MSVU e-Commons

The MSVU e-Commons is the institutional repository for Mount Saint Vincent University. It allows MSVU faculty, students, and staff to store their scholarly output, including theses and dissertations. Works in the e-Commons have permanent URLs and trustworthy identifiers, and are discoverable via Google Scholar, giving your work a potential local and global audience.


In addition to free storage, the e-Commons provides Mount scholars with an open access platform for disseminating their research. Depositing your work in the e-Commons complies with the requirements for open access publication of work supported by Tri-Agency funding (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC).


If you would like to deposit your work in the e-Commons, or you have any questions about institutional repositories, copyright, or open scholarship, please contact the MSVU Library & Archives.


 

Communities in DSpace

Select a community to browse its collections.

Recent Submissions

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A Scholarly Examination of Zoom Fatigue: A Systematic Review
(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024) Onoigboria, Destiny
This systematic review focused on the nature, prevalence, contributing factors and mitigating strategies of Zoom fatigue. The study reviewed 42 research articles identified from the peerreviewed literature published between 2020-2024. In the current study, Nadler’s third skins theory and Latour’s Actor-Network Theory were used as the theoretical lens. The results indicate that Zoom fatigue is a construct with cognitive, physical, and social-psychological plight. Some of the main areas are; staring, self-observation, lack of motion and abnormal social signals. The findings reveal variations of the disorder affect more women than men and persons with previous anxiety or stress related disorders. Measures for reduction are development of structured breaks, provision for ‘no camera’ option, toggling between synchronous and asynchronous communication. The work shows that Zoom fatigue is a multifaceted phenomenon that relates to human psyche and cognitive activity; technologies and interfaces; as well as organisational and managerial institutions. All of these have important implications for remote work policies and design of video conferencing platforms. The research affirms and prescribes a multi-level response to the problem of Zoom fatigue that entails technology solutions, policy changes, and personal adaptations. More future longitudinal researches are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of these interferences in the long term, as well as in different circumstances and with people.
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This is my story: Bringing voice to the violence of anti-Black racism trauma with African Nova Scotians through digital storytelling
(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024) Willis, Rajean N.
This qualitative research study explored and examined with six African Nova Scotian participants (co-researchers) their experiences of race-based trauma, and the ways these experiences impacted their overall well-being and quality of life. Specifically, I addressed the research question: What are the Indigenous ANS’ experiences of race-related trauma and how have these experiences impacted their overall well-being and quality of life? The study used an arts-based research method: digital storytelling. There is a growing body of literature examining the intersections and complexities of race-related experiences that have been identified as traumatic by those who experience them. This study looks explicitly at the relationship between racism, trauma, and Indigenous African Nova Scotians’ overall quality of life through their own accounts with a group of six co-researchers. Indigenous African Nova Scotian refers to those whose ancestors had arrived in Nova Scotia as early as the early 1700s, which are a group distinct from more recent Black immigrants (Elliott Clark, 2012). Using Digital Storytelling (DST), co-researchers created a two to five-minute mini-movie articulating their traumatic experience(s) with racism and its impact on their lives. Co-researchers participated in three two-hour group workshops, during which they engaged in finding their story, telling their story, crafting the story and sharing the story. Informed by theories such as Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome Theory, Africentric Theory and Critical Race Theory, this study acknowledges the intersectional nuances of how anti-Black racism has been experienced with co-researchers. The recognition of structural and systemic anti-Black racism is reflected in the co-researchers’ digital stories. The resiliency and critical hope for equity and healing have also been made evident through their ability to take appropriate action against the assaults of anti-Black racism. Study recommendations point to the need to expand education, including African Nova Scotian-centred/Africentric pedagogies, to contextualize this reality into trauma-informed care in education. Additionally, this study provides further evidence of the value of DST as a research method for individual, communal, institutional, and structural transformation.
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Canadian Registered Dietitians’ Perceptions, Experiences, and Knowledge of Weight- Related Evidence in Practice: A National Questionnaire
(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024-11) Waugh, Rachel Lynn
A recent nation-wide survey conducted by Dietitians of Canada (2020) found dietitians are divided in their interpretation of (body) weight evidence. There is limited data on Canadian Registered Dietitians' (RDs’) perspectives, experiences, and knowledge on this topic. Moreover, current evidence suggests Canadian RDs are predominantly female, white, and young-to-middle aged. It has been established that one’s intersecting characteristics can impact how they see themselves and others, but there is limited Canadian research impacting how these factors impact weight evidence interpretation and application.
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Compassion in Healthcare: A Qualitative Study Exploring Knowledge and Experiences of Compassion of Nutrition Students
(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2024-11) Goswami, Suhnandany
This study aims to explore the knowledge and experiences of compassion among a sample of graduate nutrition students. By understanding the students' current knowledge and experiences of compassion, this study can help to identify areas of strength and gaps in their understanding of compassion and related concepts. This information can then be used to inform the development of teaching and learning strategies and curricula for nutrition and dietetics students that promote the integration of compassion into practice. Additionally, the results of this study will contribute to the existing body of research on compassion-based nutrition and healthcare practice. This study was qualitative in nature, and it is based on the qualitative description (QD) method.
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Exploring the Impacts of Digital Media on Migration Perceptions and Decision-Making Between Nigeria and Canada
(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2025) Asanbe O. Gaffar
This study explores the impact of digital media on migration perceptions and decision-making, focusing on the migration nexus between Nigeria and Canada. It examines how platforms like YouTube influence migration trends, perceptions, and decisions, addressing the broader implications of digital media in the Information Age. Guided by a multi-faceted theoretical framework, including Media Systems Dependency Theory, Migration Systems Theory, and Social Capital Theory, the research analyses how digital communication reshapes transnational ties, and reduces/amplifies informational barriers and migration flows. Using a sequential explanatory design, the study integrates digital ethnography and qualitative content analysis, with data sourced from relevant YouTube videos and viewer interactions. MAXQDA software facilitated a systematic analysis of themes and narratives emerging from the content. Findings reveal that digital platforms significantly mediate migration experiences by providing practical insights, reducing perceived risks, and fostering diasporic connections. In addition, findings corroborate Dekker and Engbersen’s (2014) assertion that digital media serve as informal migration guides, while also aligning with Carling and Collins’ (2018) observation of the interplay between aspirations and anxieties in migration. This study on the impacts of digital media on migration perceptions and decision-making highlights the dual sentiments evident in migration narratives, where exhilaration over opportunities is tempered by cautionary tales of cultural adjustment and bureaucratic hurdles. Furthermore, it underscores how digital media bridges formal migration systems with the personalized experiences migrants need to navigate these systems effectively. This research emphasizes the stratified nature of digital access, as highlighted by Afrobarometer (2018), revealing that middle- and upper-class Nigerians—enabled by financial stability and digital literacy—are more likely to leverage platforms like YouTube. The findings also reflect on how digital tools support integration, facilitating connections with home and host communities, offering guidance on housing and employment, and easing daily life in Canada. However, the study calls attention to the digital divide that perpetuates economic disparities, urging policymakers to prioritize digital literacy and equitable access to migration resources. The study contributes to academic discourse on migration and digital media by uncovering the complex interplay between technology, transnational networks, and diasporic identities, offering practical implications for policymakers, content creators, and migration communities.