Automatic Railway Level Crossing

AUTOMATED UNMANNED RAILWAY LEVEL CROSSING Abstract: In the rapidly flourishing country like ours, accidents in the unmanned level crossings are increasing day by day. No fruitful steps have been taken so far in these areas. The objective of our project is to provide an automatic railway gate at a level-crossing replacing the gates operated by the gatekeeper. It deals with two things. Firstly, it deals with the reduction of time for which the gate is being kept closed. And secondly, it provides safety to the road users by reducing the accidents.By employing the automatic railway gate control at the level crossing the arrival of the train is detected by the sensors placed near to the gate and transmits the information to the gate controller via wired or wireless. Hence, the time for which it is closed is less compared to the manually operated gates. The operation is automatic i. e. , error due to manual operation is prevented. By employing the automatic railway gate control at the leve l crossing the arrival of train is detected by the sensor placed on either side of the gate at about 3km from the level crossing.Hence, the time for which it is closed is less compared to the manually operated gates and also reduces the human labour. This type of gates can be employed in an unmanned level crossing where the chances of accidents are higher and reliable operation is required. Since, the operation is automatic error due to manual operation will be prevented. Once the arrival of the train is sensed, the sensed signal is sent to the microcontroller via, wired or wireless transmission and it checks for possible presence of vehicle between the gates.Subsequently, buzzer indication and light signals on either side are provided to the road users indicating the closure of gates. Once, no vehicle is sensed in between the gate the motor is activated and the gates are closed. But, for the worst case if any obstacle is sensed it is indicated to the train driver by signals (RED) p laced at about 1km, so as to bring it to halt well before the level crossing. When no obstacle is sensed GREEN light is indicated, and the train is to free to move. The departure of the train is detected by sensors placed at about 1km from the ate. The signal about the departure is sent to the microcontroller, which in turn operates the motor in reverse way and opens the gate. Thus, the time for which the gate is closed is less compared to the manually operated gates. Also reliability is high as it is not subjected to manual errors. Components : IR sensors or Vibration sensors, Microcontroller, L293D(driver IC), Stepper motor, Wireless Transmitter and Receiver, power supply. HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION Micro Controller Totally 40-pin DIP package manufactured withCMOS Technology. L293D (motor driver IC) Racially L293D 16DIP /ULN 2003 IC is used to drive the stepper motor. STEPPER MOTOR This is used to open and close the gates automatically when it is rotated clock wise or anticlockwise d irection. Stepper motor requires 500m amps current, so use the L293D drivers to drive the stepper motor. SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION Keil By 1. B. BHARATH KUMAR REDDY – 113004045 2. P SAMBASIVA RAO – 113004161 3. T. RANGA VINOD KUMAR – 113004207 4. T. SIVA NARAYANA REDDY – 113004205

Perception Towards Successful Brand Essay

Rev. of â€Å"Building Brands Without Mass Media.† Joachimsthaler, Erich, and David A. Aaker. Harvard Business Review 3 March 2009: 4-6. Print. In this article, the authors emphasize that a company must have a clear brand identity with depth and texture so it will not convey confuse messages to customers. Also, they provide some marketing strategies for the brands to set up a clear and effective brand identity. Besides, they illustrate six companies that have a strong and clear brand identity in which The Body Shop and Haggen-Dazs are examined in detail. Apart from these, they use various examples to demonstrate the operations of The Body Shop and Haggen-Dazs. Last but not least, they have compared The Body Shop and Haggen-Dazs with their competitors. Lastly, they discuss the advertising methods of Haggen-Dazs in which they think the Farggi strategy that can confuse the customers the most. (Melanie) Hartman, Cathy L., and Caryn L. Beck-Dudley. â€Å"Marketing Strategies and the Search for Virtue: A Case Analysis of The Body Shop, International.† Journal of Business Ethics 20.3 (1999): 253-257. Print. In this journal, the authors use some historical examples to discuss three organizational virtues—excellence, integrity and judgment in which they think that the virtues are now defined and extended to community, membership and holism. Most importantly, they believe that the virtues are now widely applied in the companies. However, they agree with the researchers that it is difficult to theorize the concept of community. Besides, they use the founder of The Body Shop—Anita Roddick as the main example to illustrate the virtues can be utilized in a big company in multifarious aspects. (Melanie) Salver, Jessica. Brand Management in the Hotel Industry and its Potential for Achieving Customer Loyalty. Germany: GRIN Verlag, 2009. Print. In this book, the author mainly discusses some product requirements for a brand to become successful. Although it is not her intention to suggest that a brand will not become successful without the listed requirements, she examines numerous factors that can build up a successful brand in detail, such as high and differentiated demand for product class, the product is easy to identify and product quality is easy to maintain. Also, she has used The Body Shop and McDonald as the examples to explain her factors in detail. Besides, she believes that if the brand offers a reasonable price for the customers, they will certainly buy the products. Rev. of Starbucks: Delivering Customer Service. Moon, Youngme, and John Quelch. Harvard Business Review 10 July 2006: 3-4. Print. In this book, the authors have used Starbucks as an example to evaluate the value proposition and they use â€Å"live coffee† to describe the national coffee culture of it. Also, they use three components to illustrate the branding strategy of it. For example, it imports the best coffee beans from the world, develops a close intimacy with the customer and creates a good atmosphere. Besides, they discuss the locations of the Starbucks in which they are usually located in high-traffic and high-visibility places, such as commercial centers and universities. In addition, they investigate different products and the welfares of the employees in the Starbucks. Adubato, Steve. You Are the Brand. Canada: Rutgers University Press, 2011. Print. In this book, the author uses his personal experience to show Starbucks is not an accidental brand and it does not really keep a connection with customers. However, he agrees that Starbucks has built on â€Å"comfortable† and â€Å"familiar† for him in the end of the chapter. Besides, he believes Starbucks’ reputations are built on the word of mouth from the customers and excellent services from the employees. In addition, he has cited the book from the original chairman and CEO of Starbucks to demonstrate the objectives of the company and the reasons that it starts to lose customers. Lastly, although he laments the Starbucks has become more commercial, he still enjoys his leisure time in it.

“Once More to the Lake” by E.B. White Essay

1.In paragraphs two, ten, and twelve of â€Å"Once More to the Lake,† White’s brilliant use of metaphors, similes, and personification illustrates a lucid image of the speaker’s intertwining past and present for the reader. White starts paragraph ten with a fragment, â€Å"Peace and goodness and jollity,† and creates a great emphasis on his past and current feelings. He continues to illustrate his past memories with a personification of the vocal senses as he explains the sound of the motorboats; â€Å"the one-lungers throbbed and fluttered, and the twin-cylinder ones purred and purred, and that was a quiet sound too.† He then compares this beautiful memory of the past to his current experience of the outboard powerboats, and exclaims, â€Å"These motors †¦ whined about one’s ears like mosquitoes.† This contrasting simile outlines the speaker’s transition from one point of time to another within his illusion. He continues to use a metaphor to describe the behavior of the old boats, and explains, â€Å"The boat would leap ahead, charging bull-fashion at the dock.† After a thunderstorm passes, White describes his son as he is entering the water; â€Å"As he buckled the swollen belt suddenly my groin felt the chill of death.† The â€Å"chill of death† is a metaphor for the truth White finds himself a part of, even though he is experiencing both his past and present. He realizes that the life course that leads to death starts with birth, and that his son’s maturity also means that the end of White is approaching. This, along with his allusion between past and present, allow White to develop his universal truth within his text. At first, while his illusion from the similar shape of the outdoors gives the false perception that time has not past, his pinpointing of the different identities of the son and father serves as testimony that the cycle from birth to death is universal. 2.In â€Å"Once More to the Lake,† White utilizes connotative words and phrases to establish the illusion that is the connection between childhood and adulthood. In his return to the lake, many years after his childhood, White confronts multiple changes as he struggles with the illusion that the peaceful world of his childhood, and his present existence within it, remain the same. In paragraph one, White describes the things that remind him of past memories with the words, â€Å"Restlessness of the tides and the fearful cold of the sea water and the incessant wind.† These words all have negative  connotations, and let the reader know that the speaker’s present experiences make him wish to go back â€Å"to revisit old haunts.† These words and their negative connotations are crucial to the nature of the illusion the speaker is describing. It provides the pretext of why he wishes for memories of his past. White says, while fishing with his son; â€Å"I looked at the boy who was silently watching his fly, and it was my hands that held his rod, my eyes watching. I felt dizzy and didn’t know which rod I was at the end of.† These connotative words allow White to establish a connection between young and old, past and present, then and now. These linked ideas blur the line between birth and death, and serve to establish the truth that the cycle from creation and mortality is universal. 3.White employs many descriptive details throughout his story. He creates contrasting symbols, almost placed as an antithesis, to illustrate his realization of age, and the universality of life to death. Taking his son fishing is the event that convinces him â€Å"beyond any doubt that everything was as it always had been, that the years were a mirage and that there had been no years.† A dragonfly that lands on the tip of his son’s fishing rod ignites this feeling that the two, both son and father, are the same individual. When he lowered the tip of his rod â€Å"into the water, tentatively, pensively dislodging the fly, which darted two feet away, poised, darted two feet back, and came to rest again a little farther up the rod,† he asserts that â€Å"there had been no years between the ducking of this dragonfly and the other one – the one that was part of memory.† Here, White’s language has bulls-eye precision, and the dragon fly is transformed into a representation of the continuous cycle of life and death. The present mixing with his past experience is again validated with details of the lake that â€Å"had never been what you would call a wild lake.† It is a calm, tranquil, and bounded place where youth is apparent. Here, the lake represents the familiarity of one’s past. This description is contrasted with the sea, as it comes right after the description of the endless body of water. The sea has the remnant memories of â€Å"restlessness of the tides and the fearful cold of the sea water and the incessant wind.† The sea symbolizes the harshness of aging, while the lake symbolizes the familiarity and safety of youth and the past.

