WKWSCI Guide for Thesis/Dissertation Format
This guide sets forth the thesis requirements established by the Wee Kim Wee School of
Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University. The thesis should
be prepared in accordance with the instructions of the guide.
I. Layout Requirements
1. Paper
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High-quality, long-lived, acid-free (neutral pH) bond paper must be used for the
thesis. To confirm that the paper is acid-free, please check the packaging.
All copies must be on white, 8.5 x 11 inch A4 paper.
2. Printing and Copying
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Single-sided copies are submitted for ring-bound copy.
For hardbound copy, the two sample pages in the attached format should be
printed on single pages. From the content page onwards preferably the
pages could be printed double-sided, if possible, to reduce the thickness.
Printing defects (e.g., skewing, blotches, roller tracks, etc.) must be avoided.
Laser printers are strongly recommended.
3. Typeface
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Times New Roman is the preferred font.
Do not use script, or ornamental fonts.
For general text, the font size should be 12-point for text and 10-point for
footnotes and subscripts.
Size, font of the title and heading
o The thesis title should be centered uppercase bolded 16-point as follows:
COMPUTER-MEDIATED SOCIAL SUPPORT:
INTERNET USE AND INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS
o Chapter title should be centered uppercase bolded 14-point as follows:
CHAPTER FOUR
METHODOLOGY
o Level 1 heading should be centered uppercase and lowercase as follows:
Research Design
1
o Level 2 heading should be centered, italicized, uppercase and lowercase as
follows:
Survey
o Level 3 heading should be flush left, italicized, uppercase and lowercase
side as follows:
Telephone Survey
o Level 4 heading should be indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph
ending with a period as follows:
Sampling.
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Refer to APA Manual (5th edition) Page 111-115 for detail.
See Appendix A for a sample title page, Appendix B for a Chapter page,
Appendix C for a sample heading and subheading page.
Use italics for titles of books, periodicals, and microfilm publications.
Refer to APA Manual (5th edition) Page 100-102 for detail.
Print must be letter quality or near letter quality with dark black characters that
are consistently clear, crisp, and easily read.
Accent marks and hand annotations must be done neatly in black ink.
4. Margins
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Margins on the binding edge (left edge if single-sided; right edge for even
numbered pages, and left edge for odd numbered pages if double-sided) must be
3.7cm; all other margins must be one inch. (Pagination, headers, and/or footers
may be placed within the margin, but no closer than one-half inch from the edge
of the page.)
The text should be justified left in order to avoid large gaps in text which
sometimes occur with full justification.
5. Spacing and Indents
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One and a half space is required in the main body of the manuscript except where
conventional usage calls for single spacing; e.g., footnotes, indented quotations,
tables, etc.
Single-space each bibliographical entry and one and half space between entries.
The first line of paragraphs or footnotes should be indented uniformly throughout
the thesis. A standard indent is eight spaces (1/2 inches).
Single-spaced quotations are indented in their entirety four spaces from the left
margin (1/4 inches).
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6. Word and Text Divisions
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Words must be divided correctly at the end of a line and may not be divided from
one page to the next. Use a standard dictionary to determine word division.
Avoid short lines that end a paragraph at the top of a page, and any heading or
subheading at the bottom of a page that is not followed by text.
7. Pagination
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Each page of the thesis, including all blank pages, and pages with photographs,
tables, figures, maps, and computer program printouts should be assigned a
number.
Page numbers should be centered at bottom of the page. Consistent placement of
pagination, at least one-half inch from the paper’s edge, should be used
throughout the thesis.
Important: The following pagination plan should be used:
o For the preliminary pages (abstract, table of contents, list of tables, graphs,
illustrations, and preface), use small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.).
The title page does not have a number but counts as page i; the following
page is ii.
o For the remainder of the manuscript, use continuous pagination for text,
illustrations, images, appendices, and bibliography, using Arabic numbers
(1, 2, 3, etc.). Remember to start with page 1, as this is not a continuation
of the Roman numeral numbering.
