bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Network Interface Between the Researcher and Social Science Data Resources: In Search of a Practical Vision
Authors: Rockwell Richard C.
Published: March 2008

It is clear that major data archives such as the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) must soon be able to offer a wide range of services over the Internet. This paper suggests that ICPSR should attempt to provide a full range of integrated network services to the data librarian and to the individual researcher, permitting substantive searches, perusal of documentation, extracts from data, data analyses, and receipt of data within the context of a simple and friendly desktop environment. A set of principles for such a service are suggested in the hopes that the data librarian, computer science, and research communities will discuss them and aid ICPSR in reaching sound decisions. Key to these principles is that the service must be standards-based rather than based on proprietary or unique software. Keywords: telecommunications, social science, networks, Internet, data access, social science research.
Communication Technology and Social Movements: Contributions of Computer Networks to Activism
Authors: Myers Daniel J.
Published: March 2008

This paper examines the contribution of computer-assisted communication and computer networks to the formation and functioning of social movements and collective behavior. Although the resources for data in this area are ideally suited to investigate some of the current issues and debates within the field of social movement scholarship, very little research has been directed toward understanding the processes of activist computer use and the results for social movements. I outline key characteristics of computer-mediated communication that have ramifications for social movements and identify potentially fruitful areas for research using the activist computer forum. Keywords: computing, technology, networks, social movements, activism.
News and Notes
Authors: Garson G. David
Published: March 2008

Call for contributions and reviewers: the Social Science Computer Review welcomes submission of articles, reports, communications, news items, and software and book reviews. Please contact the appropriate associate editor listed on the inside back cover or write to the editor, G. David Garson, NCSU Box 8101, Raleigh, NC 27695; 919-515-3067. Regarding book reviews, contact the book review editor, Carl Grafton, Department of Government, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36193; 205-277-4685. Note: All products discussed in this section are for MS-DOS computers except where otherwise noted, such as for Macintosh stations or products requiring Windows or OS/2.
Management Policy for Greater Computer Benefits: Friendly Software, Computer Literacy, or Formal Training
Authors: Northrop Alana , Kraemer Kenneth L. , Dunkle Debora E. , King John Leslie
Published: March 2008

Using data from over 3,000 public employees in 46 U.S. cities in 1988, this article in vestigates three classes of factors commonly thought to affect computer use: training, friendliness of software, and user computer background. Computer use is analyzed as 11 specific tasks (such as programming, record searching) and is further broken down by organizational role of user, for example, manager and street-level employee. Some findings are that (1) the computer literacy or prior coursework of employees is more important to their computer use than how many years an employee has used computers; and (2) for most employees the user friendliness of programs is relevant, and weakly so, only for generic tasks such as searching a file or entering data. More generally, the data lead us to highlight training because it can be used to compensate for weaknesses in present software as well as in the computer literacy and experience of users. Keywords: computing benefits, friendly software, computer literacy, training.
Economics: Spreadsheets as Pedagogical Tools for Economic Statistics and Econometrics
Authors: Cunningham Rosemary Thomas
Published: March 2008

With the focus on larger and faster computers and multimedia presentations, the trend in computer-aided instruction implies bigger (or more complex) must be necessarily better. Whereas more powerful applications allow economics instructors to demonstrate some very interesting and often complicated procedures and theories, there is much that can be done with very simple and widely available programs. In this paper, I explain the advantages of introducing undergraduate students to econometrics by helping them design their own statistical packages using a spreadsheet program. Keywords : Economics, instruction, computers, econometrics, statistics, spreadsheets.
Sociology: Computational Organization Theory
Authors: Carley Kathleen
Published: March 2008

Computational organization theory is a growing interdisciplinary area centered on the development of organization theory through the use of computational techniques. Research in this area grows out of work in many scientific areas including sociology, psychology, classic organization theory, and distributed artificial intelligence. The research in this area is united by a view of organizations as collections of processes and intelligent adaptive agents that are task oriented, socially situated, and technologically bound. This paper reviews this growing area and discusses both issues involved in the development of models in this area and theoretical issues that are being explored by work in this area. Keywords' simulation, organization theory, organizational learning, social networks, expert systems, computers.
Political Science: Artificial Intelligence Applications
Authors: Duffy Gavan , Tucker Seth A.
Published: March 2008

