METHODS Students attending five different types of high schools in central Elazig (a city in Turkey) during the 2009-2010 school year constitute the study population. One class was randomly selected from each high school. Out of 650 students, 640 participated in the study. The data were evaluated by using the SPSS program; percentage, mean, and chi-square analyses were used. FINDINGS Of all t...

Recent studies show that many types of human social activities, from scientific collaborations to sexual contacts, can be understood in terms of complex network of interactions. Such networking paradigm allows to model many aspects of social behaviour with relatively simple computer models. The present work investigates the influence of single leaders on opinion formation within simulations of ...

An opinion leader-follower model (OLF) is a two-action collective decision-making model for societies, in which three kinds of actors are considered: opinion leaders, followers, and independent actors. In OLF the initial decision of the followers can be modified by the influence of the leaders. Once the final decision is set, a collective decision is taken applying the simple majority rule [22]...

The increasing amount of information flowing through commercial social networks offers clear advantages for companies who can take a valuable feedback from community actions. In particular, the identification of influential users in on-line social network can support companies in designing and targeting marketing campaigns, as influential gate-keepers and diffusers of information can ignite epi...

Identifying KOLs requires broad and up-to-date experience with these individuals, something pharma companies lack. In fact, most life science companies delegate this exercise to third parties. In turn, these providers make use of “tried-andtrue” methods of engaging KOLs, including literature database search and survey methods. In an age where consumers hold sway over purchase considerations and...

National registration standards in Australia require nurses and midwives to be educationally prepared to use an evidence-based framework for their practice. These standards assume a shared professional understanding of evidence and, an agreed approach towards educational preparation for evidence implementation. In this study, a qualitative phenomenographic approach is used to explore the ways i...

The term longitudinal design refers to a fl exible research approach that can be applied to a wide range of topics involving change over time. Longitudinal refers to both the data collected and the methods of analysis used, and project designs can combine several datagathering and analysis methods within a longitudinal framework. Longitudinal research demonstrates several features that permit t...