II. Order and Content
The content of the thesis should be ordered as follows.
1. Preliminary Pages
a. Title Page
 Use upper case letters for title and author’s name. The title of the thesis should
be a meaningful description of the content of the manuscript. Use word
substitutes for formulas, symbols, superscripts, subscripts, Greek letters, etc.
 As mentioned above, the title page is counted but not numbered.
 The name of the degree that appears on the title page must be the official
names of the degrees awarded by this University. No variations are allowed.
 The year of the submission of the thesis is used as the date.
 The final dissertation should be hard-cover bounded using a Dark Blue cover
with Gold letterings (not exceeding 16 pts). The author's name is abbreviated
on the spine in the order of: full surname and initials of middle and first names.
The title may need to be abbreviated if it is too long to fit the spine. Get the
approval from your supervisor on the abbreviated title.
See Appendix A2 AND A3 for sample title pages of a thesis.
3
b. Acknowledgments.
 Softcopy does not require Acknowledgment but hardcopy does require
Acknowledgement.
 Centre the heading ACKNOWLEDGMENTS at the top of the page, one and
half space, and begin the remarks.
See Appendix D for a sample Acknowledgement.
c. Table of Contents, with page references.
 The Table of Contents lists all sections that follow it. Chapter or section titles
and primary and secondary subdivisions should be listed exactly as they
appear in the text, along with page numbers.
 Type TABLE OF CONTENTS centered at the top of the page, one and half
space and begin the entries. Single space within entries and one and half space
in between entries. Figures and Tables are listed separately.
See Appendix E for a sample Table of Contents.
d. List of Tables, with titles and page references.
 List the number, caption, and page number of each table, including any found
in the appendices.
 Tables should be numbered consecutively throughout.
See Appendix F for a sample List of Tables.
e. List of Figures.
 Include charts, graphs, illustrations, diagrams, maps, pictures, photographs
and other similar non-text items.
 List the number, caption, and page number of each figure, including any
found in the appendices.
 Figures should be numbered consecutively throughout.
See Appendix G for a sample List of Figure.
f. List of Abbreviations (or List of Symbols, or Nomenclature)
Optional, include if necessary.
g. Abstract
 The abstract is a succinct summary of the dissertation. It should state the
problem, describe the methods and procedures used, and give the main results
or conclusions of the research.
 Although it may extend beyond one page, the abstract should not exceed 500
words.
 The abstract should be printed out on one side of the paper only, one and half
-spaced, and typed or printed on the same high-quality paper used for the body
of the thesis.
See Appendix H for a sample Abstract.
2. Text
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a. Introduction.
b. Main body, with the larger divisions and more important sub-divisions
indicated by suitable, consistent headings.
3. References
a. Appendices.
 Material that supports the research, but is not essential to an understanding of
the text, is placed in the appendices. Examples include raw data, extensive
quotations, and survey or test instruments.
 Appendices should be designated A, B, C, etc. If there is only one appendix, it
is simply called Appendix, not Appendix A. Each appendix and its title (for
example, Appendix A, Raw Data for Time-to-Degree) are listed in the Table
of Contents.
 All material included in the appendices must meet minimum font and margin
requirements.
See Appendix I for a sample Appendix.
b. Bibliography or List of References.
See Appendix J for a reference list of a thesis.
III. Tables, Figures, Photographs, Maps, and Charts
1. Tables and Figures
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Tables and figures are placed immediately after their first mention in the text,
either on a text page or on a separate sheet. They may be numbered consecutively
within each chapter or throughout the thesis.
Number all tables or figures with Chapter numerals and Arabic numerals (e.g.,
within Chap 4, figure should be labeled Figure 4.1), or number with Arabic
numerals throughout the thesis in the order in which the tables or figures are first
mentioned in text. (e.g., Table 1, Table 2… )
Identify the tables or figures of the appendix with capital letters and Arabic
numerals (e.g., Table A1 is the first table of Appendix A or of a sole appendix,
which is not labeled with a letter; Table C2 is the second table of Appendix C).
