learning and the relevance of the possibility of formation of particular skills of POEC within the traditional and integrated ESP.

Impact of Social Media on Consumer Buying Behavior of Apparels with Special Reference to Satna (Madhya Pradesh)

Marketers have begun to sell their products using social media platforms as a consequence of the quick advances created by worldwide advertising routes, with Facebook being the most preferred medium of communication among all. The study's goal was to look at the impact of Facebook marketing on consumer clothes purchase intentions utilizing evidence from young individuals. The research primarily focused on determining Facebook's dominance as a social media communication platform and its influence on advertising. The majority of the companies want to expand their reach; however, Facebook users want a clean experience on the platform rather than pop-ups, web banners, and ads. Facebook marketing has been found to have both beneficial and bad effects on businesses and individuals. As a result, the focus was on determining the influence of Facebook marketing on customer purchasing intentions. Companies may assess the success of their advertising and make necessary improvements. To meet the aims of the study, a comprehensive survey was conducted, and the data were analysed using component factor analysis, regression analysis, and correlation coefficient. According to the findings of the analysis, the researchers were successful in achieving the stated goals of the study. In conclusion, it was discovered that, with the exception of E-WOM, there was a substantial link between independent and dependent variables. The most crucial elements in Facebook marketing are likes and shares. According to the findings, E-WOM was not a significant variable; however, researchers recommend focusing on E-WOM in order to convert this variable into a positive way to achieve better results; just as the previous studies have shown that E-WOM can have a significant impact on consumer purchase intent.

A Column generation approach for product targeting optimisation within the banking industry ORiON: Product Targeting Optimisation

Product targeting optimisation within the financial sector is becoming increasingly complex as optimisation models are being exposed to an abundance of data-driven analytics and insights generated from a host of customer interactions, statistical and machine learning models as well as new operational, business, and channel requirements. However, given the expeditious change in the data environment, it is evident that the product targeting formulation cited throughout the literature has not yet been updated to align with the realistic modeling dynamics required by financial institutions. In this paper, an enhanced product targeting formulation is proposed that incorporates a large set of new modeling constraints and input parameters to try and maximise the economic profit generated by a financial institution. The proposed formulation ensures that the correct product is offered to the desired customers at the best time of day through their preferred communication medium. To solve the foregoing product targeting formulation, a novel column generation approach is presented that is capable of reducing problem complexity and in turn allowing for significantly larger problems to be solved to global optimality within a reasonable time frame.

"They Aren't Going to Do Jack Shit": Text-Based Crisis Service Users' Perceptions of Seeking Child Maltreatment-Related Support From Formal Systems.

Many of the children reported to child protective services (CPS) exhibit signs and symptoms that allow others to recognize their abuse or neglect and intervene; others, especially adolescents, must disclose their experiences to be identified. Relatively little is known about young people’s disclosure experiences, but individual, interpersonal, and cultural factors appear to influence when and how young people disclose. Technology-facilitated approaches, such as text- or chat-based hotlines or crisis services, may be one way to help young people share their maltreatment experiences and seek help. The current study contributes to the small body of literature that includes nonsexual maltreatment disclosures and sheds some light on how to support young people during their disclosures. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of all conversations from a text-based crisis service that resulted in a report to CPS (n = 244). Many of the texters had previously sought support from their peers or parents, and some had engaged with more formal systems. Many young people were hesitant to reach out to formal systems in the future, in part because of negative experiences during past disclosure experiences. Young people may be more likely to seek support through their preferred communication medium, so providing text- and chat-based communication may be one way to encourage and facilitate disclosure. As these resources become increasingly available, determining best practices for receiving disclosures through technology-facilitated platforms will be critical.

Bridging the gap: Engagement of family and community physicians in digital networks for health issues.

