Browsing by Author "Comer, C. Cozette"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Answering the Hard Questions: Prepare to Succeed in Developing Data Services
    Porter, Nathaniel D.; Comer, C. Cozette (2022-09-21)
    If you are looking to develop or expand your data services, you’ll face some hard questions: How can you use your current service model to identify achievable and flexible goals? What are the unique considerations in building library data services in a university or hospital setting? How can you develop service and funding partnerships with limited time and budgets? In this webinar, you’ll learn how to answer these questions and set a path for success using a model based on SMART principles, which emphasizes general best practices for capacity-building through initiatives and partnerships and avoids one-size-fits-all solutions. You’ll learn how to do outcome-oriented planning with limited resources, build networks of partners and advocates, and use continual evaluation to dynamically adjust as your resources and needs shift. You’ll get access to a website with supplemental materials, including slides outlining the presentation and example templates for needs assessment interviews, and planning and evaluation exercises.
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    Constructing Consistent Comprehensive Searches in Large Engineering Databases—Tips and Recommendations for Literature Reviews
    Over, Sarah; Comer, C. Cozette (ASEE Conferences, 2024-06)
    Engineering and STEM librarians and researchers regularly use a number of disciplinary databases for finding literature. For evidence synthesis (ES) research projects, knowing database capabilities and how to most effectively search each database is critical. The complex, often comprehensive search strategies necessary for ES reviews can require use of “advanced” search options and controlled vocabulary/index terms. However, the functionality of search interfaces used to access databases varies widely. Thus, searchers must expend more time and effort to translate searches consistently, as each database has different features and limitations. This article will cover major engineering databases used in comprehensive searches, including Engineering Village and more. Each database's search implementation will be explained using an example search on hearing disabilities in computing education, which was developed for a scoping review by the authors in collaboration with a faculty member and a graduate student from the Computer Science department at Virginia Tech. Aspects of advanced searching such as truncation, proximity searching, exact phrases, and controlled vocabulary/index terms will also be highlighted. Overall, these databases require more research into how to construct searches compared to some interdisciplinary databases, but still have their place in finding quality engineering research efficiently.
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    Health Worker Potential for Expanded Exploration of Public “Frontlineness”: A Scientometric Analysis
    Bredenkamp, David M.; Abdelrasol, Saif Tarek; Boyette, Charity L.; Comer, C. Cozette; Stovall, Connie; Talukdar, Shahidur Rashid (2024-06-28)
    Public-sector frontline service scholarship in the field of public administration has been conducted under relatively limited circumstances and contexts. While literature focusing on the topic has been prolific, the context and lenses through which “frontlineness” has been viewed and observed are more limited (Chang & Brewer 2022). The scholarship on street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) has focused on a well-defined, though narrow, set of workers and work environments (e.g., teachers and nurses; schools and hospitals); those concentrated and consistent parameters may present an opportunity for greater generalizability of our understanding of SLBs than previously realized. We seek something of a new beginning: for theoretical exploration, clarity, and eventual reassessment of what frontlineness is and what it means. Healthcare has been a field in which public administration scholars have—either adjacently or directly—explored the nature of frontline work. We hypothesize, however, that there is much territory that goes unexplored due to siloing of disciplines, narrow definitions of what it means to be on the “frontline,” and more limited use in public administration scholarship of available evidence synthesis methods. One such method, scientometric analysis, provides useful tools to explore the potential of fields such as healthcare, with its results providing the “lay of the land” for further exploration. Using a scientometric analytical approach, this paper offers an answer to the following research question: What is the potential for existing research to describe the proximal relationship between a frontline healthcare employee and the frontline itself?