Tables that will not fit within the required margins may be typed in a smaller font
or may be reduced; they also may be printed broadside with the top of the table
toward the left margin. If figures or tables are too large to be reduced
satisfactorily, they should either be split into several pages or be redone. Long
tables may be single-spaced, and text may be slightly reduced.
Headings of tables should be placed at the top of the table. Captions of figures
should be placed at the bottom of the figure.
Horizontal figures and tables (i.e., those landscaped on the page) must be
positioned correctly and bound at the top, so that the top of the figure or table will
be at the left margin. Figure and table headings/captions are placed with the same
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orientation as the figure or table. Page numbers are always placed as if the figure
were vertical on the page.
Table titles and footnotes may appear above or below the table, but should be
consistent throughout the document. Table footnotes have no relation to text
footnotes.
See Appendix K for a sample Table. See Appendix L for a sample Figure.
2. Photographs, Maps, and Charts
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All photographs should be of professional quality. Mount non-digital photographs
with spray adhesive, or double-sided contact paper used for photo mounting.
Large maps and charts should be avoided. Where necessary, they must be folded
to 10.5 x 7.5 inches or smaller; they will be in pockets in the bound thesis.
Use of colors in graphs, charts, or maps is to be avoided since they are not
distinguishable in microfilm copies. Other techniques for indicating differences
within graphs, charts, and maps such as cross-hatching should be used.
IV. Footnotes
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Textual notes that provide bibliographic reference, supplementary information,
opinions, explanations, or suggestions that are not part of the text must appear at
the bottom of the page as a footnote. Lengthy footnotes may be continued on the
next page.
Footnote numbering can be continuous throughout the thesis, or may start again
for each chapter or page, but the method must be consistent.
Footnotes may be single-spaced within each entry, but must be one-and-halfspaced between each entry.
See Appendix M for a sample Footnotes.
V. Scholarly Reference
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Select APA style (5th edition) and use it consistently.
VI. Length
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Students should keep in mind that the School deplores overlong and wordy theses.
Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Graduate Studies,
 A Master’s thesis should not exceed 40,000 words (including footnotes, but
excluding appendices, bibliography, maps, charts, statistical tables, graphs,
illustrations)
 A doctoral thesis should not exceed 80,000 words (including footnotes, but
excluding appendices, bibliography, maps, charts, statistical tables, graphs,
illustrations, etc.)
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VII. Related Statue of Nanyang Technological University
Master’s candidates please refer to Statute 18; PhD candidates please refer to
Statute 19.
EXTRACT OF STATUTE 18 DEGREES OF MASTER
(1) The thesis must contain a summary not exceeding 500 words written in
the English language and in a form suitable for publication.
(2) All theses must normally be written in English, unless the prior approval
of the Board of Graduate Studies has been obtained at the time of
admission for a thesis to be written in a language oth er than English.
(3) Where a thesis is written in a language other than English, it must
contain a summary not exceeding 500 words written in that language and
in a form suitable for publication in addition to a summary not
exceeding 500 words written in the English language and in a form
suitable for publication.
(4) One copy of the thesis will be deposited in the University Library.
Copies of theses, whether approved or not, become the property of the
University.
(5) Copies of theses must be submitted in the form given below:
(a)
Each copy must be cyclostyled or printed, bound with hard covers
in international size A4 (210mm x 297mm).
(b) Each page must have a margin of 3.7cm to allow for binding.
(c)
The thesis must be preceded by the following i n the order given:
title page, acknowledgements, table of contents, summary, all of
which must be bound with the thesis.
(d) The title and author’s name must be given in block letters on the
cover of the thesis.
(e)
The title or an abbreviation thereof and the author’s name must be
given on the spine of the thesis.
