This dissertation explored the effects of various types of assistance on the generation, recall, and input of robust passwords containing at least twenty characters. Passwords are desirable memometric authentication secrets for many reasons, but their continued effectiveness depends on increasing their resistance to emerging attacks. Resistance to attacks is increasingly a function of length. Although previous password research revealed widespread use of short, weak passwords and conventional wisdom considers users incapable of reliably generating, recalling, and accurately inputting strong passwords, this study investigated ways to assist users in meeting the specific challenges of robust password management. Interventions in the password-generation stage of this study introduced participants to five password generation schemes, supplied various numbers of example passwords, and required reentry of passwords immediately after generation to explore possible benefits on subsequent authentication performance. Key findings of this research were that: • Twenty-character passwords can be as strong as their corresponding 128-bit hashes; • Acrostic password-generation schemes produced strong passwords; • Confessional and Unexpected Nonsense schemes produced memorable passwords; • Supplying example passwords led to stronger passwords; • All participants easily generated 20-character passwords and most experienced few problems in the vague recall of them; • 30% of participants generated and used very strong passwords without failure for seven weeks; • The input of the precise formulation of robust passwords was the greatest single cause of authentication failure; • Exposure to 5 or 10 additional password examples during the generation stage did not improve subsequent password performance; • Reentry of passwords four times during the generation stage did not improve subsequent password performance; • Although education and training are beneficial, the actual study treatments were not universally effective; and viii • The population of password users and the reasons for password failure are complex, and users who experience difficulties require additional attention and resources on a contingency basis. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2007. / May 21, 2007. / usability, memometrics, authentication, information security, security, password / Includes bibliographical references. / Charles R. McClure, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael Burmester, Outside Committee Member; John Carlo Bertot, Committee Member; Gary Burnett, Committee Member.

Librarian characters in films have long been the subject of academic study, usually comparing their features with those of the stereotype or real librarians. Little attention is given to the value librarian characters bring to visual narratives. This qualitative research explores contributions of onscreen librarians by identifying role function within a sample of 30 narrative realist horror films. Function relates to how a character's traits, behaviors, and interactions create meaning that advances the story. The horror genre offers popular conventions and a wide variety of librarian character types. Because the term stereotype is too limiting to describe librarian roles in films, an observational framework is applied that interprets data as signs using constructs defined by Charles S. Peirce. A librarian character, when viewed as an indexical sign, is the product of any combination of signifiers culturally associated with the image that will induce recognition of the occupation, e.g., hair bun or bald, young (and naïve) or old (and frigid), male or female, repressed or wild, helpful or obstructive. A semiotic approach permits contradictions and neutralizes emotions vested in the librarian symbol by members of the profession. Using Esslin's Table of Signs System for data collection, librarian character functions fall into 17 categories, with analyses thematically grouped based on the level of communication flow between filmmaker and audience. Data show that most of the sample films include librarians as protagonists or pivotal characters that express multiple functions. A significantly larger percentage of male librarians appear in these horror films than in general cinema or in real life. While features of the negative librarian stereotype are exaggerated in some films, they support narrative purpose and are not gratuitous. Positive aspects of the librarian symbol are strongly represented. Most of the films in the sample include library settings with familiar cultural signifiers that augment librarian functions. While the portrayal of information services within a library setting ground minor roles, more fully-fleshed characters fulfill a wide range of functions including murderers, victims, action heroes, sources of humor and irony, emotional support, sexual objects, and other purposes. As working librarians they provide information, obstruct information, enact routine library tasks, maintain library rules—and violate them. Whether on the job or interacting in other narrative settings, librarian characters impact their stories, showing the librarian index to be fertile, expressive and capable of communicating deep narrative meaning. This research successfully argues that librarian roles within the narrative realist horror film genre are relevant and, despite a stodgy stereotype, often support drama and excitement. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Library and Information Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2010. / October 5, 2010. / Charles S. Peirce, Semiotics, Signs, Librarian Stereotype, Esslin Sign Systems, Librarian Symbol, Icons, Filmic Function, Librarian Characters, Horror Movies, Horror Films / Includes bibliographical references. / Gary Burnett, Professor Directing Dissertation; Valliere Richard Auzenne, University Representative; Lisa Tripp, Committee Member; Eliza T. Dresang, Committee Member.