War as a Strategic Tool of Policy - To what extent did the outcome of Essay - 1

War as a Strategic Tool of Policy - To what extent did the outcome of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war serve the political objectives o - Essay Example The main reason behind this is the fact that politicians opt not to be too specific as they worry that if there is failure for the objectives to be attained, foreign leaders and local opponents will regard the entire exercise as a failure. Due to this, rather than being defined as measurable objectives, foreign policy objectives are defined in terms of goals or aims. Unclear and ambiguous political strategic objectives are of little or no use to operational planners.3 In terms of expression, political strategic objectives can be articulated in broad or narrow terms. Broadly articulated political objectives are most of the time applied in situations that do not involve vital national interests. Through this, it becomes easier for the political leadership to admit to a compromise without losing international reputation or domestic support. Narrowly articulated political strategic objectives on the other hand need to be comprehensively accomplished, or then the political and additional costs for the political leadership might be exorbitant. Vego asserts that â€Å"yet, in a situation where vital national interests are at stake, there is usually no choice but to fight to the finish†.4 During the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, Syria, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and the United States, who were the principal participants in the war, had various individual political objectives. The objective of Syria and Egypt were to recover their occupied territories, which were the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights region respectively. Although it did not initiate the war, Israel had the objective of preserving its national security, which was made possible by occupying the Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula. Maintaining control of the Tiran Straits located at the Sinai region was also crucial for Israel’s economic dominance. Palestine wanted to regain its territories from the Israel Jewish majority, who had for a long time prospered, as the Palestinian minority continued to suffer, with some of them living as refugees. Saudi Arabia had the objective of defending the union of the coalition among Cairo, Damascus and Riyadh; it therefore used the oil embargo as its political instrument during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Through this, Saudi Arabia could pressure Israel and the west to reach a fair agreement regarding the Palestinian issue. It could also be able to restrain the United States military support to Israel, as well as balance Israel’s military dominance. The United States was also involved in this war as it came in as an assistant to Israel. Its main political objectives were to; bring about a general extinction of the Soviet Union as a superpower in the Middle East and take its position; gain a political settlement with the ability to bring about a transformation in the Arab-Israeli conflict, which would change the conflict to a small territorial one and remove it from its ideological

Where are you going, where have you been joyce carol oates Research Paper

Where are you going, where have you been joyce carol oates - Research Paper Example The story is reflection of the dangers faced by people during the Civil Rights movement during the mid 1960s. During this period, people started challenging the moral and social conventions after the World War II. This was a time of Civil Right Movement and popular cultures. Some of the incidences that proved the dangers of rebellion includes JFK killing. Just like Connie in the story, JFK died for being rebellious during the same era in which Oates wrote her story. Lyndon and Kennedy were both the presidents of the United States who fought for Civil rights. Kennedy supported the campaign against racial segregation and supported civil rights. However, he later distanced himself from the movements because many Southern Whites were not happy. He thought it would be difficult to pass civil rights laws with the strong opposition from the whites. Fighting for civil right led to his killing in the year 1963. Lyndon also fought by signing the civil right bill which prohibited discrimination on racial grounds (Gaines 3). Oates was also inspired to write her book during the time of Martin Luther and Malcolm X. The two leaders demonstrated the dangers of rebellion during the era of civic right movements. Malcolm was rebellion because he used violence when fighting for freedom and rights of his supporters. He supported civil right in a violent way. This led to his assassination in the year 1965. His character is reflected in Connie in the story. It was important for Connie to get her freedom. However, she acquired it in a wrong way. Martin Luther also supported civil rights. However, he did not believe in violence. He fought for freedom in harmonious and passive way. However, he was still opposed the existing laws. He rebel against racist and lack of freedom in a verbal way. His fight for civil right led to his assassination during the same era Oates wrote her book (Gaines 2). In addition, Oates was motivated to write his

The Case of the Performance Appraisal Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The of the Performance Appraisal - Case Study Example At the very beginning of the hiring process, discrimination maybe avoided through adequate training of individuals involved in the selection process on age discrimination laws and regulation, creation of a well-structured criterion that is not biased heavily towards younger applicants. Like all problems revolving around the workforce, age discrimination is also an issue that is best handled as early as it occurs. A strong commitment by the management and a proactive attitude towards the elimination of this problem is essential. This involves a careful review of job descriptions to analyze the scope of responsibilities at each position and ensuring the existence of a good compensation system. Additionally a clear and transparent performance appraisal system is necessary in communicating a just and fair management that bases its decisions for layoffs on performance indicators as opposed to controversial factors such as age.(Jenny Cromie, 2008). Experts propound that decisions that are based on â€Å"the position and not the person† are less likely to be received as discriminatory by the workforce (Jenny Cromie, 2008). In a study on age discrimination in stimulated employment settings it was found that older people are less likely to be rated favorably in the absence of job relevant information (Finkelstein, Burke & Raju 1995) In order to discourage discrimination by coworkers, managers must ensure the clear communication of company policy on age discrimination highlighting its commitment to providing equal opportunities and maintaining a fair approach towards the entire workforce. Section III An increasing number of employees are covered by the Age Discrimination and Employment Act (ADEA) which overs employees over 40 years of age. Such laws in addition to a relatively sluggish world economy has contributed to a large number of older workers preferring to stay in their jobs for longer than some employers may expect (Jenny Cromie, 2008). Under such conditio ns it is not uncommon that corporations are often drawn into lengthy lawsuits by laid off employees in addition to facing the lack of morale in the workers that remain. It is therefore useful to consider alternative options that allow organizations to retain their elderly workers without experiencing an increase in costs. A mutually beneficial arrangement in the form of ‘Job Sharing’ appears as a useful tool for employers who wish to retain older employees. This could effectively make it possible for the business to make part time work available and hence attract applicants while still retaining the full time coverage of a job. The combination of different perspectives and experiences on the same job can be fruitful in generating new and creative ideas and speedy problem solving techniques. Encouraging professional development of the work force in general and ensuring adequate training of older employees as newer systems are adopted can also help in reducing the gap bet ween

Completing the GDP Rates Table Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Completing the GDP Rates Table - Essay Example Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Completing the GDP Rates Tables TABLE 1: USA (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) Year GDP in US$ GDP % growth Pop. ... 35 2000 1075.57 1.25 30,689 1.24 271.9 1.339 178,940.9 230,838.3 -23,023 1.67 2.343 2001 1107.46 0.45 31,021 0.27 252.5 1.373 163,424.1 216,267.9 -13,717 1.68 2.417 2002 1154.95 0.94 31,373 -0.98 225.8 1.404 160,922.7 209,087.7 -48,167 1.69 2.578 2003 1214.60 0.2 31,676 0.80 275.8 1.443 169,923.7 221,594.7 -51,671 1.70 2.626 2004 1290.19 0.92 32,048 0.93 185.6 1.470 189,879.9 256,359.8 -45,678 1.7 1 2.785 2005 1368.73 1.35 32,359 0.40 221.3 1.502 211,898.7 290,384.3 -67,897 1.72 2.89 2006 1450.40 1.24 32,723 1.13 200.3 1.531 524,075 487,674 -56,432 1.76 2.345 2007 1529.58 0.98 33,115 0.69 213.8 1.565 534,718 505,055 -78,456 1.73 2.964 2008 1603.41 1.35 33,506 0.75 237.1 1.602 563,075 538,654 24,421 1.81 3.104 a) Column 5 = column 2 divided by column 4 [i.e. (2)/(4)] b) Column 10 = column 8 minus column 9 [i.e. (8)-(9)] c) Column 11 = column 8 divided by column 2 and multiplied by 100 [i.e. (8)/(2)*100] d) Column 12 = column 9 divided by column 2 and multiplied by 100 [i.e. (9)/(2)*10 0] How to do this assignment, 1. You should complete tables 1 and 2 on the page 1 which I will upload it. 2. Compare the GDP rates of growth and the Trade Balance of CANADA and the US and try to draw any conclusions based on economic theory The GDP rate of growth for U.S has been increasing constantly since 1994 until 2001. The growth rate for Canada has no particular sequence as it has been constantly increasing and decreasing as a result of the economic conditions. The trade balance for U.S is less than that of Canada over the years. Levi (2009) describes that Canada is the tenth largest economy as measures in US dollars. This is as a result of the importance of its primary sector with more revenue from the logging and oil industries. The manufacturing industry as well as the automobile

Crisis Prevention and Intervention in Healthcare Essay - 1

Crisis Prevention and Intervention in Healthcare - Essay Example   The healthcare administration together with the employees engages in a safety plan. The plan involves appointing teams of healthcare workers, employers, committees and representatives of the safety plans. The healthcare professionals who are experts in crisis management should be involved. The representation should be fair in terms of department and shifts. Tasks should be allocated to the different stakeholders who may include: employer’s representative, healthcare professionals, security representatives, and administrators. Healthcare professionals able to deal with head injury, substance abuse, psychiatry, and dementia should be advised to assist in case there is the need. A working structure and applicable policies can be designed. The policies should represent diverse needs of the departments and provide procedures to be used in case of crisis. The safety plan should take into consideration the physical, psychological and emotional safety and health of the healthcare professionals. A balance between the safety and health needs of the healthcare professional, patient or visitor should be recommended. Representatives, experts, committees, and teams have given tasks or responsibility should inquire and understand their responsibility. After getting understanding, they can be authorized and be given resources that will enable them to provide administration and support. Representatives, experts, committees, and teams should demonstrate accountability. In the case of assault and crisis, the involved parties can be given counseling and treatment. Those who have undergone assault can share their experience. All the stakeholders can give their support in the enactment of the recommended policies. The healthcare professionals ought to be committed to comply with the policies and give feedback.  

Coherent Diffraction Imaging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Coherent Diffraction Imaging - Essay Example The purpose of this paper is to give a general overview of the phase problem; to discuss existing iterative phase reconstruction algorithms, aimed to solve the problem; to consider their peculiar properties and differences. In addition, the recent developments in coherent diffraction imaging are reviewed, with an emphasis on the impact that this technique has on biophysics, biochemistry and nanoscience. Various lens-based optical techniques, starting from conventional optical microscopy to more advanced methods, such as phase-contrast, fluorescence, confocal and electron microscopy are based on the exploiting of lenses to reproduce an image of the target object. The development of these techniques revolutionized many of scientific fields, especially biology, chemistry, medicine and physical sciences. Nowadays new methods of imaging have been appeared, among which the coherent diffraction imaging deserves a special attention, as one of the most promising methods of high-quality imaging of complex objects, including the imaging on the nanometre length scale. Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) is a modern approach of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional reconstruction of an object’s image on the basis of its diffraction pattern, which is recorded as a result of illumination of the object by a coherent beam of x-rays, electrons or protons and subsequent backscattered reflection. The collected diffraction pattern is measured and used for obtaining the image via iterative computational algorithms rather than via lenses (see Fig.1). Because of an image of a target object is created without the use of lenses or other optics, the method is also often called â€Å"lensless imaging.† Such technique allows avoiding an excessive aberration and improving a quality of image, increasing its resolution. CDI involves the â€Å"phase problem† related to the loss of the information that describes