Scholars who apply artificial mtelligence to political questions seek, most generally, to expand the scope and relevance of political model analysis. By incorporating the effects of variable human notions, traditions, and meanings, they seek to humanize political models. Most early applications of artificial intelligence in political science research address substantive issues pertaining to political decision making. Most of these works apply production-system technology to construct choice models in for eign-policy decision contexts. In recent years, political applications have begun to diver sify. Today, lively research efforts flourish in widely varied application areas, such as computational text analysis, logic programming, computer learning, and conflict sim ulation. The works reviewed here constitute the early steps of a nascent program of study. Much remains to be accomplished. Nevertheless, the efforts conducted thus far suggest many potentially fruitful research avenues. Keywords: artificial intelligence, production systems, logic programming, computational hermeneutics, belief models, political simulation, political science.
The Response Effect of Question Order in Computer-Administered Questioning in the Social Sciences/
Authors: Barnes James H , Banahan Benjamin F. , Fish Kelly E.
Published: March 2008

The authors examine question-order bias in computer-administered questioning (CAQ) by examining the responses of two survey groups. Each group rated two types of prod ucts with respect to various product attributes in a computer interactive mode. The two product sections of the survey appeared in different order for each survey group. The results suggest that question order has no effect in CAQ. In addition, the authors found that CAQ is not readily susceptible to fatigue. Keywords: computer-administered questionnaires, question-order bias, response fatigue.
The Social Information Infrastructure
Authors: Bainbridge William Sims
Published: March 2008

The Division of Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research of the National Science Foundation has explored aggressively the potential involvement of the social sciences in the National Information Infrastructure. We invision the NII as a global network of computer communications, which will evolve out of the Internet, linking all social scientists to massive digital libraries and to myriad smaller distributed data sources containing information of every imaginable sort. Five workshops have charted applications of high-performance computing in the social and behavioral sciences: cognitive science, computational geography, computational economics, artificial social intelligence, and electronic networks. A survey of SBER programs revealed that many are helping to create the information infrastructure, and substantial investment in six "flagship" digital library projects will develop the systems necessary for the NII of the 21st century. Keywords: information infrastructure, digital library, cognitive science, computational geography, computational economics, artificial intelligence, Internet.
A National Network in the Global Village: U.S. Policy Goals for an International Network
Authors: Hollifield Ann , McCain Thomas A.
Published: March 2008

Despite the widespread attention generated by the United States' plans to build a National Information Infrastructure (NII), there has been relatively little discussion of the issues that will be raised by the construction of an internationally interconnected public-access network. This study, a pilot in an ongoing project, uses content analysis to determine the key international issues, goals, and priorities being articulated by stakeholders in the NII process; examining those issues within the context of emerging U.S. international telecommunications and information policy directions. The study finds that among stakeholders who have addressed the need for an internationally interconnected NII, economic issues are a paramount importance, with the network's potential for public use and benefit being secondary. This economic emphasis, combined with emerging U.S. policy directions and the complexity of conflicting cultural norms of media and information use, may ultimately result in greater restrictions on the free flow of information through international networks than currently exist. Keywords: information infrastructure, international communication, economic growth, government regulation, Internet.
The Questionnaire Programming Language [QPL]: An Overview with Examples of Call Management
Authors: Anderson Ronald E. , Magnan Shon
Published: March 2008

The Questionnaire Programming Language (QPL) software provides a relatively easy, quick, and reliable way to automate surveys. QPL was produced by Kevin Dooley and associates at the U.S. General Accounting Office and is a public-domain program. QPL is useful for conducting small- to large-scale computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) and self-admimstered questionnaire surveys. It also is useful for data entry and automated production of SPSS or SAS data definition files. In this article the QPL system is described with some example of how it has been used. These examples include a survey conducted in an instructional context. Particular emphasis is given to how to implement call management with "control" files of telephone numbers. Keywords. QPL, CATI, computer-assisted telephone interviewing, data entry.
Economics: WinEcon—A New Generation Computer Package for Introductory Economics
Authors: Hobbs Philip , Judge Guy
Published: March 2008

In October 1992 the U.K. Higher Education Funding Councils (HEFCs) provided grants totalling £22.5 million (approx. $34 million)1 for the development of technology-based learning materials for undergraduate education through the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP). Under this initiative a consortium of economics departments was granted £640 thousand (approx. $1 million) funding to produce a computer-based learning package for teaching introductory economics. This program, called WinEcon , will be provided free of charge to all U.K. higher-education economics departments in September 1995 and will be the first such package to cover the whole syllabus for first-year courses in economics. The consortium is committed to sharing the outcomes of its work with colleagues m other countries. In particular the consortium plans to develop a U.S. version of the software in collaboration with American coauthors.
Geographic Information Systems: The Case of Disaster Management
Authors: Waugh William L.
Published: March 2008