BACKGROUND:The use of social media (SM) is unlocking infinite opportunities for healthcare disciplines and is fast becoming the preferred medium of communication. This underlines the importance of meeting the challenges of this new era. The aim of this study was to assess the readiness of Saudi family medicine physicians to the use of SM in health promotion and to explore their prospective attitudes toward its use professionally.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The two largest hospital-based primary care centers in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia were used for the quantitative analysis. All known physician bloggers in Saudi Arabia from seven different cities were invited to participate in the qualitative aspect of this study. The quantitative component of this study was conducted in the Eastern Province at two main hospitals. A 37-item questionnaire was distributed to all family physicians practising at these hospitals. The qualitative component of this study covered all of Saudi Arabia, and 11 in-depth interviews were held with family physician bloggers, followed by verbatim transcription, content analysis, and coding of the results. Chi-squared and independent t-tests were used. All physicians at the two largest hospitals in the Eastern Province were invited to participate in the quantitative aspect of the study. The response rate was 86.2% (n = 159).RESULTS:Study included 136 primary care physicians; majority were <50 years old (96.3%) with 58.8% females. About 60% were residents and 27.2 % consultants, and 76.5% were were family medicine physicians. Ninety-six percent physicians had SM accounts, the mean use of 3 h per day, 46.3% of the family physicians had good knowledge of SM ethics, and 69.9% used SM professionally for medical issues. Most of the responses showed a strong positive attitude; more than 60% of the participants responded as “agree” or “strongly agree” to the positive statements.CONCLUSION:Organizations urgently need to design their own bioethical guidelines and rules on the safe use of SM by healthcare professionals.

Usage of Geospatial Data and Artificial Intelligence Technologies and Evolution of Social Practices among Nigerian Youths

In the words of Zaryn Dentzel (1983), an erudite Spanish diplomat, technocrat and educationist, “The Internet has turned our existence upside down. It has revolutionized communications, to the extent that it is now our preferred medium of everyday communication.” This assertion is very true when we consider the obsessive usage of the various internet facilities by youths of contemporary day among who are Nigerian youths. Several researches have confirmed that youths are greatly endeared to the use of geospatial data due to the massive deployment of technologies that use the big data and algorithms, coupled with their unrestrained access to mobile and semi-mobile internet-connected appliances and technological gadgets of this 21st century. The study of Onwubere and Osuji (2020) particularly confirmed the fact that Nigerian youths are excessively exposed to these Geospatial Data and Artificial Intelligence Technologies (GDAIT) to the extent that they influence their perception of Social Relations, negatively. This, of course, is of great concerns for the stability of the erstwhile peaceful and anthropocentric Traditional African/Nigerian Setting. These changes in social communication are also of particular significance to the Evolution of Alien Social Practices that may accompany Nigerian youths’ negative perception of social relations. Dentzel again, observed that Digital Technologies play vital roles in empowering individuals and communities, hence, the application of these technologies is “expected to increase productivity and competitiveness, change education and cultural systems, stimulate social interchange and democratise institutions”. Nevertheless, these laudable technologies and their roles also permit the pollution of minds and disruption of social relations in record time. Digital illiteracy may constitute a serious problem in low infrastructure countries like Nigeria where there are no adequate tools for filtering and censoring information and where children, youths and adults do not even have the requisite Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Education to discern the difference between ‘fake news’ and reliable news. The tendency is that, there will be an upsurge in youthful exuberances, since youths can easily publish and widely express themselves positively or negatively through these electronic media, unfettered by any financial constraints. These exuberant behaviours definitely have grave implications for social practices and social stability in Nigeria. This study investigates the relationship between the Usage of Geospatial Data and Artificial Intelligence Technologies (GDAIT) by Nigerian Youths and the Evolution of Social Practices. The Gerbner’s Cultivation, Bandura’s Observational Learning and Veblen’s Technological Determinism theories serve as theoretical frameworks for the study. Since education is the greatest socialising factor for youths, and young adult students being the greatest users of modern Artificial Intelligence-based digital tools, institutions of higher learning have logically become the best and the most fertile ground to study the influence of GDAIT on socialisation and observe the evolution of social practices among youths. Hence, a survey of 300 undergraduate students in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria was conducted to elicit information from the youths, using the Stratified Random Sampling technique. Results will be analysed using appropriate statistical approaches, essentially, SPSS, to ascertain the relationship between the Usage of Geospatial Data and Artificial Intelligence Technologies (GDAIT) by Nigerian Youths and the Evolution of Social Practices. Following survey results, utilitarian, constructive and constraining recommendations will be made to mitigate the damaging influence of the use of Geospatial Data and Artificial Intelligence Technologies on the socio-political order.

