Digital Research Cycles: How Attitudes Toward Content, Culture and Technology Affect Web Development

University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2009 Digital Research Cycles: How Attitudes Toward Content, Culture And Technology Affect Web Development. Edward Scott University of Central Florida Part of the Health Communication Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Scott, Edward, "Digital Research Cycles: How Attitudes Toward Content, Culture And Technology Affect Web Development." (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 3896. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/3896 DIGITAL RESEARCH CYCLES: HOW ATTITUDES TOWARD CONTENT, CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY AFFECT WEB DEVELOPMENT by EDWARD SHERMAN SCOTT M.S. Florida State University, 1995 B.S. University of Florida, 1987 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Texts and Technology in the Department of English in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2009 Major Professor: Craig Saper © 2009 Edward Sherman Scott ii ABSTRACT It has been estimated that one third of the world’s population does not have access to “adequate” health care. Some 1.6 billion people live in countries experiencing “concentrated” acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemics. Many countries in Africa — and other low-income countries — are in dire need of help providing adequate health care services to their citizens. They require more hands-on care from Western health workers — and training so more African health workers can eventually care for their own citizens. But these countries also need assistance acquiring and implementing both texts — the body of medical information potentially available to them — and technology — the means by which that information can be conveyed. This dissertation looks at these issues and others from a multi-faceted approach. It combines a survey of the developers of Web sites designed for use by health workers in low- income countries and a proposal for a novel approach to communication theory, which could help improve health communication and other social marketing practices. It also includes an extensive review of literature regarding a number of topics related to these issues. To improve healthcare services in low-income countries, several things should occur. First, more health workers — and others — could visit African countries and other places to provide free, hands-on medical care, as this researcher’s group did in Uganda. Such trips are ideal occasions for studying the cultural differences between “mzungu” (white man) and the Ugandan people. A number of useful medical texts have been written for health workers in low-income countries. Others will be published as new health information becomes available. But on what medium will they be published? Computers? Personal digital assistants? During the past 10 years iii the Internet became an ideal venue for conveying information. Unfortunately, people in target countries such as Uganda encounter cultural differences when such new technologies are diffused. This dissertation looks at cultural and technological difficulties encountered by people in low-income countries who attempt to diffuse information and communication technologies (ICT). Once a technology has been successfully adopted, someone will look for ways to use it to help others. There are hundreds of sites on the Internet — built by Web developers in Western countries — that are designed for use by health workers in low-income countries. However, these Web developers also experience cultural and technological differences, based on their knowledge of and attitudes toward best practices in their field. This research includes a survey of Web developers which determined their attitudes toward best practices in their field and tested this researcher’s hypothesis that there is no significant difference among the developers’ attitudes toward the content on their sites, their audience’s cultural needs and the various technological needs their audience has. It was found that the Web developers agree with 17 of 18 perceived best practices and that there is a significant difference between Web developers’ attitudes toward their audience’s technological needs and their attitudes toward quality content and the audience’s cultural needs. Creation of the survey herein resulted in this researcher generating a new way of thinking about communication theory — called digital research cycles. The survey was based on a review of literature and is rooted in the belief that any successful communication of a computer- mediated message in the information age is a behavior which is influenced by the senders’ and iv receivers’ attitudes and knowledge about textual style, the audience, technology and the subject matter to which the message pertains. v This dissertation is dedicated to: Sheila L. Scott, who inspires me; John C. Scott, who encourages me; and Teri-Jo B. Scott, who believes in me. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to acknowledge Madelyn Flammia and Karla Kitalong, with whom I began this research, as well as Craig Saper, Paul Dombrowski, Dan Jones and Lenny Rhine, who served ably on my committee. I also wish to thank the Rev. Tom Derrough and Will Cogburn, M.D., who made our trips to Uganda possible. Nissam Uddin assisted with statistical tests and Jimena Miller assisted with graphics. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………….………………xi LIST OF TABLES ……………………………………………….………………xii LIST OF ACRONYMS…………………………………………..………………xiv CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………...1 Connections ………………………………………………………………………1 Post War Development…………………………………………………………..10 Rationale…………………………………………………………………………16 Goals….………………………………………………………………………….23 Critical Issues…………………………………………………………………….24 Organizational Plan………………………………………………………………24 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………...28 Introduction………………………………………………………………….…...28 Health Communication/Web Developer Surveys…………………………...……34 Technology in Low-Income Countries………………………...............................54 Communication Theory…………………………………………………………..66 The Digital Research Cycle ………………………………………………………75 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY……….…………………………………143 Introduction …………………………………………………...…………………143 The Survey……………………………………………………………………….154 The Plan…………………………………………………………………..………183 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS………………………...…………………190 The Population……………………………………………………………………190 viii The Results……………………………………………………………….………192 Core Principle…………………………………………………………………….219 Individual Item Means………………………………………………………........219 Grouped Means…………………………………………………………………...221 Statistical Tests……………………………………………………………………224 Best Practices…………………………..…………………………………………225 Items Not Best Practices…….…..………………………………………………..245 CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION…………………………………………………248 Impact of Survey Results on Theory…..……………..………………………..…248 CHAPTER SIX……………………………………………………………….........293 Summary of Findings…………………………………………………………….293 Analysis of Findings……………………………………………………………..296 Future Research…………………………………………………………….........310 APPENDIX A: PRELIMINARY SURVEY………………………………………338 APPENDIX B: QUESTIONNAIRE………………………………………………355 APPENDIX C: INITIAL CONTACT…………………………………….……….362 APPENDIX D: CONSENT DOCUMENT………………………………………..366 APPENDIX E: INASP HEALTH LINKS.………………………………………..369 APPENDIX F: ESSENTIAL HEALTH LINKS.…………………………………386 APPENDIX G: SPSS DATA……………………………..………………………420 APPENDIX H: SPSS RESULTS……………………………..…………..………425 APPENDIX I: IRB CERTIFICATE……………………………...……………….432 APPENDIX J: OVERFLOW………………………………………..…………….434 APPENDIX K: FISKE COPYRIGHT PERMISSION……………………………589 ix APPENDIX L: KATZ COPYRIGHT PERMISSION ……….……...……………591 APPENDIX M: SCHRAMM COPYRIGHT PERMISSION……………………..594 LIST OF REFERENCES………………………………………………………….596 x LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Four Areas of Communication ………………………………………………3 Figure 2: Four Areas of Communication (with variables plugged in) …………………4 Figure 3: Four Areas of Communication (with changes) ………………………………6 Figure 4. Graphics on AIDS Education Global Information System Web Site…..……32 Figure 5: Shannon and Weaver’s Information Theory Model…………………………69 Figure 6: Gerbner’s One-Way Model………………………………………………….70 Figure 7: Newcomb’s Triangular Model……………………………………………….71 Figure 8: Westley and MacLean’s Mass Media Model…….………………………….71 Figure 9: Jakobson’s Model…………………………………………………………....72 Figure 10: Osgood and Schramm’s Model…………………………………………….72 Figure 11: Katz and Lazarfeld’s Model………………………………………………..73 Figure 12: Digital Research Cycle……………………………………………………..79 Figure 13: Four Areas of Communication (Repeat of Figure 1).……………………..152 Figure 14: The HON Code Logo……………………………………………………...158 Figure 15: Digital Research Cycle (Repeat of Figure 12).…..………………………..325 xi LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Sites with Contact Us Links………………………………………………163 Table 2: Sites with Feedback Links…………………………………………….......174 Table 3: Verification of Accurate Content…………………………………………193 Table 4: Link to Sources of Content………………………………………………..195 Table 5: Include Disclaimers about Confidentiality ……………………………….196 Table 6: Indicate When Last Updated……………………………………………...197 Table 7: Update Sites Regularly……………………………………………………198

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