Disaster management, by its very nature, is spatially oriented, and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies promise to revolutionize the field. This analysis examines the major issues in the utilization of GIS in managing disasters and recommends strategies to facilitate and increase its use. The principal focus is on assuring that local GIS capabilities are expanded and maintained, that spatial data are available in forms useful to other users, and that local GIS resources be developed collaboratively. The experience with Hurricane Andrew is used to demonstrate both the importance of GIS to disaster management and the development of GIS capabilities. Keywords: Federal Geographic Data Committee, geographic information systems, National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse, National Spatial Data Infrastructure, North Carolina Multi-Agency GIS Initiative, Spatial Data Transfer Standard.
Multimedia: The Distant Classroom: Hardware, Software, and Administrative Considerations
Authors: Carpenter Edwin H. , Frank Cynthia A. , Shoup W. David
Published: March 2008

The introduction of new technology into everyday use is a slow and gradual process. Faculty members may wonder why it is necessary to change and are bewildered by phrases such as learner-centered, distance education, subject-matter expert, and interactive video. Yet, increased faculty participation in the new technologies is a prerequisite for the successful pedagogical implementation of new methods. As a new generation of students enters the university system, as more adult learners demand continuing education, and as the needs of minority students are recognized, new teaching methods are necessary as universities everywhere face cost-cutting measures. This paper describes an approach by one university designed to encourage the "subject-matter expert," such as a faculty member, to prepare interactive distance-education materials for dissemination via video tape, TV (satellite or microwave), CD-ROM, and the Internet. The intent is to provide interesting, educational, interactive materials and at the same time minimize the effort typically involved in producing distance-education materials. Keywords multimedia, audio, motion video, video capture, automation, visualization, computerized research, software linkages, graphics, charting graphics, authoring, computer-based presentations, hyperlinking, Internet, World Wide Web.
Designing Cyberian Landscapes
Authors: Blomberg Jeanette
Published: March 2008

New information and communications technologies are rapidly changing work practices and work sites throughout the world. In the development of these technologies, the perspectives and concerns of workers need to be heard. Work-oriented design, based on field studies, can contribute to technologies that provide improved opportunities and conditions for workers. In so doing, however, work-oriented design necessarily confronts the reality of power struggles over the design of work.
Anthropological Research and Collaborative Computing
Authors: Gonzalez Patricia
Published: March 2008

Computers and computer interfaces form the critical access points to the National Information Infrastructure. Recent polls reveal that as much as 30% of the American population feels intimidated by computers. The design of new interfaces adding three-dimensional worlds, models, and visualizations to text-based interfaces will not necessarily encourage broader use of the Internet among certain groups in the population. Other issues, such as navigational difficulties and the social dimensions of learning (including learning about computers), suggest nontechnical, social-science-oriented solutions.
New Forms of Collaboration for NII Usability
Authors: Lund Arnold M.
Published: March 2008

Massive investments in office technology during the 1980s had little impact on business productivity. One of the key issues for productivity is the usability of the technology; relatively small changes in usability, considered as both ease of use and utility, can have large effects on the adoption of a technology. One challenge for human factors activities supporting the National Information Infrastructure is that the question "Who is the user?" is too broad, and another is that current technological constraints are rapidly evolving and dissolving. Market research and anthropological and social psychological techniques are required to identify groups with similar characteristics and needs and to understand the daily lives of those groups.
Social Knowledge and Systems Development
Authors: Sachs Patricia
Published: March 2008

Information systems contain within them assumptions about how people work and think. Effective use of information technology in work settings requires a full understanding of the specialized knowledge of the work being supported. As the National Information Infrastructure is developed and deployed, there is needed a similar understanding of how its various user communities function in their work and daily lives.
Social Science Research Needs and New Information Technologies
Authors: Marx Gary T.
Published: March 2008

Four critical concerns for the development of a social research agenda on advanced information technology are (a) defining a theoretically and comparatively driven research program, (b) initially emphasizing exploratory and descriptive research, (c) treating technologies as both dependent and independent variables in a social context, and (d) avoiding reductionism. Some guidance on each of these concerns is offered.
Key Priorities for Social Science Research on Cyberspace
Authors: Shields Mark A. , Pfaffenberger Bryan
Published: March 2008