(f)
The thesis must be bound in dark blue with gold lettering not
exceeding 16 pts.
(g) Pages must be numbered in one continuous sequence in arabic
numerals. Where a thesis consists of m ore than one volume, one
sequence must be used.
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(6) The thesis should not exceed the following number of words:
(a)
In the Nanyang Business School, School of Communication and
Information and the National Institute of Education, a Master’s
thesis should not exceed 40,000 words (including footnotes, but
excluding appendices, bibliography, maps, charts, statistical tables,
graphs, illustrations), except that a Master’s thesis written in the
Chinese language should not exceed 150,000 Chinese character s.
(b) In the School of Computer Engineering, the School of Materials
Engineering, the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and the School
of Mechanical and Production Engineering, a Master’s thesis should
not exceed 30,000 words (subject to the same exclusions as given in
paragraph (a) of this sub-clause).
EXTRACT OF STATUTE 19 DEGREES OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(1) The thesis must contain a summary not exceeding 500 words written in
the English language and in a form suitable for publication.
(2) All theses must normally be written in English, unless the prior approval
of the Board of Graduate Studies has been obtained at the time of
admission for a thesis to be written in a language other than English.
(3) Where a thesis is written in a language other than English, it must
contain a summary not exceeding 500 words written in that language and
in a form suitable for publication in addition to a summary not exceeding
500 words written in the English language and in a form suitable for
publication.
(4) One copy of the thesis will be deposited in the University Library.
Copies of theses, whether approved or not, become the property of the
University.
(5) Copies of theses must be submitted in the form given be low:
(a) Each copy must be cyclostyled or printed, bound with hard covers in
international size A4 (210mm x 297mm).
(b) Each page must have a margin of 3.7cm to allow for binding.
(c) The thesis must be preceded by the following in the order given: title
page, acknowledgements, table of contents, summary, all of which
must be bound with the thesis.
8
(d) The title and author’s name must be given in block letters on the
cover of the thesis.
(e) The title or an abbreviation thereof and the author’s n ame must be
given on the spine of the thesis.
(f) The thesis must be bound in dark blue with gold lettering not
exceeding 16 pts.
(g) Pages must be numbered in one continuous sequence in arabic
numerals. Where a thesis consists of more than one volume, one
sequence must be used.
(3) Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Graduate Studies, the thesis
should not exceed the following number of words:
(a) In the Nanyang Business School, School of Communication and
Information and the National Institute of Education, the thesis
should not exceed 80,000 words (including footnotes, but excluding
appendices, bibliography, maps, charts, statistical tables, graphs,
illustrations, etc.), except that thesis written in the Chinese language
should not exceed 300,000 Chinese characters.
(b) In the School of Computer Engineering, the School of Materials
Engineering, the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and the School of
Mechanical and Production Engineering, the thesis should not exceed
40,000 words (subject to the same exclusions as given in paragraph
(a) of this sub-clause).
The Library would like a soft-copy of the thesis to build up an electronic collection of
NTU theses and dissertations for easy reference by staff and students. The procedure on
how
to
submit
can
be
found
at
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/library/collections/Pages/DRNTU.aspx .
9
Appendix A2. Sample of Front Cover (dark blue) of in Hard Bound Dissertation
(On the Spine)
TITLE OF RESEARCH
COMPUTER-MEDIATED SOCIAL SUPPORT:
NAME
(if insufficient space, use abbreviations
eg. KANG K.)
INTERNET USE AND INTERNATIONAL IMMIGRANTS
CHEN WENLI
YEAR
WEE KIM WEE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
2005
10
Appendix A3. Sample of first page in hard-bound copy
Computer-Mediated Social Support:
Internet Use and International Immigrants
Chen Wenli
Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information
A thesis submitted to the Nanyang Technological University
in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
2005
11
Appendix B. Chapter Page Sample
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
As discussed in the first chapter, the objective of this study is twofold. First, it aims to
investigate the nature of CMSS and the migrants’ behavior of participation in CMSS.
