Saturday, December 28, 2019

Swot Analysis A Pestel Essay - 1645 Words

A PESTEL analysis is a technique used to assess the external factors that may impact a firm (Cadle, et al. 2010). Political †¢ Operations in more than 70 countries including 23 refineries worldwide consolidating its presence as a global leader (Shell Global 2016). †¢ Engages in exploration in all continents. †¢ Political turmoil in some of the countries it occupies like Nigeria may influence its operations and sales. Economic †¢ Oil prices have risen and raising issues of supply as well as high taxation from the government (Friedman 2016). †¢ The use of expensive technology to undertake exploration requires heavy investment. Social †¢ Shell needs to ensure the health and safety of its personnel because they handle harmful chemicals such as ethanol. †¢ The company faces litigations from human rights lobby groups in some countries. For instance, Shell Nigeria experienced gas flares in 2010 that caused social unrest from affected communities to the point of legal suites against the company (Mason 2010). Technological †¢ Shell is investing in smart technology that is assisting in oil and gas explorations around the world. Environmental †¢ A surge in natural gas exploration is raising questions on the implications of drilling on the ground – it leads to spilling. Legal †¢ Global regulations on oil and gas exploration, manufacturing and delivery. †¢ Safety and health regulation. †¢ Environment sustainability and carbon emission stipulation. C. Porter’s Five Forces ModelShow MoreRelatedSwot Analysis And Pestel Analysis979 Words   |  4 Pagesnetworking segments: Google plus, Google glass and, Virtual reality platform in the company. In this paper Alphabet is deeply analyzed using the tools like SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis to derive recommendations for the problems that company is facing currently. Meaning of Analysis: Analysis intends to split something up into parts, Analysis pieces, reasons, or steps and take a gander at how those pieces are identified with each other. Examination more often than not runs together with blend sinceRead MoreA Swot Analysis : A Pestel Analysis1072 Words   |  5 PagesA PESTEL analysis is a tool or framework for marketers. It can be used to analyse and screen the external marketing environment of an organisation. This strategic management instrument gauges the macro environmental factors, which make decision taking significantly simpler. ARDEN UNIVERSITY PESTEL ANALYSIS POLITICAL ELEMENT FACTOR EFFECT ON ARDEN UNIVERSITY BREXIT Potential danger of environmental policy and legislation change Changes to taxes An increase in the tax level would most likely reduceRead MoreSwot And Pestel Analysis Of Hulu1550 Words   |  7 PagesSWOT PESTEL SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS TV show abundance Partner with ABC, NBC, FOX ‘Criterion Collection’ – classic movies WEAKNESSES Ads Limited movie selection Limited streaming capabilities OPPORTUNITIES Better TV series content International growth Sports partnerships Mobile device industry THREATS Netflix/Amazon Cable TV Illegal streaming Strengths:  · TV show abundance – moving into their own live TV provider  · Has recently started offering subscription servicesRead MoreAdidas Swot and Pestel Analysis7037 Words   |  29 PagesAlexandria higher Institute of Engineering and Technology Engineering Economy (EM 431) ADIDAS SWOT and PESTEL Analysis Name Ahmed Fawzy El-Safty Esraa Ahmed Tawfeek Submitted by: Section 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 No. 13 21 29 31 38 63 65 74 Aya Abd-El Razak Mohamed Aya Hesham El-Shenaway Basma Medhat Abd El-Zaher Ali Mahmoud Soliman Omar Ali Fahmy Katary Karim Mohamed Abd El-Salam Submitted to: Dr. Islam Nazier Page 1 of 19 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction ..............Read MoreSwot and Pestel Analysis for Ikea Singapore3046 Words   |  13 Pages----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 - 6 * Introduction of Company SWOT ANALYSIS of IKEA ------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 - 8 EXTERNAL ANALYSIS (GENERAL ENVIRONMENT - PESTEL) ----------------- 9 - 10 * Explanation of General Environment * Political Forces * Economic Conditions * Socio-cultural Conditions * Technological Changes * Environment Factors * Legal Factors EXTERNAL ANALYSIS (COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT) ------------------------- 11 - 13 * Intensity ofRead MoreSwot and Pestel Analysis for Ikea Singapore3062 Words   |  13 Pages----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 - 6 * Introduction of Company SWOT ANALYSIS of IKEA ------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 - 8 EXTERNAL ANALYSIS (GENERAL ENVIRONMENT - PESTEL) ----------------- 9 - 10 * Explanation of General Environment * Political Forces * Economic Conditions * Socio-cultural Conditions * Technological Changes * Environment Factors * Legal Factors EXTERNAL ANALYSIS (COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT) ------------------------- 11 - 13 * IntensityRead MoreTesla Analysis(Pestel Tows Swot ...)1522 Words   |  7 PagesPestel : Political  and legal: * strong impact of lobby * unions are powerful in US * subsidies to support Ramp;D for alternative cars technologies (ex: governments supports investment in hydrogen powered vehicle research) * US government currently offers economic incentives to encourage electric vehicle ownership * Voluntary export restraints : 1981 Reagan administration to control exportations * Reinforcement of laws concerning safety of customers Economic: *Read MorePestel, Porter s 5 Forces, And Swot Analysis1459 Words   |  6 Pagesthe organisation in the market, a situational analysis is conducted on the firm, describing its market and strategic strongholds, as well as weaknesses. For a clear explanation of the organisation’s situation, the PESTEL, Porter’s 5 Forces, and SWOT analysis will be conducted. It will provide a better understanding of the state of the firm, with a consideration of internal and external factors. 2.1 Pestle Analysis please see appendix 1 PESTEL analysis focuses on evaluating the external market throughRead MoreWalt Disney: Swot, Pestel and Porter Analysis Essay3375 Words   |  14 PagesSUBJECT: Walt Disney: SWOT, PESTEL and Porter analysis Introduction 2 Pestel analysis 2 Political factors 2 Economic factors 3 Social factors 3 Technological factors 4 Environmental factors 4 Porter’s Five forces model 5 New entrants 5 Buyers 5 Substitutes 6 Suppliers 6 Competitors 6 Swot analysis 7 Strengths 7 Weaknesses 8 Opportunities 9 Improvement of customer relations strategy 9 Advertising Growth 9 Differentiation 9 Read MoreSwot and pestel analysis of tv industry in uk1848 Words   |  8 Pagesanalysis of tv industry in uk The television industry in the U.K has seen a major change in its structure since the merger of Granada and Carlton. The pair have completed an 4.6 billion merger which is an major landmark in the television industry. The merger increases ITV television advertising market hold to 52%. This enlargement of the company has significantly increased ITV impact on the competitive side of the market. Mrs Hewitt regional franchises quoted ITV would be better equipped to compete