Social science research on cyberspace should concentrate on theory development, a national baseline survey of current networking practices, ethnographic case studies of businesses and other networked organizations, the implications of the National Information Infrastructure and multimedia technology for education, and policy options for mitigating socioeconomic and other inequalities that new communication and information technologies exacerbate.
Synergies and Competition Between Life in Cyberspace and Face-to-Face Communities
Authors: Kling Rob
Published: March 2008

This article questions three common assumptions: that (a) electronic forums will necessarily strengthen preexisting face-to-face territorial (and other intact) communities, (b) electronic forums will replace them with comparably prosocial forms, and (c) "market forces" will naturally foster prosocial electronic forums. It proposes a strong research program that examines how the social design/organization of electronic forums strengthens or weakens group life in workplaces and communities.
New Definitions and Measures of Telecommunciations Access
Authors: Mueller Milton
Published: March 2008

Current definitions of telecommunications access are antiquated and overly simplistic. They overlook technological alternatives, overlaps, and interdependencies as well as patterns of usage and the integration of usage into daily lives. Ethnographic observation of communication behavior can be used to construct social indicators of telecommunications access and usage that are based on theories about communication and behavior, not technologies.
Culture and the Problem of Universal Access to Electronic Information Systems
Authors: Treitler Inga
Published: March 2008

The technical design of information systems tends to drive the information structure and content of the systems and is not driven by the social and cultural needs of end users. The content, structure, and context of end user communication strategies should be a component of systems design for the National Information Infrastructure (NII). Without such integration of the communication strategies of multiple end user groups and communities, universal access to the NII cannot be guaranteed.
Advanced Information Technology and Political Communication
Authors: Paletz David L.
Published: March 2008

Communication is an essential part of all political processes. As information technology increases the reach and capability of communication, it has created new political possibilities, including facilitating revolution and defeating congressional incumbents, and has given greater visibility to government activities. The political effects of advanced information technology are potentially dichotomous: inspiring populism based on ignorance, facilitating the expression of public opinion inspired by demagoguery, or engendering community of ethnic, religious, or single-issue interest groups.
Global Society and Information Technology
Authors: Tonn Bruce E.
Published: March 2008

Information technology will greatly influence the quality of life in the 21st century. The challenge is to use the technology to help overcome numerous global, regional, and local problems that threaten the quality of life. These problems include global overpopulation, intense and potentially socioeconomically destructive global economic competition, continued pressures on the global environment, increasing levels of regionalized armed conflicts, regional water shortages and other regional environmental problems, and local transportation congestion, poverty, crime, and drug abuse. Social scientists mustbecome aggressively involved and accept leadership roles in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of computer-based systems that have broad social impact.
Information Sifting or Knowledge Building on the Internet
Authors: Anderson Ronald E.
Published: March 2008

Information sifting consists of all kinds of differentiation and evaluative actions in response to information overload. Like its alter ego, knowledge construction, it encompasses both social and nonsocial strategies. Research is suggested on what information-sifting mechanisms are used in cyberspace and how increasing use of software mechanisms may affect the pattern of social sifting behavior.
Hardware and Software for Telephoning Voters En Masse
Authors: Rodman Robert D. , Williams J. Oliver
Published: March 2008

The authors describe the hardware and software used to telephone voters en masse prior to an election in support of a candidate. They use Dialogic 41 DSP-based voice boards on an Intel 80286 platform. Software was written in U.S. Telecom's VAL (voice application language). Dialogic's VFEdit was used as a phrase editor, allowing messages to be recorded and played over the telephone. The results of this electioneering endeavor are discussed in the second half of the article.
Audio-CASI
Authors: Cooley Philip C. , Turner Charles F. , O'Reilly James M. , Allen Danny R. , Hamill David N. , Paddock Richard E.
Published: March 2008

This article reviews a multimedia application in the area of survey measurementresearch: adding audio capabilities to a computer-assisted interviewing system. Hardware and software issues are discussed, and potential hardware devices that operate from DOS platforms are reviewed. Three types of hardware devices are considered: PCMCIA devices, parallel port attachments, and laptops with built-in sound.
Computer-Supported Content Analysis
Authors: Evans William
Published: March 2008

This article reviews recent innovations in software for computer-supported content analysis, focusing on software designed to support quantitative analyses of texts and images. It also reviews recent developments in content analysis theory, recent research on the effectiveness of various coding protocols, and the proliferation of online databases.
Creating a Democratic Public Sphere Through Political Discussion
Authors: Schneider Steven M.
Published: March 2008