Second, it aims to examine the function of CMSS in the adaptation process of migrants.
The study applies a comprehensive research methodology that incorporates more than
one research method to achieve the objective. This chapter details the methodology
employed in this study, including its design, sampling approach and procedures, and the
data analysis method.
This study employs three data collection methods, namely, online field
observation, survey and in-depth interviews. These three methods complement each other
in terms of satisfying the study’s objective. Online field observation helps to gain insights
into the content of CMSS exchanged online and the participation behavior of migrants. It
is also valuable for refining the research model and developing the questionnaire for the
survey. The survey is the main research method employed in the study and is used to
answer the research questions and test the hypotheses. In-depth interviews enrich the
study by providing qualitative information that cannot be directly observed by other
means (Patton, 1990).
Online Field Observation
Field observation is a research method used to observe the object of a study in its natural
setting. Following well-specified procedures, researchers record events in their
observations and is uninfluenced by the description or interpretation of others. In this
study, the particular events are identified as the messages posted on two forums that are
popular among Chinese migrants in Singapore. Careful attention is paid to the messages.
This increases the likelihood of uncovering how social support is achieved through
interaction (Burleson et al., 1994). Findings from the online field observation serve as the
basis for the questionnaire items in the survey.
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Appendix C. Sample of page with Heading and subheadings
Survey
Survey is the main method employed in this study. Based upon insights gained from the
field observation, a questionnaire was developed with the primary objectives of
answering the research questions and testing the hypotheses of this study. The
questionnaire was used in two surveys, namely, telephone survey and web survey. This
is primarily aimed at reaching different target groups – migrants and international
students.
The web survey served as a supplement to the telephone survey. The potential
respondents of the web survey are Chinese students in Nanyang Technological University
(NTU). These names were obtained from NTU’s mailing list. However, most of these
students do not have a fixed telephone line and they would be underrepresented in the
telephone survey. Hence, the web survey was conducted to reach the student sample.
Survey Design
Telephone Survey
A nationwide telephone survey can reach out to a reliable and representative sample
group easily and quickly, especially for migrant studies where the respondents are located
across the country. It also has the advantage of being able to generalize findings from a
representative sample to a population with high accuracy (Frey, Botan, Friedman, &
Kreps, 1992).
However, no complete list of Chinese migrants in Singapore is available to derive
the needed sample. Fortunately, the names of Mainland Chinese (in “Han Yu Pin Yin”)
could be easily identified as Singaporeans tend to spell their names in Chinese dialects.
Therefore, the local phone directory, published in year 2004, was used to establish a list
of candidates for the survey. Firstly, all the Mainland Chinese were identified from the
phone directory as potential respondents, and their telephone numbers were saved in the
computer to set up a database. A total of 7810 potential respondents were found in this
manner. Next, a random number was generated as the starting position of a cyclic search,
13
D. Acknowledgement Sample
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my supervisor, Dr.
Alfred Choi, for his invaluable guidance, support and encouragement during every stage
of this study.
I am also thankful to my parents for their concern and endless encouragement.
Every time I feel tired, I will get energized with the thought of their love and support.
The work presented in this report has been carried out at the School of
Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The
financial support from NTU is gratefully acknowledged.
Finally, I extend my gratitude to my friends who have shared the laughter and
tears with me. They have made the past year a wonderful and enriching experience.
14
Appendix E. Table of Contents Sample
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………...
i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………………….
iii
LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………………………
iv
LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………………..
v
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………… 1
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW ………………………………… 6
Social Support ………………………………………………………………..
6
International Migration ……………………………………………………….
12
Computer-Mediated Communication and Social Support ……………………
26
Research Questions and Hypotheses …………………………………………. 38
CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY ……………………………………..
44
Online Field Observation ……………………………………………………..
