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Article
Publication date: 12 April 2022

Md. Atikuzzaman and Shohana Akter

Social media (SM) is a new communication tool that substantially contribute to facilitating online hate speech (OHS). In emphasis of the question “what role can SM play in an…

Abstract

Purpose

Social media (SM) is a new communication tool that substantially contribute to facilitating online hate speech (OHS). In emphasis of the question “what role can SM play in an individual’s life?”, this study aims to understand Bangladeshi university students’ personal experiences and opinions of OHSs related to SM.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used an online survey method to collect data and retrieved responses from 410 students. Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test and Spearman’s rank correlation analysis were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

This study found that hate speech is a familiar term among students. Students’ political views or opinions, religion and gender have become the most targeted instruments for OHSs. Comparing students’ use of SM, the authors found that Facebook was the most used SM site to spread hate speech in Bangladesh. In terms of personal experiences, the findings indicated that 45.6% of students became victims of OHSs at least once or more times, and the majority of students tended to simply avoid OHSs. Another significant finding was that OHS has real-life effects on the students, resulting in various personal and psychological distress.

Originality/value

Although some research has been conducted on hate speech at the local level, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has focused on the student community. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt in Bangladesh to focus on OHSs from a student’s personal viewpoint.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. 72 no. 8/9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 December 2023

Shamima Yesmin and Md. Atikuzzaman

This study aims to investigate the usability of a public university website for measuring its efficiency, users’ satisfaction or anxiety while searching for and retrieving…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the usability of a public university website for measuring its efficiency, users’ satisfaction or anxiety while searching for and retrieving information through different devices.

Design/methodology/approach

A task-based approach was adopted for the study. Twenty-eight participants were asked to complete 11 information-searching tasks on the website. The participants were divided into two groups. The tasks were carried out by members of each group, using desktop and mobile devices in a rotating fashion. Volunteers observed the participants' actions and recorded information regarding their productivity, time usage (using a timer), satisfaction or annoyance while performing each task. Finally, based on the use of the devices, a comparison was established between the participants' performance accuracy, efficiency and anxiety.

Findings

The study provides an overview of a task-based user experience carried out on the university website using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. According to the results, participants' satisfaction levels were generally high, and their anxiety levels were low while completing the tasks on a mobile device. In comparison to the desktop, it took less time overall to complete all tasks. On the other hand, using a desktop computer (97.1%) resulted in better task completion success rates for participants than using a mobile device (85.7%).

Originality/value

No previous task-based evaluation study of this kind has been conducted to assess the usability of any university website in Bangladesh.

Details

Information Discovery and Delivery, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-6247

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 March 2023

Md. Atikuzzaman, Shamima Yesmin and Md. Abdul Karim

This study aims to assess tribal women’s health information literacy in their daily lives. The specific objectives are to determine the tribe’s interest and frequency of seeking…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to assess tribal women’s health information literacy in their daily lives. The specific objectives are to determine the tribe’s interest and frequency of seeking health-related information, to know their preferred health information sources and health-care methods for treatment and to find out the prospective barriers to searching for and finding health-related information.

Design/methodology/approach

A well-structured questionnaire was designed and surveyed among the tribal women of Khagrachhari, Bandarban and Mymensingh districts in Bangladesh. Stratified sampling was used, and 326 responses were retrieved. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 and Microsoft Excel.

Findings

Most of the tribal women are satisfied with their current health condition. Though they are highly interested in health-related information, they are very unusual in terms of searching for this kind of information. Vaccination information is their most desired information, and allopathic treatment is highly preferred by them. In this regard, they consult with doctors at nearby community clinics or government hospitals for different health issues. However, health information terminologies are often difficult for them to understand. High costs, lack of awareness and distance from health centers are significant barriers for tribal women seeking health-related information.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first known effort in a developing country to study tribal women’s concerns regarding health-related issues.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 August 2020

Md. Atikuzzaman and Md. Anwarul Islam

The purpose of this study is to measure the perceptions and use of cloud services by the students of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The specific objective of this study is…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to measure the perceptions and use of cloud services by the students of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The specific objective of this study is to know what perceptions students have about cloud services, why and how they use cloud for academic activities.

Design/methodology/approach

For understanding the use of cloud services among the students of Dhaka University, a quantitative survey was carried out to collect data. Printed questionnaires were distributed among the students in different departments and university library. Both open- and close-ended questions were included in the questionnaire. A total of 329 students responded in this survey and the response rate was 85.5%. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.

Findings

Findings revealed that students are generally aware of cloud services and majority of the respondents use cloud for different purposes. Students used cloud for storage, back up and collaboration purposes and some of Google features are widely used by majority of the students for academic purposes.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first time an effort has been made to measure the use of cloud services among the students of University of Dhaka. This study will help to raise cloud service awareness among the students and encourage the authorities to adopt appropriate strategies and policies to resolve cloud adoption in university setting. Specially, Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning of Dhaka University can take some initiatives in this case.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 January 2023

Tazbir Khan Tonmoy and Md. Anwarul Islam

The purpose of this study is to explore the COVID-19 information-seeking behavior of the students in a developing country. This study also explores how the use of information…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the COVID-19 information-seeking behavior of the students in a developing country. This study also explores how the use of information sources changes over time by the students of a public university in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

An e-mail was sent along with an online questionnaire to 350 students in a public university in Bangladesh. After sending a couple of follow-up e-mails in May and June 2022, we got limited responses. Later in July, we distributed the same questionnaire in the printed form to the students in the seminar library, computer laboratory and in the classroom. Finally, we got back 270 responses, and the response rate was 77.14%. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (effect size) and nonparametric test (Mann–Whitney U test) were used to see the differences in using information sources over times and overall understanding of choosing the COVID-19 information sources by the demographic variables.

