Post about your research- Win the new Kindle 3G!

[ENGAGE administrator]

Post about one of your research projects (2-4 paragraphs) on ENGAGE from March 20 11:59 PM to April 30 11.59 PM and you could be one of the two lucky winners of a Kindle Paperwhite 3G worth $179.
The winners will be" raffle-selected" at the ENGAGE get- together that will take place on May 10. (Stay tuned and check the discussion boards for more details about the get- together.)
This contest is addressed to CURRENT graduate students and faculty from Liberal Arts and Education at Purdue. Here is what you need to do to take part in the ENGAGE-Kindle competition:

1. Create an account on the ENGAGE discussion board if you haven't already. (www.engagepurdue.com)
2. Write a post describing one of your research projects. Give details about its practical implications and methodology. Add anything else you consider relevant.
3. Finally, mention in your post what departments at Purdue (except your own) you would like to collaborate with for future research studies. Tell us why.
Your post should be about 2-4 paragraphs in length. Only one entry per person is allowed.

We look forward to reading your post.
Should you have any questions please send an email to [e-mail]
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The purpose of this contest is to get to know about each other's work in the hope for future research collaborations. So, post and help to establish collaborations across the campus. The rules of this contest are in accord with the Purdue University policies.

Attachments:

[arunimakrishna]

One of my current research projects focuses on studying the linkages between an employees informal networks (friendship and advice networks) within the organization and the organization-employee relationship perceived by that employee. Extant literature in social network analysis has shown that an employee's position in their social network within the organization may predict factors like job satisfaction, organization committment etc. My project takes this further by suggesting that an employee's centrality in their friendshp network and advice network, how many ties they have, etc. may positively impact the organization-employee relationship perceived by that employee.

This research will use social network analysis metrics to collect data about each individual employee's informal network of friends in the organization. A qualtrics survey is being used to do this. Analysis will be conducted using various social network analysis software including ERGM and UCINet.

This study holds several practical implications. Employees' perceived organization-employee relationship (which will be measured using Huang, 1999, OPRA scale) has been shown to predict the direction and strenght of employees communication behaviors to external publics, especially during a crisis. Understanding how employees' informal networks in the organization may relate to the organization employee relationship may be important for HR and PR practitioners, especially for those organizations that discourage informal or social contact between employees.

This study may benefit greatly from collaboration with the Management School and the OBHR departments, because of the expertise they may offer on employees behavior. Since this study has implications for employees communication behaviors, collaboration between OBHR and BLSC may be the most suitable.

[ENGAGE administrator]

Great research, great post, Arunima! Thanks for sharing and for taking part in the contest!

[Laishan]

I am currently conducting a research study about consumer nationalism. According to Anderson, nation is not necessarily a physical space, but "an imagined community" where we kind of share the same spirit of nationalism thinking that we belong to the same nation. The ideology of nationalism can be problematic when transnational corporations conduct their business operations overseas; their country of origin can be an "original sin" - it is particularly the case when their home countries have an unfavorable relationship with their foreign host countries.

My current research project focuses on how the relationship between the Chinese and the Japanese governments has triggered nationalistic sentiments in China, causing such problems as boycotts against Japanese products and the like. Together with two other co-authors, I have been collecting data of news coverage and online discussion posts in China so as to identify the dynamics involved in the rise of a hot-issue public. I will be using quantitative methods to content analyze the data.

For transnational corporations, they do not take part in inflicting the crisis. Thus, this study provides the practical implication of allowing them to see how the external environment, beyond their control, can be the major cause of crises and how they can handle them. I will be taking classes in consumer sciences so as to gain deeper knowledge in consumer behaviors.

[ENGAGE administrator]

LaiShan, that is amazing research! Much success and keep us posted!

[Laishan]

Thank you, ENGAGE administrator!

[ENGAGE administrator]

[ailiadis]

One of my current research projects involves translating the work of the French philosopher of information and communication technology Gilbert Simondon. His books have yet to reach an English speaking audience even though his work stands up alongside other major communication theorists of the twentieth century, including Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener.

I use Simondon's notion of information artifact ontology in the method of levels of abstraction in scientific modelling and informational structural realism. I am specifically looking at interfaces in human-computer interaction and ways in which the development of more rigorous conceptual designs of interfaces can better assist facilitation in creative and educational environments.

The research will contribute to a UNESCO-sponsored Philosophy of Information undergraduate textbook for Philosophy and Engineering departments who might want to incorporate a theoretical approach to information and information ethics into their curriculum.

[ENGAGE administrator]

Thank you, Andrew, for sharing about this great project!

