B2C VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES: TYPOLOGY AND ASSOCIATED BENEFITS - An Exploratory Qualitative Study

2006 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Virtual Communities

scholarly journals Sharing and Empathy in Digital Spaces: Qualitative Study of Online Health Forums for Breast Cancer and Motor Neuron Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hargreaves ◽  
Peter A Bath ◽  
Suzanne Duffin ◽  
Julie Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Motor Neuron ◽  
Motor Neuron Disease ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Breast Cancer Care ◽  
Shared Experiences ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

BACKGROUND The availability of an increasing number of online health forums has altered the experience of living with a health condition, as more people are now able to connect and support one another. Empathy is an important component of peer-to-peer support, although little is known about how empathy develops and operates within online health forums. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to explore how empathy develops and operates within two online health forums for differing health conditions: breast cancer and motor neuron disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. METHODS This qualitative study analyzed data from two sources: interviews with forum users and downloaded forum posts. Data were collected from two online health forums provided by UK charities: Breast Cancer Care and the Motor Neurone Disease Association. We analyzed 84 threads from the breast cancer forum and 52 from the MND forum. Threads were purposively sampled to reflect varied experiences (eg, illness stages, topics of conversation, and user characteristics). Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 Breast Cancer Care forum users and five users of the MND forum. All datasets were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach and combined to triangulate the analysis. RESULTS We found that empathy develops and operates through shared experiences and connections. The development of empathy begins outside the forum with experiences of illness onset and diagnosis, creating emotional and informational needs. Users came to the forum and found their experiences and needs were shared and understood by others, setting the empathetic tone and supportive ethos of the forum. The forum was viewed as both a useful and meaningful space in which they could share experiences, information, and emotions, and receive empathetic support within a supportive and warm atmosphere. Empathy operated through connections formed within this humane space based on similarity, relationships, and shared feelings. Users felt a need to connect to users who they felt were like themselves (eg, people sharing the same specific diagnosis). They formed relationships with other users. They connected based on the emotional understanding of ill health. Within these connections, empathic communication flourished. CONCLUSIONS Empathy develops and operates within shared experiences and connections, enabled by structural possibilities provided by the forums giving users the opportunity and means to interact within public, restricted, and more private spaces, as well as within groups and in one-to-one exchanges. The atmosphere and feeling of both sites and perceived audiences were important facilitators of empathy, with users sharing a perception of virtual communities of caring and supportive people. Our findings are of value to organizations hosting health forums and to health professionals signposting patients to additional sources of support.

scholarly journals How Knowledge Is Constructed and Exchanged in Virtual Communities of Physicians: Qualitative Study of Mindlines Online

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. e34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sietse Wieringa ◽  
Eivind Engebretsen ◽  
Kristin Heggen ◽  
Trisha Greenhalgh
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Virtual Communities

scholarly journals The Behavior of Online Consumer Opinions Case Tunisian Communities

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 364
Author(s):  
Chiraz Rouissi ◽  
Fatma Letaief
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Virtual Community ◽  
Opinion Leader ◽  
Theoretical Work ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Online Purchase ◽  
Online Consumer ◽  
Clear Idea

Online consumer opinions are an essential source of information on goods and services, with the framework of a Research Online Purchase Offline behavior. However, in a virtual environment, there are two types of consumers: opinion leaders and "lurkers" who do not participate in virtual communities. This research presents the results of a qualitative study on the obstacles and motivations for the participation of "lurkers" in Social Media and especially case of Facebook groups. It shows that even though "Lurkers" consider virtual communities as a public space that can triturate their confidentiality, in some cases they can manifest themselves and give rise to new behavior, which is "mobilizing behavior".Background/Objectives: The main purpose of the research is to study and understand, through a preliminary qualitative study, the barriers, and motivations of passive users in a virtual community on Facebook. The theoretical scope of this research is based on a lack of theoretical work, addressing the barriers and motivations to convert a Lurker into an Opinion Leader (Vasic, N & al. 2019) in the context of Research Online Purchase Offline "ROPO" behavior.Methods/Statistical. Methodological tools of the research methods were qualitative, a survey based on an interview is conducted with a sample of the relevant population, namely, subsidiaries of Tunisian communities’ groups. Given the exploratory nature of this study, the choice of a qualitative analysis seems appropriate. The method of data collection through semi-structured interviewsFindings: This study examined the literature on online behaviors and aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of Lurkers' behavior context through a qualitative exploratory study. The qualitative study shows that the "Lurkers" brakes are mainly around the fact that they want to protect their private lives by leaving as little data as possible so as not to receive abusive requests for additions, they try to keep some perspective to avoid any kind of conflict with strangers when it comes to different opinions.Improvements: This study can provide input at the managerial level, especially for creators of virtual communities. In practice, brands develop virtual communities intending to improve the "consumer-brand" relationship as well as the relationship between consumers. The obstacles for Lurkers to participate can give brands a clear idea of the need to develop engagement platforms. More specifically, the brand must give more opportunities to the lurkers to give their opinions so that they can participate without fear.