Computer-mediated discussion is an increasingly popular method of engaging in political talk with other citizens. This article presents a case study of a Usenet newsgroup focused on abortion, and discusses the creation of a public sphere by the conversants. The notion of the public sphere is discussed, and measures allowing an assessment of its democratic character are proposed. A formula for estimating entropy is developed and applied to data obtained from the case study of an ongoing discussion. A high level of inequality in participation among conversants is noted, with very few of the discussants responsible for an extraordinarily high proportion of the content. This inequality, though tempered by analysis of the newsgroup on a day-to-day basis, calls into question the democratic character of the public sphere represented by this conversation.
Lost in Cyberspace?
Authors: Shields Mark A.
Published: March 2008

This article examines the technological modernization of higher education since the mid-1980s with a view toward likely future directions and consequences. Four important questions are addressed: Does instructional computing uniquely add educational value to the learning process? Does CIT exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities? Can on-line education contribute to a revitalized public sphere in cyberspace? Are pressures for commercialization undermining the ethos of higher education? Social scientists should devote more attention to technologically shaped transformations in higher education.
Psychology
Authors: Schofield Janet Ward
Published: March 2008

The impact of computer use on classroom structure and functioning is examined. The most consistently found effect is an increase in motivation and closely related constructs. Computer use also appears to foster peer interaction, typically of a cooperative and mutually supportive nature. In addition, teachers often shift from whole group instructional methods emphasizing lecturing to interacting more with individuals or small groups of students in a more individualized and student-centered way. Although such outcomes appear common, the article also warns against thinking of computer use as a unitary independent variable with readily predictable effects. It points out that teachers' construal of and decisions about the use of software are vitally important in influencing outcomes, as are the existing culture and social structure of the school and classroom. It also suggests that unanticipated changes in classroom structure and functioning often are coincident with computer use and may account for some of the effects commonly attributed to it.
Research Methodology
Authors: Cirincione Carmen , Gurrieri Gustavo A.
Published: March 2008

With the availability of powerful, inexpensive computer hardware and software, computer-intensive statistical methods are becoming more commonly applied in the social sciences. These methods frequently offer a number of advantages over traditional parametric procedures. This article briefly reviews four computer-intensive methods (permutation/randomization tests, bootstrapping, the jack knife, and cross-validation), discusses some of the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches, provides example applications, and discusses five commercially available software packages that may be used to implement these methods.
Conducting On-Line Focus Groups
Authors: Gaiser Ted J.
Published: March 2008

This article presents a starting point for the development of a methodology for conducting on-line focus groups on a listserver. It addresses the mechanics of conducting a focus group with specific attention given to issues raised by the computer-mediated environment. Included throughout the discussion is extensive attention to ethical issues relating to focus groups and on-line research.
A Computer Content Analysis Approach to Measuring Social Distance in Residential Organizations for Older People
Authors: McTavish Donald G. , Litkowski Kenneth C. , Schrader Susan
Published: March 2008

Computer content analysis provides another approach to measuring differential aspects of social structure (positions and perspectives), as evident in language. Using verbatim transcripts of interviews with occupants of positions in nursing homes talking about their organizational situation, Minnesota Contextual Content Analysis (MCCA-PC) analyzes the meaning in these texts and computes a language-based measurement of social distance as a function of differences between perspectives, facilitating an examination of social distance with other organizational and personal outcomes. Correlates of distance between roles across nursing homes suggest consequences for organizational structure and meanings residents express about their experience. Content scores permit identification of each respondent with a particular nursing home, a measurable aspect of organizational culture. This methodology is compared to techniques in information retrieval for characterizing documents by semantic vectors. Semantic analysis of MCCA categories using WordNet reveals semantic domains, whose refinement may better characterize identified differences.
Internet Surveys by Direct Mailing
Authors: Swoboda Walter J. , Mühlberger Nikolai , Weitkunat Rolf , Schneeweiß Sebastian
Published: March 2008

This article describes a new method of collecting data by direct mailing via the Internet. Feasibility and capacities were evaluated through a worldwide opinion poll on global future risks of mankind and potential solutions. Within 1 day, a structured questionnaire was sent to 8,859 randomly selected e-mail addresses. One thousand seven hundred and thirteen were remailed properly completed, 90% within 4 days. Most respondents were residents of North America (64%) and Europe (21 %), male (87%), and 30 years old on average. Environmental destruction (52%) was mentioned as the primary problem, followed by violence (45%) and unemployment (45%). Education (71 %) was the most frequently proposed solution to future problems. It is obvious that Internet surveys at this time are not repre sentative of the total population. However, they open new dimensions in the interrogation of experts and opinion leaders, especially considering their efficiency and potential for automation.
Software Reviews : Contemporary Social Research Methods With Social Research Using MicroCase
Authors: Shortell Timothy
Published: March 2008