Friday, December 20, 2019

Emerging Adulthood A Step Up From Childhood - 1102 Words

In sociology, emerging adulthood is the period in time of an person’s life where they are between adolescence and adulthood. This term was proposed by Jeffrey Arnett, a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Clark University, in an article called American Psychologist. In the article he describes emerging adults as young individuals who do not have their own children, don’t own a home, or do not have a sufficient source of income to become completely independent (Arnett, 2000). There is another article that also describes these young individuals who are living in developed countries, however it is also experienced by young people who are in wealthy families in other areas of the world like Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East (Galambos, 2007). Arnett suggests that emerging adults are between the ages of 18 and 25 years of age. Emerging adults are a step up from childhood but are not in a position to take on adulthood responsibilities. During this time in life many are open to new experiences which can be a positive to the morality of this upcoming generation of adults. Some people find themselves deciding to switch majors in college or even enrolling into different types of classes to explore their own interests in search for the best fit for their future careers. In many situations emerging adults take on a lower standard of living in order to leave home earlier, which allows that person independence and sense of self reliability they have yet toShow MoreRelatedThe Ethical Regulation Of Transnational Food Companies And Implement Strategies That Promote Healthy Diets846 Words   |  4 Pagesmarkets in developing countries due to globalization have attracted the influx of multinational food and drink companies into these countries with aggressive marketing strategies targeted mainly at children. This has resulted in a nutritional transition from traditional plant based diets to western high fat, energy dense diets with a conseque nt rise in the prevalence of Non communicable diseases2. The double burden of disease it presents alongside infectious diseases threatens to overwhelms the weak healthcareRead MoreWho Is An Adult? Essay1338 Words   |  6 Pagesdebate Tanner uses The Network on Transitions to Adulthood, a network of researchers that argues there is an extended adolescence stalling-off adulthood. Tanner discusses these two sides of the age debate, while remaining neutral on the issue, in order to increase our society’s awareness of the impact of these critical years on the rest of our life. As an applied developmental psychologist, Tanner explains this stage from adolescence to adulthood has been the theme of her work. She worked as anRead MoreReview Of Michael Caton Jones And Central Station Directed By Walter Salles1706 Words   |  7 PagesLudovica Bernabei   Professor Prapopoulos   ENC 1101   5 December 2016 THE LOSS OF CHILDHOOD DUE TO TRAUMAS The actions, emotions, and distorted memories of children may be the result of the interpretation of a subconscious mind aspiring to accept past experiences. Children register circumstances in an imprecise and unclear manner due to the sensibility and the naà ¯vetà © of their mind which may cause significant repercussions in their lives. The mind of children struggles to elaborate lived or witnessedRead MoreEssay Emerging Adulthood1628 Words   |  7 Pagesthe most part. These years in a persons life have often been referred to as emerging adulthood. Emerging adults have reached a step up from childhood but are not yet ready to fully take on adult responsibilities. This part of life is open to many new experiences which can be very good for the morality of this upcoming generation of adults. People find themselves changing majors in college or taking different classes to explore their interests and find out where they best belong in their futureRead MoreErikson s View Identity And Role Confusion1294 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Unlike previous theoretical framework for human development, Erickson went a step further to include the lifespan following adolescence. These three additional stages include the ages of early adulthood through old age (Robbins, Chatterjee, Canada, 2012).These additional stages follow his ideaology that focuses on the Ego rather than the Id and libidinal drives that Freud emphasized. Each stage continues to require a conflict resolution in order to successfully complete it. The finalRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress From Socioeconomic Status And Postsecondary Educational Attainment1083 Words   |  5 Pages the effects of stress from socioeconomic status and postsecondary educational attainment. SAWAT PHANTHAVADY A Child cannot choose the life their born into. For some this means a life of poverty and uncertainty. This group is classified as having a low Socioeconomic Status (SES). Children are the once affected the most in this in this category. They are faced with negative caregivers, malnutrition, toxic environment and stress causing their brain structureRead MoreThe Effects Of Violence On Young Adults1575 Words   |  7 Pagesin order to make adequate life decisions. In the article by Fagan, he describes the five steps to violent crime. He explains how young adults are not to blame. According to Fagan, â€Å"The factors are not caused by race or poverty, and the stages are the normal tasks of growing up that every child confronts as he gets older† (7). 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Therefore, disturbing experiences lead to changes of mind, growth in morals, and an emerging sense of adulthood. David changes his mind about Uncle Frank through the traumatic experiences regarding the discovery of Frank#8217;s secret actions. Uncle Frank used to be David#8217;s idol and David adored him. But that all changed when David#8217;sRead MoreAn Analysis of a Woman’s Manhood in A Doll’s House Essay698 Words   |  3 Pagestheir death beds. Growing up and maturing goes hand in hand. A master plot seen in Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House is maturation. Maturation is when the Protagonist faces a problem that is part of growing up, and from dealing with it, emerging into a state of adulthood. The protagonist Nora is developed throughout the play from an ignorant child to a strong willed â€Å"man† on a quest for knowledge. In the play Nora goes from her father’s home to her husband’s home. Nora’s childhood is filled with toys and

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Critical Analysis of CSR

Question: Some critics of CSR claim it is little more than greenwashing; to what extent do you agree or disagree? Answer: Introduction: As stated by Alves (2014), with greater embracement on the green products and services, several corporate bodies have been found to litigate their marketing plans surrounding false and misleading environmental marketing approach. This means of marketing activity has been popularly termed as greenwashing that merges the concept of green (environmentally sound) and whitewashing (concealing the wrongdoing) as an approach to marketing. A greenwasher is a firm that selectively discloses the good news and retains the bad news. As argued by Bazillier and Vauday (2015), CSR activities carried on by major Companies are more like an iceberg; it is invisible to a large extent. These activities are often targeted to attempt corporate domination rather than a simply defensive image management activity. Eco-friendly products, organic and natural components are the common misleading terms that major companies use to portray an eco-friendly nature of the products that they manufacture and sell (Parg uel et al. 2012). Emergence of Greenwashing Practices: Greenwashing is not something new in practice but evidences suggest that these malpractices have its root in the 1970s when there was emergence of environmental movements (Alves 2014)). It was during that time, that many companies started misleading consumers stating that the products or services offered by them are environmental friendly. In this respect, Mahoney et al. (2013) pointed out that by realizing the beneficial impact of the greenwashing CSR activities, many companies often opt for increasing the investment on these practices. Mahoney et al. (2013) also revealed certain evidences that a corporate body can easily undertake a reputation strategy to cover up the unusual or other things that might create a bad reputation against the company. These evidences have been getting highlighted easily because consumers have become more conscious about the activities and at the same time, the media has become aware and ready to highlight any kind of misleading situation that a corporat e organization can perform. Corporate Social Responsibility and advertisement are the strategic complements that major corporate houses use to create a sustainability approach towards the society. In the view point of Parguel et al. (2012), the corporate responsibilities towards the society and the environment have resulted in greenwashing due to certain identified unusual suspects towards the CSR practices. These practices, if considered from the perspective of economic benefits, have helped many companies to make good amount of money. As stated by Tsagas (2012), CSR activities also act as a means of communication for the corporate organizations. Advertisements and CSR activities are carried on to improve the reputation of the companies. In order to support this fact, taking a wrong approach and spreading misinformation by communication is a common scenario. Therefore, CSR and green communication are usually used by the firms as a strategic tool to achieve their goals. Theoretical Approaches Towards Greenwashing CSR Activities: Visser (2012) commented the greenwashing practices have changed to a large extent and the practitioners have been found to use new and better techniques to deliberately hide the unwanted consequences and send non-verifiable information to mislead the consumers. A theoretical framework suggests that there are two levels of communication: the cue, which are the non-verifiable information and the other are the hard news which can be verified by the consumers in lieu of certain expenses. According to, Visser (2012) in the first cue, the firm is found to disclose the information to the public without any sort of greenwashing and by not investing in much in disclosing the information to the consumers. However, in case of other form the firm has to invest and filter the evidences to a great extent in order to create a good image among the consumers. The EU Takeover Directive towards the inclusion of socially responsible behavior of major organizations to create a safeguard firm towards the corporate control. It was under this provision that the corporate activities of the organizations were held under adequate observation (Tsagas 2012). In addition to this, detailed analysis of the economic benefits and other determinants will be analyzed and then if needed proper alteration of the activities shall also be made. The commission reported that the corporate bodies have to perform certain social responsibilities towards the society that would not only benefit the particular enterprise but also the society where it operates (Tsagas 2012). The activities should not only benefit the shareholders of the organization but the consumers as well. Evidences of Greenwashing Activities: A recent case has been highlighted in California where major water manufacturing companies were accused on the use of the water bottles. The bottles were claimed to be biodegradable and recyclable but the truth was revealed very soon (Mahoney et al. 2013). Another such issue was highlighted from Cadbury as well. The Chocolate Company is well known for its fascinating history of its CSR activities. Kraft taking over the Company was always at a risk but the same risks were mitigated by the promises made by the Company towards their consumers. Again, if a similar case is considered, Quaker Oats also made promises to improve the condition of the society by offering wholesome nourishment to the hungry and the malnourished and to give employment to the unemployed (Filipovic 2013). However, the situation was changed very soon the whole vision of the Company to improve the social condition disappeared. Conclusion: By the end of the discussion, it has been observed that undertaking malpractices in the form of CSR activities. Greenwashing is a common approach that major organizations are undertaking to create a pseudo and positive image of the organization to the consumers. There have been a number of regulations that have been made to improve the condition of the social activities undertaken by these organizations. However, in order to keep pace with the increasing competition, the corporate organizations at times are found to take certain approaches that are not good enough for the society and the consumers as well. Therefore, it can be said that with better regulations and by laying certain provisional regulations, the malpractices can be curbed to certain extent. Reference List: Alves, I., 2014. Green spin everywhere: How greenwashing reveals the limits of the CSR paradigm.Journal of Global Change and Governance,2(1), pp.1-26. Bazillier, R. and Vauday, J., 2015. The greenwashing machine: is CSR more than communication. Filipovic, C. 2013. Bittersweet: How Kraft's Acquisition of Cadbury Ended the Dynasty of a CSR Luminary | Justmeans. [online] Justmeans.com. Available at: https://www.justmeans.com/blogs/bittersweet-how-krafts-acquisition-of-cadbury-ended-the-dynasty-of-a-csr-luminary [Accessed 28 Dec. 2016]. Mahoney, L.S., Thorne, L., Cecil, L. and LaGore, W., 2013. A research note on standalone corporate social responsibility reports: Signaling or greenwashing?.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,24(4), pp.350-359. Parguel, B., Benot-Moreau, F. and Larceneux, F., 2012. How sustainability ratings might deter greenwashing: A closer look at ethical corporate communication.Journal of business ethics,102(1), pp.15-28. Tsagas, G. 2012. Reflecting on the Value of Socially Responsible Practices Post Takeover of Cadburys Plc by Kraft Foods Inc: Implications for the Revision of the EU Takeover Directive. SSRN Electronic Journal. Visser, W., 2012.The age of responsibility: CSR 2.0 and the new DNA of business. John Wiley Sons.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Database Management Managers and Decision Makers

