Dostoevsky and the Word “Jew”: A Quantitative Analysis of F.M. Dostoevsky’s Greatest Novels

The relationship of F.M Dostoevsky with Jews attracted the attention of numerous scholars throughout the years, many of whom attempted to grapple with the views of the great writer and their origin. In this article we will attempt to show this relationship by analyzing six of Dostoevsky’s greatest novels, written through the entirety of his career. We are analyzing these novels using Distant Reading in conjunction with Close Reading, tools that are commonly used in the field of digital humanities, which enabled us to show visually the extent of F.M. Dostoevsky’s engagement with this topic. The study poses two research questions: 1. To what extent did the writer use the more denigrating term “Zhid”? 2. Can we see a correlation between the writer’s portrayal of Jews with the definition of Anti-Semitism as it was known during his era? The obtained results show that there is clearly a correlation between the definition of anti-Semitism as it was understood at the time of Dostoevsky and the “Jew” as depicted in his novels, as the financial motif is paramount in the depiction of Jews as this is the central topic in 49% of the negative sentences in which the word “Jew” appears, with 59% of these sentences classified as stereotypes. The negative financial stereotype constitutes 32% of the entire corpus. In addition, we found the term “Zhid” is commonly used by the writer, a variation of which constitutes 75% of the total terms used to depict Jews.

Digital Resources Integration and Performance Evaluation Under the Knowledge Management Model in Academic Libraries

Leveraging a knowledge management model (KMM), organizing digital resources, and measuring performance beyond digital libraries continue to be hot topics for many organizations. Given its growing importance, the aim of this study was to design a robust integrated research model based on social cognitive theory and KMM to organize resources and improve the productivity of academic librarians to make services effective. Using a quantitative method based on key data collected by librarians at Pakistani universities, the researchers reviewed previously published literature and sought expert opinions to develop a research tool. The authors distributed 350 printed questionnaires to professionals from 190 universities, of which 339 were returned. These were analyzed to test the hypotheses and assess the accuracy of the measurement and structural models. After undergoing rigorous statistical analysis, the seven constructs using Social Cognitive Theory and the Knowledge Management Model have proven to be suitable for digital asset integration, employee productivity measurement, and high-quality academic services. In addition, the model based on social cognitive theory supports the application of KMM to promote knowledge culture, resource organization, and successful integration and innovation of academic services by enhancing the technical and professional skills of staff in academic institutions.

Students’ Perceptions on Cataloging Course

Cataloging and metadata description is one of the major competencies that a trainee cataloger must conquer. According to recent research results, library and information studies students experience difficulties understanding the theory, the terminology, and the tools necessary for cataloging. The experimental application of teaching models which derive from predominant learning theories, such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, may help in detecting the difficulties of a cataloging course and in suggesting efficient solutions. This paper presents in detail three teaching models applied for a cataloging course and investigates their effectiveness, based on a survey of 126 first-year students. The survey employed the Kirkpatrick model aiming to record undergraduate students’ perceptions and feelings about cataloging. The results revealed that, although a positive change in students’ behavior towards cataloging has been achieved, they still do not feel very confident about the skills they have acquired. Moreover, students felt that practicing cataloging more frequently will eliminate their difficulties. Finally, they emphasized the need for face to face courses, as the survey took place in the coronavirus pandemic, during which the courses were held via distance learning.

The Underlying Values of Data Ethics Frameworks: A Critical Analysis of Discourses and Power Structures

A multitude of ethical guidelines and codes of conduct have been released by private and public organizations during the past years. Those abstract statements serve as a response to incidents of discriminatory algorithms and systems and have been quantitatively investigated for the proclaimed principles. The current study focuses on four frameworks designed for application during the development of new technologies. The purpose is to identify values and value conflicts and consider how these are represented in relation to established discourses, practices, and attitudes in Computer and Information Ethics. This helps to understand to what extent the frameworks contribute to social change. Critical Discourse Analysis according to Fairclough is used to examine language and discourses, and review edition and publication processes. Well-established values like transparency, non-maleficence, justice, accountability, and privacy were detected whereas value conflicts were barely addressed. Interestingly, the values were more often framed by a business, and technology discourse than an ethical discourse. The results suggest a hegemonic struggle between academia and tech industry whereas power asymmetries between developers and stakeholders are reinforced. It is recommended to extend stakeholder participation from the beginning and emphasize value conflicts. This can contribute to advance the field and effectively encourage a public debate about the desired technological progress.