The Contemporary Social Research Methods With Social Research Using MicroCase package is a useful tool for teaching introductory quantitative research methods with a computer application. The software is a good DOS package, relatively easy to use with excellent supporting materials. The text, Contemporary Social Research Methods, by Rodney Stark and Lynne Roberts is very good; it is clearly written in a clean, attractive format. The software has the usual awkwardness of DOS software in a Windows world, but the documentation is very useful and the performance quite respectable on a 75 MHz Pentium with 32 MB RAM. The material is pitched toward the low end of what is typically expected in a social science methods course at a liberal arts college. It seems better suited to students who are not going to specialize in quantitative research.
Computer Content Analysis of Press Coverage and Prediction of Public Opinion for the 1995 Sovereignty Referendum in Quebec
Authors: Fan David P.
Published: March 2008

This article uses a computerized method to score news coverage of the 1995 referendum in Quebec, Canada, asking whether that province should become sovereign. The news for English-speaking Canada was represented by the Canadian Press (CP) newswire, whereas la Presse canadienne (PC), the sister news service, was used as the surrogate for the French language press in Quebec. The CP was analyzed for paragraphs supporting the Yes and the No positions, and the PC was scored for the equivalent positions of the Oui and the Non. Both news services were also analyzed for the major campaign themes and coverage of the four major political leaders. The Oui and the Non paragraphs in the PC were good predictors of the time trend of opinion polls leading up to the referendum. The campaign could be separated into four distinct phases based on the prominence of coverage of different political leaders.
Scale Validity
Authors: McTavish Donald G.
Published: March 2008

This article presents a computer content analysis approach to the problem of assessing the validity of Likert scales used in survey research. The wording of questions that make up a scale communicates meaning to the respondent in order to acquire relevant responses that, when combined, serve to measure some concept. Traditionally, beyond informal judgments of face validity, investigators examine responses of a sample of subjects to scale questions in order to determine if expected relationships and structure are found. The content analysis procedure proposed here directly examines the wording of scale questions to see if expected meanings, relationships, and structure are found in order to assess the validity of a scale. Possibilities of this approach are illustrated using two previously analyzed sets of scales: alienation and perception of police and crime.
Political Science
Authors: Goldman Jerry
Published: March 2008

This essay describes the creation of Web-based multipurpose multimedia databases concerned with the Supreme Court and other historically and politically significant institutions, events, and actors. These databases enrich instruction and may encourage learning. These materials are rich in emotive content that text-only transcriptions never capture. Scholars have only begun to tap multimedia resources. Their scholarship becomes verifiable when such media are open to all. Web access is one step toward this objective. Serious multimedia content providers may discover that hybrid compact disk (CD) and digital video disk (DVD) technology can simultaneously protect their intellectual property and encourage its use.
Research Methodology
Authors: Clark Rich , Maynard Marc
Published: March 2008

The purpose of the this article is to discuss the impact that online technologies are having and will continue to have on the way secondary analysis of survey research is performed. The authors discuss the validity of secondary analysis of survey research studies and the effect that online technology has on such analyses. Before reviewing current online public opinion sources, the authors make the argument that online services are becoming increasingly important for secondary analysis. Finally, the authors present a model indicating where online services can go in the future given the technology that is available today. Ultimately, it is believed that the Internet is currently underexploited for its capacity to aid secondary analysis. The authors advocate making survey data more easily available online to all potential users. This entails varying the format and depth of data so that users find sources suitable to their needs. It also entails the use of desktop technology to store and analyze survey research data and making that technology, or the applications that are developed through that technology, available to other users via computer networks, primarily via the Internet.
Developing Ethical Practices to Minimize Computer Misuse
Authors: Kesar Shalini , Rogerson Simon
Published: March 2008

Various researchers have suggested the need to develop sound ethical information technology practices to combat the increased incidence of computer misuse. Relating to the ubiquity of information technology, this article presents a basis to understand the nature of computer misuse. Such an analysis will help in developing ethical practices to minimize computer misuse. Finally, this article argues that by addressing ethical issues at both formal and informal levels, the risks associated with information technology usage can be minimized.
The Coevolution of Society and Multimedia Technology
Authors: Stewart James , Williams Robin
Published: March 2008