Project Work Essay Example for Free

Project Work Essay Hindus around the world will observe the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda with special prayers, meditation, devotional songs, and religious discourses on January 12, 2013. Swamijis birthday is also celebrated as Indias National Youth Day that is commemorated with processions, youth conventions, seminars, yoga, sports, and other cultural activities. To mark Swami Vivekananda 150th birth anniversary year (January 2013-January 2014) many organizations are gearing up to celebrate the event along with millions of devotees of the Swami across of the world. The Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission have already taken up a number of important service projects which were dear to Swami Vivekananda. These projects include integrated child development, empowerment of women, and alleviating poverty. Besides, the Mission will produce films and distribute books on the message of Swami Vivekananda to various libraries and will hold national and international seminars in various places on Swami Vivekanandas contribution to Indian and international cultures. The RK Math and Mission will do a live telecast of the celebrations which will be held at its Headquarters Belur Math in the Howrah district of West Bengal, India. It has launched a special commemorative website that aims to provide a glimpse into the various facets of the life and teachings of Swami Vivekananda. The Malaysian government also released a commemorative postal stamp to mark the occasion last year. A variety of activities is in the offing to commemorate Swamiji’s immense contribution to the making of India as a nation. The occasion: the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Gopalkrishna Gandhi is a former Governor of West Bengal. His tribute was commissioned by The Hindu on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The 150th birthday of Swami Vivekananda (12 January 2013) was celebrated all over India and in different countries of the world. Ministry of Youth Affairs Sports of India decided to observe 2013 as the year of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Year-long events and programs were organised by different branches of Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission, central government and different state governments of India, education institutions, youth groups etc. Bengali film director Tutu (Utpal) Sinha made a film- â€Å"The Light: Swami Vivekananda†, as a tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. In 2011 Malaysian government introduced a postal stamp to mark the occasion. Ministry of Youth Affairs Sports of India decided to observe 2013 as the year of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The Union Human Resources and Development Ministry and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) of India asked all schools to celebrate birth anniversary of Vivekananda in schools to renew the interests of school children in the works and ideals of Vivekananda. A senior CBSE educational official told in statement– The NCERT officials said that the council is preparing a supplementary book containing the thoughts of 15 great thinkers of India. The expert committee for textbook development will endeavour to include names not included so far, subject to the load of syllabus and textbook material on children, remaining within acceptable limits. Political parties of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka venerated Vivekananda at different functions and events across the city. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the life and teachings of Vivekananda has been a great inspiration to her and she considers Vivekananda as her political teacher. She sanctioned a fund of 20 million (US $370,000) on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government for the welfare of Vivekananda Cultural Centre of the state. In 2012, a 3-day World Congress of Religions conference was organised by the Institute of World Religions of the Washington Kali Temple, Burtonsville, Maryland, in association with the Council for A Parliament of World Religions, Chicago, Illinois to commemorate birthday of Swami Vivekananda. The event commemorates the 150th birth anniversary of India’s visionary monk, Swami Vivekananda, who addressed the Parliament of World’s Religions in Chicago in September 1893, passionately calling for both tolerance and universal acceptance as a path to eliminate the evils of sectarianism, bigotry and fanaticism and engage all the world’s religious and spiritual community leaders in efforts to forge a new global civil society. A bilingual film â€Å"The Light: Swami Vivekananda† was made in India as tribute to Swami Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. The director of the film Tutu Sinha told in an interview– â€Å"I have always wanted to make a film on Swami Vivekananda. Bengali theatre group Lokkrishti staged a drama Biley to commemorate the birth anniversary. Bengali theatre actor Debshankar Haldar played the role of Swamiji in this drama. Celebration in Chicago, Illinois, USA: Chicago celebrated Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary on a grand scale. Chicago immortalizes Swami Vivekananda with many landmark monuments like Swami Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago and Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple in Homer Glen, a larger-than-life size bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda and the Vivekananda Spiritual Centre at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont, a bronze plaque at the Art Institute of Chicago commemorating his historic address at the World’s Parliament of Religions. The City of Chicago has also immortalized Swami Vivekananda by naming a long stretch of prestigious downtown marketplace Michigan Avenue. The stretch in front of the Art Institute has been named as Swami Vivekananda Way. Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated in India and all over the world on January 12, 2013. The government of India has originally planned to celebrate the birth anniversary for a year and launched it on January 12, 2012, but the celebration has been extended for two years ending on January 12, 2014. The government of India has set up a National Committee under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister and a National Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister and released Rs. 00 crore to the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission in Belur for the celebration. It also established in 2012 a new visiting professorship in Indian studies with a gift of $1. 5 million at University of Chicago to commemorate the legacy of spiritual leaders Swami Vivekananda. In India, the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, and Vivekananda Kendra and the Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, and other organizations are planning to celebrate the occasion for one year from January 12, 2013. On that day, Dr. Man Mohan Singh will also release a movie shot at Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple in Homer Glen in the USA and other historic places in Chicago connected with the life of Swami Vivekananda. In Chicago, the 150th birth anniversary of Vivekananda will be celebrated with major functions to be held at Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple in Homer Glen and at the nearby Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont. Other official celebrations are expected to be held at the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Chicago. According to an Indian Embassy official in Washington, the Consulate General of India in Chicago is coordinating with all the institutions in the city with the support of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and India’s Ministry for Culture. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh-USA (HSS-USA) has also chalked out an elaborate year-long celebration with a series of programs involving children, the youth and the elderly. The theme of the celebration is â€Å"Universal peace through Dharma and Yoga,† which is the message of Swami Vivekananda. While the newly-built Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple of Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago in Homer Glen, with its serene ashram-like ambience, plans to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary after Arti on January 12, 2013, in the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago complex, where the imposing statue of Swami Vivekananda stands under a beautifully decorated canopy and the newly constructed and Indianized Vivekananda Spiritual Centre are located, will celebrate the event for two days — January 12 and 13. The other events being planned during the yearlong celebration, include conferences to be addressed by scholars and senior monks of the Ramakrishna Mission from around the world; a mini-parliament of religions with participation of representatives from various faiths; a program in honour of Swami Vivekananda at the Art Institute of Chicago; a bus tour of places associated with Swami Vivekananda; a lecture by Asim Chaudhuri, author of â€Å"Swami Vivekananda in Chicago;† publication of a calendar featuring photographs of Swami Vivekananda and information about his life; a display on the people and places associated with Swami Vivekananda in Chicago; a guide book with colour photos of the places associated with Swami Vivekananda in Chicago; and framing and installing panels on life of Swami Vivekananda. Celebration in Pakistan: Pakistani Hindus celebrated 150th birth anniversary of Vivekananda. The brewing Indo-Pak tension was no dampener for the Hindus in Pakistan who celebrate d the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda with cultural programmes and religious quiz competitions. President of Pakistan Hindu Seva Welfare Trust (PHSWT) Sanjesh S. Dhanja told TOI that they held a function at Radha Krishna temple, Steel Town, about 60km from Karachi, to mark the occasion. There are very few Hindus in Pakistan who know about the legendary spiritual leader so we decided to celebrate his birth anniversary to generate awareness, said Dhanja. Detailed lectures on the life and teachings of Vivekananda were delivered and a quiz competition was held. Patron of PHSWT Mukhi Odha Mal said, This is first of its kind programme ever held in Pakistan on Vivekananda since Partition and I saw a lot of enthusiasm among the Hindu community especially the younger generation. Priest of temple Ramesh Kumar Acharya said that young children were highly impressed by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Now it is one of our missions to make birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda an annual affair in Pakistan he said. Sanjesh said that on the occasion they also held 2nd Bhagwat Gita Quiz Competition. The first such competition was held in the month of June 2012. Sanjesh said, â€Å"A Hindu, Baboo Kothari, who had arrived to participate in the birth celebration function of Swami Vivekananda, coming all the way from Mitti in Sindh was so much impressed with the function that he announced to hold birth celebration function of Swami Vivekananda in Hanuman Temple every year. Reacting on the brewing tension between India and Pakistan, Sanjesh said, â€Å"Our aim is to spread the message of peace.

State Sponsored Terrorist Organization

State Sponsored Terrorist Organization Wesley L. Metcalf According to Taylor Swanson (2016) State, terrorism is defined as Terrorism committed by a national government, inside of its national borders and directed at its citizens and sometimes visitors. The idea behind this type of terrorism is to instill fear into the countrys citizens to coerce them into following a new rule of law. State -sponsored terrorism is where states use terrorist groups as proxies to further their agenda in international affairs. State-enabled terrorism is where states tolerate the presence of terrorists in the country so long as they only attack other states and citizens of other states. The ideologies of the left-wing movement or terrorism are to overthrow the economic, political and social structure of a society and replace it with one developed on Marxist-Leninist principles. They believe in in a single class society where the rich are stripped of their wealth and power and redistributed to the poor. (Taylor Swanson, 2016) The Right-wing movement or terrorist ideologies are very conservative in nature. Their views are varied among different factions within the Right-wing movement in that some discriminate against race and ethnicity, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT), and religious groups such as Muslims. They also share views or beliefs such as politicians, and political parties do not properly represent them, the constitution is being subverted, the government cannot be trusted and is eating away at individual freedoms, and that the government is part of a plot to institute a one world government on US citizens. A country that was designated as a State-sponsor of a terrorist group would be Afghanistan. Afghanistan has given sanctuary and support to the terrorist group Al-Qaida and was listed on the state terrorism list by the United States. Their support has been to give Al-Qaida operatives a place to hide and operate to conduct terrorist acts both in and outside the borders of Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda still operates out of Afghanistan to this day even though the Taliban had been removed from government. According to the website Global policy forum (2017), there have been over 16 different sanctions aimed at Afghanistan and members of Al-Qaida ranging in dates beginning in October 1999 through June 2011. These sanctions were imposed by the United Nations (UN) and fully backed by the United States. Yes, Afghanistan provides a haven for Al-Qaida and the Taliban. I base my answer on the fact that because of the size of the country, its terrain, and its current small size of security forces, there are not enough personnel to monitor the largely unprotected areas where the groups mentioned above can operate and move about undetected. I do not believe Afghanistan has a chance of being taken off the state sponsors of terrorism list. I feel that because of the makeup of its current governing body they will always have sympathizers who believe in the ideologies of the radical groups Al-Qaida and the Taliban. And these sympathizers will do what they can to give haven to the fore mentioned groups above. Afghanistan is considered to be a Failed state. The reason its a failed state is that Afghanistan has a corrupt governing body that lacks the ability to provide basic services to its citizens, it currently depends on support from the US and allied forces to help maintain governing control. Should the US and Allied forces leave the region, it would create a vacuum within the governing body making it susceptible to a coup or governmental overthrow. The state has been in some type and form of conflict continuously since 2001. The size of the country, its mountainous terrain, and the strength of its security forces makes it impossible to protect and secure its borders. Some of the population loyal to the Taliban and Al-Qaida resents the government for allowing US and Allied forces to operate inside Afghanistan borders. The Secretary of State makes the determination of Any country or State that has repeatedly or consistently provided support for or actively Committed acts of international terrorism will be placed on the list of Sponsored nations. The four waves of terrorism are as follows Anarchist wave, the anti-colonial wave, the new left- wave, and the religious wave. The group I have chosen (Al-Qaida) relates in the following ways. As an anarchist wave, Al-Qaida operates as an anti-authoritarian to the current governing body and considers themselves to be a revolutionary force that exists to bring in the rule of Sharia law. As an anti-colonial wave, Al-Qaida has resorted to terrorist types acts to try and overthrow the current governing body and to try to break the will and the spirit of the US and its allies to want to give up and leave Afghanistan. The new left-wave does not apply in my opinion to how Al-Qaida operates. Al-Qaida, in my opinion, is the poster child for the religious wave, their whole desire is to instill the strict laws of the Koran, and ridding the world of those whom the laws of the Koran deem as unworthy or infidels. Bottom line they believe in a religious based extermination that if youre not Muslim, you are to be removed from the face of the earth. References Gunaratna, R. (2002). Inside Al Qaeda. Global Network of Terror. New York: Columbia University Press T Taylor, R.W, Swanson C.R. (2016) Terrorism, Intelligence, and Homeland Security. Boston, Columbus, Global Policy Forum (2017). Retrieved from Global Policy Forum: https://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/index-of-countries-on-the-security-council-agenda/sanctions/49069.html

The Black Legend and White Legend: Relationship Between the Spanish an

The Black Legend and White Legend: Relationship Between the Spanish and Indians in the New World The Spanish-Indian relationship can be defined in many ways. One definition used is through the Black Legend and the White Legend. The interpretation of the Black Legend can depend on whom you are talking to. The Black Legend speaks of the Spaniards abusing the Indians and being guilty of much more misconduct than history has ever recorded. The White Legend speaks of how the Spaniards benefitted the Indian society by building communities, hospitals and spreading the Word of God. There are two reasons why the Spaniards were so intent on spreading the Gospel. The first is because Spain wanted to ensure political and military means of safety and independence of their own religious community and even more so their predominance over others. The second was a deeper desire to convert, which included appealing to the minds and hearts of individual unbelievers by preaching, reasoning and if needed by force (Plumb 152). The conquest of the new world began with a small band of Spanish soldiers. The soldiers proceeded to march against and subdue the huge population of the mainland (Black 24). The Black Legend speaks of all that the Spanish had done to the Indians and the horrible things done to them and the land. This Black Legend exists only in areas where the people are "anti-Hispanic" especially where English is spoken, and in modern Spanish America (24). The White Legend is true only in reverse. The people who claim to believe in this Legend hold to the belief that the Spanish were a credit to society and help the Indians in their everyday lives by providing livestock and new medici... ... they had never intended to live. They were forced to lose their families in the name of the Spanish crown and the Spanish crown had only a vague knowledge of what was really happening in the new world. Which one, whether Black or White Legend, a person believes will have to depend on their own personal view of the truth. Bibliography Gibson, Charles. The Black Legend: Anti-Spanish Attitudes in the Old World and the new. New York: Knopf 1971. --------- Spain in America. New York: Harper 1966. --------- Spanish Tradition in America. Ny: Harper 1968. Haring, C.H. The Spanish Empire in America. New York: Oxford 1947. Ludenfeld, Marvin. 1492 Discovery Invasion Encounter. Massachussets: 1991. Plumb, J.H. The Spanish Seaborne Empire. New York: Knopf 1966. Sale, Kirkpatrick. The Conquest of Paradise. New York: Plume 1990.

