Thesis (Ph. D. (Media Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study focuses on the use of the internet for students’ academic performance at institutions of higher learning. Various internet applications including search engines, online library resources and social media are evaluated to explore how best they can be used to enhance students’ performance at institutions of higher learning. This is critical to ensure that students maximise the use of technology specifically for academic purposes. Generally, students are constant users of the internet at institutions of higher learning, hence it is cardinal to examine their internet use patterns for academic purposes. Institutions of higher learning have invested in advanced technology through the internet to enhance student academic purposes. Therefore, one would expect students to use various internet applications effectively for the betterment of their studies. In this study, the researcher used both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The researcher also employed exploratory and descriptive designs. These methodologies and designs are appropriate for this study because they allow data to be collected through focus group interviews and questionnaires. Focus group interviews were employed to collect qualitative data and questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data. The researcher conducted six focus groups from three institutions of higher learning, namely the University of Limpopo, University of Venda and Tshwane University of Technology, Polokwane campus. Three hundred and forty-three (343) questionnaires were analysed for this study. These data collection tools were pertinent for this study since they assist to determine factors that influence the attitudes, opinions and behavior of the participants. Online library resources play a cardinal role in enhancing the learning process for students by providing online content which could have been difficult to access without the internet. Social media improve and enhance students’ academic performance, but students do not know how best to use it for academic purposes. Proper integration of social media into education is needed. In contrast, students prefer to use social media purely for socialising and entertainment. Despite their ability to assist students in enhancing and improving learning process, social media are, mostly not used for academic purposes. xiv Additionally, students’ use of internet search engines exposes them to an array of information which require critical online information literacy in order to choose the best information. Lastly, the study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by creating a model which will enhance and assist students to easily access academic information through the use of a mobile application. The study also provides significant information which could be used to amend and draft new ICT policies within institutions of higher learning, taking into consideration the adoption of online learning through the use various technologies including social media. / The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS)

This dissertation explores applicant reactions to Internet-based selection procedures in order to advance theory and practice related to the use modern employee selection tools. Previous authors have explored this topic area (e.g., Harris et al., 2003). However, this dissertation goes beyond previous research by proposing and testing a model that incorporates the measurement of multiple constructs that are highly relevant to organizations when utilizing Internet-based selection procedures. Such constructs include privacy concerns, explanations, control, fairness perceptions, litigation intentions, organizational intentions, and test-taking motivation. Current organizational justice theory, previous findings from studies on applicant reactions to selection procedures, and research on Internet privacy concerns provided the foundation on which this research is based. This dissertation also pulls from theory in the legal, information sciences, and psychology literatures. A model of applicant reactions that included privacy concerns and multiple outcomes relevant to organizations was proposed. Hypotheses examining this model were tested via a high-fidelity laboratory study with student participants. One-third of the participants in this study were seeking jobs at the time of participation. Findings indicated that privacy concerns are an important predictor of both proximal (i.e., fairness perceptions) and distal (i.e., organizational intentions, test-taking motivation) applicant reaction outcomes. Results also demonstrated support for a mediating role of fairness perceptions in the relationships between privacy concerns and organizational intentions as well as between privacy concerns and test-taking motivation. Providing applicants with control and explanations were found to have no moderating effect on the relationship between privacy concerns and fairness perceptions. However, post-hoc analyses indicated that excuse explanations moderated the effect of privacy concerns on test-taking motivation. Theoretical implications of this dissertation include support for a one-factor model of organizational justice as well as a call for more integration of research from outside of industrial-organizational psychology. Additionally, areas for future research, including opportunities for improvement of study design involving timing of measures, are presented. Finally, implications for practice are discussed in regard to the possible impact of privacy concerns to large numbers of applicants participating in Internet-based selection processes, including a discussion on the importance of applicant privacy concerns to organizations and the use of multiple, inexpensive methods that may aid organizations in increasing fairness perceptions among applicants.

