
UX Research
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Exploring Young Smartphone Users' Experience with Intelligent Personal Assistant

Survey| Personas | Journey Mapping
Interview | Usability Evaluation
09/2017 - 12/2017
The goal of this study is two-fold: 1) to compare IPA user and non-users based on individual characteristics, and 2) to examine usability and user satisfaction of Siri and Google Assistant on smartphones.
Social Sciences Research
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Political Communication
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Sociotechnical System
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International Relations
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Network Analysis
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Data Visualization
Understanding NGO Social Media Use: Communication Strategy and Message Effect
Undergraduate Thesis (in Chinese)
Publicity is vital for a civil society organization to raise funds, influence policy and build beneficiary communities that contribute to its social capital. However, many grassroots NGOs in China might not have a rapport with state-owned, traditional media. With the rise of microblog (Weibo), some NGOs become the fast learners in the uptake of social media. Focused on the case of Smile Angel Foundation, this research aims to analyze how this organization presents themselves and engages the online community. I further evaluate the message effect based on various types of online presence and social engagement strategies.
Youth Resilience to Internet Censorship in China: Technology as a Path to Self-Actualized Citizenship
October 2014 - June 2015
Internet Censorship Circumvention (ICC) technology, such as uProxy and Freegate, enable young people in China to access otherwise blocked sites. In this sense, not only is ICC technology political empowerment, but the online resilience to censorship becomes an integral part of civic engagement. Drawing upon Adaptive Saturation Theory, this study finds that Chinese youth is building their self-actualizing citizenship through use of ICC technology. In applying Diffusion of Innovation theory, it is suggested that ICC technology will not get diffused among the general population. However, there is a potential for it to be widely adopted among the young and the educated.
Voting patterns in the UN Security Council: Antagonism and Cooperation before and after the Cold War
October 2013 - December 2013
Conflicts and cooperation among the powerful countries can be manifest in the voting behaviors in the United Nations Security Council. This study used Social Network Analysis to visualize the voting structure of the member countries, and the cliques among states were identified and made comparisons before and after the Cold War ends.
Global Imagination and Media Presentation: A study of American mainstream newspaper framing of BRICS
September 2014 – December 2014
As the bloc of countries made of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa - known as BRIC or BRICS - continues to witness tremendous growth, is it perceived in the United States as a potential threat or partner? Is there a change in the way the bloc is reported depending on international and domestic foreign and economic events? This research analyzes how news stories pertained to BRICS countries are framed by four of the most circulated American newspapers.
From Propaganda to Dialogue: Evidence from Public Sector Microblog in China
January 2012 - July 2012
This study analyzed three Chinese government official Microblogs in terms of content focus, presentation forms, and social influence.
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Media Frame
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Content Analysis
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Social Media Strategy
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Online Community
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Public Diplomacy
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Social Media