Nelson Mandela Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Men Of Aparthied From 1948 to 1994 apartheid was enforced in South Africa. Apartheid was the name given to a form of legal segregation is South Africa. Apartheid first came about in 1948 when South Africa’s National party took power. South Africa’s government broke the country’s population into four groups. Those groups were the whites, who consisted of approximately 13 percent of the population, Africans, who were 77 percent of the population, people who were of mixed descent comprised eight percent of the population, and Asians who were only 2 percent of the population. South Africa’s government set aside certain lands for each of the groups, and those groups were forced to live in those homelands. Besides residential segregation many other restrictions were placed on the black men and women of South Africa. For half of a century, these racist laws remained in place, completely unchanged. In the 1970’s and 1980’s the government in South Africa relaxed the laws slightly. Some of these changes included desegregating certain public facilities, lifting some occupational restriction, and repealing the law prohibiting intermarriage that had been in use since apartheid began. In 1983, the constitution allowed Asians and coloureds, but not blacks to have limited representation in the usually all white parliament. Thanks to the help of many people, apartheid was completely abolished in 1994. In 1990 President F.W. de Klerk committed himself to the abolition of apartheid. De...

P:overty :: essays research papers

Mark Sandford  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marsh 1 English 200 Mr.Whisnant Summary February 08, 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Summary of the Singer Solution to World Poverty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both stories proclaim that you should not spend your money on material or unnecessary things or wants, but to give them to children in foreign countries that we do not even know. The fact that Dora did not make enough money and that she could only make ends meet was a key factor to her agreeing to pick up a child and drop it off at a so-called wealthy foreigner’s house. In return she is given 1,000 dollars to spend at her leisure, only to be told that night that she gave the child to a children’s organ peddler.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If Dora in fact did not at least try to get the child back or locate it, then in every moral situation she would be wrong. To say that her new T.V. is more important or worth more than the child would be correct. But the fact that we are so easily interested in making more money, we seem to let our morals just slip away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Bob’s case he has a chance to save a kids life and chooses not to in fear of losing his classic vintage car, along with the savings which he has not been able to insure. So in reality he would lose everything he owns, in which case he does not want to lose. This seems harsh, but the fact is that children die every day because they do not have enough money to feed and clothe themselves. Is it really up to us to support these total   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marsh 2 strangers that we have never, and will never meet even if we did send them money or food.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both of these people did something morally wrong, but Bob unlike Dora had a chance to save a life that he could have easily avoided by smashing his old car. Bob is like the people who have enough money, but are not willing to send to overseas children. Dora on the other hand let greed overcome her and put the child in the situation which led to the killing of the child. A lot of people would still think that Bob is worse between the two considering he chose his car over a little child’s life. In fact you also have to agree that if you do not send some of your money to overseas organizations then you are like Bob.

Mrs. Frisby and the rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien

This book narrates the problems faced by the mice belonging to the family of Mrs. Frisby who is the main character of this fiction. The story of Frisby shows that she had the courage and determination to look after her family after the death of her husband. After the death of her husband Mrs. Frisby was expected to take care of her children. The story begins with the description of the life style of Mrs. Frisby’s family and the problems faced by this family as they depended on the humans for their survival. Due to the problems that mice’s family faced during winter, they were forced to change their places of habitation. However, Frisby’s son Timothy had a weak health. Due to his illness, Frisby could not carry her family to the safer place during winter, but it was important to find some solution the health problem of her son. This book consists of various adventures of Frisby who was able to even challenge a dragon. Frisy was able to save a crow who advised the mouse to go to old owl who was reluctant to give any advice until he heard the name of Mr. Frisby. Indirectly, Mr. Frisby is also mentioned in the book although he was dead. The old owl advised Mrs. Frisby to seek help from the nest of rats, which lived under a rose bush. After hearing the name of Mr. Frisby, the rats decide to help the mouse. It is curious to note that the rats led an independent life as they were able to establish their own colony with electricity, roads, streets, lifts, and various other facilities. Thus, Mrs. Frisby is introduced to the secret world of the rats. It is interesting to note that rats had mastered the art of reading and the young rats were expected to learn reading. The rats had succeeded in imitating the humans by establishing their own civilization in this secret world. The rats execute the plan of lifting the block of Mrs. Frisby’s house and shifting it to a safer location. This shows that these animals had mastered the art of modern technology by the use of latest machineries. Through this mastery of human skills, the rats had become independent of the control of human beings. Although the main characters are mice and rats, the story reveals the human character and values found in these animals as they think and behave like humans. For example, it is surprising to note that mouse goes to the owl and seeks the advice as there is a general perception that owl is always looking for the flesh of mouse. Mrs. Frisby shows her motherly affection when her son falls ill. The problems faced by the mouse’s family are also depicted in the fiction. Naturally, this book has attracted the attention of many students who study in elementary schools. Initially the book does not reveal the secret world of the rats. By doing so, the author is able to sustain the curiosity of the readers. Apart from mouse and rats, other characters in this book are Mrs. Frisby’s friend Mr. Ages, the crow, Jeremy, and the owl. Mrs. Frisby also learns that her husband was a close companion of the rats and out of respect for her husband the rats had agreed to help her. The reader is also informed that the rats had earlier depended on the human beings; later they decided to migrate to their present place where they established their own civilization. This book has been liked by the younger generation as there is description of the human character of the animals. Bibliography O’Brien, R.C. (1971). Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. New York: Puffin

Executive Coaching: Humanistic Perspective Essay

It is a matter of fact that executive coaching is of great importance in our swiftly changing business and everyday life. Actually, I agree with Mary’s point of view that humanistic perspective should be used in business environment. I think that future leaders and top managers should pay more attention to this perspective. Moreover, working people should be encouraged to realize that they are provided with choices which direct their life. And executive coachers help people to choose the best suited options for them. As for me, humanistic perspective of executive coaching is that it refers to psychoanalysis aimed at finding the most effective ways of performance because coaches don’t simply tell how to behave or what to do; instead they allow you to realize what you need to do. Executive coaching assists many people in sharpening their skills. Coaching helps people who know what they want, but don’t know how to achieve the desired outcome. This approach also helps when sudden or unexpected changes occur in work environment as coaching helps people to adapt to innovations and to cope with new challenges. Furthermore, executive coaching finds new ways of solving old problems. I think that Mary is right when saying that â€Å"the humanistic perspective of executive coaching is when people are seen as having a choice in how they respond to their environment† as humanistic approach suggest wide range of possible choices and directions of one problem. It is argued that awareness helps many people to see that they are provided with choices and I am sure that we have to cultivate this skill. Awareness gives the sense of responsibility and power over the choices to be made. Due to humanistic perspective people realize that choices are inevitable part of work environment and everyday life. The primary benefit of executive coaching is that it makes people think of their own experiences, not others. Summing up, I support Mary’s opinion and think that executive coaching provides really positive viewpoint of human nature.

Political Culture Essay

The single greatest contributor to the way American Politics plays out both within and outside of our borders today is in our rich and long-lasting political culture that defines they way we look as the world and how to respond to it. Shaped by values, history, current events, and emotional commitments that our populace collectively shares, political culture in the United States determines the way government functions and reveals the intricacies of our collective way of life in a way nothing else can. Throughout our nation’s history there have been three different types of political culture proposed by three different authors as stated below. The first model of conceptualized liberty is a tradition of longstanding liberalism maintained by Myrdal in Wilson’s American Politics. Claiming that American’s naturally crave their individual rights and want their liberty to constitute freedom within the law to do whatever they want as their own person, he states we are a self concerning people with central regard for our own lives independent of the rest of the nation. This style of political culture emerged the greatest during the 60s when individualists like hippies and protestors came out against the large Model II type government that strove to provide and manage the people in the overbearing sense it did. Today’s culture draws strong parallels to liberalism as well, with most Americans concerned for their own rights first. An example of this is the dog laws imposed in New York where dogs cannot be off a leash or make excessive noise in Central Park that distracts other people. Some people feel they are having their right to quiet and safety violated by these dogs and the laws behind them, while others maintain it is their right to have dogs and be able to run them freely. The second claim is of political culture is the one that was created in the grand scheme by the founding fathers and proposed by Hartz. This perception of liberty claims that there is a collectivist notion of unity among the people that promotes the general welfare of the nation as a whole and not just based on individual rights. First established by puritan settlers who wanted to build a â€Å"city on a hill† with a strong central purpose and unity among its citizens, the concept of a strong government that united the people in one common goal to achieve the greater good became known as republicanism. This concept of liberty is alive today as the populace stands united against the global threat of terrorism that threatens all American’s equally. To protect each other and nation as a whole American’s look to the greater good beyond their personal rights to sustain the nation’s security. An example is in people’s ability to forego some of their individual rights in the patriot act or at airports to give up some privacy to keep them safe from terrorists in order to maintain the greater good of the nation. The third perception of liberty is proposed by Roger M. Smith who states that America is traditionally hierarchical and is driven by social and economic classes that preside over others. This concept has been prevalent for hundreds of years in times of slavery and civil unrest when African Americans and other surges of immigrants were oppressed and looked upon as outsiders by the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants that formed the backbone of the nation. While civil rights have been passed to make the nation equal for all, Smith argues an underlying factor of racism and inequality among minorities still lingers in the heart of America. An example of this is the Duke Lacrosse Scandal where three elite white males were charged in the rape of a black woman and media frenzy that ensued around it. Claiming that the white males thought themselves superior and able to escape consequences for crimes against minorities, African American leaders such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson came out in force to lead rallies for their prosecution. Another parallel is Hurricane Katrina and the thousand of black residents displaced by it in 2005. Most of the 9th district of New Orleans was destroyed by the storm because it sat unprotected and vulnerable and to this day it remains in shambles with little done to improve the area. Smith would argue this is because of the racial and economic hierarchy that differentiates the poor African American residents of the area from the white controlling politians with the power to do anything about it. While all these three conceptions of liberty are prevalent and present in today’s political culture, the structure of our government and the speed with which the world changes does not allow any one style to dominate the rest. Americans live off and pride themselves on their civil individual rights while at the same time unifying collectively to stand as one against outside threats like terrorism. There is some hierarchical dissonance that remains in the actions of many government officials and elite pockets of society separated from citizens of different economic standing and ethnicity, but after the civil rights laws were passed the vast majority of these problems have been removed. This leaves the United States with a balanced and ever changing political culture that hinges back and forth between the three conceptions of liberty.