Findings

This study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has made an increased demand for a variety of information, and the sources of information changes over time before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the students faced challenges while seeking COVID-19 information which mostly falls under the availability of mis–disinformation. Students used more social media tools during the COVID-19 than the pre-COVID-19 time, and there are some significant relationships found between the students’ demographic variables and students’ understanding of choosing the COVID-19 information sources.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to analyze changes in information behavior patterns of students in a developing country and understand the challenges faced by the students during the pandemic.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. 39 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 July 2022

Md. Nazmul Islam, Md. Shariful Islam, Antora Anwar and Mohammed Khalid Alam

This study aims to find out the current state of cloud-based library services in selected academic and special libraries of Bangladesh. The study also explored some pertinent…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to find out the current state of cloud-based library services in selected academic and special libraries of Bangladesh. The study also explored some pertinent problems faced by librarians in implementing this new technology in library services and activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a mixed-method approach with a range of exploratory research questions. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the libraries. A set of structured questionnaires was designed to address the objectives of the study. For in-depth analysis, short interviews with the library professionals were also conducted.

Findings

Only four libraries made use of cloud computing services, and they maintained a partial cloud environment. Most responding librarians treated cloud computing as a dynamically scalable infrastructure for applications, data and file storage with charges imposed. Most of the respondents (90%) preferred cloud computing for “Software-as-a-Service”. Due to the high subscription rate (70%), unreliable online payment system (60%) and trading system (60%), librarians treated cloud computing as a burden in providing library services and activities. Respondent librarians were also interviewed for exploring their views on cloud computing in library services. For adopting cloud computing in library services of Bangladesh, “sufficient financial allocation” and “organizations’ positive decision over cloud computing” were mentioned as challenging tasks by the respondents. Finally, the study suggested some solutions to the problem and proposed a model for a cloud-based library system that can be replicated in libraries and information centres of other developing countries too.

Originality/value

This paper encapsulates the overall scenario of cloud-based library activities and services in Bangladesh. Based on the available secondary sources, no empirical study on librarians’ perceptions of cloud computing in library services of Bangladesh has been carried out before this study. Thus, this is perhaps the first attempt to quantitatively measure cloud-based services in Bangladeshi libraries.

Article
Publication date: 18 July 2023

Razib Chandra Chanda, Ali Vafaei-Zadeh, Haniruzila Hanifah and T. Ramayah

The main objective of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the adoption intention of cloud computing services among individual users using the extended theory…

Abstract

Purpose

The main objective of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the adoption intention of cloud computing services among individual users using the extended theory of planned behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

A purposive sampling technique was used to collect a total of 339 data points, which were analyzed using SmartPLS to derive variance-based structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

Findings

The results obtained from PLS-SEM indicate that attitude towards cloud computing, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived security, cost-effectiveness, and performance expectancy all have a positive and significant impact on the adoption intention of cloud computing services among individual users. On the other hand, the findings from fsQCA provide a clear interpretation and deeper insights into the adoption intention of individual users of cloud computing services by revealing the complex relationships between multiple combinations of antecedents. This helps to understand the reasons for individual users' adoption intention in emerging countries.

Practical implications

This study offers valuable insights to cloud service providers and cyber entrepreneurs on how to promote cloud computing services to individual users in developing countries. It helps these organizations understand their priorities for encouraging cloud computing adoption among individual users from emerging countries. Additionally, policymakers can also understand their role in creating a comfortable and flexible cloud computing access environment for individual users.

Originality/value

This study has contributed to the increasingly growing empirical literature on cloud computing adoption and demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical framework in identifying the potential reasons for the slow growth of cloud computing services adoption in the developing world.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2024

Shamima Yesmin and Ayesha Akhter

A shared set of moral standards, ethical principles and behavioral norms of social structure can be referred to as culture. Many health problems are strongly influenced by one’s…

Abstract

Purpose

A shared set of moral standards, ethical principles and behavioral norms of social structure can be referred to as culture. Many health problems are strongly influenced by one’s cultural background. The purpose of the paper is to examine the scientific explanation of indigenous norms and practice of health healing.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study considered in-person interviews to know the Tribals’ indigenous healing practice in Bangladesh. A focus group discussion with five tribal students was conducted to form a baseline on Tribals’ norms, rituals and information-sharing behavior. Around 35 tribal students were interviewed to find out their healing practices, norms and rituals on health issues. All these practicing indigenous knowledge were documented instantly. Peer-reviewed scientific papers from renowned databases were searched to have scientific evidence on each case. All the studies having negative or positive evidence were mentioned with each case.

Findings

The findings showed more indigenous knowledge with scientific disagreements on health aspects among the Tribals’ health practice in Bangladesh. However, the positive impact of such knowledge is not negligible. Therefore, showcasing the scientific tribals’ indigenous knowledge to a global audience is a strong recommendation.

Originality/value

Health and health care-seeking behavior among the tribal population in Bangladesh is not a new area of research, few studies have focused on the context, reasons and choices in patterns of health care-seeking behavior; obstacles and challenges faced in accessing health-care provision in the tribal areas in the country. However, research attempts to show the relationship between ecological knowledge and scientific indication is new in nature.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

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