Key Choice Factors and Preferences of Attendees at Academic Hospitality and Tourism Conferences

As international conferences continue to proliferate, up-to-date information on what influences potential delegates' decisions about which meetings to attend can be key to attracting larger numbers of registrations. Based on this premise, in this study the important choice factors that influence individual attendance at international hospitality and tourism conferences are first assessed, followed by a determination of attendees' preferences for registration payment options (full payment vs. customized) and communication media types. This article also investigates how such choice factors and preferences are influenced by attendees' individual characteristics, providing insight into the possible effects of attendee overall profiles. The discussion draws on an online questionnaire that was distributed to a convenience sample ( N = 277) of academics and postgraduate students in the discipline of hospitality and tourism. The findings reveal four major choice factors: educational opportunities, career development, travelability, and destination stimuli. Several significant findings related to attendees' individual characteristics, as well as differences between preferred communication media, were also found. The implications of the findings, particularly for organizers of international conferences in hospitality and tourism, are then discussed.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Deep Web Research during 1997 to 2019

This study provides a bibliometric account of global deep web research published from 1997 to 2019. A total of 1995 records were imported from the Scopus database in a bibtex file. The bibliometrix package in RStudio was used for analyses. Publication Growth, Citations, Authorship, Country and Affiliations has been analysed. It was found that deep web research had a slow growth rate. In the last four years it has seen a recovery in the growth rate. Furthermore, this study shows the distribution of highly cited papers in the field over 23 years. It shows the country and institutional affiliation pattern of prolific authors. It also presents the most preferred sources, search terms and preferred medium of research communication. It is found that deep web research had a slow growth rate, but since 2016 it is picking up. China is the leading contributor of publications followed by the United States of America, Japan, and the United Kingdom. India is the fifth largest contributor. Contribution of citable publications has been led by Canada and USA with 81.9 per cent of efficiency followed by Australia (79.7 %), France (73.4 %) and Spain (73.1 %). It is also found that most of the prolific authors (by number of publications) do not appear in highly cited publications’ list. Deep web researchers mostly preferred using conference publications to communicate their findings. ‘Machine Learning’ and ‘cryptomarkets’ are two contemporarily popular terms being used by deep web researchers also, which indicates interest towards these topics.&#x0D;

A Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment of Aegle marmelos Global Publications during 2004-18

The present study examined 962 global publications on Aegle marmelos, as covered in Scopus database during 2004-18, with a view to understand its growth rate, global share, citation impact, international collaborative papers share, distribution of publications by broad subjects, productivity and citation profile of top organizations and authors, preferred communication media and characteristics of high cited papers. Aegle marmelos global output registered 36.37% annual growth and averaged 16.0 citations per paper during the period. 43 countries participated in the global Aegle marmelos research output during 2004-18, of which the top 10 most productive countries contributed 98.97% global publication share and more than 100.0% global citation share. India alone contributed 82.30% of the global publication share, while all other 9 top countries contributed from 1.34% to 3.29% during 2004-18. Pharmacology, toxicology and pharmaceutics was the most followed subject with 47.71% global share, followed by medicine (29.0%), biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology (22.35%), agricultural and biological sciences (21.41%), etc. during 2004-18. Top 15 productive organizations and authors accounted for 19.65% and 12.79% global publications share and 22.85% and 21.30% global citations share in global Aegle marmelos research output. Top 15 most productive journals accounted for 19.68% of global publication share in journals. Only 32 publications registered high citations with 100-427 citations per paper and collectively averaging to 166.56 citations per paper. Suggest that the above analysis will help the policy-makers and scholars to explore the full potential of Aegle marmelos in preventing and treating diseases and also to identify future research areas in this field.