Creating an Inviting Classroom Environment

In this fastback, the authors make two major contentions in their introduction to this pamphlet. The first is that how a school looks does affect how everyone who goes there feels about it- and what goes on inside it. Furthermore, the authors assert that, while circumstances usually prohibit teachers from changing the entire school, they can and should make a difference in their own classrooms. In this review I will be addressing these two major premises (Jones 8). I totally agree with the authors that the way a school looks affects people’s perception of the school as well as what goes on in it. Blackford High School is a perfect example to support this theory. BHS is and always has been well maintained and groomed. When I first interviewed for employment here ten years ago, I asked the principal if the school was relatively new I was shocked when he told me that the school was in fact 21 years old. I feel that when people drive by our school they get a good impression of it. Additionally, I am very proud of our facility when I have personal or professional guests at school. (Brown 69). I also agree with the authors that this precept also hold true for individual classrooms Harrison and Bullock gave examples of two contrasting classes to prove that an inviting environment and housekeeping are critical to student achievement/performance. One classroom was cluttered, outdated, and impersonal- an uninviting dump. The other classroom was neat, orderly, yet warm, inviting, comfortable, and user-friendly. I agree with the authors that the second classroom was the ideal and the one that is more conducive to student learning. Furthermore I agree with the reasons to focus on environment that they have identified (psychologically positive, quality lighting, noise, etc.) However I strongly disagree with them when they contend facility size and age are not factors when creating an environment pleasant classroom. After surveying students, teachers, and parents as to what they thought was important to a classroom environment (furniture, aesthetics, comfort, instructional items, and professional items.) Finally they made recommendations as how best to use these categorical items to create the ideal classroom. It is these suggestions and the implication that I can incorporate them that I have a problem with. Size IS a factor. My room is crammed with the â€Å"essentials† of school operation. In my room you will find a teacher desk, 33 student desks, one teacher computer station, one small book case which holds my personal professional books as well as paperbacks for students, a raised platform and podium for speech performances, a radio soundboard cart and an additional small table with a boom box for radio classes and one small teacher work table. I don’t have any room. I can stand at the front edge of my desk and touch the first row of student desks (I don’t even have to reach). The students in the back row can turn around and touch the back wall of the room. Much to my dismay, I am not going to be afforded additional space in which to conduct speech and radio classes. Furthermore, I am not going to be given individual classroom temperature controls or a phone. It is a fact that I come to accept. I would LOVE to have, as suggested, tables and desks, a comfort space for reading, student storage space, and any number of the other items they suggested. However, it will not happen at Blackford High School.

We should fund college education for all Americans because knowledge Essay

We should fund college education for all Americans because knowledge is the basis of success - Essay Example Knowledge makes a person perfect. Some people believe that the need of education is only to grab a job. The above perception is a wrong one. Education helps a person immensely in leading a successful life in many ways. Huge expenses of college education are the major reason for the drop outs of students from American colleges. Because of the dipping of American economy, financial problems are evident in most of the families. Americans usually spend more than what they earn and they do not have the habit of saving much for the future. Whenever they are in need of money, they approached the financial institutions in America for loans and before the recession problems; they found no hurdle in getting the loans sanctioned from the banks. For meeting the expenses of college education, many of the American students used the aid from financial institutions. However, because of recession, American financial institutions now tightened the norms and hence the college students are not getting e nough financial aids from these institutions. Considering the importance of college education, American government should give enough funds to all who admitted in the colleges In family or society, only the educated people are well respected. The society will hear and respect the words of the educated people better than that of other’s. Only the educated person will be capable of meeting and solving the life challenges more effectively. College education will provide an opportunity to get good jobs which is necessary for securing the future life. Though the aim of college education is not limited to getting good jobs alone, it can certainly help people lead a life as a good citizen of the country. Completion of Pre secondary education was considered as a decent educational level around 50 or 75 years ago because of the limited knowledge base. But the advancements in every field of life especially in science and technology have made it almost impossible to survive without coll ege education. Entry into a good professional organization is not an easy task in the present century. In order to prepare a person for an entry level in an organization, the minimum qualification required is graduation. The organizations may give the person formal training in the required areas to develop skills, once he is appointed. But just to apply for a post in a reputed organization the person must have a graduation. â€Å"In recent years, researchers in Africa, Asia and elsewhere have found that people in non-Western cultures often have ideas about intelligence that differ fundamentally from those that have shaped Western intelligence tests†(Benson). Intelligence is believed to be a culture dependent entity. In other words, the nature of intelligence in American culture and Asian culture are entirely different. Because of this difference in nature of intelligence, it is difficult to assess the intelligence of a culturally diverse community with the help of a standardi zed test. Americans had an illusion earlier that the nature of their intelligence is far more superior to that of others. However, Americans now realized that their assumptions were only illusions and there are many cases in which people from other cultures dominate over the Americans. For example, the recent recession has caused major problems to American economy whereas Asian countries like India, china etc escaped from recession without much problems. Many of the CEOs of American companies are of foreign origin now. Indra Nui, the CEO of PepsiCo is one best example. The current American president is from a black origin and the current Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal is a person of Indian origin. Moreover, in many of the reputed science and research agencies like NASA, people of foreign

Peregrine Trucking Co Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Peregrine Trucking Co - Research Paper Example Organizations are facing frequent challenges to find out ways to minimize the operating cost and to increase equipment capacity. Many variables are continuously increasing, mostly the fuel prices are rising daily and it leads to a rise in the material costs. In response to cost minimization, the business universe has started reengineering their business process. The scarce energy sources are consumed by transportation industry. The Peregrine Trucking Company is formulating a strategic plan for reduction of the fuel price by using a variety of effective and socially aware trucking equipment’s. This study discusses various methodologies to reduce the fuel consumption of Peregrine Transportation Company (Schafer, F. & Basshuysen, 1995). From last two decades the transportation companies have become intensely competitive. Freight transport demand has grown rapidly and will grow further as the economies recover from the current economic instability. The increased demand of freight transport facilities has putted an excess pressure on the transport network capacity. The enhanced consciousness about the safety and environmental issues also encouraged the truck companies to innovate socially acceptable methods for cost reduction. Discussion Now days, a person realizes that the resources are not limited and there are alternatives for the scarce resources. There are several ways to eliminate the fuel costs. Some of the simplest ways are as follows: It is advised to eliminate all useless weights from the vehicle. It is suggested to buy gasoline in the morning when, generally the temperature is cold. It is advised to formulate an effective routing plan for entire day. For saving the fuel consumption, first task is to check the air filter. Checking of air filter takes a few minutes. One has to remove the filter and has to boost the light; if the light does not pass, the filter should be replaced. Another option is to use the motor oil’s â€Å"lungs† wit h less thick synthetic or semi synthetic base. Compared with the traditional mode viscous â€Å"mineral water†, they have almost 6% lower fuel consumption. Checking the pressure of tire is another way to reduce fuel. Presence of the weak slopes increases the rolling struggle and that is the reason, the fuel consumption increases. The truck should maintain a constant speed even in the jam also. In the rush hours trucks starts hastily and suddenly slow down. This would increase the fuel cost. Careful use of gas pedals can surely decrease the fuel cost. It is advisable not to use the high gear when the vehicle is in low speed. It is important to brake properly that would also help to reduce the fuel consumption. Air conditioning consumes 5% to 20% of fuel. Avoiding air conditioner sometimes helps the vehicle to reduce fuel consumption. Maintaining

Claim Response Letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Claim Response Letter - Assignment Example We fail to understand because you arrived late for our services. It is indeed true that for the record, you came among the last people and favor was upon you when Mr. Ottawa, attended to you like among our first clients, which is not usually the case. In as much as you report Mr. Ottawa for been late, it is not justified. These are because you are the only one that wasted time, and so, even the first attendance was a favor. You claim to be paid back some cash. I bet we are not responsible for your misfortune. It has to our awareness of you claim, you as Mr. Carm, we deeply appreciate your raise of concern and how prompt you are. These have helped us keep track on all our employees and ensure they provide quality service at the required time to all our customers. We say these because we appreciate that without you, we lack work to do. These means that you are indeed our bosses and must put your interests first. From the time you came in packing to the time Doctor Ottawa attended to you, it is quite clear that one hour was indeed gone. And the fact that you got overcharged for the packing slot fee; it was truly not our fault as the hospital. We attend to our clients in a first come first serve basis. Those who arrive early are put first to be seen by our doctors, to our surprise, you came thirty-five minutes late and in turn, got lucky and served as among our first clients. Our big question to you is where were you by the time this half past the hour was clicking? And according to you, who is on the wrong side of the law? By these we mean, who could have made you pay these extra packing fees, is it the doctor’s fault or yours? The matter looks simple, but also our institution has a policy that must needs follow-up. First come first serve rule, and we fail to understand how you managed to cross the line before others and got the service among the first clients. It is, therefore, with humble request that we call upon you to

Physics homework Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Physics homework - Math Problem Example Thus as boat 1 is displacing more volume of water than boat 2, it has a higher buoyancy force subjected upon it. Clearly, this is evident from the fact that boat 1 is afloat whereas boat two is sunken. 2. The volume of the given ice cube of 10cm dimensions is 1000cm3. It is given that when the ice cube is floating in pure water, 1cm of it is sticking up above the surface of the water. This shows that the weight of the water displaced by the 9cm thick portion of water is equivalent to the weight of the ice cube. The 9cm thick portion has a volume of 9cm*10cm*10cm i.e. 900cm3. The weight of 900cm3 of pure water is equivalent to 1000cm3 of ice. If we suppose the density of liquid water to be 1g/cm3, then we have 900g of liquid water equivalent to 1000cm3 of ice. This gives us a density of ice as 0.9g/cm3, which is approximately equal to the real value of density of ice (~0.91g/cm3). When the excess 1cm thick part is cut off, the remaining portion of ice has a volume of 900cm3. The weigh t of 900cm3 of ice is 0.9g/cm3*900cm3 i.e. 810g. Now, for liquid water, the volume of water that needs to be displaced to have the same weight as that of the ice is 810cm3 (810cm3*1g/cm3 = 810g). This means that only 810cm3 of the total 900cm3 of the remaining ice will get immersed in water. The rest 90cm3 volume will remain above the water level.