Denna studie undersöker svenska internetanvändares kunskaper och inställningar till datainsamling genom cookies. Syftet med studien är att ta reda på vilken nivå deras kunskap ligger på och vad de har för inställning till cookies samt om det finns något samband mellan dessa. Studien baseras på en kvantitativ undersökning genom en webbenkät och kompletteras med en kvalitativ undersökning i form av semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Webbenkäten genererade åttiotre svar och av dessa var det sex respondenter som blev intervjuade. Resultatet visade på en låg kunskapsnivå om datainsamling genom cookies och en neutral eller negativ inställning till dessa. Det fanns en oro bland respondenterna att deras personliga information hamnar i fel händer eller att deras integritet kränks. Trots oron fanns det även en nonchalans och likgiltighet inför internetanvändarnas egna ansvar och agerande till datainsamlingen. Slutsatserna som kunde dras var att inställningen till cookies var mestadels negativ och kunskapsnivån kring dem var generellt väldigt låga. Ett behov av relevant utbildning inom ämnet skulle behövas då kunskapsnivån hos internetanvändare måste bli högre och de behöver utveckla en digital kompetens för att få rätt förutsättningar i dagens digitaliserade samhälle. / This study examines Swedish internet users' knowledge and attitude towards data collection through cookies. The purpose of the study is to find out the level of their knowledge and what attitude they have towards cookies as well as examining if there is a relation between the two. The study is based on quantitative research through an online survey and was strengthened by qualitative research in the shape of semi-structured interviews. The survey generated eighty-three responses and from them six respondents were interviewed. The result showed a low level of knowledge about data collection through cookies and a neutralt or negative attitude towards these. There was a general concern among the respondents of their personal information falling into the wrong hands or having their privacy violated. Despite the concerns there was also a casualness and indifference towards the internet users own responsibility and behavior with data collection. In conclusion the attitude towards cookies was mostly negative and the knowledge was in general very low. There’s a need for relevant education of the subject to raise the level of knowledge by the internet users so that they can develop a digital literacy and get the right conditions in today's digitalized society.

Assignment (MPhil (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study, the mental models of the target audience of the FACT web site (official Stellenbosch University HIV/Aids web site) were investigated and compared with the structure of the web site (representing the mental model of the expert). The target audience were divided into six groups representing three different race groups (white, coloured and black) and the two sexes (male and female).

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-05-10T12:54:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Carolina Ferreira Souza.pdf: 1903774 bytes, checksum: fb12be505b4c7a36b6455c716c3e0891 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-10T12:54:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carolina Ferreira Souza.pdf: 1903774 bytes, checksum: fb12be505b4c7a36b6455c716c3e0891 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-14 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Fundação São Paulo - FUNDASP / The present work deals with the lack of transparency of the Google search engine, analyzing what the rights of consumers users of this service are affected, as well as the damage caused to the balance of the digital environment. The capture of data and information circulating in the most different pages, programs and applications belonging to the large corporations of the network is increasingly refined and less transparent. In addition, access to existing data and information is increasingly being filtered and directed to partners, advertisers, in more or less explicit ways, depending on the service provided or the page accessed. In this way, the treatment that must be reserved for the digital environment must begin with the immediate and full universalization of Internet access and its data in favor of all without distinction or privileges, exclusions or exceptions, as well as the transparency of the algorithms that operate in the network through machine learning and other forms of artificial intelligence, under penalty of not authorizing those harmed by state inaction and / or by the action of capitalist speculation, to take the administrative and judicial measures applicable and applicable to the species for the realization of their rights. The methodology used was based on a bibliographic review to analyze the data obtained, with the collection of textual documents such as: legislation, jurisprudence, relevant doctrine, and publications of a technical nature, as well as an analysis of some of the terms of use and data policies of Google, in order to verify the lack of transparency and disrespect for human rights and Brazilian consumer rights and help in understanding the problem of commercialization and bias of the digital media. The results of the research indicated that the existing legislation is sufficient for the protection of consumers users of the Google search service in several aspects; however, considers the possibility of new data protection legislation as one more strategy within the law for the protection of human rights to communicate / O presente trabalho trata da falta de transparência do buscador Google, analisando-se quais os direitos dos consumidores usuários desse serviço são afetados, bem como o prejuízo causado ao equilíbrio do meio ambiente digital. A captação de dados e informações que circulam nas mais diferentes páginas, programas e aplicativos pertencentes às grandes corporações da rede está cada vez mais refinada e menos transparente. Além disso, o acesso aos dados e informações já existentes está sendo cada vez mais filtrado e direcionado para parceiros, anunciantes, de formas mais ou menos explícitas, dependendo do serviço prestado ou da página acessada. Desta forma, o tratamento que se deve reservar ao meio ambiente digital deve começar pela imediata e plena universalização do acesso à internet e aos seus dados em favor de todos, sem distinção ou privilégios, exclusões ou exceções, bem como pela transparência dos algoritmos que operam na rede através do aprendizado de máquina e outras formas de inteligência artificial, sob pena de, em não o sendo, autorizar os prejudicados pela inação estatal e/ou pela ação da especulação capitalista, a tomar as medidas administrativas e judiciais cabíveis e aplicáveis à espécie para a efetivação de seus direitos. A metodologia empregada valeu-se de revisão bibliográfica para análise dos dados obtidos, com a coleta de documentos textuais como: legislações, jurisprudências, doutrina pertinente, e publicações de caráter técnico, bem como análise de parte dos termos de uso e de políticas de dados do Google, a fim de se constatar a falta de transparência e o desrespeito aos direitos humanos e direitos do consumidor brasileiros e auxiliar na compreensão da problemática da mercantilização e parcialidade dos meios de comunicação digital. Os resultados da pesquisa indicaram que a legislação já existente é suficiente para a proteção dos consumidores usuários do serviço do buscador Google em diversos aspectos; entretanto, considera a possibilidade de uma nova legislação de proteção de dados como mais uma estratégia dentro do direito para a proteção dos direitos humanos à comunicar-se