Using a case study approach, this exploratory study investigated the manner in which the staff and students of the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) seek information resources and services and whether their information-seeking behavior could be explained by the application of the Bates berrypicking model. Influencing factors studied were integration of information literacy and selected demographics. The context of the case was presented through issues that affect information seeking in a virtual school such as legislative policy, budgetary policy, and accreditation issues. An examination of the literature showed that no previous published research had examined the information-seeking behavior of staff and students in a virtual secondary school setting. The population included sixteen administrators, all twenty instructional designers, and all 308 full time teachers. In addition, thirty-six English II students in a class containing an open-ended research assignment, were included as part of the population of this study. The FLVS, recognized as a leader in K-12 virtual education and viewed as a critical case, was selected as the setting for this study. The results of this study indicated that most course designers, teachers and students surveyed seek information using a berrypicking mode except in subject searching, while teachers in the math and critical research and thinking skills departments preferred a linear mode. This study also showed that FLVS director level administrators viewed their responsibility as important in assuring that teachers and students were able to seek out and use information resources and services. Content incorporated into FLVS courses by course designers was often obtained from Internet websites and FLVS purchased resources (i.e., BrainPOP, United Streaming, and SAS inSchool Curriculum Pathways). Likewise, FLVS teachers relied upon teacher- or department-developed knowledge bases, Internet websites, online databases and textbooks when seeking out information resources to supplement the existing centrally created course content. When completing an open-ended research assignment, FLVS students relied upon information resources provided by the FLVS and those available on the Internet even when they also attended a 'brick-and-mortar' school with a library. Both the influencing factors and contextual issues studied had an effect on the information-seeking behavior of the staff and students at the FLVS. Outcomes or impacts of this study include increased knowledge about information-seeking behavior, increased knowledge about the application of the berrypicking model, new knowledge about information-seeking behavior in the virtual school environment, further evidence-based information practices in virtual K-12 schools, and the identification of additional areas for further research about information-seeking behavior in other state sponsored virtual K-12 schools. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2008. / March 24, 2008. / Accreditation, Virtual School, Integrating Information Literacy, Information-seeking Behavior / Includes bibliographical references. / Eliza T. Dresang, Professor Directing Dissertation; Tom Anderson, Outside Committee Member; Nancy Everhart, Committee Member; Don Latham, Committee Member.

Foreign children's books translated into English matter to young readers in the U.S. for intellectual, literary, and pedagogical reasons, yet very few are published. How do U.S. editors select culturally conscious children's books from abroad to be translated into English for the U.S. market? This question was addressed by exploring the barriers editors encounter, the resources available to them, and their perceptions about the value of publishing translations. The theoretical framework consists of communications scholar Brenda Dervin's personal sense-making supplemented by Karl E. Weick's sensemaking from organizational psychology. Using two similar but not identical theories adds depth to the analysis, providing what anthropologist Gregory Bateson calls "binocular vision." The study was conducted in the U.S. from May to July 2008. A purposive sample of 93 children's editors was drawn from Children's Book Council member publishers. The study employed the participant selection model, a variant of the mixed methods sequential explanatory design. Phase I was a web-based survey. Phase II consisted of follow-up interviews. Ten subjects whose attitudes were least well predicted by a statistical regression model fit to the survey data were selected for interviewing. The literature suggested that editors are reluctant to publish translations because of the expense. However, findings showed that the most important barrier is reliance on reader's reports when editors cannot read in the language of the original. The cost of acquiring books from other countries when the dollar is low was of secondary importance. Editors' top-ranked motivation was a positive personal response to the book. Editors ranked the Bologna Children's Book Fair as their most important resource, but it is expensive to attend. The propensity to publish translations was stronger if editors are bilingual or see the industry as more open to translations than five years earlier. Replicating the study at a later date under a different political administration and economic conditions should reveal if editors' attitudes towards publishing translations remain consistent. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2009. / December 12, 2008. / Sensemaking, Sense-Making, Mixed Methods, Editors, Publishing, Decision Making, Translation, Children's Literature / Includes bibliographical references. / Eliza T. Dresang, Professor Directing Dissertation; Pamela (Sissi) Carroll, Outside Committee Member; Melissa Gross, Committee Member; Don Latham, Committee Member; Susan Stan, Committee Member.

This study examines the state of materials challenges in private college preparatory school libraries located in the Southeast United States. Prior to the study, the topic of challenges to school library materials had only been examined in the public school setting. Through the use of survey methodology and telephone interviews, this two-phase study sought answers to three research questions: (1) What is the status of challenges to materials in private college preparatory school libraries in the southeast? (2) What is the status of outcomes of the challenges? (3) What are the factors that made a difference in influencing the outcome of the challenges? Ten (25%) research participants indicated having had challenges during the period under study. Five challenged books were retained, two were restricted, and three were removed from library collections. Interview responses indicated that influential factors may include school environment, complaint background, librarian characteristics, materials selection pressure, existence of a challenge committee, and librarian intervention. This study serves as a foundation upon which to build future research efforts in similar settings. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2006. / April 14, 2006. / School Media, Intellectual Freedom, Censorship / Includes bibliographical references. / Kathleen Burnett, Professor Directing Dissertation; Robert A. Schwartz, Outside Committee Member; Eliza T. Dresang, Committee Member; Wayne A. Wiegand, Committee Member.

