Digital disruption

1 online resource (124 leaves)Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-123).The proliferation of ebooks and ebook readers is causing a digital disruption in the publishing industry as consumers alter their reading and purchasing behaviours. This research paper attempts to determine if those same consumers are being fairly served by the current pricing practices for ebooks. It also looks at the “invisible hand” of economist Adam Smith to see if there are sufficient checks and balances to create a fair and competitive environment for consumers. The thesis revolves around four fundamental questions for the book publishing industry. Is it possible to have a state of utility maximization under the current economic conditions? Are there sufficient competitive mechanisms to sustain such a state? What is the right pricing model – or models – for ebooks? More broadly, is the current publishing industry sustainable

The Information-seeking Strategies of Humanities Scholars Using Resources in Languages Other Than English

ABSTRACT THE INFORMATION-SEEKING STRATEGIES OF HUMANITIES SCHOLARS USING RESOURCES IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH by Carol Sabbar The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2016 Under the Supervision of Dr. Iris Xie This dissertation explores the information-seeking strategies used by scholars in the humanities who rely on resources in languages other than English. It investigates not only the strategies they choose but also the shifts that they make among strategies and the role that language, culture, and geography play in the information-seeking context. The study used purposive sampling to engage 40 human subjects, all of whom are post-doctoral humanities scholars based in the United States who conduct research in a variety of languages. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and research diaries in order to answer three research questions: What information-seeking strategies are used by scholars conducting research in languages other than English? What shifts do scholars make among strategies in routine, disruptive, and/or problematic situations? And In what ways do language, culture, and geography play a role in the information-seeking context, especially in the problematic situations? The data were then analyzed using grounded theory and the constant comparative method. A new conceptual model – the information triangle – was used and is presented in this dissertation to categorize and visually map the strategies and shifts. Based on data collected, thirty distinct strategies were identified and divided into four categories: formal system, informal resource, interactive human, and hybrid strategies. Three types of shifts were considered: planned, opportunistic, and alternative. Finally, factors related to language, culture, and geography were identified and analyzed according to their roles in the information-seeking context. This study is the first of its kind to combine the study of information-seeking behaviors with the factors of language, culture, and geography, and as such, it presents numerous methodological and practical implications along with many opportunities for future research

Boys' Love for the Love of it: Progressive prosumers and the proliferation of queer culture through Manga

Boys’ love (BL) manga (as a genre of Japanese comics) with either homoerotic or homosocial graphics and content, is largely produced by and for female readers. Much like the audacious women writers in Victorian Britain, these amateur female BL artists (dōjin) and their respective consumers in Japan have arguably empowered themselves as a subcultural community, as well as the represented LGBT community, through progressive and often radical means. Although much scholarly attention has focused on the readers’ gratifications and why BL has such a large female readership, little attention has been given to how, or the extent to which, the popularity of BL manga has potentially fostered LGBT visibility; or to the illustrators who have continued to independently publish such content at their own expense. Essenitally, I analyse the positive socio-economic effects and greater significance which lie in autonomous authorship, exclusive fan rituals, and their potential by-product of progression towards equality in terms of gender and sexuality. By comparing content, readership and fandom practices from the Victorian era and modern-day Japan, I demonstrate that the dissemination and consumption of cultural products which cater for and stem from a disempowered gender group may foster an explicitly queer space and its wider tolerance in the community. Determining if and how this phenomenon has fostered the empowerment of traditionally disenfranchised groups in Japan can provide insight into the subtle social and ideological shifts currently underway in Japan—shifts in which gender and sexuality are enmeshed, and occur in a contemporary context of an ageing population which is clinging onto the security found in traditions and conventions, albeit while adapting to the effects of globalisation

Scholarly publishing in Malaysia : a study of marketing environment and influences on readership behaviour