The diploma thesis analyses the commercial use of internet in the Czech Republic. It briefly describes the development of the internet towards the development of electronic commerce in the world and in the Czech Republic and defines the various stages of e-commerce. It refers to the various advantages and disadvantages of participation in online trading and analyses development of selected quantitative and qualitative indicators in the past approximately five years. From the consumer perspective it focuses on trends in the number of internet users, their shopping behaviour and their relationship to payments on the internet. Approaching business it examines corporate internet access, website presentation and development of e-shops in CR. The conclusion of the thesis is dedicated to the selected barriers to the further development of online business at both national and international level within the European Union.

The purpose of this study was (1) to capture the digital divide in adolescent specific computer and online activities, and (2) to understand each online activity's meanings in adolescent social development or social capital. To assess the issue of the digital divide, the present study examined the sociodemographic, neighborhood, family, and child characteristic factors which influence each type of computer and online activity. To identify how online and computer activities can influence social capital, the present study examined diverse outcomes related to social capital which could be obtained from each online activity, and tested models explaining the relationships among sociability, Internet use, and social outcomes. The data used in the present study came from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement. The sample was 1,312 adolescents ages 12 to 18. This nationally representative dataset includes measures of computer and Internet use, diverse indicators of adolescent social behaviors and social relations, and time diaries that provide records of how and with whom they spent their time. The data were analyzed by regression and structural equation modeling. According to the findings, social economic status including family income to needs ratio, parental education, and neighborhood quality was a significant factor explaining frequent use of the Internet and a computer. However, among users, these factors were not significant in predicting the amount of time spent using a computer. Race, maternal employment, gender, and age explained adolescent different type of computer and Internet use. Analysis of the social impacts of Internet and computer use suggests that Internet and computer use have different impacts depending on the purpose individuals use them for and social outcomes examined. For instance, while adolescent Internet use for educational purposes was related to cohesive relationships with parents, their use of online communication was associated with cohesive friendship and school connectedness. Furthermore, it supports the rich get richer model, indicating that those who have strong social ties will have an increased ability to enhance their social capital by using the Internet and a computer as tools for social interaction than those who have weak social ties.

Disputats, Stockholms universitet, 2008. / Med litteraturhenvisninger.