The ontology approach has been accepted as a very promising approach to semantic integration today. However, because of the diversity of focuses and its various connections to other research domains, the core concepts, theoretical and technical approaches, and research areas of this domain still remain unclear. Such ambiguity makes it difficult to develop a complete framework to evaluate and improve various ontology tools and systems developed for the purpose of semantic integration, and may also limit future in-depth study and system development due to the lack of a comprehensive review of present work and unsolved problems. This research reviewed the past research on semantic integration from the ontology driven perspective, and formalized its related concepts and elements into a framework with four major dimensions. By utilizing such a framework, this research identifies various necessary tasks for each dimension, therefore clarifying the major components for the ontology driven semantic integration, and such an approach could be a cornerstone for building an ontology of ontology integration research in the near future. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Library and Information Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / . / December 9, 2011. / Information Integration, Ontology, Ontology Matching, Semantic Integration, Semantic Web / Includes bibliographical references. / Corinne Jörgensen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Daniel Schwartz, University Representative; Ian Douglas, Committee Member; Besiki Stvilia, Committee Member.

Information in general is congruent with cultural values because a culture consists of transmitted social knowledge. Cross-cultural research demonstrates that audiences who are fostered by different cultures may have different understandings of information. This research represents a comprehensive cross-cultural study using an experimental method, and contributes to multicultural studies in understanding individuals' perceptions of information, recalls of information, and attitudes based on cultures. This study investigates whether people in individual or collective cultures have different perceptions of information in advertisements, recall of information in advertisements, and attitudes toward advertisements providing information in high- or low- context conditions. The theoretical frameworks of interest in the study are two cultural theories: Hofstede's (1980) individualism vs. collectivism and Hall's (1976) high context vs. low context. The hypotheses were tested using a 2 × 2 factorial between-subject experimental design: individualism/collectivism and high context/low context. The low-context condition employed facts and direct information in a test advertisement, while the high-context condition included indirect messages (e.g. images, moods, and symbols) in a test advertisement. The responses of experimental groups were compared and analyzed after they were exposed to two different stimuli. The subjects consisted of 82 American students and 82 Korean students. To check the two subject groups' cultural differences, this research employs Oyserman et al.'s (2002) individualism and collectivism scale. The test results indicate that American subjects are classified as an individualistic culture, while the Korean subjects represent a collectivistic culture. The experiment results indicate that students in individualistic and collectivistic cultures respond differently to information in high- or low-context advertisements. Koreans tend to be more comfortable with high-context culture that uses indirect and ambiguous messages. The Korean subjects showed higher ratings for perceptions of information in a high-context advertisement than the American subjects. The American subjects perceived more information than Korean subjects in the low-context advertisement, but this result was not statistically significant. There is no statistically significant difference in recall of information from high- and low-context conditions between American and Korean subjects. The American subjects showed significantly more favorable attitudes toward the low-context advertisement than the Korean students. However, there was no statistically significant difference in attitudes toward the high-context advertisement between American and Korean students. This study partially supports the notion that cultural differences influence the perception of information in advertisements, recall of information in advertisements, and attitudes toward advertisements providing information in high- or low- context conditions. The findings obtained in this study suggest several exciting opportunities for future research. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Library and Information Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring semester, 2012. / February 1, 2012. / 1. Information, 2. culture, 3. perception, 4. recall, 5. attitude, 6. advertisement / Includes bibliographical references. / Melissa Gross, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ronald Goldsmith, University Representative; Paul F. Marty, Committee Member; Mia Liza A. Lustria, Committee Member.

The problem addressed by this study is the observed low levels of compliance with federal policy on website accessibility. The study examines the two key federal policies that promote website accessibility, using a side-by-side policy analysis technique. The analysis examines the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which together have the intent of establishing a legal mandate for equality regarding website accessibility. In comparing key aspects of these two policies, the findings indicate several areas were the policies were inconsistent or unclear in providing guidance on attaining accessible websites. The study performed an accessibility analysis that included automated testing, an expert review, and a content review of six federal health care websites. Recommendations call for the establishment of federal programs that would provide federal website managers with additional training in website accessibility, and provide support for ongoing research towards developing guidance and tools that would serve to promote websites that are more accessible. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Library and Information Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / February 20, 2012. / Accessibility, compliance, disability, Healthcare, Section 508, Website / Includes bibliographical references. / Charles R. McClure, Professor Directing Dissertation; Stephen D. McDowell, University Representative; Paul F. Marty, Committee Member; Charles C. Hinnant, Committee Member.