Question: Describe about the Database Management for Managers and Decision Makers. Answer: Introduction Managers and decision makers in an entity use computer-based decision support system to make vital, decisions inherent to an organization. Managers are faced with the hurdle of selecting the best choice among alternative solutions. Findings from Acito, Khatri (2014) publication denoted that computer-based decision support system has the capabilities of analyzing information fast. Empirically, the initial decision faced by manager includes increasing the market share, increase business productivity and enhance the quality of good and service delivery. A DSS is an interactive computer-based database with people, procedures, telecommunication, and devices that aid decision makers to solve structured and non-structured business problems (Atkinson et al. 2013). DSS support system has evolved over time from simple oriented mode to advanced multi-function database systems. The entity databases are connected with mainframe computers, which managers use to come up with structured and periodic reports. Other decisions supported by the database include production, pricing, marketing, and logistical functions. Advanced database technology has embraced client and server technologies that provide real-time analytics of the market and consumer behavior. Many entities have started to upgrade their data warehousing, object-oriented technology (OBT) and Network Infrastructure. The upgrade has a mark on Decision Support system (DSS) in firms. Additionally, the rapid evolution of the Internet-based capabilities has made DSS a reality. Presently, there are many new innovative systems such as OLAP, Sage, and Pastel. All these computer based database systems have had a profound role in aiding managers make vital decisions for an entity. According to Baltzan (2012), the conceptual framework of these data based models is essential in understanding the actualization of a DSS in a firm. Managers mainly use DSS for searching, retrieving and analyzing data. Users of this database system search for co-relation between data, analyze the data, allow for trend analysis, and create reports (Chang, 2016). Additionally, managers can carry out the conjoint analysis by having alternative scenario by asking what if queries. Subsequently, DSS supports both strategic and tactical decisions which are employed to, leverage manager experience in a particular field. This paper hence presents a detailed literature review on how could business decisions be better supported with databases. The aim of the study This proposal envisions in the completion of the research project on how could business decisions be made better supported with databases. Presently, many publications have affirmed the role of computer-based database systems in decision-making. The DSS is made up of the transaction system that provides the manager with real-time information used for decision-making. The emphasis of the computer-based database does not focus on information quantity, but rather the quality. Characteristics of data quality include relevancy, timeliness, accurateness, unbiased and consistency. My main objectives in this paper will be: Exploring the impact of a database in business decision making. Identification of the merits of using database system in business decision-making Establishing the factors that have led to the success of database system in business decision making. Study hypothesis The study hypothesis for this study will be Every manager relies on database management system to make the vital decision in a firm. Many organizations have adopted the data based systems in their decision-making chain Adoption of the database management systems has a profound impact on decision making in an entity. Research question Managers in the business organization have a reason to adopt the database management systems in the decision-making process as denoted by Coronel Morris (2016). The main research question will be; what is the impact of adoption of database systems in business decision making? Justification and potential output Before technology development, many organizations had a long decision-making process. It was essential for companies to consider embracing technology when making vital decisions. Earlier purchasing managers had a challenge in inventory tracking. Inventory would be easily lost since tracking mechanisms were cumbersome and inefficient. The introduction of DSS computer based systems presents a better way where business decisions are made efficiently. The database decision-making system can provide comparative sales figures, projected revenues and consequences off past decision making. Top tier management uses DSS to make strategic decisions; middle-level management can use to make the tactical decision while the lower level management uses it for day-to-day operations. The rationale for this paper is to depict that database management systems can be used to control inefficiencies in decision-making. Conceptual framework: Literature review Data based Cloud connectivity in inventory management Hair (2015) denotes the use of cloud connectivity technology to track and manage inventory in real time. Private cloud computing will increase track and manage inventory efficiency from about 63% to about 78% thus driving SCM management adoption up from 58% to about 71%. Additionally, there will be a shift of more enterprise workloads to cloud computing. 17% of SCM process is tracked by cloud computing technologies. Use of Source tagging to keep track on inventory and stocks is necessary. A data based tagging solution has been taunted as the best way of tracking inventory from the point of purchase to the warehouse (Hernandez, 2013). To align supply and demand, managers may use network cloud that will track market changes. Managers can use the cloud connectivity system to adapt to seasonal trend and other fluctuation that may occur in the market. The cloud connectivity technologies such as e- procurement network are an essential feature that can be used by managers to predict supply chain disruption and adapt quickly to business processes (Hubbard, 2014).This system will enable managers to know the entire supply chain, not just suppliers, but also the source of the vendor's merchandise. The e-procurement network will aid Managers in responding to risk pro-actively by creating precautionary measures against inventory management. Firms should have a cloud based product code-named NetScaler. This e-procurement software Product is competing against established products such as F5 Networks and A10 networks. NetScaler present an ideal internet based SCM application software solution (Ik et al. 2013). However, the compa ny should put in efforts to make sure it perfects it e- procurement software in tracking and managing inventory. Projected analysis for Microsoft Cloud Product has been used by managers to track the movement of inventory. CRM, Azure, and Office365 are expected to be adopted by many firms in 2018. Additionally, Amazon data Web services will generate about $7.78 Billion of income in 2019. Efficiency in the cloud computing industry is set to intensify because of entry of IBM in the provision of private and hybrid cloud infrastructure service (Jarke et al. 2013). Data based Source tagging in decision-making Managers use Source tagging to determine the volume and location of all merchandise across all distribution channels. Source tagging is an important SCM mechanism of inventory tracking thus minimizing wastage. Managers (CEO) may continue monitoring stock level and replenish the stocks when sensor detect stock is running out of control. Essentially, a more precise level of visibility ensures that the retailer has the information on the product in the supply chain (Johnson, 2014).Managers may also embrace having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) that will allow her pinpoint inventory at the three branches in real time. Data based ABC in Cost Control Essentially, ABC systems assign each cost to products and services. Managers may use the idea of this management accounting tool to improve operations of the company (Kaufmann Wittman, 2016). They can utilize this robust estimation method to measure the performance of his entity. Additionally, he can use ABC to identify, describe, and assign the cost. ABC costing system is more efficient than the traditional costing method because Managers can use ABC costing to identify opportunities that will improve the effectiveness of business processes (sterle, 2013).The real value of stock, are ascertained through ABC method. Managers can assign the value to each item thus gaining the better understanding of productivity of each item. The company corporate strategy involves embracing business and accelerating mobile technology by having a smooth decision-making process within SCM departments in the entity Optimization tools in determination of Demand and Supply in the market The standalone software uses data from ERP and WMS to evaluate the entire network and determine the best inventory prices for each outdoor product sold. The optimizations tools take into account in demand and supply variability by determining the amount of inventory to be held. The popularity of these tools can be attributed to their ability to provide optimization capabilities (Peirson et al. 2014). However, Managers must make sure that the systems are free from human intervention because if tampered they cannot depict the real inventory variability. Single platform that employs business solutions that use real-time analytics The days of cash flow management vis Excel spreadsheets are over. Managers should adopt a great operation and sales plan solution that use unifies model of demand and financial data. Managers can use this analytics to determine an efficiency of each branch cash management systems. Also, they can perform rapid, scenario planning and carry simulation thus supporting planning and cash flow management (Power et al. 2015). Having, a centralized platform where one picture of inventory and cost is shared, Managers will have real-time information on cash movement readily available. Have an integrated Inventory Management program Managers are obliged to conduct an in-depth evaluation and implement revised inventory and purchasing program. .Moreover, the sales plan for all departments should be sent to SCM in the head office. Inventory process from branches should be consolidated into one system; The SCM department communicates with the purchase managers in offices to prepare a procurement plan. Additionally, Managers should come up with an inventory process that embraced demand and supply in the market.( Rodrguez-Enrquez et al., 2006). The new program should evaluate forecasts, ordering procedures with detailed analysis by SKUs. Managers will realize that simulation of inventory will yield saving opportunities. Managers ought to adopt an action plan to restructure firm inventory and purchasing functions. For business efficiency; Managers are deemed to make all branches purchase supply and demand management to be amalgamated to one fold controlled by the CEO. These sales department, Logistics, and production should be integrated and transferred to the SCM of the head office. Efficiency would be realities when the SCM department receives an order from customers and comes up with a procurement plan .To ensure branch efficiency; Managers should institute Key performance index metrics on the purchase and inventory management department.Managers should replenish systems, evaluate vendor orders, and receipt cycles. They will understand that operation costs of the inventory value will be reduced to 25%. Moreover, the product list volume will increase from 20% to 40%. Data based Business Communication Time division multiplexing (TDM) Data based systems can be used by managers to enhance business communication. Communication between staff members is done via the signal flags. They act as multiplexers. Each student is assigned a multiplexer (a line sharing device) that will group small streams of traffic together and align them to achieve a high capacity speed transmission. At the end of transmission, a multiplier allows transmission of messages emanating from multiple sources, while also maintaining separation between words. Staff members use the time division multiplexing (TDM) where signals from each device are separated into single bit periods. The lead controller interleaves the signals altogether and merges them into one multiplexed signal.Our system embraces message clarity. With a combination of the color folder signal and different body language to communicate, we believe our message will be sent quickly and accurately. To enhance clarity, the manager utilizes his or her own Open System Interconnection mod el (OSI) model (Rosu et al. 2012, July). The application layer enabled the students application programs to interact with the networks. We could have used the application layer for database management or mail transfer. The model also incorporated the presentation layer. Specifically, this layer defines the way data from all student is presented, coded, and converted. Although the staff member usually gives handwritten information, the presentation layer transmits the message in language a computer can understand. IFE matrix in decision-making Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix is an efficient management tool in auditing and evaluation of the large internal strengths and subsequent weaknesses in the functional areas in an organization. Moreover, the matrix provides a basis for evaluation of relationships among functional areas of business. Mainly, this data based model is used by managers as a strategy formulation technique. In some aspects, this method correlates with the balanced scorecard. Besides, the IFE matrix uses internal factors, weaknesses, and strengths to evaluate the competitive position of an entity in the industry. Further, the company resources and capabilities are used to compare the industry success to the post of the company in the same industry Data based cloud connectivity to affect business operations Innovation that changes the cloud connectivity starts at this stage. Decision-making between departments starts mainly in three business units namely; Workspace services, mobility apps and Workspace Services. Communication between these units is executed through virtualization, networking, data sharing, web collaboration and IT support. Marketing and Communication team drives firms mission and vision around the globe (Zikmund 2013). Further, this team is tasked with branding and creation on the corporation image. This team has incorporated corporate branding, product marketing, alliance marketing, and field marketing. Further, e-commerce and creation of SMB demand are implemented within this department. Decision making for this entity in issues regarding accounting, financial planning, and investor decision are made in the head office. Moreover, the organization responsibility for supply chain management, global IT strategy, and partnership with other businesses are executed in the head office while communication is conveyed to the branches. The finance department holds the responsibility for shipping teams, facilities, and purchasing. Human Resources Managers considers database recruitment softwares for hiring and placement. Specifically, the HR have as strategic look at the entity with a complete emphasis on retaining a talented and a motivated workforce, Some of the profound HR services include Hiring and staffing, learning and development, compensation, consulting, corporate citizenship and employee citizenship Methodology of the Study The operational steps of research from the hypothesis to final data analysis are known research methodology as denoted by Scholz (2012). On the other hand, the study design is the analysis of data, which aims at combining research relevance with the underlying procedure. The design involves observational. Sampling and operational design for the study on how could business decisions be better supported with databases. Profoundly, the study will embrace quantitative and qualitative study methods. Sampling design According to Zikmund et al. (2013), the sampling design adopted in the survey is based on representational analysis of the survey. Random sampling will be used when evaluating research variables. The study will make sure manager selected have adopted database management techniques in decision-making. Random sampling design Random questionnaires will be distributed to all randomly selected managers. Consequently, the study will come up with a record of executives respondents as it comes up with the kind of information to be filled in the data. Random sampling is favored since it simple to use and capable of data and sampling method (Stein et al. (2013) Observable design The observable method in this study involves a different method of collecting primary and secondary data. Researchers prefer survey method in the collection of primary data. However, this study will embrace direct interviews carried on managers in the chosen organizations. The questionnaires will be tailored towards the collection of information regarding the impact of a database system in decision-making (Simon, 2013). Interview process The interview method will involve a presentation of oral verb response from the targeted managers. This interview method is fastest and the most flexible method used to identify relevant question used in this study Use of questionnaires The study questionnaires will be formulated on the basis globally accepted security privacy regulations. The majority of the research questions are subjective to a no or yes answer. Other questionnaires will be multiple-choice questions. After filling the questionnaires, they are forwarded to the respective HR department for collection. Statistical design Statistical tools are crucial as the help the researcher to analyze data collected and design the research process thus researchers can draw the conclusion of the study. Additionally, the tools are important in testing the research hypothesis. In this study, SPSS statistical software and advanced Excel analytics will be used as data analysis tools. ANOVA test will be used to experimental data variability. Chi-Squares tests will be used to extract data from excel. Hypothesis testing will be evaluated using significance levels generated from cross-tabulation of collected data. Organization, budget, and schedule First, the progress of the research project will involve sending the request to carry background checks on decisions reached by management in different institutions. Subsequently, it will be followed by identifying chosen data collection methods to collect the necessary data for research. The main challenge we are likely to face financial hurdles when carrying this whole process. Budget Parameter Cost in USD ($) Transportation $ 200 Questionnaires $ 100 Stationary $40 Data analysis $ 150 Total $ 490.00 Schedule Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Pre-visit Data collection Data Analysis Report presentation END References Acito, F., Khatri, V. (2014). Business analytics: Why now and what next?.Business Horizons,57(5), 565-570. Atkinson, M., Baxter, R., Brezany, P., Corcho, O., Galea, M., Parsons, M., ... van Hemert, J. (Eds.). (2013).The data bonanza: improving knowledge discovery in science, engineering, and business(Vol. 90). John Wiley Sons. Baltzan, P. (2012).Business driven technology. McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Chang, J. F. (2016).Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press Coronel, C., Morris, S. (2016).Database systems: design, implementation, management. Cengage Learning. Hair, J. F. (2015).Essentials of business research methods. ME Sharpe. Hernandez, M. J. (2013).Database design for mere mortals: a hands-on guide to relational database design. Pearson Education. Hubbard, D. W. (2014).How to measure anything: Finding the value of intangibles in business. John Wiley Sons. Ik, ., Jones, M. C., Sidorova, A. (2013). Business intelligence success: The roles of capabilities and decision environments.Information Management,50(1), 13-23. Jarke, M., Lenzerini, M., Vassiliou, Y., Vassiliadis, P. (2013).Fundamentals of data warehouses. Springer Science Business Media. Johnson, P. F. (2014).Purchasing and supply management. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Kaufmann, E., Wittmann, W. W. (2016). The success of linear bootstrapping models: Decision domain-, expertise-, and criterion-specific meta-analysis.PloS one,11(6), e0157914. sterle, H. (2013).Business in the information age: heading for new processes. Springer Science Business Media. Peirson, G., Brown, R., Easton, S., Howard, P. (2014).Business finance. McGraw-Hill Education Australia. Power, D. J., Sharda, R., Burstein, F. (2015).Decision support systems. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Rodrguez-Enrquez, C. A., Alor-Hernndez, G., Mejia-Miranda, J., Snchez-Cervantes, J. L. Rosu, D., Cheng, W., Jan, E. E., Ayachitula, N. (2012, July). Connecting the dots in IT service delivery: From operations content to high-level business insights. InService Operations and Logistics, and Informatics (SOLI), 2012 IEEE International Conference on(pp. 410-415). IEEE. Scholz-Reiter, B., Stickel, E. (Eds.). (2012).Business process modelling. Springer Science Business Media. Simon, P. (2013).Too Big to Ignore: The Business Case for Big Data(Vol. 72). John Wiley Sons. Stein, A. D., Smith, M. F., Lancioni, R. A. (2013). The development and diffusion of customer relationship management (CRM) intelligence in business-to-business environments.Industrial Marketing Management,42(6), 855-861. Zikmund, W. G., Babin, B. J., Carr, J. C., Griffin, M. (2013).Business research methods. Cengage Learning.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Is there a significant difference in the proportion of cholesterol values greater than the mean of the control group between the 2