Qualitative study on “hydropic degeneration” of The hepatocytes in viral hepatitis

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 568-569
Author(s):  
Le Meizhao ◽  
Ye Ming ◽  
Song Xiaoming ◽  
Xu Jiazhang
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Viral Hepatitis ◽  
Chronic Active Hepatitis ◽  
Microscopic Observation ◽  
Hydropic Degeneration ◽  
Light Microscopic Observation ◽  
Biopsy Specimens ◽  
Endoplasm Reticulum ◽  
Mixed Fluid ◽  
Peripheral Cytoplasm

“Hydropic degeneration” of the hepatocytes are often found in biopsy of the liver of some kinds of viral hepatitis. Light microscopic observation, compareted with the normal hepatocytes, they are enlarged, sometimes to a marked degree when the term “balloning” degeneration is used. Their cytoplasm rarefied, and show some clearness in the peripheral cytoplasm, so, it causes a hydropic appearance, the cytoplasm around the nuclei is granulated. Up to the present, many studies belive that main ultrastructural chenges of hydropic degeneration of the hepatocytes are results of the RER cristae dilatation with degranulation and disappearance of glycogen granules.The specimens of this study are fixed with the mixed fluid of the osmium acidpotassium of ferricyanide, Epon-812 embed. We have observed 21 cases of biopsy specimens with chronic severe hepatitis and severe chronic active hepatitis, and found that the clear fields in the cytoplasm actually are a accumulating place of massive glycogen. The granules around the nuclei are converging mitochondria, endoplasm reticulum and other organelles.

American Speech-Language Pathologists' Training and Legislative Knowledge When Working With Immigrant and Refugee Populations: A Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1148-1161
Author(s):  
Camilo Maldonado ◽  
Alejandro Ashe ◽  
Kerri Bubar ◽  
Jessica Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Limited English Proficiency ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Federal Mandates ◽  
Refugee Families ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Immigrant And Refugee

Background American educational legislation suggests culturally competent speech and language services should be provided in a child's native language, but the number of multilingual speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is negligible. Consequently, many monolingual English-speaking practitioners are being tasked with providing services to these populations. This requires that SLPs are educated about cultural and linguistic diversity as well as the legislation that concerns service provision to non-English or limited English proficiency speakers. Purpose This qualitative study explored the experiences of monolingual, American, English-speaking SLPs and clinical fellows who have worked with immigrant and refugee families within a preschool context. It investigated what training SLPs received to serve this population and what knowledge these SLPs possessed with regard to federal legislation governing the provision of services to culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) communities. Method Ten American clinicians with experience treating CLD children of refugee and immigrant families in the context of preschool service provision participated in the study. Semistructured interviews were utilized to better understand the type of training clinicians received prior to and during their service delivery for CLD populations. Additionally, questions were asked to explore the degree to which practitioners understood federal mandates for ethical and effective service provision. The data collected from these interviews were coded and analyzed using the principles of grounded theory. Findings The results of this study revealed that there was a general sense of unpreparedness when working with CLD clients. This lack of training also attributed to a deficiency of knowledge surrounding legislation governing service provision to CLD populations.

Student Anticipations and Reactions to Hybrid Format Education

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Ginsberg
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Traditional Classroom ◽  
Traditional Learning ◽  
Online Platform ◽  
Hybrid Format

Abstract This qualitative study examined student perceptions regarding a hybrid classroom format in which part of their learning took place in a traditional classroom and part of their learning occurred in an online platform. Pre-course and post-course anonymous essays suggest that students may be open to learning in this context; however, they have specific concerns as well. Students raised issues regarding faculty communication patterns, learning styles, and the value of clear connections between online and traditional learning experiences. Student concerns and feedback need to be addressed through the course design and by the instructor in order for them to have a positive learning experience in a hybrid format course.

Bilingual and Monolingual Students' Perceptions of the CSD Major: A Qualitative Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flora Keshishian ◽  
Rebecca Wiseheart
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
School Setting ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bilingual Students ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Diverse Environment ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
Areas Of Interest

There is a growing demand for bilingual services in speech-language pathology and audiology. To meet this growing demand, and given their critical role in the recruitment of more bilingual professionals, higher education institutions need to know more about bilingual students' impression of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) as a major. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate bilingual and monolingual undergraduate students' perceptions of the CSD major. One hundred and twenty-two students from a large university located in a highly multicultural metropolitan area responded to four open-ended questions aimed at discovering students' major areas of interest (and disinterest) as well as their motivations for pursuing a degree in CSD. Consistent with similar reports conducted outside the United States, students from this culturally diverse environment indicated choosing the major for altruistic reasons. A large percentage of participants were motivated by a desire to work with children, but not in a school setting. Although 42% of the participants were bilingual, few indicated an interest in taking an additional course in bilingual studies. Implications of these findings as well as practical suggestions for the recruitment of bilingual students are discussed.

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