44
Survey ………………………………………………………………………… 51
In-Depth Interviews …………………………………………………………..
67
CHAPTER FOUR NATURE OF CMSS AND INFLUENCING FACTORS
70
Nature of CMSS ………………………………………………………………
70
Influential Factors of CMSS Seeking ………………………………………… 83
CHAPTER FIVE CMSS AND ADAPTATION ……………………………..
103
Adaptation of the Respondents ……………………………………………….
103
CMSS and Socio-Cultural Adaptation ………………………………………..
104
CMSS and Psychological Adaptation ………………………………………...
116
CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS ….………………...
121
Findings and Discussions ……………………………………………………..
121
Significance and Contributions…………………………...…………………...
135
Limitations and Suggestions for Future Studies ……………………………...
140
APPENDICES …………………………………………………………………...
143
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………..
169
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Appendix F. List of Tables Sample
LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1
Results of Kappa Coefficient………………………………………... 51
Table 3.2
Demographics of the Respondents…………………………………..
Table 3.3
Length of residence of the Respondents…………………………….. 59
Table 3.4
The Selected 20-item Socio-cultural Adaptation Scale………........... 61
Table 3.5
Psychological Adaptation Scale……………………………………..
64
Table 3.6
Computer-Mediated Social Support (CMSS) Seeking Scale………..
66
Table 4.1
Descriptions of Messages in Forum…………………………………
71
Table 4.2
Individual Types of CMSS-Related Messages……………………… 74
Table 4.3
Definition of Migration Periods……………………………………..
84
Table 4.4
Overall CMSS Seeking Frequency, by period of migration…...........
85
Table 4.5
Individual Types of CMSS seeking and Length of Residence………
86
Table 4.6
Individual Types of CMSS Seeking, by Period of Migration……….
87
Table 4.7
Overall CMSS Sought, by Offline Social Support Availability…….
90
Table 4.8
Satisfaction on Individual Types of CMSS, by CMSS Received…...
92
Table 4.9
CMSS Sought, by Satisfaction on CMSS……………………...........
93
Table 4.10 Regression Analysis of Overall CMSS Sought……………………..
96
Table 4.11 Regression Analysis of Individual Types of CMSS Sought…...........
97
Table 4.12 Regression Analysis on Overall CMSS Sought……………………..
98
Table 4.13 Interaction Effects of Influencing Factors…………………………..
99
Table 4.14 Regression Analysis on Individual Types of CMSS Sought………..
101
Table 5.1
Socio-Cultural Adaptation, by CMSS Received among Users...........
105
Table 5.2
Regression Analysais on Socio-Cultural Adaptation………..............
107
Table 5.3
Subscales of Socio-Cultural Adaptation, by CMSS Received………
110
Table 5.4
Regression Analysais on Social Adaptation Subscale………...........
112
Table 5.5
Regression Analysais on Physical Adaptation Subscale……...........
114
Table 5.6
Regression Analysais on Cultural Adaptation Subscale…….............
115
Table 5.7
Psychological Adaptation, by CMSS Received……………………..
116
Table 5.8
Regression Analysais on Psychological Adaptation…………...........
118
16
57
Appendix G. List of Figures Sample
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1
A Conceptual Framework of CMSS among International Migrants...
40
Figure 4.1
Proportion of CMSS Seekers out of the Internet Users……………...
75
Figure 4.2
Frequency of CMSS Seeking (Migrant Sample) ……………………
75
Figure 4.3
Frequency of CMSS Seeking (Student Sample) ……………………. 76
Figure 4.4
Response Rate of the CMSS Sought (Migrant Sample) …………….
Figure 4.5
Response Rate of the CMSS Sought (Student Sample) …………….. 80
Figure 4.6
Satisfaction on the CMSS Received (Migrant Sample)..……………. 81
Figure 4.7
Satisfaction on the CMSS Received (Student Sample)………...........
81
Figure 4.8
Change of Seeking Frequencies of Individual Types of CMSS……..