Table of Contents Statement of the purpose Background Study significance Description Methodology Limitations References Statement of the purpose There is a significant difference in the proportion of cholesterol values greater than the mean of the control group between the 2-day, 4-day and 14-day heart attack patients.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Is there a significant difference in the proportion of cholesterol values greater than the mean of the control group between the 2-day, 4-day, and 14-day? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Background Heart attack cases have been associated with the level of cholesterol in a patient. Low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol concentration is factor that contributes to development of atherosclerosis, which causes cardiovascular diseases (Brown Goldstein 1984). This implies that with a reduction in the level of HDL cholesterol in a patients’ blood, the higher th e chance of atherosclerosis. Conversely, an increase in the concentration of this cholesterol reduces the risk of a heart attack. Conducting of a heart disease therapy can be done by increasing the level of HDL-cholesterol. Therefore, some studies have correlated cholesterol with cardiovascular diseases. Currently, heart attack therapy is associated with the understanding of cholesterol levels in a patient. Studies have demonstrated the significant differences relating to cholesterol levels in patients. The High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) has been found to be significantly low than the control groups (Valappil, Chaudhary, Praveenkumar, Gopalakrishnan Girija, 2012). Conversely, heart attack patients have been found to have a high level concentration of LDL cholesterol. This has led to some conclusions that these two kinds of cholesterol can be associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. However, with varying results, no studies have put it confident that the level of cholesterol is significantly different in the heart attack patients and the control groups. Study significance The study will be vital in determining the significant difference between the level of cholesterol in heart attack patients and the control group. Last, the study will determine the significant difference basing on 2-day, 4-day and 14-day patients compared to the control group. Description A comparison study conducted by Valappil et al. (2012) revealed that reduced cholesterol in intracerebral hemorrhage patients was significantly higher than that of the control group, see table 1. Averagely, the total cholesterol was significantly different between the ICH patients and the control group. The results also showed that LDH cholesterol was low in ICH patients than the control group. This difference was significant, unlike, the difference in the level of HDL, which was proved insignificant.Advertising Looking for proposal on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Table 1: mean cholesterol level in ICH patients and the Control group Control group 43% ICH patients 57% A study by Carroll et al. (2005) indicated that the level of cholesterol continues to decline. The study was conducted in the United States by comparing the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1988 to 2000. The average cholesterol decline was high in older people than younger people. The decline in HDL levels was insignificant, while that in LDL was significant. See fig. 1 and table 2. Fig. 1. A reduction in cholesterol level for old and young people in the United States with time Table 2: cholesterol reduction in older people (20 and older) Time Cholesterol level 1960-1962 223  mg/dL 1989-1994 Dropped from 223 to203  mg/dl 199-2000 Dropped from 129 to 123 mg/dl Methodology The study will be conducted in the United States. The research design to be used will be a compar ative study, which compares cholesterol levels in 30 heart attack patients and 30 patients without heart attacks. Patient used will be of the white race. Purposive sampling will be used to select the sample because with use of other sampling, it will be hard to get a heart attack patient. Data will be analyzed through graphs and tables, using percentages and mean. Limitations The study is limited to the white race in the United States. This will make it hard using the conclusions on the black race.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Is there a significant difference in the proportion of cholesterol values greater than the mean of the control group between the 2-day, 4-day, and 14-day? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Brown, M., Goldstein, J. L. (1984). How LDL receptors influence cholesterol and atherosclerosis.  Sci Am,  251, 58–66. Carroll, M.D., Lacher, D.A., Sorlie, P. D., Cleeman, J.I ., Gordon, D.J., Wolz, M., Grundy, S. M., Johnson, C.L. (2005). Trends in Serum Lipids and Lipoproteins of Adults, 1960-2002. JAMA, 294(14), 1773-81. Valappil, A.A., Chaudhary, N.V., Praveenkumar, R., Girija, S. A. (2012). Low Cholesterol as a Risk Factor for Primary Intracerebral Hemorrhahage: A case Control Study. Ann Indian Acad Neurol., 15(1), 19-22. This proposal on Is there a significant difference in the proportion of cholesterol values greater than the mean of the control group between the 2-day, 4-day, and 14-day? was written and submitted by user Silver Gorilla to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

