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.

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.

This dissertation examined access for individuals through federal web sites to records maintained by Executive agencies that contain personal information as defined by the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a). Privacy Act statutory provisions, as amended in 1988 provide individuals rights of access to records that contain personal information about or relative to the individual where individuals must first make a request for access and agencies must then address the request, i.e. to either fulfill or deny the request. The primary body of laws, Congressional oversight, judicial interpretations, research, and debate related to access via the Privacy Act emphasize agencies' response to requests for access. Very little work addresses how agencies provide individual's information on how to request access. This study takes an exploratory approach that employs an iterative, multi-method evaluation of selected Executive agencies to understand access for individuals through agency web sites to agency records that contain personal information. The methods in this study include a policy analysis, usability study, Web-content review, and Privacy Act request review. Data analysis results include key findings, key issues, and suggested recommendations that specifically address identified Privacy Act access related issues. Key findings include: 1. The Privacy Act remains virtually unchanged since 1988 yet the information policy environment has changed dramatically from direct contact with agencies to the electronic delivery of government information services and resources through agency web sites referred to as E-Government. 2. There are no mandated Privacy Act statutes that require clearly identified and dedicated web space across departments and agencies for posting all Privacy Act related information resources. 3. Privacy Act statutes do not adequately provide protections of individuals' personal information as intended by Congress. 4. There are no mandated procedures for all departments and agencies to follow in presenting information related to how agencies provide information to individuals on how to submit a request. 5. Very little information is available for individuals that explain the relationship between FOIA requirements and Privacy Act requirements and how this relationship as applied independently by departments and agencies affect the Privacy Act request process. To gain an understanding of the request process for individuals, the research of this study focused on how selected federal agencies provide information related to an individual's request for access to records through federal web sites, the success of agencies provision of the request information, and how the provision affects the interaction between individuals and agencies. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2009. / April 29, 2009. / E-Government, Privacy Act Requests, Information Policy, Privacy Act, FOIA, Access To Agency Records / Includes bibliographical references. / Charles R. McClure, Professor Directing Dissertation; Stephen D. McDowell, Outside Committee Member; Don Latham, Committee Member; Charles C. Hinnant, Committee Member.

Social loafing research has spanned several decades and fields of study. Research has provided support for both the existence of social loafing and its antecedents within the laboratory, classroom, and work place. Studies regarding the perceptions of social loafing and its effects in the online learning environment, however, are largely non-existent. In 2008, a research study was conducted with the Naval War College and two public universities (Piezon & Ferree, 2008). This study surveyed 227 online learning students who were participating in online learning groups. The study sought to determine whether the perception of social loafing existed within online learning groups. In addition, several psychosocial factors identified in face-to-face environments were analyzed to determine their impact in online learning groups. The study provided evidence that supports both the perception of social loafing in online learning groups as well as similarities between social loafing antecedents in face-to-face groups and those in the online learning environment. This current research project extends the 2008 study to include community college and undergraduate students in addition to the graduate students and Naval War College students in the original study. In addition, the study was expanded to include both qualitative and quantitative data. This extended study included 343 web-based survey participants and 28 interview participants. This study sought to determine whether social loafing exists at the two-year, four-year, and graduate level. In addition, the data was examined for differences in perceptions between each of the four study groups and relationships between the survey sub-scales. Finally, this study sought to determine the ability of the social loafing sub-scales to predict social loafing behaviors in online learning groups at the two-year, four-year, and graduate level. / 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, 2011. / March 30, 2011. / Online Learning, Free Riding, Social Loafing / Includes bibliographical references. / Gary Burnett, Professor Directing Dissertation; Allan Jeong, University Representative; Ian Douglas, Committee Member; Paul Marty, Committee Member.

This study explored differences in eye movement on a Web page between members of two different cultures to provide insight and guidelines for implementation of global Web site development. More specifically, the research examines whether differences of eye movement exist between the two cultures (American vs. Korean) when viewing a Web page, and if so, whether their eye movements are affected according to the types of activity and the level of Web page complexity. This study employed eye tracking methods and several eye movement metrics were measured: total fixation time, total gaze time in each Area of Interest (AOI), fixation count on each AOI, time to first fixation and first fixation area, fixation order, and fixation transition. The eye tracking study was conducted with 19 participants for both groups. The experiment results revealed that there was no significant difference between American participants and Korean participants in terms of initial attention to visual elements and areas on the Web pages. Participants for both groups focused their attention in a similar way in both browsing and searching tasks. However, there were differences in the allocation of fixation and gaze time on the AOIs, especially on the banner images and navigation areas, in browsing tasks. American participants tended to give more attention to the banner images than Korean participants in browsing tasks on all levels of complexity of Web page. Korean participants tended to allocate their fixations and spend more time in viewing navigation areas. American participants tended to give more attention to the banner image than the Korean participants. In contrast, Korean participants spent more time in navigation areas in all six tasks. With respect to viewing patters, many pairs of similar patterns were found between groups. This could indicate that other factors than cultural factors such as personal experiences or levels of expertise may affect the sequence of fixations. This study showed cultural variations in eye movement when viewing a Web page with different tasks and raises methodological issues in eye movement research for cultural studies in the files of information science. The findings and observations obtained in this exploratory eye movement experiment suggest guidelines for Web page design from the cognitive view point for different cultures, and provide a methodological example for future cross-cultural usability test. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Library and Information Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2009. / April 23, 2009. / Cultural Cognition, Web Design, Eye Movements, Cultural Differences / Includes bibliographical references. / Corinne Jörgensen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Allan Jeong, Outside Committee Member; Paul Marty, Committee Member; Peter Jörgensen, Committee Member.