Business Plan Solutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Plan Solutions - Essay Example The music retail store can also be funded by informal investors like family, friends, relatives, employees, or colleagues if they are willing to chip-in some of their available money. This possibility of course, is positively related to their support to Rhoda's business venture. More formal sources of equity will be angel investors and venture capitalists. Angel investors are usually affluent individuals who provide capital to small start-up businesses. These individuals often hope for high returns on their investments (Ward, 2000). Rhoda Allegro can also seek equity financing from venture capitalists. Venture capitalists are also individual who supplies capital for the start-up or expansion of a business venture. Like angel investors, venture capitalists are looking for higher returns on their investments than traditional investments. The main difference between angel investors and venture capitalists is that the former is usually equipped with skills in managing a business while the latter is a professional investor. An angel investor is often interested in adding value to the company aside from profiting from his/her investments (Ward, 2000). In summary, Rhoda Allegro's business can be financed by formal and informal sources of financing.

Sit-Coms(American History) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sit-Coms(American History) - Research Paper Example Archie Bunker: Now thats where I got you, wise guy, theres a black guy who works down at the building with me, hes got a bumper sticker on his car that says Black is Beautiful so whats the matter with black beauties? M.A.S.H.: This show was based on three army doctors. This is recognized to be one of the dark comedies as it deals with very grave social issues which include race, and the various absurdity of life. The sitcom has dealt with women and their issues in life in a relatively lighter manner. The show has a number of dialogues to show how serious issues in those days have been dealt with and moved into a comedy as well. The dialogue below: Margaret, "Whats wrong Frank?" Frank, "Oh, those guys make me SO mad.........theyre always fooling around and nobody seems to care except you and me! Margaret, "I know Frank, theyre a disgrace! Not one of them is a respectable officer like you, they certainly dont deserve to wear those bars." FRANK SWELLS UP Margaret, "Theyre always conniving to make you look bad. Its time to do something about them Frank! Lets go call General Hammond right now and tell him what theyre up to. Ill bet hell put you in charge and get rid of those jokers, then WE can run this camp like it should be!" Frank puffing his chest out, "Youre right Snookems, lets go do that while theyre busy!" Margaret, "Oh Frank, I just love it when you take control." Wes Gehring "MASH turns 30: the TV series dark comedy was a paean to the ludicrousness of war. - Entertainment - television program review", USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), FindArticles.com, 06 Sep, 2009,

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 36

Case Study Example ase idea will benefit travelers in that they will be able to book a full package in that; if they are touring a region they can get all the services at one stop. Services such as the airline to use, the vehicle to use when on land and hotels are inclusive and easily accessible. In this exhibit, there will be benefits both to travelers and the travel agencies in that; the traveler can travel according to their potentials where there is a category for budget travelers who do not require using a lot of money, while the luxury travelers will require more comfort. Decision making will be easier for the travelling agencies due to the classifications of travelers (Mohinder, 2009). This classification will be beneficial to the agencies in that they will be able to make decisions based on the ability of their clients and consequently treat a client fairly and thus increasing their customer base (David & Nancy, 2012). This exhibit according to the case idea demonstrates the customer base beginning from 2007 when a new CEO is hired. Considering the vertical axis as the customer base in hundreds of thousands and the horizontal axis as the years moving forward, it illustrates that in the year 2007 the customer base was at 600,000. The figure increases to 800,000 customers in 2011 resulting from the acquisition of 16 percent by Tencent Company. This figure is predicted to rise in 2017 due to the recommendations made and the figure is projected to be at one million customers. This means the customer base in the projected future life will increase accordingly (Mohinder, 2009). Considering exhibit 5, the case idea recommends that the increase in the customer base through the methods stated earlier, will lead to increase in the profits due to increase in the travel activities above (Harvard business review on thriving in emerging markets,

Super Bowl Ads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Super Bowl Ads - Essay Example Budweiser over the past ten years it has proven its consistency in the rating of their advertisement. Their advertisement has always been among the top ten advertisements. In the year 2000 it recorded the highest rating of 8.93. Budweiser in its advertisement has used dogs and puppies that many Americans keep them as pet. The advertisement brings out humor of dogs and puppies that attracts people attention. The following advertisement scored the lowest in the recent concluded Super Bowl Ads rating; â€Å"Heroes Charge† by Ucool with a rating of 3.12, followed by â€Å"Tackle it† by Jublia with a rating of 3.22 and finally â€Å"save the data† by T-mobile with a rating of 3.50. â€Å"Heroes Charge† advertisement received the lowest rating than any other advertisement â€Å"Voter Breakdown† 2015, n.p). The past ten years advertisement from those companies did not make it to the top 10 list. This year they have tremendous improvement, but still they can do better to challenge Budweiser. The measures used rate advertisement by Super Bowl did have differences. For instance, the advertisement of â€Å"lost dog† by Budweiser did not have uniform performance on each measure. The first measure of state performance lost dog performed best in Rhode Island on a scale of one to ten it had a rating of 10 and lowest rating being Neville with 9.18 (â€Å"Dancing in the End Zone: Ads and Brands That Won Big for Super Bowl XLVIII† 2015, n.p.). From these statistics it can be noted that Budweiser brand is preferred in the state of Rhode Island; therefore Budweiser has highest sales there. Women are known to adore puppies and Budweiser wanted to draw their attention with a strategy that will also allure them to Budweiser’s products. Age range rating was different with old and young less than 21 years have the highest rating of 8.89 and 7.93 respectively. According to (Wright, 1977, 37), the advertisement creates humor to the young and old will reflect in the sa les. This strategy

The VARK Questionnaire Essay Example for Free

The VARK Questionnaire Essay Choose the answer which best explains your preference by placing a check on the squares next to the choices. You may have two answers per item if a single answer does not match your perception. Leave blank any question that does not apply. A group of tourists want to learn about the parks or wildlife reserves in your area. You would: give them a book or pamphlets about the parks or wildlife reserves. talk about, or arrange a talk for them about parks or wildlife reserves. take them to a park or wildlife reserve and walk with them. show them internet pictures, photographs or picture books. You have to make an important speech at a conference or special occasion. You would: gather many examples and stories to make the talk real and practical. write out your speech and learn from reading it over several times. write a few key words and practice saying your speech over and over. make diagrams or get graphs to help explain things. You want to learn a new program, skill or game on a computer. You would: use the controls or keyboard. follow the diagrams in the book that came with it. read the written instructions that came with the program. talk with people who know about the program. You have finished a competition or test and would like some feedback. You would like to have feedback: using examples from what you have done. using a written description of your results. from somebody who talks it through with you. using graphs showing what you had achieved. Do you prefer a teacher or a presenter who uses: demonstrations, models or practical sessions. question and answer, talk, group discussion, or guest speakers. handouts, books, or readings. diagrams, charts or graphs. You are helping someone who wants to go to your airport, town centre or railway station. You would: write down the directions (without a map). go with her. draw, or give her a map. tell her the directions. I like websites that have: audio channels where I can hear music, radio programs or interviews. things I can click on, shift or try. interesting written descriptions, lists and explanations. interesting design and visual features. You are planning a holiday for a group. You want some feedback from them about the plan. You would: phone, text or email them. use a map or website to show them the places. describe some of the highlights. give them a copy of the printed itinerary. You are going to choose food at a restaurant or cafe. You would: listen to the waiter or ask friends to recommend choices. choose from the descriptions in the menu. choose something that you have had there before. look at what others are eating or look at pictures of each dish. You are about to purchase a digital camera or mobile phone. Other than price, what would most influence your decision? Trying or testing it The salesperson telling me about its features. It is a modern design and looks good. Reading the details about its features. You are going to cook something as a special treat for your family. You would: use a cookbook where you know there is a good recipe. ask friends for suggestions. cook something you know without the need for instructions. look through the cookbook for ideas from the pictures. Other than price, what would most influence your decision to buy a new non-fiction book? It has real-life stories, experiences and examples. Quickly reading parts of it. A friend talks about it and recommends it. The way it looks is appealing. Remember a time when you learned how to do something new. Try to avoid choosing a physical skill, eg. riding a bike. You learned best by: watching a demonstration. diagrams and charts visual clues. written instructions – e.g. a manual or textbook. listening to somebody explaining it and asking questions. You are not sure whether a word should be spelled `dependent or `dependant. You would: find it in a dictionary. write both words on paper and choose one. see the words in your mind and choose by the way they look. think about how each word sounds and choose one. You have a problem with your knee. You would prefer that the doctor: used a plastic model of a knee to show what was wrong. gave you a web address or something to read about it. described what was wrong. showed you a diagram of what was wrong. You are using a book, CD or website to learn how to take photos with your new digital camera. You would like to have: diagrams showing the camera and what each part does. a chance to ask questions and talk about the camera and its features. clear written instructions with lists and bullet points about what to do. many examples of good and poor photos and how to improve them. Please fill in this form so that your results can be included in our research Are you     male or     female? Are you: 18 or younger, 19 to 25, 26 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 or over? Where do you live? USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Asia, South America, Oceania, Africa, Middle East Is this the first time you have filled in the VARK questionnaire? Yes, this is the first time, No, I have filled it in previously Which of the following best matches your perception of your VARK results? That looks just like me Im not much like that Im not sure Are you involved in education (as a faculty member or as a student)?   yes     Ã‚  no Are you a: student? teacher? Which level of education are you involved at? High school Two-Year College Four-Year College University Other What is your main area of study? Humanities Social Sciences Science Applied Science Business Education Performing Arts Other This questionnaire critique is an evaluation of the VARK questionnaire which measures the learning preferences of individuals. VARK stands for the four types of learning preferences which are visual, aural, read/write and kinesthetic. The questionnaire is geared towards determining how individual take in and give out information in the learning context. It is not similar to learning styles but is a necessary component of the learning style of an individual. The questionnaire contains 16 items only with four choices per item. The four choices correspond to the four different learning preferences (visual, aural, read/write and kinesthetic). The questionnaire is designed to identify which learning preference category the individual highly favors based on his/her responses on the 16 items. The questionnaire is online; therefore it is accessible to a wider range of individuals.   The sampling of respondents is not limited to a certain group since it is online and anyone who comes across the website can take the questionnaire. Moreover, the distribution of the questionnaire occurs only if the questionnaire used was the printed version, but if the online questionnaire is used, it only waits for people to complete the survey. The collection of the data or the responses is automated, it is already programmed and this is added to the database of responses which have been used to establish the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The demographic data is then asked after the taker has completed answering the questionnaire. The demographic questions include gender, age, location, status and field of expertise. The demographic data are then used in the research conducted by the authors of the VARK. The demographical details required in the questionnaire are standard and usually the most commonly asked in questionnaires. The VARK questionnaire was designed appropriately; the questionnaire is short and yet contains all the information needed to make a good assessment of what learning preference the individual has. The questions are straightforward, it asks about a specific event or situation and the choices are related to the questions and can be an accurate answer to the question whichever the individual chooses it to be. The directions however are not very clear, in the online version, the instruction is to encircle the letters beside the choices, but there was no letters to encircle instead it was an online program that is to be clicked on by the test taker. This may provide confusion to those who may have to use the print version of the questionnaire. The results are immediately processed after the individual hits complete and it can be saved in the website for later use and for the use of the authors to gather as many respondents as they can to validate the questionnaire. The items in the questionnaire can be easily read and understood, there are no jargon or complex words and it makes use of situational events that makes answering the questions more believable and comfortable for the respondents. However, a problem may still arise when the taker is not well versed with English or those who have different cultural backgrounds which limit their knowledge of the different situations presented in the questionnaire. The questions also do not have double meanings or measures two things in one question; instead it places the taker in a certain context and is then asked to respond using the four choices. There are no negatively stated items which are therefore more psychometrically easier to collate and analyze as there are no reverse scores. The structure of the VARK questionnaire is just average, the questions are different from each other, and the choices follow a certain order that reflects the four different learning preferences. Although, these are easier to score and to determine which learning preference the taker uses in the different situations that are being presented in the questionnaire the obvious arrangement of the items and the choices may bias the taker or lead his/her answer to the most favorable one. The demographic data is then surveyed after the taker finishes with the main questionnaire and the results are presented instantly, since the questionnaire is online, the individual is somewhat rewarded with his/her score and has the option to volunteer the information needed for the research part of the questionnaire or not. However, some takers may not take too well with volunteering personal information and may opt not to complete the demographic questions which would be a setback for the authors as it would mean a lesser number of respondents to be used to validate the instrument. This is in keeping with the ethical guidelines of using human respondents in the conduct of surveys and questionnaires for research or other purposes. The online survey is also administered in the same way each time since it is in electronic form and is online and has been programmed to interact with the respondent in the same way each time. However, what the authors has to risk is the varied situations that the respondent comes across the questionnaire, others may be in a crowded cafà © with too much noise and distractions, others may also not read the questionnaire very well and just click on the circles while others may choose not to complete the survey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In general, the VARK questionnaire has been designed excellently, this could be due to the fact that the questionnaire has undergone a number of revisions and upgrades and that the questionnaire had been first published in 2001. The responses to the VARK had provided the author with the information on how to improve the questionnaire and to improve its reliability and validity. Therefore we could say that with time and scientific tools, the VARK is a good example of a well designed and effective questionnaire despite its weaknesses which may be again improved as time wears on. Reference Fleming, N. (2007). VARK Questionnaire, Retrieved November 10, 2007 from http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire

Methods Of Data Collection For Primary Data

Methods Of Data Collection For Primary Data Once the researcher has determined his research objective, research question, and the corresponding hypothesis for his research project, what he needs to do now is to collect the required data. Data is information from sample that the researcher would analyse in order to meet his research objective, facilitate his research question, and prove his research hypothesis. For example, the data or information about customers are gender, age, qualification, marital status, number of kids, monthly income, brand of car, type of house, religion, hobby, sports, leisure activities, credit cards, golf membership etc. Figure 5.1: Methods of data collection (primary data) Method for Collecting Primary Data Survey Method Observation Method Face-to-Face Interview Telephone Interview Computerised Questionnaires Direct Observation Mechanical Observation Content Analysis Personal Interview Mail Survey Self-Administered Questionnaires Actually, what variable to include in the study depends on your research objectives, research questions, and the corresponding research hypotheses. The researcher should always refer to the three elements above when determining what data to collect in order to avoid collecting the unnecessary data, or worse, not collecting the required data. Based on Figure 6.1, the method of data collection can be classified into survey methods and observation methods. A) Survey method According to Zikmund, Babin, Carr and Griffin (2010), survey is a research technique in which a sample is interviewed in some form or the behaviour of respondents is observed and described in some way. In survey method, questionnaires are given to respondents to elicit information for the study. Respondents are asked the questions based on the information needed by the study. The questions may be asked in the verbal forms (interview), writing (mail questionnaire), or through computer (internet or e-mail). Several advantages are Quick Efficient Inexpensive Accurate means of assessing information about a population B) Types of survey methods i) Personal interview: face to face communication in which an interviewer asks respondents to answer questions (Zikmund, Babin, Carr and Griffin (2010). Face to face interview In the face-to-face interview (sometimes called personal interview), the researcher will prepare the questions to be asked during the interview with respondents. Each question represents the variable that the researcher wants to obtain its data. The questionnaires cover all variables required from a respondent. Before the interview begins, the researcher would explain the objective of research, ask for cooperation, and give assurance that the response given is only for research purpose and the information is treated with confidential. This is important since personal data is confidential, and no one will reveal his personal information if the confidentiality is not assured. The interviewer should posses good personality so that the interview session proceeds smoothly and in a friendly atmosphere. During the interview, the interviewer will read the question and record the response. Personal interviews may be conducted at the respondents home, offices, or anywhere. Below are the common examples of places which are basically used to conduct the interview. Door-to-door Interview Door-to-door interview refers to the interview in which the respondents are interviewed face-to-face in their homes. The major advantage of this interview is high participation rate, but the disadvantage is high cost. Mall Intercept Interview Mall intercept interview refers to the personal interviews conducted in shopping malls. Interviewers typically intercept shoppers at a central point normally at the entrance to the mall. The advantage of this method is low cost since no travel required to the respondents home. Mall intercept interview is appropriate when the respondents need to see, touch, or taste the product before they can provide meaningful information. Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) This interview uses a computer to get the information from the respondents using several user-friendly electronic packages to design questions easier for the respondent to understand. However, this method is classified as personal interview technique because an interviewer is usually present to serve as a host and to guide the respondents. CAPI is normally used to collect data at shopping malls, product clinics, conferences, and trade shows. Advantages of face-to-face interview Higher response rate. With proper plan and approach, the respondents will not turn down the request for an interview. The interviewer must be friendly and creative in getting cooperation from respondents. The interview method normally achieves a response rate of more than 70%. Data more accurate. The face-to-face meeting allows the interviewer to clarify terms or anything which might confuse the respondents. Once the respondent understands the question, he will provide an accurate response. The interviewer can note specific reactions by respondents during interview. The physical reaction and facial expression by respondent can tell whether he is providing accurate responses or not. The interviewer can also note the physical environment surrounding the interview such as the respondents office, the house, the dress etc that should tally with his response. People will usually respond with good gesture and provide accurate responses when approached in person. The Malay culture of not saying no still holds true when someone comes to the door with polite and peaceful manner. An experienced interviewer can sense out if the respondent is trying to hide some information. In this case, he will use his creativity to clarify the intention or terminate the interview. Disadvantages of face-to-face interview High cost. Interviewers must be given specific training on methods such as the art of making personal approach, the art of asking questions, the art of requesting cooperation etc, which is expensive and time consuming. The interviewer must be confident enough to work on his own. At the same time, the daily allowance for travelling, food, lodging etc is very high. Incomplete response. Any small mistake by interviewer can cause error in the response. The mistake such as using a wrong approach, bad facial expression, coming at the wrong time, not sensitive to certain issue in the conversation sometimes could hinder respondents from giving truthful response. Error in recording. This happens especially when the interview session is in a hurry due to time constrain on part of respondents. The interviewer who needs to read the question and record the response quickly and simultaneously is prone to making mistakes. Require close supervision. The interviewers work should be supervised closely to avoid interviewer cheating. Sometimes, due to many reasons such as time constraint, respondent is difficult to contact or the respondent is not available during appointment time, the interviewer will fill the response on his own. Telephone interview Sometime it is possible to collect data through telephone conversation. This method is possible if the researcher has complete directory of telephone numbers of population under study. If the respondents are government officers, employees of private firm, professional people such as doctors, lawyers, accountants etc, then the researcher have the option of using this method. Traditional Telephone Interview In traditional telephone interview, respondents are called through the telephone and the interviewer will ask a series of questions and record the responses. Respondents are more willing to provide detailed and reliable information on a variety of personal topics over the telephone than with personal interviews. Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) CATI uses a computerized questionnaire administered to respondents over the telephone. The interviewer would contact respondents over the telephone, read questions posed on the computer screen, and record the respondents answers directly into the computer memory bank. The computer systematically guides the interviewer and checks the responses for appropriateness and consistency. Advantages of telephone interview Less expensive compared to the face-to-face interview. The financial cost for travelling, lodging, and outstation allowance is not involved. Less time consuming. The number of respondents interviewed through telephone in one day is much higher than the number interviewed through face to face. Easy monitoring. The researcher can monitor the interviewers work more easily since he can check the telephone numbers of respondents and the time called. Disadvantages of telephone interview Lower response rate. The rate of response is lower since the respondents can just hang-up the call when he realised it is time consuming, or unsure of the confidentiality of the conversation. Fewer questions could be asked. Usually the conversation through the telephone cannot take long especially when the topic of discussion is not interesting, especially for the respondent since he has no particular interest in it. Difficult to get good cooperation. Conversation through the phone is not convincing enough especially when trying to get cooperation from the respondent. It is difficult to convince someone when they cannot see you in person, your facial expression, you body gesture etc. 2) Self-administered questionnaire In this technique, the researcher distributes questionnaires to respondents personally, through mail service, by inserting in the newspapers, or by sending to the email address. The difference between self-administered questionnaires compared to personal interview is in the self-administered questionnaire, the respondents make an effort to read and respond to the questions. However, the effectiveness of self-administered questionnaire will depend on the efficiency of the written words rather than the soft skill of interviewers. Mail Survey A mail survey is a self-administered questionnaire sent to pre-selected respondents through the mail. Basically, a mail interview package consists of the outgoing envelope, cover letter, questionnaire, return envelope, and possibly an incentive. Mail Panel A mail panel consists of a large, nationally representative sample of households that have agreed to participate in periodic mail questionnaires and product tests. The data on the panel members is updated every year and households are compensated with various incentives. Mail panel is appropriate for longitudinal design studies which allow obtaining information from the same respondents repeatedly. Advantages of mail survey Low cost. No interviewer bias Disadvantages of mail survey Low response rate Slow data collection speed Structured questionnaires One of the most popular methods of collecting research data is through the structured questionnaire. These questionnaires are self-explained and self-administered. In using this method, the researcher designs carefully a series of questions that cover the variables of interest in the study such as the respondents demographic background, their opinions concerning certain issues, their perception concerning certain service performance, and their intentions to do in the future etc. Structured refers to the degree of standardization imposed in the process of data collection (questionnaires). In other words, the researcher arranges the questions properly on a paper together with the cover letter to explain the purpose of data collection, the instruction to the respondents on how to respond to the questions, and the assurance of confidentiality of information provided. Advantages of a questionnaire Lowest cost incurred. The cost is low due to no interview, no training of interviewers, no travelling, no lodging allowance involved. No monitoring cost incurred. Usually the sending of questionnaires and receipt of responses from respondents are done by the researcher himself. More respondents and wider area can be covered. The researchers can send his questionnaires to as many respondents as he likes since the cost for each respondent is very small. Response more accurate. Since there is no influence, no gesture, no facial expression, and no interruption from the interviewer, the respondents can answer the questions at his own convenience. This manner will assure the accuracy of responses. Disadvantages of a questionnaire The poor rate of response from respondents. Since the researcher does not have gestures or face-to-face contact with respondents, the respondents can just throw away the questionnaires. In this method, the researcher should make a regular follow up contact with respondents using letter or telephone call. Usually the researcher would call the respondents earlier to inform them that he is sending a questionnaire to obtain data for his specific objective. The call is made as a gesture in order to obtain good cooperation from respondents. Once the respondent has difficulty regarding certain terms or questions in the questionnaire, he will not bother completing the remaining questions since nobody is available to explain. Sometimes the respondents simply send back the incomplete response. There is no assurance that the person who responds to the questionnaire is the intended respondent or the legitimate respondent. This matter will result in sample not being representative of the population. Private agents who conduct surveys found that people are more likely to respond to mail questionnaire that has professional appearance and come together with attractive prizes such as lucky draws for the respondents who send the completed questionnaire in time. Some questionnaires obtain good responses from respondents especially the questionnaire that comes together with the warranty cards when customers purchase certain products. Customers will have to answer series of questions on the warranty cards before sending back to the manufacturer for product warranty. Computerised questionnaire Internet survey Lately, the internet poll has become one of the popular methods to obtain information from the public especially their opinion concerning certain issue of public interest. In internet survey, the researcher brings an issue to attention and requests the opinion from the public. The public can respond by voting the statement that closely resembles their opinion. At the same time they can view the current standing in term of the most popular opinion and the corresponding vote obtained. Internet survey appears when a computer user is asked to go to a particular Web site location and answer the series of questions displayed in the website. In this technique, the respondents are not selected using specific technique but those who visit the Web site where the survey is posted are invited to participate in the survey. 