3 Clumsy Compositions

3 Clumsy Compositions 3 Clumsy Compositions 3 Clumsy Compositions By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, awkward syntax results in a distractingly clunky flow that obstructs comprehension. Discussion and revision of each example tells and shows how to make the statements flow more smoothly. 1. They wanted to evolve the organization beyond its roots as a traditional hospital network with success measured by occupancy, or â€Å"heads in beds.† When an informal word or phrase used as a synonym for a more formal term appears, the coinage often follows the standard term as an appositive (a term equivalent to an adjacent term), which is illogical- why introduce the slang term after using the official one, when, whether it appears again or not, it seems immediately redundant? The only sensible reason to use both synonyms is to first introduce an informal term that will subsequently reappear in the piece of content, then gloss (briefly define) it with the formal term; thereafter, when readers encounter the term again, they will have already been informed of its meaning: â€Å"They wanted to evolve the organization beyond its roots as a traditional hospital network with success measured by ‘heads in beds,’ or occupancy.† 2. The issue has been under the spotlight in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Monetary Authority spokesperson John Chang commented on its response last week. In this sentence, â€Å"Hong Kong† is awkwardly repeated in immediate succession, separated only by a period, which makes it difficult to read. The phrase describing John Chang’s affiliation is easily relocated to follow his name, a solution recommended in general when such a description is extensive: â€Å"The issue has been under the spotlight in Hong Kong. John Chang, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, commented on its response last week.† 3. The customer risk rating calculation methodology should be adjusted to take into account any heightened risk of financial crime. The adjectival cluster that precedes methodology is awkward because all the words in that string are nouns serving as adjectives, and the reader can easily become frustrated about having to haltingly read the phrase while trying to parse where the phrasal adjective ends. The technically correct solution is to hyphenate the string, but the result is unwieldy. Better yet, relax the sentence to reduce the number of elements in the phrasal adjective: â€Å"The methodology for calculating customer-risk rating should be adjusted to take into account any heightened risk of financial crime.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food†Disappointed + PrepositionUsing "May" in a Question

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho - Movie Review Example Suspense is always characteristic of a Hitchcock movie. Though he started with horror genre, Hitchcock was able to transform his work into a different kind of style, and that could have transformed into a genre itself. In TV and in films, the plot, the music and scoring are typical of Hitchcock. A woman unrobes, steps into the bathtub, draws the shower curtain closed, and turns on the shower. As she is showering, the door opens, a shadowy figure slowly approaches, and a hand swiftly throws open the curtain. A shadowy figure of a woman appears from behind the curtain, raises her hand with a large bread knife and stabs the naked woman several times. She screams but the attack is relentless. The scene is intensified by a searing background music of a violin that seems to slash and scream. The woman lays lifeless, half of her body hanging on the tub. What's so peculiar and popular - and controversial - in this shower scene in Psycho These days thrillers or mystery/suspense movies employ this kind of gory scene, in fact modern thrillers apply a more intense and horrifying scene that one can say they are more violent blood-soaked scenes than the original Hitchcock Psycho movie. Here, Hitchcock committed many firsts in movie viewing in the 60's. Janet Leigh, or Marion Crane in the movie, flushing the toilet is believed to be the first such shot shown in American cinema, and with her showing her nipple, was also a no-no at that time. Out of this film and the succeeding Hitchcock classic, the guy initiated, albeit unknowingly, his own brand of horror - the mystery and suspense genre. Psycho defines the beginning of Mystery and Suspense Genre Hitchcock has very shrewdly interwoven crime, sex and suspense, also blending the real and the unreal in fascinating proportions and punctuating this with several quick, grisly and unnerving surprises. It is clear that the story has an unsolved crime, or a serial killing is still uncovered. But why was Psycho popularly known - and advertised - as a horror film This was the beginning, in fact, of the mystery genre and Hitchcock was one of those who made it happen. Hitchcock is known for his horror movies, but in Psycho, horrifying as it is, the genre that we can and must refer to is Mystery/Suspense. During the first showing of the movie, Hitchcock again attempted another first in American cinema appreciation. The movie was to be seen at the very beginning, so as not to anticipate the suspense. Psycho is not an ordinary police story, although this can be regarded as a police story because murder is being committed - or a series of murder - and the perpetrator continues to commit such murder. After the first killing, another one, the private investigator is himself killed. It could not be positively identified who was the perpetrator of the murder, but at first it was insinuated in the scenes that the "mother" of Norman Bates, the manager of Bates Hotel, was the murderer. Some scenes shown were that of Norman arguing with his mother, although the figure of the 'mother' was shown with

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Fallout 1 and 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fallout 1 and 2 - Essay Example It all started in 2052, when the Resource Wars erupted. The ravages of war, spawned by the famines in Africa and India, pollution in Asia, the rise of extremism in the Middle East, and the unquenching thirst for oil threatened to annihilate the world forever. No one knows whether China declared war on America, or vice versa, but the oil-hungry Chinese attack of 2066 on Alaska was the point of no return, when the genesis of a new terrifying, Great war, was on the horizon. Weeks turned into moths and moths turned into years, as the Alaskan trench warfare yielded nothing but blood and an unusable wasteland. America eventually won the war, but the plains of Alaska were never the same. A smoking ruin was all that was left of the Alaskan frontier. What was to follow was something far more horrific than anything man has faced before. The nuclear armageddon began in the morning on October 23 2077, resulting in the destruction of all major cities, polluting the oceans and creating changes tha t even dr. Moreau wouldn't imagine. Some scientists and artisans, soldiers and men of wealth managed to survive the holocaust by taking refuge in the massive shelters called Vaults, built before the war by a company called Vault-tec. These three-stories underground structures built deep inside the mountains shielded the survivors from the effects of radiation, disease, and other catastrophes. Equipped with G.E.C.K.'s, or the Garden of Eden Creation Kit, devices capable of creating a new life for the inhabitants of the Vault's after they returned to the surface, some of the Vaults managed to survive the earthquakes, attacks by the Raiders, and other disasters. People living in the Vaults survived the immediate destruction, but their descendants would face far greater challenges in a changed and desolate world. In Fallout 1, the events occur some 80 years later, in the year 2161. One of the shelters called Vault 13, located in Southern California, faces a serious difficulty- the Water Chip, a computer chip responsible for the water recycling and pumping machinery has stopped working. The Vault Overseer of Vault 13 has no choice but to assign the protagonist, an inhabitant of Vault 13, to the task of finding a new Water chip, therefore sending our hero into the harsh outside wasteland, armed with nothing but the PIPboy 2000 as a bookkeeping apparatus and bottle caps as currency. Our hero enters into a new world, fractured more by the various organizations and beliefs, than the unspeakable number on nuclear weapons that have scorched Earth's surface. One prominent organization is the Brotherhood of Steel, a quasi-political and religious group, which is strongly dedicated to the preservation of technology. Although the 3 classes within the organization are knights, paladins and scribes, the me mbers are not adhering to the rules of chivalry at all, since they are not concerned with the ones less fortunate than them. The New California Republic is also an important group in the new desolate world. Located in South California with its capital Shady Sands, it is probably the closest thing to states that existed before the war. It has a