The Role of Bots in the Disinformation Process in Brazilian Politics between 2014 and 2018

This paper presents the participation of bots in the process of disinformation in the Brazilian political/electoral scenario between 2014 and 2018. The justification for this research was the growth of ideological polarization and the emergence of hate speech linked to political positioning that culminated in a massive campaign of disinformation, evidenced by fake news and other forms of manipulation. In this research multiple case studies were used referring to three moments: the 2014 elections, the 2016 impeachment and the 2018 election. We found studies investigating these events, and they were used as data sources for analysis of the conjuncture and the interpretation of these facts in a chronological perspective pointed toward the role of bots and the results of such actions. It has been observed that the use of bots has occurred since 2014; however, they were only engaged in propagating false content from 2015. The automation of the messages was sophisticated between 2014 and 2018, when bots ceased to be players who replicated posts indiscriminately (spam) to become users’ catalysts with the intention of creating or expanding new bubbles of disinformation. Finally, we observed that the same botnet active in Brazil was also involved in electoral processes around the world, making Brazil simply one more piece in this grand network of disinformation where who is involved and what their purpose might be is not known.

Digital Literacy of EFL Students: An Empirical Study in Vietnamese Universities

The current research investigates the digital literacy levels of 1661 English as a foreign language (EFL) learner at Vietnamese universities. We used an adapted questionnaire to assess students’ digital knowledge and their perceived skills, their attitudes toward the use of digital technologies, and the frequency of use of technology applications in English learning. The findings reveal that most Vietnamese students can access digital technologies at home and in their institutions. Furthermore, students achieve an adequate level of knowledge regarding digital literacy, and their technological skills range from low to average. Students’ attitudes toward technologies are positive, but they do not use technologies extensively when learning English. Comparisons show that males have better digital knowledge and skills than their female peers. Although female students are more aware of the digital integration benefits of learning than their male peers, males tend to use technologies more extensively than females. There are also discrepancies among different year groups. Seniors have the best digital knowledge, while freshmen possess the highest technical skill levels. Junior and senior students’ attitudes toward technology applications in English learning are more positive than those of freshmen and sophomores.

Some Thoughts Evoked by Peter Lor, Bradley Wiles, and Johannes Britz, “Re-thinking Information Ethics: Truth, Conspiracy Theories, and Librarians in the COVID-19 Era,” in LIBRI, March 2021

The paper offers some thoughts prompted by the research paper published by Peter Lor, Bradley Wiles, and Johannes Britz, “Re-Thinking Information Ethics: Truth, Conspiracy Theories, and Librarians in the COVID-19 Era,” in LIBRI, March 2021. It highlights two significant contributions, an analysis of the misinformation in the COVID-19 pandemic and the notion of alethic rights, the right of truth of patrons based on the work of D’Agostini. This reflection then situates the COVID-19 misinformation campaign within the broader disinformation ecology within which it exists. While it agrees that alethic rights are an important ethical framework, it wonders whether it practically advances work beyond that libraries and librarians are already doing, e.g., in collection decisions, approaches to reference questions, or library programming. It looks at the debate between John Swan and Noel Peattie on the inclusion of books representing outright lies in the collection (e.g., Holocaust denial). It then contrasts a right to information and authorities propagating and validating that information with a right to misinformation and authorities for propagating and validating that misinformation that exists within disinformation ecologies. The problem of truth, its authorities and its context appears to be more complicated than an appeal to alethic truths: for example, liberals and conservatives differ on the meaning of a rational consensus on contentious political matters, such as climate change. Given the dire consequences of misinformation on democracies and public health, an appeal to professional neutrality is woefully inadequate. There must be proactive resistance, if not outright repudiation.