Rachel A. Fleming-May

Bio: Rachel A. Fleming-May is an academic researcher from University of Tennessee. The author has contributed to research in topics: Publishing & Information literacy. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 17 publications receiving 265 citations. Previous affiliations of Rachel A. Fleming-May include University UCINF.

From Student to Scholar: The Academic Library and Social Sciences PhD Students' Transformation

Abstract: Although research concerning the information-seeking behavior of academic library users is abundant, few studies have focused specifically on PhD students. This oversight has had an impact on librarians' ability to effectively market services such as information literacy instruction and research assistance to doctoral students. In order to investigate both their information-seeking processes and the affective dimensions of their research, the authors conducted three focus groups with 24 social sciences doctoral students and then corroborated their findings with a survey of academic librarians. The goal of this project is to provide academic librarians with insight about the process of PhD education and to suggest possible points of intervention for improving communication with and services to this group.

Framing Librarianship in the Academy: an Analysis Using Bolman and Deal's Model of Organizations

Abstract: Since the earliest days of the profession, academic librarians have attempted to reconcile their status within the academy. This project takes a new approach to this effort by using Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal’s “Four Frames” model to analyze the issues. To more closely examine the dynamics, tensions, and implications associated with librarians’ professional status within the academy, we discuss the role of the academic librarian in the context of each of Bolman and Deal’s frames: Structural, Human Resource, Political, and Symbolic. In this discussion, we demonstrate that librarians are positioned to address human resource (as defined by Bolman and Deal), political, and symbolic factors contributing to their status within the academy. Also, while we establish that the relationship between library faculty and disciplinary faculty plays a role in library faculty status, we conclude that library faculty status is constructed by a number of forces. We further conclude that many of the political and symbolic conditions experienced by librarians are rooted in structural and human resource factors controlled by upper-level administration in both libraries and the universities.

What Is Library Use? Facets of Concept and a Typology of Its Application in the Literature of Library and Information Science1

Abstract: The “use” of library resources and services is frequently presented in library and information science (LIS) literature as a primitive concept: an idea that need not be defined when it is being measured as an operational variable in empirical research. This project considered representations of library use through the Evolutionary Concept Analysis (ECA) method, developed by nursing scholar Beth L. Rodgers to explore the significance of concepts within specific disciplinary, chronological, and theoretical contexts. Analysis of a 200-item sample of the LIS journal literature revealed that “use” is not a monolithic concept but, in fact, has multiple facets of meaning that are deployed in diverse contexts across the LIS publication spectrum. In addition to reviewing key discussions of library use in the LIS literature, this article presents a typology of its conceptual facets.

I'm scared to look but I'm dying to know: information seeking and sharing on Pro-Ana weblogs

Abstract: As individuals' access to the Internet has grown, so has the diversity of lifestyles and interests represented on the web On the Internet, members of any subculture can communicate and share information anonymously and directly on a variety of platforms Although researchers from many disciplinary backgrounds have devoted considerable attention to the nature of information practices in online communities, there has been little investigation into the information practices of adherents to lifestyles that could be considered perilous or harmful The members of such a group, referred to as Pro-Anorexia, or Pro-Ana, characterize themselves as believing that Anorexia is not a disease, but a lifestyle choice This paper presents findings from a textual analysis of posts and comments on three Pro-Anorexia (Pro-Ana) weblogs Using a Grounded Theory approach, we found that both bloggers and commenters share a diverse array of types of information in a variety of formats Because much of the information sought and shared on Pro-Ana blogs would be considered dangerous in another venue, Pro-Ana blogs present an interesting forum for considering how the context in which information is solicited, encountered, or presented actively shapes both the information itself and the information practices of community members

#thyghgapp: Instagram Content Moderation and Lexical Variation in Pro-Eating Disorder Communities

Abstract: Pro-eating disorder (pro-ED) communities on social media encourage the adoption and maintenance of disordered eating habits as acceptable alternative lifestyles rather than threats to health. In particular, the social networking site Instagram has reacted by banning searches on several pro-ED tags and issuing content advisories on others. We pre-sent the first large-scale quantitative study investigating pro-ED communities on Instagram in the aftermath of moderation -- our dataset contains 2.5M posts between 2011 and 2014. We find that the pro-ED community has adopted non-standard lexical variations of moderated tags to circumvent these restrictions. In fact, increasingly complex lexical variants have emerged over time. Communities that use lexical variants show increased participation and support of pro-ED (15-30%). Finally, the tags associated with content on these variants express more toxic, self-harm, and vulnerable content. Despite Instagram's moderation strategies, pro-ED communities are active and thriving. We discuss the effectiveness of content moderation as an intervention for communities of deviant behavior.

Patterns of graduate students' information seeking behavior: a meta‐synthesis of the literature

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this review is to draw out patterns of information seeking behavior of graduate students as described in the empirical research published from 1997 to the present.Design/methodology/approach – A systematic search of databases for studies on information behavior and graduate students was employed in order to retrieve studies for a systematic review. Common themes that emerged from the literature were synthesized into a discussion of behavior patterns. Additionally a study quality analysis was conducted for all retrieved studies using a critical appraisal checklist for library and information research.Findings – This review revealed that graduate students begin their research on the internet much like any other information seeker, consult their faculty advisors before other people, and use libraries in diverse ways depending on the discipline studied. Additionally differences were noted between international and home students, and doctoral and master's students.Practical implication...

Quantifying and Predicting Mental Illness Severity in Online Pro-Eating Disorder Communities

Abstract: Social media sites have struggled with the presence of emotional and physical self-injury content. Individuals who share such content are often challenged with severe mental illnesses like eating disorders. We present the first study quantifying levels of mental illness severity (MIS) in social media. We examine a set of users on Instagram who post content on pro-eating disorder tags (26M posts from 100K users). Our novel statistical methodology combines topic modeling and novice/clinician annotations to infer MIS in a user's content. Alarmingly, we find that proportion of users whose content expresses high MIS have been on the rise since 2012 (13%/year increase). Previous MIS in a user's content over seven months can predict future risk with 81% accuracy. Our model can also forecast MIS levels up to eight months in the future with performance better than baseline. We discuss the health outcomes and design implications as well as ethical considerations of this line of research.