Reflecting on the history of paleontology, historian Martin Rudwick claimed, "The `meaning' of fossils has been seen in many different ways in different periods." This insight rings true today as the search for ancient DNA has provided a deeper meaning of the term fossil and offered paleontology a more expansive role in the molecular age. In this work, I provide a historical account of ancient DNA research from 1984 to1999 and discuss the implications of ancient DNA research as a new approach to fossil studies for the science of paleontology. The emergence of ancient DNA research over the past several decades has introduced a fresh and quantitative methodology for studying fossils and a new means through which to discover and decipher our evolutionary past. Ancient DNA research has revolutionized how scientists view and study ancient and fossil specimens. In doing so, the search for ancient DNA has transformed what was once a purely historical approach to fossil studies into a more experimental one. In this thesis, I argue that the early history of ancient DNA research, when appropriately situated in the overall history of paleontology, is best understood as an extension and realization of the modern evolutionary synthesis and a step toward bridging the gap between historical and experimental science. / A Thesis submitted to the Program in History and Philosophy of Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Summer Semester, 2012. / March 26, 2012. / ANCIENT DNA, FOSSILS, HISTORICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCE, MODERN EVOLUTIONARY SYNTHESIS, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, PALEONTOLOGY / Includes bibliographical references. / Frederick Davis, Professor Directing Thesis; Michael Ruse, Committee Member; Gregory Erickson, Committee Member; Scott Steppan, Committee Member.

This dissertation research aims to provide a better understanding of people's credibility assessment of online information (i.e., Web credibility assessment), which is an important part of their information behavior. In particular, this research focuses on older adults as a research population as they are a less studied user group in the literature on information credibility. Considering the ever increasing presence of older adults on the Web and their needs for health information in their daily lives, this research explores older adults' credibility assessment of online health information within the context of everyday life information seeking (ELIS). The methodology employed in this research consists of a qualitative meta-study (Phase I) and semi-structured interviews (Phase II). In Phase I, the researcher analyzed 84 primary research reports on information credibility, identifying conceptual typologies of important facets of credibility assessment such as conceptualization, operationalization, variability (user characteristics and contexts), and process. Based on these conceptual typologies, the researcher proposed a new, extended framework of Web credibility assessment, named WC framework, that contains three main components, Assessment of WC—i.e., conceptualization and operationalization to measure Web credibility; Variability of WC—i.e., variables regarding individual and context; and Process of WC—i.e., the overall process of Web credibility assessment. In Phase II, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with twenty-one older adults whose ages ranged from 61 to 80 (M = 70.3) in the manner of one-on-one, in-person. The purposeful sampling methods, such as convenience sampling and snowball sampling, were used to recruit older adults who meet the sampling criteria of the study: age (55 years old or older), residency (Florida residents for an in-person interview), and Internet use experience. Also, a prescreen test was carried out via a telephone interview to make sure that the participant's cognitive function was adequate for the study. Those who met all the sampling criteria and passed the prescreen test were recruited for an in-person interview which lasted around 45 minutes. The interview data revealed that older adults needed health/wellness information regarding medication and supplements, symptoms of and cures for specific diseases, medical quality assurance, health insurance, nutrition, and exercise. In seeking health information, they used both interpersonal and online sources. As for the interpersonal sources, the research participants mentioned medical professionals (e.g., doctors and physicians), partners, family, and friends. On the Web, they referenced information from non-profit (i.e., non-commercial) institutions' websites such as government websites (e.g., NIH, CDC) and university hospitals' websites (e.g., Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard Medical School). The most frequently mentioned commercial website was WebMD. Depending on the purposes of health information seeking, some interviewees mentioned that they used pharmacists' websites (e.g., Walgreens and CVS). When judging the credibility of online health information, they employed various cues/markers and heuristics that are related to the attributes of the operator (i.e., source), content (i.e., message), and design (i.e., media) of Web resources. Based on the new framework developed in Phase I, the informants' Web credibility assessment process was characterized with the two stages: initial and final evaluations. Lastly, both theoretical and empirical implications of the research and future research directions were discussed. Specifically, the new Web credibility assessment framework (i.e., the WC framework) advanced our understanding of the conceptualization of Web credibility and can be used as a knowledge resource in developing context specific credibility assessment models as well as information system interfaces that provide effective support for information credibility evaluation by users. Likewise, findings from the semi-structured interviews can inform online information system developers and librarians about how older users search for online health information and how they assess its credibility. Ultimately, the findings of this research should help the development of more effective online systems, services, and, training modules that are aligned with the online information behaviors of this rapidly growing, important user population—i.e., older adults. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2015. / July 7, 2015. / credibility assessment, information behavior, information credibility, older adults, Web credibility / Includes bibliographical references. / Besiki Stvilia, Professor Directing Dissertation; Neil Charness, University Representative; Kathleen Burnett, Committee Member; Lorraine Mon, Committee Member.