Language and communication issues in HIV/AIDS intervention management in the South African construction industry

Purpose Effective communication is a key factor in presenting Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) awareness and prevention campaigns, and delivering treatment programmes, particularly in South Africa where different ethnic groups and a diversity of languages and educational attainment levels are encountered. Language is an important element of such communication. The purpose of this paper is to examine the communication effectiveness of AIDS-related intervention messages. Design/methodology/approach Case-based semi-structured interviews, with 42 employees from three construction organisations, and with six telephone counsellors from a service provider, were used to explore language in the HIV/AIDS context in the construction industry in the Western Cape region. Findings Workers’ knowledge about HIV (a key element in prevention and willingness to engage in treatment regimes) tended to align with their level of education. African cultures may inhibit the use of plain language about AIDS. Graphic posters with text in different languages were the most preferred communication media, but need periodic refreshment to remain effective. For toolbox talks and other company presentations, a comprehensive approach to language differences is limited, and appropriate confirmatory feedback loops are not used – the message sent is not always the message received. The recruitment and training processes for service provider counsellors ensure a more comprehensive grasp of HIV knowledge and a more consistent approach to communication. Practical implications Construction organisations should be more careful in their HIV/AIDS campaigns and programmes, ensure better targeting of audiences and pay more nuanced and sensitive attention to language needs, gender differences and cultural contexts with respect to communicating with workers in ways that engage them more fully about HIV/AIDS, stigma and disclosure. Originality/value Communication effectiveness is pivotal in the provision of intervention management by construction firms. Ineffective language and communication processes directly and adversely influence HIV/AIDS intervention management success.

Robotics Research in India: A Scientometric Assessment of Indian Publications Output during 2007-16

The present study examined Indian output of 4402 papers in robotics research, as indexed in Scopus database during 2007-16, with a view to understand India’s growth rate, global share, citation impact, international collaborative papers share, distribution of publications by broad subjects, productivity and in addition discuss the citation profile of top organizations and authors, preferred communication media and characteristics of high cited papers. India registered 24.84% growth, 2.21% global publications share, 9.63% international collaborative publications share, and averaged 4.13 citations per paper during the period. Computer science was the most followed subject for robotics research with 67% publications share, followed by engineering (52.34%), mathematics (12.81%), etc. Top 50 productive organizations and authors belong to academic and R&D sectors and they accounted for 61.93% and 26.94% publications share and 70.54% and 35.48% citations share in Indian robotics research output. Top 25 most productive journals accounted for 41.38% share of 1566 journal papers published in robotics research by India. India contributed only 16 highly cited papers with 100 to 368 citations per paper.

Facebook: An Effective WEB 2.0 Technology for Blended EFL Classrooms in Indonesia

The 21st century learning has been a landmark in the use of digital technologies that serve pedagogical purposes, which includes the proliferating use of blended learning (Henceforth BL). A mixture of face-to-face (FTF) and online learning (Internet Synchronous and Asynchronous media), BL strategy has gained its popularity in the sphere of English language teaching (Hereafter ELT) due to its effectiveness in promoting learners’ language proficiency. However, the discussion on the extent to which e-learning mode plays role in English as a foreign language (Henceforth EFL) classrooms, particularly Indonesia, remains scantily documented; and a query on what can be an effective and efficient medium of e-learning in the strategy remains persistent in the foreignlanguage context. With its popularity and preferred medium of communication among teenagers across the globe, especially Indonesia, Facebook (hereafter FB) can be an answer to such a question. Hence, drawing on the Indonesian ELT context, this paper discusses the nature of BL; argues why FB can be aneffective and efficient add-on to e-learning mode in the Blended ELT context; and presents an example of its application as applied in one of the authors’ English-speaking classroom at a State University for Islamic Studies (UIN Mataram) and a reflection as the lecturer. This paper is expected to inform the English teaching practitioners or teachers on how to use social media, particularly FB, to enhance the students’ learning and learning outcomes particularly in Indonesian adult English classrooms.