The role of publishing in the development of societies has been crucial, but many still tend to overlook the wider societal impact of publishing and concentrate purely on its direct economic contribution. The aim of this thesis is to draw attention to the wider impact of publishing as an instrument for the betterment of society. In particular the thesis examines the role of marketing in all its aspects in the publishing process at the international, national and industrial level (from inception to completion of publications). The study hopes to shed light on some of the environmental factors which affect publishing in general, publishing in the Malaysian context, and particularly scholarly publishing, which has its own peculiar traits. In order to have a clearer idea of the publishing scenario it is essential first to identify the symptoms; therefore it is important to examine the macro-marketing environment which constitutes the socio-political and commercial envelope in which the publishing industry resides, and then the micro-marketing environment and marketing systems which constitute the local industry level influences and internal company marketing force respectively. Having looked at these aspects of the marketing environment, the research concentrates on the most crucial factor in the success of any business, the buyer. The importance of measuring consumer satisfaction also dictated why the researcher made use of questionnaires for lecturers and students as sources of primary data for this study. Lecturers' roles in marketing books indirectly should not be overlooked by publishers; their unique offering is the special ability to identify and satisfy students' needs, analogous to the role played by doctors in the marketing of pharmaceutical drugs. An investigation is made of consumers' profile (lecturers and students) in order to deduce their reading and buying behaviour, and further in the case of lecturers, writing proficiency. These findings may provide better understanding of the marketing ramifications emanating from the publishing process in general and scholarly publishing in particular. Although libraries are one of the primary customers for scholarly publications, the survey conducted with them was far smaller in scope than those conducted on lecturers and students since they merely act as intermediaries while the latter are the ultimate users of scholarly publications. Scholars and publishers may co-operate happily in the writing and creating of scholarly books, but the publisher faces serious limitations upon his freedom to act purely for the betterment of scholarship. Thus, the focus of this study is how to bridge the gap between dissemination of knowledge through published means and the economics of publishing as a commercial concern. The notion of "social profit" is introduced to help deal with some of the conflicting concerns of scholarly publishers, as well as to argue against the normal argument of "social obligations" put forward by many government publishing agencies and university presses in Malaysia. The study concludes that main factors which determine the present situation of scholarly publishing include the relative infancy of the publishing industry in Malaysia; the small market for publications, in particular scholarly publications; the emphasis on textbook production which has resulted in a dearth of books in other areas; frequent changes of language policy which have damaged publishing programmes in both English and bahasa Melayu; the poor reading habit of the population in general (notwithstanding the high literacy rate); and more distressingly for scholarly publishers, the poor reading habit of students and lecturers; the lack of understanding of the publishing process by people involved in the industry; insufficient numbers of good authors especially those who can write in bahasa Melayu; poor planning and distribution, and above all the absence of reliable and up to date information on the industry. It is hoped that this research will generate interest in this neglected, yet nevertheless important, area which is essential to the development and national well being. An analysis of the marketing environment within the publishing business reveals the problems facing the industry, and suggests that a more appropriate system will be possible only when effective steps are taken to meet the needs of this industry and provide the needed support. This can only be realised by a detailed study to determine the long-term and short-term needs for books and other materials, and the various methods of meeting these needs. It is also important in determining how the industry can be strengthened and expanded to meet future needs. Although government efforts have reflected the awareness of the importance of textbooks in developing and upgrading the standard of education in Malaysia, they have also resulted in some measure in discouraging scholarly publications within the publishing industry. The publishing business in Malaysia deserves greater attention because of the significant position of Malaysia in Asia and ASEAN sub-continent in particular, and the contribution of education to its economic and social development

The factors driving continuance intention to online shopping (e-loyalty): behaviour differences in the case of Saudi Arabia

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University LondonThis study proposes a model of e-shopping continuance intentions that incorporate the revised technology acceptance model and expectation confirmation theory to measure continuance online shopping intentions within Saudi Arabia. Using structural equation modelling to confirm the model fit, and a 463-person sample, the author finds that perceived usefulness, enjoyment, and subjective norms determine online shopping continuance intentions, across male (30% of the sample) and female (70%) respondents. The structural weights are largely equivalent, yet the regression paths from site quality to perceived usefulness and perceived usefulness to continuation intentions are not invariant across the research sample. This research thus moves beyond consideration of online shopping intentions to include factors that may affect online shopping continuance. The research model is able to explain 61% of the variance in intentions to continue shopping online. Therefore, online strategies cannot ignore either direct or indirect differences in continuance intentions due to behaviour differences among shoppers in Saudi Arabia. With the high percentages of participants from the main populated regions in Saudi Arabia, the research model can be generalized across Saudi Arabia. Thus, the research has added to the limited literature on online repurchase intention or continuance intention by testing the proposed model in a context that has never before been tested. Furthermore, few prior studies use SEM as their methodological approach, and even fewer apply invariance analysis to verify behavioural differences based on gender, regional, education, e-shopping experience, and e-shopping spending with a sample obtained from Saudi Arabia. This study addresses these various knowledge gaps. Moreover, this thesis provides managers with useful and important information they can use to plan their Web sites and marketing strategies. The findings will help e-retailers to identify which web site attributes influence consumers’ e-shopping intentions, and thus improve the effectiveness of their e-shopping sites. A more thorough understanding of e-shopping continuance intention helps e-retailers to entice e-shoppers to shop online more, and entice non-online shoppers to shop online. Keywords: Internet shopping, e-shopping, technology acceptance, behavioural differences, continuance intentions, online shopping, Saudi Arabia.Government of Saudi Arabia represented by the Minister of Higher Educatio