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    A taste of cell-cultured meat: a scoping review
    To, K. V.; Comer, C. Cozette; O'Keefe, Sean F.; Lahne, Jacob (Frontiers, 2024-01-23)
    Cell-cultured meat (CM) is a novel meat product grown in vitro from animal cells, widely framed as equivalent to conventional meat but presented as produced in a more sustainable way. Despite its limited availability for human consumption, consumer acceptance of CM (e.g., willingness to purchase and consume) has been extensively investigated. A key but under-investigated assumption of these studies is that CM’s sensory qualities are comparable to conventional, equivalent meat products. Therefore, the current review aims to clarify what is actually known about the sensory characteristics of CM and their potential impact on consumer acceptance. To this end, a structured scoping review of existing, peer-reviewed literature on the sensory evaluation of CM was conducted according to the PRISMA-ScR and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. Among the included studies (N = 26), only 5 conducted research activities that could be termed “sensory evaluation,” with only 4 of those 5 studies evaluating actual CM products in some form. The remaining 21 studies based their conclusions on the sensory characteristics of CM and consequent consumer acceptance to a set of hypothetical CM products and consumption experiences, often with explicitly positive information framing. In addition, many consumer acceptance studies in the literature have the explicit goal to increase the acceptance of CM, with some authors (researchers) acting as direct CM industry affiliates; this may be a source of bias on the level of consumer acceptance toward these products. By separating what is known about CM sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance from what is merely speculated, the current review reported realistic expectations of CM’s sensory characteristics within the promissory narratives of CM proponents.
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    Online Voting Platforms and the Future of Voter Turnout
    Comer, C. Cozette (Virginia Tech, 2016-12-20)
    As low-voter-turnout continues to be a concern for the political system in the U.S., the idea online voting platforms (OVPs), to reduce access and use barriers, has been debated. Lowlevel elections in several states across the country have experimented with OVPs through U.S.based internet voting organization, Everyone Counts. These experiments resulted in both the confirmation of perceived benefits and problems. Surveying 196 U.S. citizens through Survey Sampling International, this study garnered respondents' feelings toward several factors correlated with voter-turnout, and the likelihood of adopting OVPs. Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Technology Use Model to frame the analysis, the data were analyzed using ols regression. I predicted that citizens would perceive OVPs as an improvement to the current system, and consequently, voter-turnout would increase if OVPs were available, especially among younger citizens (ages 18-44). The analyses illustrated that OVPs would not have a large impact on voter-turnout, and for some would even discourage participation. Furthermore, it was older respondents (ages 44+) who had a stronger positive correlation between effort expectancy and feeling empowered. I conclude by suggesting that low-voter-turnout might be best combated through efforts to improve political efficacy, and that accessibility to poll booths only accounts some of the story.
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    Open Access and Evidence Synthesis
    Comer, C. Cozette; Pannabecker, Virginia; DeBose, Kyrille; Brown, Anne M.; Stewart, Ryan D.; Patino, Sofia Rincon Gallardo (Virginia Tech, 2021-10-25)
    This session will begin with a discussion on how open access supports several aspects of the evidence synthesis process. We’ll explore the value of having open access sources to include in the synthesis itself and some challenges that must be overcome when searching and accessing sources that require institutional access or are fee-based. We will also address ways to utilize open access repositories (such as VTechWorks and Open Science Framework) to make your synthesis more transparent so that others can properly evaluate, replicate, or use your synthesis. Additionally, we will hear cases from folks who have used open access resources or repositories as a means to support their evidence synthesis projects. Panelists include: - Dr. Sofia Rincon Gallardo Patino, Regional consultant on Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Pan American Health Organization - Dr. Anne Brown, Assistant Professor, Science Informatics Consultant at the University Libraries at Virginia Tech - Dr. Ryan Stewart, Associate Professor, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech
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    Synthesizing Services: Sharing and Comparing Systematic Review and Evidence Synthesis Services in Academic Libraries
    Comer, C. Cozette; McElfresh, Jenessa (2022-05-04)
    Systematic review and evidence synthesis (SR/ES) services in libraries support the needs of researchers in various stages of evidence synthesis methodologies, most notably comprehensive searching. The process of developing and implementing these library services vary based on the needs and resources of the institution, and thus there is no prescriptive path to success for a fledgling SR/ES service. In an effort to address this gap, we have developed the Cumulative Repository for Evidence Synthesis and/or Systematic Review Service Material in Open Science Framework (OSF). This repository contains material related to the development of SR/ES services, such as strategic plans, training material, intake forms,and policy documents. During this presentation, we will introduce the repository, sharing our mission and vision statements, intended audience, maintenance plan, and an open invitation to future collaborators.