Generation Z entering the workforce: the need for sustainable strategies in maximizing their talent

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the characteristics of the cohort Generation Z and identify strategies for maximizing their talent. The study emphasizes that it is critical for the organization to revisit their strategies so as to accommodate this cohort group. With Generation Z entering the workforce, the nature of entry-level jobs is changing; hence, HR needs to redesign their strategies to attract and engage Generation Z.Design/methodology/approachThe research design adopted for the study is exploratory in nature. The research analysis is based on the information/data collected from the journal articles, newspapers and various conferences and majorly from in-person discussions with the Generation Z cohort group.FindingsGeneration Z believes in multitasking and likes to learn everything on their own, underscoring their individuality. They believe in doing more in less time, and thus, efficiency and effectiveness are attributed to be part of their DNA.Research limitations/implicationsIt has to be accepted that very little is known about Generation Z as they have just started to enter the workforce. The next two years will have this cohort joining organizations in entry-level jobs. Organizations have to carefully watch and redesign their strategies to effectively engage this group, as they have no choice except to accept the new generation.Practical implicationsThe literature on Generation Z is scanty, as much of the scholarly research is done in isolation. However, prior studies indicate that Generation Z is tech-savvy and wants everything connected. Organizations will be forced to accept technology as the preferred medium of communication when Generation Z enters the organization.Originality/valueThe study presents an alternative for managing the Generation Z, thereby maximizing their talent in the workplace.

Assessing the Impact of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) on Productivity and Efficiency in Faecal Sludge Management: A Case Study of the Giant Faecal Sludge Management Company in Ghana

Today’s environment had seen technology taking the center stage in research, and several researches in this area assess the impact of technology on the society and business organizations. This study outlines the impact of computer mediated communication (CMC) on productivity and efficiency in the faecal sludge industry and Sewerage Systems Ghana Limited was used as a case study. Selective sampling technique was used to identify the institution and respondents were randomly selected to undertake the study. A total of 92 respondents were engaged and a questionnaire was administered in order to get the required responds. The study indicates that about 53% of the respondents admitted to the use of emails as medium in communication to be the best medium in attaining high efficiency and productivity, while 28% believed the use of What’s App application would improve the effectiveness and productivity. Some respondents preferred other methods, for example, communicating face to face which they have highlighted is a medium which enhances interpersonal relationships. The use of printed memo and letters as well as the use of the notice boards was also endorsed to have positive consequence on productivity and efficiency. It was noted that the usage of CMC is highly dependent on age and educational background. As the age of the respondents increased, there was decrease in the utility acceptance of CMC and the reverse was noted for educational background. The highly rated and preferred medium of communication based on the study is the most used medium utilized by Sewerage Systems Ghana Ltd. Employing the most preferred medium for communication in the organization is evidenced in the high performance of the staff which is reflective in the overall performance of the plant operations. The application of the CMC and the utilization of the appropriate medium or media in the management of faecal sludge highly aided the productivity and efficiency of personnel as well the overall performance of the plant operations and hence the organization.

Telemedicine for health issues while abroad: interest and willingness to pay among travellers prior to departure.

Telemedicine is emerging as a useful tool to provide expert medical advice to individuals facing health issues while travelling in remote areas. Before embarking on the development of a telemedicine system, we conducted a survey to assess the needs and expectations of travellers for such a service, and evaluate opinions about the importance of various travel criteria that may determine the contract of such insurance. (i) To assess whether a telemedicine service is considered useful by travellers, (ii) to investigate which telecommunication medium is preferred, (iii) to determine which subgroup of travellers would be most interested in this service and (iv) to estimate the amount of money travellers would be willing to pay for a telemedicine service. Travellers coming to our clinic for pre-travel advice were given a questionnaire to be filled in before consultation. The questionnaire focused on demographics, travel details, health status, interest and willingness to pay for a telemedicine service. Among 307 returned questionnaires, 59% of travellers were interested in a telemedicine service. Email was the preferred communication medium for 63%, mobile phone for 46% and video calls for 31% individuals (multiple answers). Travellers aged ≥60 years and those with an immunocompromising condition tended to be more interested in telemedicine (respectively OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 0.75-3.62 and OR = 3.56; 95% CI: 0.41-30.95). The 99% of travellers were willing to pay for such a service. Median price was 50 USD (IQR: 30-50 USD). There was no correlation between travel duration and amount to be paid. Among individuals consulting for pre-travel advice at a specialized clinic, there is considerable interest in telemedicine, particularly among older and immunocompromised travellers. Based on these data, a pilot system using email communication to help travellers confronted with health issues while abroad was developed and implemented in our travel clinic.

