A hermeneutic investigation of online consumer decision making

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University, 16/06/2005.This is a multidisciplinary information systems thesis with a strong sociological focus. Theoretically it uses the technical concerns of human-computer interaction as the background to consider the separate theories of consumer decision-making and the diffusion of innovations. Emphasis is placed on understanding how consumers make sense of the Internet and come to define the role and use of the Internet in their lives. A practical framework for hermeneutic investigation was created to access the unreflective thoughts and actions driving online consumer decision-making. Implicit within hermeneutics is the prospect of transcendental interpretations and the ability to investigate in situ new avenues of research that emerge as a result of anomalous comments or findings. Hence, this thesis presents two different, but inter-related, research inquiries and their associated findings. Initial interest was centred on consumer behaviour and interface design. Specifically, can a dedicated 'consumer interface' be designed using principles based on consumer perceptions of online convenience. The resulting data analysis created a framework of advice that interface designers can use to improve their understanding of the nature and limitations of convenient interfaces and associated consumer decision-support technologies. A second research theme emerged from the data analysis which broadened the focus into a consideration of online consumer behaviour as a distinct issue. Specifically, a new from of interactive behaviour prevalent in electronic retail markets was identified and, following a second literature review, labeled "surrogacy". Related in form to the personal shoppers found in traditional marketplaces, surrogacy differs from electronic intermediaries with regard to (i) the motivations of use and (ii) the symbolic and functional benefits of usage. The emergence of this phenomenon suggests that interactions between individuals (as consumers) and Web-based systems are maturing, albeit in a non-predictable manner. Together, the methodological refinements presented here with the accompanying research findings provide a reference point for further work in the following three areas: interface design for electronic marketplaces; Web-based consumer decision support technologies; and the development of interpretive approaches suitable for socio-technical investigations

Where I Live [2nd grade]

Students will understand that people use maps and map features to identify specific landforms, landmarks and areas of significance in their local and national communities. Students will know how to use and create maps that contain specific map features, (titles, orientation, and legend/key) will be able to identify, label and place landforms correctly on maps and will be able to identify and describe local and national places of significance. Students will independently use their learning to create, identify and interpret maps of their local environments, communities and state

Member Checking: Can Benefits Be Gained Similar to Group Therapy?

Member checking continues to be an important quality control process in qualitative research as during the course of conducting a study, participants receive the opportunity to review their statements for accuracy and, in so doing; they may acquire a therapeutic benefit. The authors of this article suggest that this benefit is similar to some of the components of group therapy, especially in normalizing the phenomenon being experienced. Even if the participants never meet, they can feel a sense of relief that their feelings are validated and that they are not alone

Explorers [4th grade]

Students will understand that people explore and settle or different purposes including riches, land, and the spread of religion. Students will also know the history or background of explorers and how that defines the cultures of Texas. At the end of this unit students will independently demonstrate their learning by summarizing an explorer’s accomplishments and reasons for exploring by creating and interacting with a Fakebook page

Circuits [4th grade]

Students will understand that electricity flows through a circuit which must be closed for the energy to travel, that different materials can allow energy to flow or prevent it from travelling and that the energy source must be properly connected for energy to flow. At the end of this unit students will be able to independently identify complete and incomplete circuits, offer ways to fix incomplete circuits, identify parts of a circuit, and create a circuit that is a part of a lighthouse

A kiloparsec-scale nuclear stellar disk in the milky way as a possible explanation of the high velocity peaks in the galactic bulge

The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment has measured the stellar velocities of red giant stars in the inner Milky Way. We confirm that the line of sight velocity distributions (LOSVDs) in the mid-plane exhibit a second peak at high velocities, whereas those at | b| =2^\circ do not. We use a high resolution simulation of a barred galaxy, which crucially includes gas and star formation, to guide our interpretation of the LOSVDs. We show that the data are fully consistent with the presence of a thin, rapidly rotating, nuclear disk extending to ∼1 kpc. This nuclear disk is orientated perpendicular to the bar and is likely to be composed of stars on x2 orbits. The gas in the simulation is able to fall onto such orbits, leading to stars populating an orthogonal disk