This study investigated college students' attitudes toward and intentions to use personal health portals (PHPs) for managing their personal health information using a survey method. The study also aimed to examine the roles electronic Personal Health Information Management (PHIM) anxiety and apathy play in influencing students' attitudes toward and intention to use PHPs. A total of 242 college students participated in this study. Results of regression analyses yielded only partial support for the hypotheses proposed. In particular, the findings show that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness significantly influenced attitudes towards the use of PHPs. Additionally, the results show that computer anxiety significantly moderated the relationships between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness and attitudes. On the other hand, while there was a significant relationship between attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control and intentions to use PHPs, apathy or anxiety were not found to significantly moderate this relationship. Additional exploratory analyses were conducted to test electronic PHIM anxiety and electronic PHIM apathy as direct predictors. While electronic PHIM apathy was significant at predicting attitudes toward and intentions to use PHPs, electronic PHIM anxiety was not a significant predictor of intentions to use a PHP. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication and Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2011. / March 21, 2011. / Computer Anxiety, TAM, TPB, Apathy / Includes bibliographical references. / Mia Liza A. Lustria, Professor Directing Dissertation; Deborah Armstrong, University Representative; Don Latham, Committee Member; Ebe Randeree, Committee Member; Virginia Ilie, Committee Member.

The purpose of this research was to contribute to an important research and practice issue, how users use evaluative metadata (i.e., end-user ratings, annotations, opinions, usage, and experts' recommendations) when searching for documents in educational digital libraries. The dissertation built a model of the predictive judgment process to develop design principles for digital library systems with evaluative metadata. Multiple methods were employed in the research design: (1) a questionnaire gathered demographic information, the subjects' computer/Internet/web knowledge, information needs (tasks), search keywords, and topic knowledge; (2) a think-aloud protocol was used to collect data about cognitive processes, in this case document selection; (3) semi-structured interviews gathered information about subjects' thoughts about their behavior; (4) the researcher wrote field notes (observation); and (5) Camtasia software was used to record the trace of each subject's metadata usage. The participants were 14 graduate students from School of Library and Information Studies in Florida State University. Four tasks were given to them in a laboratory setting. Tasks were two types 1) for finding teaching materials as an instructor, and 2) study materials as a student. The analyses were based on data from surveys, searching experiments, and post interviews. The data included 366 reviewed items in the search results of 60 searches. The results showed the user's positive inclination toward the evaluative metadata during searching in MERLOT. The research identified the reasons for scanning and examining evaluative metadata elements in the predictive judgment process. In addition, three ways to use evaluative metadata in the predictive judgment process were showed. The research also found the factors which influence the usage of the evaluative metadata: Users' cognitive, Function of the Digital Libraries, Situational, and Task. Finally, the revised predictive process model was presented including three stages of the predictive judgment (Scanning/Examining, Judgment, and Decision), the factors which affect the usage of evaluative metadata, and relevance criteria when the participants searched documents in MERLOT. The findings of the research provide implications for advancing empirical research for evaluative metadata and user-centered relevance study, and improving the design of the educational digital libraries. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Library and Information Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2010. / June 21, 2010. / Digital Libraries, User's Behavior, Metadata / Includes bibliographical references. / Michelle M. Kazmer, Professor Directing Dissertation; Vanessa Dennen, University Representative; Paul F. Marty, Committee Member; Besiki Stvilia, Committee Member.

The study of the information behavior of Puerto Ricans and their reliance on personal social networks to procure needed information upon their migration to Central Florida is the core of this research. Life experiences of the researcher, as well as unstructured observations made in Puerto Rico from 1980 to 1996, and in Central Florida from 1996 to 2005 indicated that Puerto Ricans steadily rely on family members, friends, and acquaintances to solve their information needs and have a tendency to use similar personal social networks to seek information and to make sense of the new environment upon migration. This dissertation sought to answer three main questions: Is the information seeking behavior of Puerto Ricans modified by their relocation experience? Once they relocate to Central Florida, how do they use their personal social networks to seek the information needed to make sense of their new environment?; and; What new patterns of information behavior, if any, emerge from their information transactions/ interactions in their new environment? To answer these questions, this study used the combination of Yin's multiple case studies and Dervin's Sense-Making interview design for data collection. For the analysis of the data, Glaser's grounded theory emerging design was used. As the result of this study, a documented record of the patterns of information behavior of Puerto Ricans migrants in Central Florida, and an emergent grounded theory to that effect, are hereby presented. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Information in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2009. / April 10, 2009. / Puerto Rico, Orlando, Central Florida, Information Behavior, Emergent Theory, Information Seeking Behavior, Puerto Rican Migration, Puerto Ricans, Grounded Theory, Grounded Analysis / Includes bibliographical references. / Kathleen Burnett, Professor Directing Dissertation; Felipe Korzenny, Outside Committee Member; Sylvia Hall-Ellis, Committee Member; Michelle Kazmer, Committee Member.