1,721,006 research outputs found
The Impact of Layer 2 Technologies on the Adoption and Security of Blockchain
Full text linkNumerous studies have raised concerns over the limited scalability of blockchain technologies and, in particular, Bitcoin. Layer 2 technologies have emerged as an advanced array of complementary innovations designed to solve this problem. Despite the growing optimism around layer 2 technologies, however, there is little evidence to show how they impact blockchain’s long-term success. This paper argues that the use and expansion of layer 2 technologies have a positive impact on the adoption and security levels of the underlying blockchain systems. Building on the Bitcoin and Lightning Network case, we use a time-series model based on 1,494 daily observations to demonstrate that the growing activity on the Lightning Network precipitates increased use and better security for Bitcoin. These results highlight the importance of layer 2 technologies for blockchain systems and suggest several further research avenues in this nascent domain of inquiry
The Proliferation of End Users as a Success Metric for Cryptocurrencies
Full text linkOver the last decade, numerous studies have examined the remarkable appreciation of cryptocurrencies and have typically focused on their price and the factors that predict them. In contrast, this paper argues that the success of a cryptocurrency is determined not only by its monetary value but also by the proliferation of its end users. Specifically, we hypothesize that changes in developers’ and miners’ activities drive the growing proliferation of a cryptocurrency’s end users. Building on the Bitcoin case, we use a time-series model based on 4,285 Bitcoin daily observations to suggest that changes in the number of end users are anticipated by surges or drops in activity by the developers and miners who develop and maintain the network. We further find a limited relationship between these variables and the price of Bitcoin. These results support an alternative view of cryptocurrencies’ success and highlight further research avenues in this nascent domain
A holistic view of the social and technical factors that Influence the assimilation of an mHealth tool in developing countries
Full text linkThe integration of smartphones and mobile devices into healthcare systems has been proposed to address some of the physical barriers to healthcare delivery in rural areas of developing countries. This has prompted a number of intervention initiatives to develop novel mHealth tools for specific regions. However, despite all the research and the investment, there has been slow practical progress. This thesis attributes this slow progress to compartmentalised thinking and limited holistic exploration. In order to understand these problems, this thesis undertook a number of studies, i.e., a review-focused, a past-focused, a future-focused, and policy-focused studies to understand how an mHealth tool could be assimilated in rural areas of developing countries. These studies took place in the context of an mHealth app being explored for introduction to assist with the diagnosis and treatment of sick children under the age of five in Enugu State, Nigeria. Therefore, the objective of this thesis is to create a more socially and technologically holistic understanding of the factors that influence the introduction of mHealth tools into rural areas of developing countries. First, findings from the review-focused study illustrate two key trends in existing research. Most strikingly, little research has looked at the role of patient-to-patient interactions. Furthermore, the interactions between system developers and the other stakeholder groups are notably under-represented. Second, findings from the past-focused study indicate that, (i) at the social-level, there is a perceived limitation of services, human resources and a sense of exclusion from the urban health system; (ii) at ‘material-level, observations were made of the significant infrastructural and technological limitations that discourage rural healthcare workers (RHCWs) and parents/guardians (PGs) from spending prolonged periods at the rural health centres; (iii) at the ‘practice-level’, there is the formal diagnosis treatment method practiced by the RHCWs in the midst of the PGs diagnosis and treatment practices and African traditional healing practices, and (iv) at ‘imbrication-level’, the entanglement of phones with internet access have exposed PGs to a range of health information outside the control or guidance of health professionals. Third, from the future-focused study, findings show a set of factors which are bound as an emerging explanatory model which influence primary appraisal of an mHealth tool in a new context. These factors describe a set of individual and social influences that governments, funding bodies and non-governmental organisations should consider before the introduction of an mHealth tool. Fourth, from the policy-focused study, a framework is proposed that differentiates between interventions targeting traits and states, the latter being situation-specific, and the former which seeks to improve individual’s abilities, job knowledge, and skills as they relate to an mHealth tool. Furthermore, the framework differentiates between individual and social interventions, the former being resilient to personnel change, and the latter seeking to improve crucial situations that would otherwise cause social systems to break down around an mHealth tool. These findings have implications for theory, practice, and future research. These implications are discussed in the final chapter of this thesis
Using Distractor Images in Web Design to Increase Content Familiarity: A NeuroIS Perspective
Full text linkAmong other things, ecommerce websites act as the online equivalent of a shop window, allowing users to browse and become familiar with various offerings. Yet the actual cognitive processes by which users become familiar with the content of websites are poorly understood. This study investigates these processes by adopting a neuroIS perspective, i.e. by theorizing how designers might leverage the biological mechanisms enabling users to recognize web-based content. This is captured in a design hypothesis prescribing that webpages include novel distractor images that are positively valenced (happy) but low arousal (not exciting). Evaluation of this design hypothesis is underway across two progressively naturalistic iterations of laboratory experiments. Support for the hypothesis is provided by findings from the first iteration situated within within a specifically-developed fictitious website. These findings are discussed, as well as ongoing developments from the second iteration of testing, which takes place within a live web development project
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Determining key drivers of crowdfunding success and exploring the social nature of crowdfunding
Full text linkInitially seen as a way for individuals to raise money for causes or projects through the collective effort of friends and family, crowdfunding provides start-ups the opportunity to bypass traditional financing methods, and instead raise capital for their venture from customers and investors. Unlike traditional investing, crowdfunding success relies on a large number of individuals giving small amounts of money. This means crowdfunding campaigns are constantly looking to increase their chances of success, and stand out from other campaigns. In order to do this, crowdfunding campaigns are increasingly using social media to convey their message and project across to potential backers. Therefore, the objective of this thesis is to identify key drivers that impact crowdfunding success and explore the social nature of crowdfunding.