Sunday, November 17, 2019

EC Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

EC Law - Essay Example It is evident that the European Union needs to put some laws to prevent companies that produce mobile phones from producing phones with such negative impacts. Although the European Union set up a law on the amount of radiation a phone is expected to emit, the British government has not yet implemented it (Steiner, 2003, pp.51-60). The fact that the British government is reluctant in implementing the law, the French Verizon Phones Sarl company has raised a complaint that the phone companies in British need to adhere to the limit set by the EC laws on radiation. It is doing so because it has adhered to the regulations set. The British government is facing a little bit of set backs since the implementation by mobile phone companies in reducing the emission of radiation form phones will take longer than expected. The idea that implementation will be delayed was given by the UK Federation of Mobile Telephones Retailers (FMTR) as it is the joint body of all manufacturing and retailing phone industries. The federation and the government are working to ensure that the companies adhere to the rules of emission to protect the country form being sued by the French mobile company that has already written a complaint to the European Commission and the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the district where it is bas ed (Steiner, 2003, pp.51-60). The Buzz Phone Company is a British company that manufactures phones. The company does not adhere to the radiation limits set in mobile phones. It is faced with very many set backs in trying to adhere to the regulations. It is faced with high production costs due to high levels of unemployment in the area it is situated. For such reasons, it does not have enough money to implement on the regulations of radiations because it is expensive. The French company, Verizon Phones Sarl, has already written to the EU commission on the issue. It is not clear if