2. E-mail survey In the e-mail survey, questionnaires are sent out to the respondents directly through their e-mail address. The respondents would reply the email by providing their response to each item on the questionnaire. The professional market research groups are using the internet to send their questionnaires to the respondents email. The respondents would complete their respective questionnaires and also return through the internet to the researchers e-mail address. Normally, these research agencies would provide certain rewards in terms of discount coupons etc in order to encourage the respondents to participate in the study. Advantages of computerised questionnaire Low cost. Very high data collection speed. Non interviewer bias Disadvantages of computerised questionnaire Very low response rate Low control of data collection method B) The observation methods According to Zikmund, Babin, Carr and Griffin (2010), observation is the systematic process of recording the behavioural patterns of people, objects and occurrences as they are witnessed. Several types of observation methods are: Direct observation In this method, the researcher will identify his respondents and records the required data based on what he observes. This method is suitable for a research to study the behaviour of respondents. For example, the research is carried out to identify how car drivers behave on the road during traffic jam. In his observation, the researcher will record the type of drivers who follow the traffic rules properly, and the type of drivers who choose to ignore rules such as queue jumping or overtaking using emergency lanes. The researcher may also be interested to know the types of vehicles (motorcycles, cars, buses, and lorries) which always ignore traffic rules during traffic jams. Another area where this method is suitable is to observe customers behaviour in the supermarket. In the market research study for example, the researcher is interested to know how customers make decisions in choosing which shampoo to buy. The researcher will stand in the area where hundreds of shampoos of differen t brands are placed on the rack. He will record how the customers choose the shampoo. Most probably some customers have decided earlier which brand to buy; some customers will compare prices, packaging, and even the smells before buying the shampoo. The researcher will record specific characteristics of customers who prefer certain brands of shampoo etc. Advantages of direct observation The data obtained reflect the actual behaviour of respondents. The respondents will tend to hide their actual behaviour when approached in person or when answering the questionnaires. The researcher gets a clearer picture and a better feeling of the situations for his study. Hence, he will be in a better position to make a proper recommendation regarding the underlying phenomena in the study. Disadvantages of direct observation The respondent will not act his normal behaviour if he knows that he is being observed. The data collection process is cumbersome and tedious. Mechanical observation Sometimes certain mechanical devices such as video cameras, rather than human observers to observe are used and record customer behaviours. The devices do not require the respondents direct participation in the study but they will capture the respondents behaviour for analysis. The early application of this technique is in a study to determine the level of comfort among train passengers by taping or recording how they sat and moved in their seats. Advantages of mechanical observation It offers high disguise by using the hidden camera. However, other mechanical device such as the use of psycho galvanometers is very difficult to disguise. Low observation bias since mechanical observation involves the non-human observer. Disadvantages of mechanical observation Low ability to observe in a natural setting. However, it depends on the mechanical tools used in the observation. The degree is low when using psycho galvanometer but high if using turnstiles. Less flexible. Content analysis Content analysis is usually used to study communication rather than behaviour, or physical objects. It is defined as the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of the manifest content of a communication. Content analysis obtains data by observing and analyzing the contents or messages of advertisements, newspaper articles, television programs, etc. It involves analysis as well as observation which systematically analyze peoples communication to identify the specific information contents and other characteristics such as words, characters (individuals or objects), themes (propositions), space and time measures (length or duration of the message), or topics (subject of the message). Advantages of content analysis High degree of disguise since the data is collected over the situation to be observed. High degree of observation specification and measurement. Disadvantages of content analysis Low ability to observe in natural setting because observation takes place after the behaviour has occurred. Potential of observation bias because human observer is involved in data collection process. 5.3 Factors determining choice of survey methods. Selecting the type of survey you are going to use is one of the most critical decisions in many social research contexts. Youll see that there are very few simple rules that will make the decision for you you have to use your judgment to balance the advantages and disadvantages of different survey types. There are several factors needs to be considered: Population issues The first set of considerations has to do with the population and its accessibility. Can the population be specified? For some populations, you have a complete listing of the units that will be sampled. For others, such a list is difficult or impossible to compile. For instance, there are complete listings of registered voters or person with active drivers licenses. But no one keeps a complete list of homeless people. If you are doing a study that requires input from homeless persons, you are very likely going to need to go and find the respondents personally. In such contexts, you can pretty much rule out the idea of mail surveys or telephone interviews. Is the population literate? Questionnaires require that your respondents can read. While this might seem initially like a reasonable assumption for many adult populations, we know from recent research that the instance of adult illiteracy is alarmingly high. And, even if your respondents can read to some degree, your questionnaire may contain difficult or technical vocabulary. Clearly, there are some populations that you would expect to be illiterate. Young children would not be good targets for questionnaires Are there language issues? We live in a multilingual world. Virtually every society has members who speak other than the predominant language. Can you produce multiple versions of your questionnaire? For mail instruments, can you know in advance the language your respondent speaks, or do you send multiple translations of your instrument? Can you be confident that important connotations in your instrument are not culturally specific? Could some of the important nuances get lost in the process of translating your questions? Will the population cooperate? People who do research on immigration issues have a difficult methodological problem. They often need to speak with undocumented immigrants or people who may be able to identify others who are. Why would we expect those respondents to cooperate? Although the researcher may mean no harm, the respondents are at considerable risk legally if information they divulge should get into the hand of the authorities. The same can be said for any target group that is engaging in illegal or unpopular activities. What are the geographic restrictions? Is your population of interest dispersed over too broad a geographic range for you to study feasibly with a personal interview? It may be possible for you to send a mail instrument to a nationwide sample. You may be able to conduct phone interviews with them. But it will almost certainly be less feasible to do research that requires interviewers to visit directly with respondents if they are widely dispersed Sampling issues The sample is the actual group you will have to contact in some way. There are several important sampling issues you need to consider when doing survey research. What data is available? What information do you have about your sample? Do you know their current addresses? Do you have their current phone numbers? Do you have an up to date contact lists? Can these respondents be found? Can your respondents be located? Some people are very busy. Some travel a lot. Some work the night shift. Even if you have an accurate phone or address, you may not be able to locate or make contact with your sample. Who is the respondent? Who is the respondent in your study? Lets say you draw a sample of households in a small city. A household is not a respondent. Do you want to interview a specific individual? Do you want to talk only to the head of household (and how is that person defined)? Are you willing to talk to any member of the household? Do you state that you will speak to the first adult member of the household who opens the door? What if that person is unwilling to be interviewed but someone else in the house is willing? Can all members of population be sampled? If you have an incomplete list of the population (i.e., sampling frame) you may not be able to sample every member of the population. Lists of various groups are extremely hard to keep up to date. People move or change their names. Even though they are on your sampling frame listing, you may not be able to get to them. And, its possible they are not even on the list. Are response rates likely to be a problem? Even if you are able to solve all of the other population and sampling problems, you still have to deal with the issue of response rates. Some members of your sample will simply refuse to respond. Others have the best of intentions, but cant seem to find the time to send in your questionnaire by the due date. Still others misplace the instrument or forget about the appointment for an interview. Low response rates are among the most difficult of problems in survey research. They can ruin an otherwise well-designed survey effort Question issues Sometimes the nature of what you want to ask respondents will determine the type of survey you select. What types of questions can be asked? Are you going to be asking personal questions? Are you going to need to get lots of detail in the responses? Can you anticipate the most frequent or important types of responses and develop reasonable closed-ended questions? How complex will the questions be? Sometimes you are dealing with a complex subject or topic. The questions you want to ask are going to have multiple parts. You may need to branch to sub-questions. Will the screening of questions be needed? A screening question may be needed to determine whether the respondent is qualified to answer your question of interest. For instance, you wouldnt want to ask someone their opinions about a specific computer program without first screening them to find out whether they have any experience using the program. Sometimes you have to screen on several variables (e.g., age, gender, experience). The more complicated the screening, the less likely it is that you can rely on paper-and-pencil instruments without confusing the respondent. Can question sequence be controlled? Is your survey one where you can construct in advance a reasonable sequence of questions? Or, are you doing an initial exploratory study where you may need to ask lots of follow-up questions that you cant easily anticipate? Will lengthy questions be asked? If your subject matter is complicated, you may need to give the respondent some detailed background for a question. Can you reasonably expect your respondent to sit still long enough in a phone interview to ask your question? Will long response scales be used? If you are asking people about the different computer equipment they use, you may have to have a lengthy response list (CD-ROM drive, floppy drive, mouse, touch pad, modem, network connection, external speakers, etc.). Clearly, it may be difficult to ask about each of these in a short phone interview. Content issues The content of your study can also pose challenges for the different survey types you might utilize. Can the respondents be expected to know about the issue? If the respondent does not keep up with the news (e.g., by reading the newspaper, watching television news, or talking with others), they may not even know about the news issue you want to ask them about. Or, if you want to do a study of family finances and you are talking to the spouse who doesnt pay the bills on a regular basis, they may not have the information to answer your questions. Will respondent need to consult records? Even if the respondent understands what youre asking about, you may need to allow them to consult their records in order to get an accurate answer. For instance, if you ask them how much money they spent on food in the past month, they may need to look up their personal check and credit card records. In this case, you dont want to be involved in an interview where they would have to go look things up while they keep you waiting (they wouldnt be comfortable with that). Bias issues People come to the research endeavor with their own sets of biases and prejudices. Sometimes, these biases will be less of a problem with certain types of survey approaches. Can social desirability be avoided? Respondents generally want to look good in the eyes of others. None of us likes to look like we dont know an answer. We dont want to say anything that would be embarrassing. If you ask people about information that may put them in this kind of position, they may not tell you the truth, or they may spin the response so that it makes them look better. This may be more of a problem in an interview situation where they are face-to face or on the phone with a live interviewer. Can interviewer distortion and subversion be controlled? Interviewers may distort an interview as well. They may not ask questions that make them uncomfortable. They may not listen carefully to respondents on topics for which they have strong opinions. They may make the judgment that they already know what the respondent would say to a question based on their prior responses, even though that may not be true. Can false respondents be avoided? With mail surveys it may be difficult to know who actually responded. Did the head of household complete the survey or someone else? Did the CEO actually give the responses or instead pass the task off to a subordinate? Is the person youre speaking with on the phone actually who they say they are? At least with personal interviews, you have a reasonable chance of knowing who you are speaking with. In mail surveys or phone interviews, this may not be the case. vi) Administrative issues Last, but certainly not least, you have to consider the feasibility of the survey method for your study. costs Cost is often the major determining factor in selecting survey type. You might prefer to do personal inter