88
Figure 4.9
Proportion of Individual Types of CMSS Sought by Migrants...........
88
Figure 5.1
Intercultural Adaptations of Migrants and Students…………………
104
Figure 6.1
CMSS Seeking among International Migrants and Its Effects on
Adaptation….………………………………………………………..
17
80
130
Appendix H. Abstract Sample
ABSTRACT
The present study examines the nature of Computer-Mediated Social Support (CMSS)
with regards to international migration and its impact on the migrants’ adaptation to the
host country. Grounded upon the theories and findings in related areas, a conceptual
framework is proposed that pulls together the main variables under investigation and
asserts that the CMSS helps improve migrants’ lives during the transition period.
To empirically test the model, two questionnaire surveys, namely, telephone
survey and web survey, were conducted among Chinese migrants and Chinese students in
Singapore, respectively. An online field observation and in-depth interviews were also
done to enrich the study by providing qualitative information not directly observed in the
surveys. The findings indicate that international migrants actively participate in CMSS,
and their CMSS seeking behavior can be predicted by the migration period, the
established face-to-face network, and the satisfaction on CMSS they have received. The
analyses also show that all types of CMSS are positively relevant to the adaptation
process.
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Appendix I. Appendix Sample (Questionnaire)
Computer-Mediated Social Support:
Internet Use and International Migrants
Good evening! I am ______ calling from the School of Communication and Information at
Nanyang Technological University. We are conducting a telephone survey with people from
Mainland China on how they are adjusting in Singapore as well as on Internet use.
Are you from Mainland China?
[If yes, continue; if no, say: The survey only requires people from Mainland China. Sorry for
taking up your time. Good Bye!]
Is your age above 18?
[If yes, continue; if no, ask: Is there anyone else in the household who comes from China aged
above 18, and ask him/her to respond; If no, say: The survey only requires people who is above
18 years old. Sorry for taking up your time. Good Bye!]
This survey will take about 15 minutes. We hope you can take part.
[If answer is “NO”, PERSUADE; If no objection, say: “Thank you very much.”]
[There are no right or wrong answers. Your honest opinion is very important to us. We assure
you that the information you provide is confidential and will be used only for academic purposes. ]
Here comes the first question.
1) How long have you been staying in Singapore?
____ years ____months
2) When you first arrived in Singapore, how many relatives and close friends residing here did
you have? [If no friend or relative here, put “0”.]
a. Relatives including family members
________
b. Close friends
________
3) Generally speaking, how often is each of the following types of support made available to you
when you need them? Please use a 5-point scale to answer the questions where 1=None of the
time, and 5=All of the time.
19
Appendix J. References Sample
REFERENCES
Adelman, M. B., Parks, M. R., & Albrecht, T. L. (1987). Beyond close relationships:
Support in weak ties. In T. L. Albrecht & M. B. Adelman (Eds.), Communicating
social support (pp. 126-147). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Adelman, M. B. (1988). Cross cultural adjustment: A theoretical perspective on social
support. Journal of Intercultural Relations, 12, 183-204.
Adler, P. S. (1975). The transitional experience: An alternative view of culture shock.
Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 15, 13-23.
Ady, J. C. (1995). Toward a differential demand model of sojourner adjustment. In R. L.
Wiseman (Ed.), Intercultural communication theory (pp. 92-114). Thousand Oaks,
California: Sage.
Amarasingham, C. R. (1980). Making friends in a new culture: South Asian women in
Boston, Massachusetts. In G. V. Coelho & P. Ahmed (Eds.), Uprooting and
development (pp. 417- 444). New York: Plenum.
Anderson, L. (1994). A new look at an old construct: Cross-cultural adaptation.
International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 18, 293-328.
Albrecht, T. L., & Adelman, M. B. (1984). Social support and life stress: New directions
for communication research. Human Communication Research, 11(1), 3-32.