Multimedia technology is becoming ubiquitous in modem society, and it is having profound effects on institutions and expectations. The technology is very fluid, and development is shaped by a great many social factors. Prediction of the coevolution of multimedia technology and society needs to be informed by a research framework that focuses attention on the key social, psychological, political, and economic influences on technology and technology use as well as on the emergence of stable uses, infrastructures, standards, and development paths. This article criticizes "technologically deterministic" approaches, which simply seek to extrapolate social change from technological potential. It shows how a three-layer model of component, system, and application technologies can be used to integrate findings from the use and development of technology in specific sectors. Three cases of technology-based predictions are examined from education, retailing, and work organization, and lessons for understanding technology futures are illustrated by research in different industry and user sectors.
Introduction
Authors: Shields Mark A.
Published: March 2008

This is the first part of a two-part series in Social Science Computer Review devoted to a topic of cardinal importance to the future of information societies: the changing axes of equality and inequality. The current issue focuses on developments in the United States, whereas the second will have an international focus, especially on less developed countries. This introduction briefly discusses what is meant by "information societies," and then outlines recent attempts to explain the link between information technology diffusion and rising economic inequality in the United States.
Equity, Access, and Participation in Community Networks
Authors: Howley Kevin
Published: March 2008

Concerned as it is with the design and development of safe, effective, and efficient technologies, the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) brings a powerful, multidisciplinary approach to issues surrounding individual and collective use of information systems. Dedicated to bringing computer access and literacy to heterogeneous communities, the community networking movement shares many of these concerns: namely, making these systems not only functional but also relevant to a diverse user population. Informed by several pertinent themes—usability, participatory design, and sociotechnical systems theory—this article illustrates the benefits HCI offers to community networking. The author suggests that community network advocates should explore HCI's potential for enhancing equity, access, and participation in community computer networks.
A generalisation of the tail-based P-value to characterise the conformity of trinomial proportions to prescribed norms
Authors: Newcombe Robert G , Farrier Sarah L
Published: March 2008

The traditional concept of a P-value comparing an observed binomial probability to a prescribed value is extended to the ordered trinomial case in which target proportions have been specified for `excellent', `acceptable' and `unacceptable' quality. The resulting trinomial probabilities are summarised by calculating two aggregate probabilities, relating to outcomes unequivocally better than, and unequivocally worse than, that actually observed, based on these assumed target proportions. Accumulations of exactly calculated tail probabilities on a mid-P basis are recommended.
The Influence of Team Emotional Intelligence Climate on Conflict and Team Members' Reactions to Conflict
Authors: Ayoko Oluremi B. , Callan Victor J. , Härtel Charmine E. J.
Published: March 2008

The authors seek to advance research on conflict and emotions by integrating features of conflict, reactions to conflict, and team emotional intelligence climate. They tested hypothesized links between variables with data collected from 528 employees in 97 organizational teams. Results revealed that teams with less-well-defined emotional intelligence climates were associated with increased task and relationship conflict and increased conflict intensity. In addition, team emotional intelligence climate, especially conflict management norms, moderated the link between task conflict and destructive reactions to conflict. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Nonlinear Dynamics of Individual and Interpersonal Conflict in an Experimental Group
Authors: Pincus David , Fox Kristen M. , Perez Katherine A. , Turner Jaclyn S. , McGeehan Andrew R.
Published: March 2008

The current study examines the spread of experimentally induced conflict and rigidity from an individual to a group through the perspective of self-organization theory. The dependent measure of rigidity was operationally defined as entropy in conversational turn-taking dynamics in the small group. Four female undergraduates participated in a series of four 30-min discussions. The frequency distribution of turn-taking patterns for each discussion was predicted to fit an inverse power-law (IPL) model, with drops in entropy in response to conflict within a single group member following baseline. Consistent with predictions, results indicated significant fits to the inverse power-law model in each discussion and a significant drop in entropy values following the conflict induction. These results suggest that small groups are self-organizing systems in which the spread of conflict between group and individual dynamics occurs by way of shifts toward systemic rigidity.
Combined Effects of Knowledge About Others' Opinions and Anticipation of Group Discussion on Confirmatory Information Search
Authors: Mojzisch Andreas , Schulz-Hardt Stefan , Kerschreiter Rudolf , Frey Dieter
Published: March 2008