Survey of communication and awareness as the most relevant socio‐technical aspects of requirements‐driven collaboration among software development teams

Requirements engineering is a social process and while working together, stakeholders develop socio-technical relationships. Socio-technical aspects such as communication (information exchange among members) and awareness (knowledge of others) were discussed in literature, but little is known with respect to their role in requirements engineering activities. Therefore, requirements-driven collaboration (RDC), particularly on the relevance of socio-technical aspects, warrants further investigation. The authors aim to fill this gap by conducting a systematic literature review on these two aspects. This review covers planning (defining objectives and search strategy), execution (study search and selection), and interpretation of the findings (results and discussions). Findings revealed more studies on communication than on awareness. Two aspects of communication covered for RDC in literature are: (i) preferred communication medium, and (ii) communication patterns of teams. However, for awareness the aspects affecting awareness and vice versa were studied for RDC. Further investigation indicated the interdependence of awareness and communication and that distance does not affect team's awareness. The authors discuss implications for software practitioners in terms of enhancing their performance by considering the role of information brokers, and identifying central and emergent members etc. Researchers can strengthen the domain by providing more empirical results on interdependence of socio-technical aspects.

Email communication in project management: A bane or a blessing?

Background: Project success used to be measured solely in terms of efficiency metrics such as scope, cost and time; however, there are proposals that more attention should be paid to process-related performance factors such as communication. The advent of email has significantly impacted the way the world communicates.Objectives: This study investigates the preference of email communication relative to other communication mediums in project environments and the effect of email communication on feelings of stress and overload in the workplace.Method: A survey with 430 responses was conducted to determine the communication preferences of project practitioners in a typical project. The average rank and frequency response methods were used to analyse the data.Results: The findings indicate that the communication preferences of project practitioners still support the media richness theory and that face-to-face communication is the preferred communication medium in most situations. Despite email being disruptive and a cause of stress, the respondents did not indicate being overloaded because of email.Conclusion: Even though there has been a dramatic shift towards email and electronic communication in projects, face-to-face communication is still the most preferred communication type for most situations. Furthermore, email is perceived as an effective tool to delegate, can be used to build and develop relationships and trust, and is an efficient and effective tool that contributes to project communication success.

Computer Interpreter for Translating Written Sinhala to Sinhala Sign Language

Sinhala Sign Language (SSL) is the preferred medium of communication amongst the deaf community of Sinhala. A conversational sign in SSL represents a word or phrase in Sinhala whereas a fingerspelling sign represents a character in the Sinhala alphabet. A word in Sinhala has different word forms based on tense and case structure of the Sinhala language. In the early stages of SSL evolution, a single SSL sign represented a base Sinhala word and all its word forms. This technique has deprived essential word form information to a deaf person. The SSL research community has come up with a technique of showing few characters of the expected word form in fingerspelling as prefix and/or suffixes with the sign of the base word to solve the problem. This research paper presents a database driven translator, which implements the said technique by translating written Sinhala sentences into SSL sequences. It gives the opportunity to the SSL research community to popularize this translation technique among SSL users. Moreover, a 3D avatar built earlier for animating spoken Sinhala in SSL is used to animate the translated SSL sequence. A test sample of 100 sentences and a word form database of 500+ entries to match 50 conversational SSL signs (30 nouns and 20 verbs) are formed to test the translator. The database driven search mechanism provided 100% successful translator performance while having 70.83% average sentence identification rate for six SSL users including three professional SSL interpreters.