Albrecht, T. L., & Adelman, M. B. (1987). Communicating social support: A theoretical
perspective. In T. L., Albrecht & M. B., Adelman (Eds.), Communicating social
support. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Althaus, S. L., & Tewksbury, D. (2000). Patterns of Internet and traditional news media
use in a networked community. Political Communication, 17 (1), 21-46.
Altman, I., & Taylor, D. A. (1973). Social penetration: The development of interpersonal
relationships. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Aneshensel, C. S., & Stone, J. D. (1982). Stress and depression: A test of the buffering
model of social support. Achieves of General Psychiatry, 39, 1392-1396.
Aroian, K. J. (1992). Sources of social support and conflict for Polish immigrants.
Qualitative Health Research, 2
- 207.
Atienza, A. A., Collins, R., & King, A. C. (2001). The mediating effects of situational
control on social support and mood following a stressor: A prospective study of
dementia caregivers in their natural environments. Journal of Gerontology, 56B,
S129 S139.
Barnes, M. K., & Duck, S. (1994). Everyday communicative contexts for social support.
In B. Burleson, T. Albrecht, & I. G. Sarason (Eds.), Communication of social
support: Messages, interactions, relationships and community (pp. 175-194).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
20
Appendix K. Table Sample
Table 4.6
Frequency of CMSS Sought, by Period of Migration
Frequency of CMSS Sought
Period of Migration
N
Mean
Recent
143
68.9
Settled
283
53.6
Very Settled
117
40.1
F
11.81**
Note. ** p < .01.
Appendix L. Figure Sample
Recent
Settled
Very Settled
40
Freq. of Seeking
31
30
28
27
20
20
14
13
9
10
4
2
9
4
0.3
0
Info.
Emotional
Tangible
Comp.
Figure 4.8. Change of Individual Types of CMSS Seeking
21
Appendix M. Footnote Sample
The 29-item SCAS was modified to cater to this study. Items not suitable for
Mainland Chinese in Singapore were removed. For example, “the difficulty in dealing
with people staring at you”. The modified question list consisted of following 20 items
(Table 3.4) and was shown effective by factor analysis. The response scale is “1 =
extreme difficulty, 2 = great difficulty, 3 = moderate difficulty, 4 = slight difficulty, and 5
= no difficulty” (see Appendix E1). The higher the score the migrants get, the less
difficulty they experience, and the more socio-culturally adaptive they are.
The measures for the socio-cultural adaptation levels were validated by
reliability test and factor analysis. The reliability of the 20-items is found to be excellent
(Cronbach α = .86 & .89 in the migrant sample and the student sample, respectively)
(Appendix E2 & E3).
Furthermore, factor analysis with principle components extraction and Varimax
rotation was conducted to provide a meaningful interpretation of the data. Essentially the
analysis identified a relatively small number of factors that were representative of the
relationships among the interrelated variables.
In this study, the general criteria used to establish the factors included: (1) the
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) 1 must be greater than .80; (2) the combined factors must
account for more than 45 percent of the variance; (3) the indices to be included must have
primary loadings greater than .45 and no secondary loadings can be greater than or equal
to .25. Note that, however, in order to force the numbers of items contributing to
individual factors to fall into a comparable range, the qualified items were tailored so that
the numbers were not too many or too few. Moreover, as the rotated Component Matrix
within the migrant sample and the student sample were not exactly the same, certain
compromises were made to balance the results.
1
The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy is an index for comparing the
magnitudes of the observed correlation coefficients to the magnitudes of the partial correlation coefficients.
Small values for the KMO measure indicate that a factor analysis of the variables may not be a good idea,
since correlations between pairs of variables cannot be explained by the other variables. According to
Kaiser (1974), the values of KMO measures in the 0.90s is marvelous, in the 0.80s is meritorious, in the
0.70s is middling, in the 0.60s is mediocre, in the 0.50s is miserable and below 0.50s is unacceptable.
22