Friday, November 15, 2019

Cult Practices in Late Bronze Age Cyprus

Cult Practices in Late Bronze Age Cyprus Assess the evidence for cult practices on Cyprus during the LBA (Late Bronze Age). There is a variety of evidence for cult practices on Cyprus during the LBA although it is often difficult to interpret and scholarly opinion of the significance or meaning of any particular piece of evidence may vary widely.   In absolute terms, the LBA on Cyprus approximately covers the period from 1650-1050BC, some six hundred years, and in relative terms is divided by Steel into the phases LC (Late Cypriot) I-IIIA (Tatton-Brown 1997, 91; Steel 2004, 13).   The later phase down to c1050BC, traditionally termed LCIIIB, may be considered a transitional Bronze/Early Iron Age.   Such a considerable amount of time offers considerable scope for change in religious thought and practice, which may be more or less visible in the archaeological record, and although some material change through time may be observable, any interpretation still poses the danger of imposing a possibly non-existent uniformity on the material.   A lack of any written references such as inscriptions, dedica tions or other texts to deities in LBA Cyprus further complicates matters (Tatton-Brown 1997, 62).   Nevertheless, the archaeological evidence usually discussed in terms of religious or cultic beliefs and practices in LBA Cyprus seems to fall into several interlinked categories: clay figurines, architectural remains (eg of sanctuaries) and artefacts, such as statuettes, imported pottery or bucrania, found in association with those architectural remains.   The identification of any particular deities has been fraught with difficulty, but several bronze statuettes, the most well-known being known as the Ingot God and the Bomford figurine, are often thought to represent Cypriot or sometimes foreign gods and to show a link between cult and metalworking.   This essay shall therefore examine these in turn, focussing on LCII and LCIIIA in particular.   There are various types of figurine from LBA Cyprus and as with figurines from elsewhere, their interpretation and significance is disputed.   Considering the earlier stump and plank type human figures, Tatton-Brown (1997, 62) suggests that whether they were fertility charms or goddesses ‘in practical terms their function would have been the same’.   It is perhaps appropriate to bear this in mind with the LBA figurines.   Karageorghis (2001, 323) has noted two types of female symbolism in the religious iconography of LBA Cyprus: one type of nude female figurine holding or supporting her breasts first appears on Cyprus in the Chalcolithic and continues down to the sixth century BC (see Tatton-Brown 1997, 49, fig. 49); another type, the kourotrophos (or boy-feeder; see Tatton-Brown 1997, 62 fig. 67 for an early plank-shaped kourotrophos) appeared firstly in the LBA and was also present in the Aegean as well as Cyprus.   The former are sometimes known as ‘Asta rte’ type figures, after the Syrian goddess.   This emphasis on female characteristics such as breasts and genitals, as well as the feeding infant or infant in arms, is certainly suggestive of an interest in fertility and the feminine aspect, often thought to be represented by a ‘Great Goddess’ of Cyprus.   Although there is no textual evidence regarding female deities from LBA Cyprus, much later fourth century BC dedications at Paphos refer to ‘Wanassa’ – the ‘Lady’, which seems to be an old title known in the LBA Linear B record of mainland Greece (Tatton-Brown 1997, 63).   Greeks knew this goddess as Aphrodite or the Cyprian in the eighth century BC while Cypriots knew her as the Paphian, from the religious centre at Paphos.   Whatever the female figurines represent – and they may not even represent goddesses, it has nevertheless been concluded that anthropomorphic clay figurines ‘are not a typical element of LC cult equipment in LCII or LCIII’ but become popular towards the end of the LBA (Steel 2004, 205, 211).   Indeed, it seems that especially at Enkomi in LCIIIB, in the Sanctuary of the Ingot God, smaller and larger figurines (wheel-made with upraised arms) became especially popular, perhaps representing worshippers and deities.   The larger figurines seem to be related to Cretan examples (Karageorghis 2001, 325).   Most of the 120 figurines were deliberately broken, which may be indicative of changes in cult practice at this time (Webb 1999, 107). Anthropomorphic figurines are not the only type of figurine that may be related to cult practices on LBA Cyprus.   Another key type may be the bull figurine.   Steel (2004, 178) suggests that ‘most LC cult sanctuaries are equipped with at least a single terracotta bull figure.’   Hadjisavvas (1989) describes the tentative identification of two sanctuaries and a household cult area at Alassa-Pano Mandilaris from LCIIC-IIIA, where in total more than ten bull figurines were found on floors (see Hadjisavvas 1989, 38 fig. 3.6).   Evidence of metalworking and a miniature ox-hide ingot were also found associated.   Since bull figurines tend to be found on the floors of sanctuaries rather than deposited in pits (bothroi) or wells, Webb suggests they served as cult equipment rather than offerings (Webb 1999, 219).   Bucrania had appeared on clay sanctuary models from the Early Bronze Age testifying to the longstanding significance of the bull in the Cypriot mindscape (Preziosi and Hitchcock 1999, 202) and the LBA figures emphasise the continuing importance of the bull in LCIIIA cult practices, reflected in the finds of cattle bones and skulls at sites such as the Sanctuary of the Horned God at Enkomi (Steel 2004, 205).   It may be significant that at several sites, including the Sanctuary of the Double Goddess at Enkomi, no bull figurines were found.   The focus of communal ceremonial activity seems to have changed in LCIIA from the extramural cemeteries that seemed to dominate the ceremonial of LCI to sites specific to religious activity – sanctuaries, that now appear in the archaeological record (Steel 2004, 175).   There are notable examples of specialised cult centres from LCIIA at Myrtou-Pighades, Athienou and perhaps Ayios Iakovos-Dhima and in LCIIC-IIIA at the urban centres of Kition, Enkomi and Palaepaphos (Steel 2004, 176).   As seen above, the religious nature of a place may often be suggested by the finds associated with it, such as bull figurines or miniature ingots, supposing that they are a specialised assemblage distinct from domestic assemblages.   Particular architectural features or installations, such as horns of consecration (a feature from the Aegean, particularly Crete), altars and a cult room, may also be used to identify LC sanctuaries.   The remains of sacrifice, stores cult objects and image s and specialised prestige and religious objects, such as figurines, bucrania and imported pottery should also be indicative of a sanctuary (Knapp 1996, 75-6 cited in Steel 2004, 175).   However, the identification of cult buildings is not always straightforward since as Webb (1999, 11) points out ‘there appear to be few artefacts or architectural or locational indicators exclusively diagnostic of cult activity. Virtually all object types, with the probable exception of horns of consecration, are found in domestic and funerary as well as apparently ritual contexts’ and there is a danger of circular argumentation.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Bearing in mind the problems of identification, Webb (1999, 157-6; 166-88) has nevertheless suggested a number of characteristics of LC cult buildings.   Such buildings are mostly rectangular and freestanding and incorporate an enclosed courtyard or temenos.   They tend to be laid out on an east-west axis and often comprise two or three units of rooms – the hall, sometimes supported by rows of pillars, the cella or adyton and a vestibule.   A range of internal installations may be present, including: benches, for storage and display; hearths, often with burnt animal bone suggestive of sacrifice; stone podia for food and drink offerings or the display of votives or cult equipment; stone platforms or altars with horns of consecration, as at Myrtou-Pighades; terracotta larnakes or bathtubs and pits or bothroi, for the disposal of debris from sacrifices.   Also characteristic of LCII cult places are faunal remains of sheep, goat, cattle and deer, perhaps in the form of ash and burnt bone, the remains of sacrifice and feasting.   The main function of cult buildings may have been to house the deity and any ritual or public assembly may have made use of the courtyard or temenos area (Webb 1999, 162).   There may have been restricted access to particular areas reflecting the specialised role of religious functionaries, as in other ancient Near Eastern societies.   Keswani (1993, 74) has commented that what is striking about LC religious sites is their diversity in architectural form, which might argue for the existence of independent local polities.   However the relationship between religion and its expression in material terms, let alone the relationship between religion and politics, is unclear and, to use an analogy, the similarity of Gothic cathedrals or Christian churches across various countries does not reflect political unity.   Furthermore, whether the modern scholar’s distinction between cult building and non-cult building ref lects any particular distinction between sacred and secular that may or may not have existed in LBA Cyprus is moot. Turning now to the artefacts that are often found in the sanctuaries, Steel (2004, 177) notes that in contrast to the variety in architecture, the cult equipment of LCII sanctuaries is fairly uniform.   Although she comments that this may suggest ‘a certain degree of uniformity of cult practices and religious beliefs’ it should be borne in mind that material similarities and even similarities of ritual action do not necessarily betoken similarities in religious belief – the number of religions ancient and modern that utilise, for example, ritualised drinking (eg Christianity), while having very different sets of beliefs, should warn us of this.   That said, the cult equipment is largely made up of ceramics that suggest certain features of cult practice.   Liquid containers are common finds, especially Base Ring carinated cups which may have been used for wine consumption during feasting, for pouring libations or both (Steel 2004, 177).   The pottery in the se contexts is usually fine Cypriot ware with some Mycenaean imports, mainly in the form of kraters, probably for mixing wine.   Some Mycenaean rhyta, often conical vessels used for pouring libations, have been found, for example at Myrtou-Pighades and Kition (see Preziosi and Hitchcock 1999, 201 fig. 134) and a locally made imitation in ivory was found at Athienou, although they may not have been fully incorporated into Cypriot ritual (Steel 2004, 178).   Other vessels such as Mycenanaean kylikes may have been used for libation ceremonies.   The ceramic focus on drinking seems reminiscent of the mainland Greek LBA palace of Pylos, with its storerooms full of drinking cups.   Another shared feature is the practice of using miniature votives, either ceramics or ingots, such as at Alassa-Pano Mandilaris (Hadjisavvas 1989, 38).   Apart from ceramics, Steel (2004, 178) also mentions the presence of objects that may have been used in divination: incised ox-scapulae, astragalis and worked shells, and other valuable items such as faience, ivory, glass, alabaster, bronzes and sealstones, which may have been involved in competitive display, at least on the urban sanctuaries.   Three of the most famous and enigmatic bronze finds, perhaps representing deities, are the Ingot God from Enkomi, the unprovenanced Bomford statuette and the Horned God from Enkomi, all of which would seem to belong to LCIIIA (Carless Hulin 1989; Steel 2004, 180, 205 plate 25). The Ingot God is a warrior with a horned helmet, holding a small round shield and spear.   He appears to be standing on a characteristically shaped bronze ox-hide ingot.   The Bomford statuette resembles an ‘Astarte’ figurine but also seems to stand upon an ingot.   Many interpretations have been offered, including suggestions that the Ingot God is a Babylonian or Levantine god (Nergal) or the Greek smith-god Hephaistos; others have linked it with Syria-Palestine or the Aegean (Carless Hulin 1989, 127).   The Bomford figurine, reckoned to be a local Cypriot goddess, has been assumed to be the consort of the Ingot God, since it also stands on an ingot, and thus Carless Hulin (1989, 127) ha s suggested that its identification must be seen in light of that figure.   While these two figures have posed significant problems in interpretation and in particular origins as deduced from style have been a major concern of those examining them, they do seem to show a connection between religion and metalwork (Steel 2004, 180).   This is not entirely surprising since such a link is suggested by the miniature ingots from cult areas mentioned above at Alassa-Pano Mandilaris or those from Enkomi, some with inscriptions.   Further representations of ingots have been noted that seem to show them in a ritualised sense – ie being carried in a procession   (unless this is mere transportation or loading), on sealstones, and in combination with human figures, trees and bucrania, the association of which would seem to indicate ritual significance (Knapp 1986, 37).   Another link between religion and metalwork is shown by the physical proximity of cult and metalworking areas .   This was the case at Alassa-Pano Mandilaris (Hadjisavvas 1989, 41) and can be seen clearly at Kition-Kathari (see Steel 2004, 179 fig. 6.13) as well as many other sites.   Hadjisavvas (1989, 41) concluded that there was a relationship between elite control (priesthood/priest-king) of craft production and trade in copper and other commodities and between cult and metalworking.   As with drinking, the relationship seems reminiscent of that of Pylos as a specialised production centre with close links between production, storage and religious/political authority. The Horned God has also been classed as a warrior god (Steel 2004, 205), though it does not possess the military accoutrements (the spear and shield) of the Ingot God.   The impractically horned helmet may in fact be arrogating or representing some aspect of the bull divinity in human aspect.   The sanctuary of the Horned God at Enkomi in fact revealed cattle bones, skulls and possibly traces of an Aegean bull’s head rhyton that might be taken as supporting this conjecture.   Although these three bronze figures are commonly referred to as gods, the problem of interpretation nonetheless remains.   Do the statues represent deities and were they venerated?   Are they votives or substitutes for worshippers or individuals?   Perhaps they were simply items of cult equipment used in ceremonies, perhaps revealed during ceremonies of divine appearance or the enactment of myths.   Their deposition seems to suggest deliberate closure ceremonies (Steel 2004, 206), suggesting that these rituals and statuettes are tied to specific times in LBA Cyprus and presumably responded to specific social needs.   Thus it is perhaps unwise to draw period wide generalisations from such evidence. Another type of evidence appearing in LCIII that should be mentioned briefly is the terracotta masks from the urban sanctuaries of Enkomi and Kition (Steel 2004, 204).   These have been divided into anthropomorphic and demonic types, both of which are slightly less than adult life size.   Some have traces of paint and eight of the anthropomorphic masks show a bearded male with cut-out eyes and a closed mouth.   The demonic faces are deeply grooved.   The masks have been interpreted as ritual objects worn during rites of passage from childhood to adulthood – the demonic masks representing the wild state of childhood and as masks used in mythological re-enactments connected to metalworking (Steel 2004, 205). This essay has attempted to outline and assess the evidence for cult practice in LBA Cyprus.   Inevitably not all of the evidence has been mentioned here but it is hoped that reasonable coverage has been given to the main points.   It has shown that while there is much evidence linked to cult in the LBA, such as figurines, sanctuaries and specialised artefacts, their interpretation is often problematic.   Even when it is fairly certain that items may have been involved in cult in one way or another, any more specific comment is often impossible, even when deciding if a figurine represent a divinity.   It has also been demonstrated that to link variety in architectural form to any interpretation of the political geography of LBA Cyprus may be problematic, since the wider relationships between material and non-material remain obscure.   Furthermore, the essay examined the significance of several bronze statuettes, usually taken to be divinities, and the problems in their inte rpretation as well as the novel terracotta masks that appear in LCIII.   On the other hand, it has been shown that there seems to have been lively religious activity on LBA Cyprus that involved drinking and feasting using particular ceramics and in particular places, the pouring of libations and sacrifice of animals, as well as the deposition of valuable items.   There seems to have been a particular reverence for bulls and their imagery as well as the female aspect represented by figurines and the Bomford statuette, as well as a significant link between metalworking and religion, as demonstrated by both the proximity of cult and metalworking areas and the presence of miniature ingots.   Another important aspect of LBA Cypriot religion seems to be the willingness to incorporate features from outside Cyprus, the Cretan horns of consecration, for example, rhyta, Mycenaean cups, kraters and the like and the ability of Cypriot religion to change over time. References Carless Hulin, L. 1989. The identification of Cypriot cult figures through cross-cultural comparison: some problems.   In Peltenburg, E. (ed.) 1989. Early Society in Cyprus. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp127-39. Hadjisavvas, S. 1989. A Late Cypriot Community at Alassa. In Peltenburg, E. (ed.) 1989. Early Society in Cyprus. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp32-42. Karageorghis, V. 2001. The Great Goddess of Cyprus Between the Aegeans and the ‘Etrocypriots’. In Laffineur, R. and Hagg, R. (eds.) 2001. POTNIA. Deities and Religion in the Aegean Bronze Age Aegaeum 22. Gà ¶teborg: Gà ¶teborg University pp323-27. Keswani, P.S. 1993. Models of Local Exchange in Late Bronze Age Cyprus. BASOR 292: 73-83. Knapp, A.B. 1986. Copper Production and Divine Protection: Archaeology, Ideology and Social Complexity on Bronze Age Cyprus. SIMA Pocketbook 42. Gà ¶teborg: Paul Astrà ¶ms Fà ¶rlag.    Preziosi, D. and Hitchcock, L.A. 1999. Aegean Art and Arc hitecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Steel, L. 2004. Cyprus Before History. From the Earliest Settlers to the End of the Bronze Age. London: Duckworth. Tatton-Brown, V. 1997. Ancient Cyprus. (2nd edition) London: British Museum Press. Webb, J.M. 1999. Ritual Architecture, Iconography and Practice in the Late Cypriot Bronze Age.   Jonsered: Paul Astrà ¶ms Fà ¶rlag.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Plato And Love -- :: essays research papers