Comics Beyond the Page in Latin America

Comics Beyond the Page in Latin America is a cutting-edge study of the expanding worlds of Latin American comics. Despite lack of funding and institutional support, not since the mid-twentieth century have comics in the region been so dynamic, so diverse and so engaged with pressing social and cultural issues. Comics are being used as essential tools in debates about, for example, digital cultures, gender identities and political disenfranchisement. Rather than analysing the current boom in comics by focusing just on the printed text, however, this book looks at diverse manifestations of comics ‘beyond the page’. Contributors explore digital comics and social media networks; comics as graffiti and stencil art in public spaces; comics as a tool for teaching architecture or processing social trauma; and the consumption and publishing of comics as forms of shaping national, social and political identities. Bringing together authors from across Latin America and beyond, and covering examples from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, the book sets out a panoramic vision of Latin American comics, whether in terms of scholarly contribution, geographical diversity or interdisciplinary methodologies. Comics Beyond the Page in Latin America demonstrates the importance of studying how comics circulate in all manner of ways beyond print media. It also reminds us of the need to think about the creative role of comics in societies with less established comics markets than in Europe, the US and Asia

Moderating effect of religiosity on the relationship between technology readiness, trust and diffusion of e-commerce (B2C) in Sultanate of Oman

Electronic commerce has tremendously revolutionized the global economic system. Notwithstanding it has been playing a catalytic role in strengthening economies of the developing states, many countries are lagging behind in practicing electronic commerce due to numerous factors including technology readiness and trust. This study aimed to investigate the nature of relationship that exists between technology readiness, trust and diffusion of electronic while focusing on the public sector higher education institutions of the Sultanate of Oman. Furthermore, the study indented to examine the moderating effect of religiosity on the relationship between technology readiness, trust and diffusion of e-commerce. A structured questionnaire representing dimensions related to technology readiness, trust, religiosity and diffusion of electronic commerce was duly designed. Data was collected using survey method, through the distribution of the structured questionnaires to the public sector higher education institutions of Oman. The Partial Lease Square - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that technology readiness, trust and religiosity have positive effects on the diffusion of e-commerce. Additionally, the findings revealed that religiosity significantly and positively moderates the relationship between technology readiness, trust and the diffusion of electronic commerce. The results imply that all the stakeholders must call their attention to the core areas of e-commerce like technology readiness, trust and religiosity to ensure a brighter future in today’s fast moving and competitive environment. While contributing to the body of knowledge and highlighting the importance of technology readiness and trust in the diffusion process of electronic commerce, the study appropriately provides practical, managerial, educational and theological implications to the prospective consumers, governmental officials, policy- makers and the e-commerce global community. In terms of limitations, this study is confined to the impacts of technology readiness, trust and religiosity on the diffusion of (business to consumer) electronic commerce, and has targeted academicians from the public higher education institutions, as respondents. On the basis of this study, future research can be conducted in the perspective of developing countries other than the Sultanate of Oman. It would also be valuable to employ the framework in conducting comparative studies on the developing and the developed nation

Parental Perceptions of the Influence of Digital Media and Technology on Children\u27s Reading Habits at Home

This study explored parental perceptions of the influence of digital media and technology on children’s home reading habits, the routines and repeated activities related to reading that occur within the homes of six families located in a mixed rural/urban area of Northern Utah. Data gathered showed how parent’s childhood experiences influenced the creation of rules, spatial arrangements, routines, and family identity. Comparisons were made to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model, specifically in the areas of dyads, N + 2 systems, microsystems, molar activities, settings, roles, and transitions. Findings showed parents have concerns about how to best foster reading at home within a society inundated by technology and digital media. Recommendations are given for schools to consider and leverage roles played by parents in development of reading and literacy skills at home and how technology and digital media can support those skills

E-Book Program Development Study: Results and Recommendations

This document contains the final results and recommendations from the E-Book Program Development Study, an ambitions two year assessment project aimed at gathering essential data to drive policies and best practices related to e-book collections and services at Columbia University Libraries (CUL). Findings support CUL's mission to support research, teaching, and learning initiatives across campus. They also create a bridge between the current information landscape and CUL's vision for the future of e-book programs and services