This thesis was initiated by a literature review that examined factors that impact the success of crowdfunding campaigns. While providing a comprehensive background on the determinants of success, this study also illustrates several potential avenues for future research. First, it highlights the lack of research surrounding discussion around the campaign outside of the crowdfunding platform, particularly with equity crowdfunding. This study also shows the need for more research exploring how successful campaigns were after the crowdfunding campaign.
After this literature review, the first quantitative study analyses how campaigns use social media to communicate with the crowd outside of the crowdfunding platform. Findings show that engagement with the crowd on social media positively impacted the success of crowdfunding campaigns. This study also suggests that, while within-platform information sharing influences the overall funding, it is the multi-platform information sharing across social media that allows fundraising to exceed initial targets and tap into different social bonding behaviours (hedonic funding).
Building on research into social media and equity crowdfunding, the third study examines rewards-based crowdfunding, analysing how the fundraiser’s social network changes over the course of the campaign. Findings from this paper show that the strength and breadth of the social network can impact whether the campaign reaches its funding goal.
The final study explores the second gap found in the literature; the lack of research surrounding the success of crowdfunding campaigns post-fundraising. This research paper examines the impact a crowdfunding campaign has on public sentiment, analysing how sentiment changes in the six months after the campaign.
This thesis has implications for theory, practice, and future research. First, I provide a novel perspective on crowdfunding success, showing it is not only reaching a funding target, but should be measured across different stages of the campaign. This thesis also introduces the idea that crowdfunding is a social collaboration. Through unique analysis of these campaigns and backers, along with the relationship between social media and crowdfunding, I find several factors that influence the success of campaigns. Finally, this thesis also highlights a number of interdependencies that exist, which can also impact the success of campaigns. These findings and implications are discussed at length in the final chapter
Assembling the crowd: a boundary object approach to designing a crowdfunding campaign
No full textAssembling the Crowd: a boundary object approach to designing a crowdfunding campaign sets out to approach crowdfunding using action design research to outline prescriptive principles which will lead to a successful crowdfunding campaign. Using a boundary object approach this research considers the elements of a crowdfunding campaign and how they interact in order to succeed with a campaign. The thesis consists of a joint paper which looks at a proof of concept for an internal enterprise application which enables crowdfunding with the help of blockchain technology. The second paper applies a boundary object approach to crowdfunding and contributes the foundation principles for the entire thesis. When to use Rewards in Charitable Crowdfunding looks at the use of token rewards in campaigns specific to charitable campaigns. This contributes to these aim by providing a clearer view of the interaction between the various groups involved in a crowdfunding campaign. The final paper; Assembling the Crowd: a boundary object approach to designing a crowdfunding campaign applies the contributions of the other papers and combines the research conducted to set out a final set of prescriptive principles which can be used to create a successful crowdfunding campaign. These principles are as follows:
Design Principle 1: Identify different groups of potential backers and identify dominant norms in those groups
Design Principle 2: Design and present rewards/returns in a manner that appeals to the specifically targeted social worlds
Design Principle 3: Design an assemblage of artefacts capable of translating content and balancing participation across each of the related social worlds
Design Principle 4: Design an ongoing communication strategy which is specific to each social worl
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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