[knhatten]

My current research is examining young adult (18-24) diabetics, a vastly understudied population, and their interactions with the healthcare system. I'm using the Chronic Care Model to look at the communication between providers and patients, as well as barriers (particularly systemic) to young adult diabetics achieving optimal healthcare outcomes. I'm also interested in adding to the literature on the Chronic Care Model; most of the model just assumes communication is occurring in interactions among providers, patients, and community. I want to problematize this assumption and help draw out the nature of communication within the CCM.

Other departments I'd love to work with on campus include Nursing and Psychology. I initially was introduced to the CCM by my outside committee member, who is a Nursing professor. Nurses are on the front lines of healthcare. Sometimes patients see a nurse instead of a doctor for their healthcare, and with the downward trend of doctors choosing to be general practitioners, more and more nurses are becoming general healthcare providers. Working with the Psychology Department would be great because there are many psychological factors going into a young adult diabetic's self-care. Young adults go through a major transition, going from home to college, starting relationships, handling the demands of school and work, and so forth. It would be interesting to have more expertise on board when it comes to examining the psychological status of young adult diabetics.

[ENGAGE administrator]

Great research, Kristen! Thanks for sharing and for taking part in the competition!

[Mike Hands]

My research project is focused on adult science learning outside the classroom. Though much of education research is focused on improving classroom education, Americans only spend approximately five percent of their lifetime in classrooms. Within that five percent, only a subset of that time is devoted to science education. Therefore, a significant amount of the science that non-specialists know is learned outside the classroom.

One source of informal science learning is news reports about scientific research. Many people do not personally know a research scientist, so knowledge about current research is often obtained from the news. Understanding how news articles report about science research and how that impacts reader understanding can suggest ways to improve science communication.

I have analyzed news article, press releases, and primary chemistry research literature using move analysis to determine how the science information is presented in each format. One of the main differences is in the treatment of limitations. Primary research articles often address limitations, while press releases and news articles do not. This difference could impact how readers understand and interpret the information presented. I am conducting a large scale study at different American universities where faculty and staff read a science news article, either with or without explicit limitations. Participants answer a questionnaire to assess their understanding of the content, trust in the information presented, perceived significance of the research findings, and interpretation of limitations. The responses of science faculty are compared to non-scientists to understand how science background contributes to each of the above outcomes.

This research could contribute to our understanding of best science communication practices. The inclusion of limitations in news articles may assist in improving reader understanding of science information from the news.

[mmedeiros]

My research is about the interrelations among authority, gender and the scientific discipline of natural history in the works of three women travelers from the early nineteenth-century transatlantic world. My purpose is to shed new light on our understanding of the feminine perspective of the discourse of natural history and how this perspective had a surprising impact in areas that went beyond the field of science. This work is of significance because it advances the study of gender and natural history in new directions by bringing together for the first time Latin American and European women travelers who actively engaged the field of science in the nineteenth century. Moreover, it demonstrates how these women were only able to participate in transatlantic intellectual enterprises by residing outside of their own nations.
My methodological approach is interdisciplinary, and it includes examination of primary texts such as published diaries, scientific texts, women’s periodicals, travel journals, and poetry collections. In addition, I use archival documents because there are many works, letters, manuscripts, drawings, sketches that have not been published to date. My secondary critical texts include works by literary and cultural critics specializing in the genre of travel literature, and historians of science.

[jczader]

For many centuries philosophers and academic lawyers have attempted to answer the question whether citizens have to obey the law. They generally agree that it is a moral obligation or even necessity to obey the law. Nonetheless, questions concerning the scope of necessity frequently arise in a variety of legal and philosophical discussions.

The leading purpose of my research project is to discuss the problem of relationship between law and obedience during the French Revolution. I have noticed that in most cases women from different social backgrounds and with various educations, involved into revolutionary politics, as many male philosophers and thinkers, agreed and recognized the necessity to obey law. However, I would like also to demonstrate that the reasoning and justification vary from the arguments expressed by men.

My research project is based on many literary works of women writers such as: novel, plays, political writings and letters and unknown manuscripts. I am affiliated with the French literature section at the School of Languages and Cultures, the project includes many elements such: politics, economy, sociology, philosophy, women's studies and history. This interdisciplinary project will allow examine and look at legacy of the Enlightenment and the effects of the revolution in ideas on philosophical and political expressions in 20th century. The collaboration with the Department of History and many libraries in US and Europe such as Bibliothèque nationale de France will be crucial. It will help me to investigate the period of the French Revolution as cultural, literary and historical phenomenon in a language that denies the power by naming women as marginal.

[ENGAGE administrator]

Wonderful research! Thanks so much for sharing and for participating in the competition. Could you please email me your full name at [e-mail]. Or you could write it here if that's ok with you. I would need it for the upcoming raffle. Will keep you posted on that soon. Thanks and best wishes for the end of the semester. Roxana