There is conclusive evidence that information search processes are typically biased in favor of the information seeker's own opinion (confirmation bias). Less is known about how knowledge about others' opinions affects this confirmatory information search. In the present study, the authors manipulated feedback about others' opinions and anticipation of group interaction. As predicted, the effect of knowledge about others' opinions on confirmatory information search depended on whether participants anticipated interacting with these others. Specifically, minority members anticipating a group discussion exhibited a particularly strong confirmation bias, whereas minority members who did not anticipate a discussion predominantly sought information opposing their opinion. For participants not anticipating group interaction, confidence about the correctness of one's decision mediated the impact of knowledge about others' opinions on confirmatory information search. Results are discussed with regard to the debiasing effect of preference heterogeneity on confirmatory information search in groups.
Increasing Trust, Psychological Safety, and Team Performance Through Dyadic Leadership Discovery
Authors: Roussin Christopher J.
Published: March 2008

In this article, the author uses a case-based argument to explore the idea that team members have grounded rationality, which may be actively learned by team leaders through a process of leadership discovery. The analysis reveals evidence that leaders using dyadic discovery methods learn more and more effectively customize leadership behaviors to increase trust, psychological safety, and team performance. A comparison of dyadic and group-level discovery cases lends support to the theory that dyadic-level discovery is psychologically safer and more consistently effective than is group-level discovery in most work team settings. This is an important finding, as many “action” and “organization development” methods presently rely on group-level interventions as a means of uncovering individual-level rationality.
The Managing of the Presidency
Authors: Vaughn Justin S. , Villalobos José D.
Published: March 2008

We argue that scholars of the presidency should begin to apply their rich descriptive understanding of White House organization and personnel to questions of causality. To help guide this effort, we offer a theory-driven empirical model that explains organizational performance. Importing theory from the public management literature, we show how scholars can use the Meier-O'Toole (MO) model to explain performance outcomes and dynamics for key political and policy functions within the institutional presidency. We introduce the MO model and discuss its potential impact on the field of presidency studies.
Social Disorganization, Drug Market Activity, and Neighborhood Violent Crime
Authors: Martínez Ramiro , Rosenfeld Richard , Mares Dennis
Published: March 2008

Although illicit drug activity occurs within local communities, past quantitative research on drug markets and violent crime in the United States has been conducted mainly at the city level. The authors use neighborhood-level data from the city of Miami to test hypotheses regarding the effect of drug activity and traditional indicators of social disorganization on rates of aggravated assault and robbery. The results show that drug activity has robust effects on violent crime that are independent of other disorganization indicators. The authors also find that drug activity is concentrated in neighborhoods with low rates of immigration, less linguistic isolation and ethnic heterogeneity, and where nondrug accidental deaths are prevalent. The authors find no independent effect of neighborhood racial composition on drug activity or violent crime. The results suggest that future neighborhood-level research on social disorganization and violent crime should devote explicit attention to the disorganizing and violence-producing effects of illicit drug activity.
Public Health Educators' Participation in Teams: Implications for Preparation and Practice
Authors: Lovelace Kay A. , Bibeau Daniel L. , Donnell Brigid M. , Johnson Hans H. , Glascoff Mary A. , Tyler Emily
Published: March 2008

Collaboration among public health organizations is essential to ensuring the health of the public. Much of the day-to-day work of public health educators is done in groups or teams or in consultation with others. This study examined the extent of health educators' work in teams as a proxy for collaboration. Health educators participated in an average of four teams per individual; three of these were interorganizational teams. Moreover, 40% of the respondents participated in five or more teams. Health educators supervised by other health educators were more likely to work in interorganizational teams than were those supervised by other professionals. Certified Health Education Specialists were more likely to participate in intraorganizational teams. Curricula in academic programs should reflect the extensive teamwork in which health educators are involved. Employers need to provide health educators with grounding in organizational priorities and support to carry out their collaborative work.
Exploring Local Perceptions of and Responses to Urban Youth Violence
Authors: Yonas Michael A. , O'Campo Patricia , Burke Jessica G. , Gielen Andrea C.
Published: March 2008

Objective: Despite widespread prevention efforts, youth violence persists in many urban communities. This investigation explores the unique perspectives and local capacities to address urban youth violence. Method: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with prominent neighborhood individuals (PNIs) from low-wealth neighborhoods that varied by risk for youth violence. Findings: Findings reveal examples of increased levels of social action in the designated low risk for youth violence neighborhoods. Similar activities were also present, but to a lesser extent, within the high-risk neighborhoods. Results illustrate how PNIs formally and informally share information and take action to address youth violence. Conclusion: PNIs are an often-overlooked resource in gaining local insight for addressing health issues, such as youth violence. The efforts identified exhibit expertise and culturally sensitive opportunities for working together to address youth violence. Understanding such dynamics is essential for informing the development of locally endorsed violence-prevention interventions.