Since the first time that internet was introduced to the world many things about it has changed. E-bay, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Ytube, Expedia are just a few examples that superimpose the obvious sense that almost all aspects of doing business has already emerged with or it is about to adopt the futures that the World Wide Web offers. Moreover now days with the use o Facebook, Jommla!, Drupal the use o internet come up to the level of users and as a result we have the increase of many Self Generated Brands. There is no doubt about it; the Internet and e- commerce has changed the way the world does business. The evolution in food commerce is inevitable. It started from the personal farming to local green grocers and Super Markets. It is a matter of time that internet will emerge with the food commerce. E-commerce and internet in general, however, is not a perfect system. The ambiguity of the Internet makes it easy for sites to appear credible, even when such credibility is not warranted. The Internet and e-commerce have the ability to revolutionize the world of agriculture, livestock, fishing , bakery etc . When everything runs smoothly, the system works great. However, what happens when the Achaia potato you bought turns out to be Egyptian? Or you find out the person you were chatting with lied about their yields? How exactly do you know you can trust the person or company that you are dealing with online? Not everything on the Internet is secure and not everything is credible. Furthermore it should be clearly stated to all of us that internet is not(yet) the one that produces ,delivers, consumes the products. It is just an audio visual mediator. / Από την πρώτη στιγμή που εισήχθη στο internet στον κόσμο πολλά πράγματα γι 'αυτό έχει αλλάξει. E-bay, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Ytube, Expedia είναι μερικά μόνο παραδείγματα που υπερέχουν την προφανή αίσθηση ότι σχεδόν όλες οι πτυχές της επιχειρηματικής δραστηριότητας έχει ήδη προκύψει με ή πρόκειται να λάβει τα futures ότι το World Wide Web προσφορές. Επιπλέον, τώρα ημέρες με τη χρήση o Facebook, Jommla!, Η χρήση του Drupal o internet έρχονται μέχρι το επίπεδο των χρηστών και ως αποτέλεσμα έχουμε την αύξηση του πολλά εμπορικά σήματα που δημιουργούνται Εαυτό. Δεν υπάρχει καμία αμφιβολία γι 'αυτό? Το Διαδίκτυο και το ηλεκτρονικό εμπόριο έχει αλλάξει τον τρόπο που ο κόσμος κάνει τις επιχειρήσεις. Η εξέλιξη στο εμπόριο τροφίμων είναι αναπόφευκτη. Ξεκίνησε από την προσωπική καλλιέργεια στις τοπικές πράσινο παντοπωλεία και σούπερ μάρκετ. Είναι θέμα χρόνου ότι το Διαδίκτυο θα προκύψει με το εμπόριο τροφίμων. E-commerce και internet σε γενικές γραμμές, ωστόσο, δεν είναι ένα τέλειο σύστημα. Η ασάφεια του Internet το καθιστά εύκολο για τους χώρους να φαίνονται αξιόπιστες, ακόμη και όταν η αξιοπιστία δεν είναι δικαιολογημένη. Το Διαδίκτυο και το ηλεκτρονικό εμπόριο έχει τη δυνατότητα να φέρει επανάσταση στον κόσμο της γεωργίας, της κτηνοτροφίας, της αλιείας, κλπ αρτοποιείο. Όταν όλα δουλεύουν ρολόι, το σύστημα λειτουργεί μεγάλο. Ωστόσο, τι συμβαίνει όταν η πατάτα Αχαΐας που αγοράσατε αποδειχθεί ότι είναι Αιγύπτιος; Ή μπορείτε να μάθετε το πρόσωπο με το οποίο συζητούσατε είπε ψέματα σχετικά με τις αποδόσεις τους; Πώς ακριβώς δεν ξέρετε ότι μπορείτε να εμπιστευθείτε το πρόσωπο ή εταιρεία που ασχολούνται με online; Δεν είναι όλα στο διαδίκτυο είναι ασφαλής και δεν είναι όλα αξιόπιστα. Επιπλέον, θα πρέπει να αναφέρεται σαφώς σε όλους μας ότι το Διαδίκτυο δεν είναι (ακόμη) το ένα που παράγει, προσφέρει, καταναλώνει τα προϊόντα. Είναι απλώς ένα οπτικοακουστικό μεσολαβητή.

As a topic of my thesis, I chose "Internet Marketing". The aim of this work is to analyze Internet marketing tools used by selected e-shop. On the basis of information obtained I tried to propose appropriate solutions to improve the efficiency of Internet marketing. Analysis is done in the e-shop levne-boty.cz. The e-shop sells shoes for sport and leasure time. The theoretical part deals with marketing and its relationship to the internet, internet marketing and its tools in the form of marketing and communication mix. I also described the legislation relating to e-commerce and e-shops. In the practical part I did an analysis of e-shop levne-boty.cz. I have described here the company and its operations, target group of customers, competition, marketing mix, advertising and public relations, visit rate, etc. I also evaluated the ROI on concrete advertising campaign.