Preservation of Biodiversity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Human beings have inhabited Earth for just a blink of an eye. Almost any ecosystem can provide resources valuable to humans. “However, recent reports show that approximately 40 percent of the earth’s land surface has been altered by humanity'; (Becher). These altered surfaces have provided communities for humans, but the process has destroyed many native species and ecosystems. Global biodiversity is currently in danger. Estimates vary in how fast a species becomes extinct, from “one species per day to one species per hour'; (Howes). In ancient times, geological activities and natural catastrophes would cause the extinction of species. But today, humans cause extinction through the manipulation of land use, pollution and etc. There are many reasons to preserve biodiversity such as medical advances, contributions to their ecosystem and much more. The primary arguments for preserving global biodiversity can be separated into two categories, human m otives and natural existence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “Preserving a diversity of life on Earth has come to be an accepted goal for many people'; (Botkin/Keller). Four distinct categories why humans desire to preserve biodiversity are recreational, religious, aesthetic/emotive, and economic/intellectual reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many reasons for preserving biodiversity because of recreation. Children love the sight of exotic animals and other species. The most accommodating site to view a wide variety of species is a zoo and other similar sites. These sites provide jobs and enjoyment for people of all ages. Recreation also means the poaching of animals whether or not they are rare.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second reason to preserve biodiversity due to human motives is religion. Preserving a species for religious purposes can be taken two ways. An animal, insect or etc. can be worshipped (i.e. scarab beetles and cats in the days of ancient Egypt) or preserved because a higher being created its existence. Human beings are not all- knowing and all-powerful. Decimating a species should not be our choice, but our actions provide this result daily.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next reasons are aesthetic and emotive. These can be described by the positive sensations humans see and feel when viewing a living organism. A dollar amount cannot be placed upon these sensations. Beauty of an organism is not always based upon the same standards. Some people may find trees beautiful to view while others may find them taking up needless space. Current generations of species must be preserved so the future generations of children may enjoy what we enjoy today.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

General Environmental Pollution and the KyotoProtocol

What is environmental pollution? It can be defined as the act of environmental contamination, usually caused by man-made wastes. The Environment and Opportunity Cost At first thought, these two concepts seem to be fairly unrelated. However, both of these concepts come down to one single principle – Scarcity. As economists, we have seen that society tries to make the best arrangements between various resources in order to gain maximum benefit. Unfortunately, these arrangements which provide maximum benefit to an individual or firm can have detrimental side effects to other individuals and/or firms. Environmental problems would not arise if there was a superabundance of resources. There would be no worries about running out of supplies. Most waste products could be easily and harmlessly dispersed if there were boundless oceans and atmosphere. Many of our environmental problems occur simply because we have tended to treat world resources as if they were limitless. Scarcity forces upon us the necessity of making choices by comparing alternatives. We are all aware that if limited resources are fully employed, an increase in the output of one commodity or service can only be achieved by having less of another – more resources being used to clean-up the environment will mean fewer resources available for consumer goods. (Explain opportunity cost and trade off) (Explain shifting of PPC inwards in long run due to unhealthy workforce and hence less productivity of workforce – should we locate at A or at B? – Most developed nations would aim for B whilst most developing nations would really produce at A) (Explain minimum consumption limited – why points below/above are unachievable) Economic Causes of Environmental Pollution Environmental pollution is basically caused due to economic actions of a firm – i.e. production of a good or service. Environmental pollution is a form of a negative externality. Most economic actions of firms contribute towards some external cost. This is illustrated below. The cost of producing oil, to a firm is C. However, this is only the private cost of production of oil – i.e. the cost of manufacturing oil to the firm, which includes its fixed and variable costs. The firm pays C to produce an output of Q. However, it does not take into account the social cost of producing oil. The social cost is the private cost plus any external costs. In this case, the external cost is the vertical distance between the two supply curves, E1T. The oil factory emits harmful chemicals which damages the environment. This, in the long run, causes health problems for the local residents, as it contaminates the air, soil and water. These infected inhabitants will need to be treated at the NHS. This is ultimately funded by the government, who pays the cost of cleanup. In order to bare this cost on the firm, the government must try to equate MPC with MSC, as the product is currently being overproduced, from society's point of view. In order to do this, it must set policies to shift the MPC curve leftwards to the MSC curve, by basically reducing supply. At this point, the cost to the firm will be C1 at an output level of Q1. At this reduced output level, a social optimum point will be reached. However, reducing production can lead to a firms cost increasing, as it moves leftwards on the AC curve. If such an increase in costs comes from a more vital product, say oil, it can cause cost-push inflation in the economy. We shall now take a real-life example of the French oil industry and a French oil company called TotalFinaElf. TFE has consistently been leading the list for the worst French polluters, followed by other French oil firms. The French government, a couple of years ago decided to implement more stringent policies in order to reduce pollution and environmental damage. The policies that were implemented have been discussed below. 1. The first policy implemented was a flat rate tax. The tax leads to an increase in the cost of production, a reduction in production and hence a reduction in pollution. The social optimum point of production is at OQ, where the firm pays tax equal to EQ. This is equal to its marginal profit in pollution and hence there is no profit on the last unit. However, the French government soon realised that such a policy was not very effective for a number of reasons. It placed the same amount of tax on producers regardless of their size and regardless how much they individually polluted the atmosphere. It was very difficult to place a monetary value on the extent of the damage and hence the tax rate. Oil is a necessity and has an inelastic demand. For this reason, the oil producers were able to pass on most of the tax cost onto the consumer and hence it had no effect on reducing pollution caused by these firms. 2. Another policy that was thought of, but not implemented was a form of regulation. Under this policy the French government would allow production of oil of OQ barrels. Beyond this limit, the French government decided to ban production of oil. However, this policy was not put into effect because of the fact that demand for oil is inelastic. Reducing supply, would lead to an increase in price and hence cost-push inflation. (Draw diag.) The French government has still not decided on an appropriate policy to implement. The French government is trying to implement a policy which combines property rights and environmental taxes. They have realised that it is very difficult to extend property rights and identify the polluter. The Kyoto Protocol The policies implemented by various nations, to limit greenhouse gas emissions have had a fairly adverse effect on their economies and industries. The Kyoto Protocol was set up to alleviate these adverse effects and to continue pursuing the goal of reducing pollution and environmental degradation. The purpose of the mechanisms described in the protocol, entails channeling investments in energy efficient and energy conservation to countries and projects where the cost per unit of emissions reduction is lowest. This concept would entail a large-scale resource transfer from relatively energy-efficient, high cost countries to energy-inefficient, low cost countries. The pact requires industrialised countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 8% of the 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012 The establishment of emissions reduction targets was a very complicated issue in the early phase of the international negotiations. Many countries could point to special circumstances that justified a more lax treatment of them compared to other countries. This argument was accepted to a limited extent. Notably, Russia and the Ukraine were given a zero target as opposed to the western industrialized countries that would have to reduce their emissions by 2010. The Kyoto Protocol uses a system of pollution permits which can be traded on an international market. The USA is opposed to this treaty, because it claims that it will have a devastating effect on its economy. It claims that it will lead to serious job losses, inflation and a fall in GDP. How – We have seen that pollution occurs because of overproduction and over consumption. Reducing production will lead to more factors of production becoming unemployed, and also a fall in GDP. This has brought various criticisms, especially from the UK. All nations claim that the USA, by a large margin, is the world's largest polluter and hence should sign the treaty for the well-being of future generations. â€Å"The US contains 4% of the world's population but produces about 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions. By comparison, Britain emits 3% – about the same as India which has 15 times as many people† Source: BBC President Bush â€Å"Under the Protocol, the U.S. is supposed to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by seven percent. With four percent of the world's population, the country accounts for about 25 percent of the Earth's greenhouse gas emissions† European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m says ‘But this ignorant, short sighted and selfish politician, long since firmly jammed into the pockets of the oil lobby, clearly couldn't care less. The talks in Bonn in July must now concentrate on world action independent of the U.S.' â€Å"

Friday, November 8, 2019

Writing a Statistics Term Paper A Complete Guide

Writing a Statistics Term Paper A Complete Guide A term paper in statistics pursues the same goal as any other term paper – to teach you how to carry out independent research within the confines of a specific topic. For educational purposes, this task is limited both in time and size. As is apparent from its name, a term paper is written over the course of an academic term – the assignment is given close to its start, and a student has to gather research materials, find relevant data sets, analyze them and present his findings by its end. The difference from term papers in other disciplines lies in the contents of the task – statistics deal with facts and dry statistical data, leaving no place for conjectures, emotional evaluations and anything else not firmly established in the realm of fact. You should both select your sources and arrange your own writing along these lines if you want your work to be evaluated positively. An average statistics term paper is about 15 pages long; however, you should consult your instructor to know for sure what the requirements for your particular task are. How to Choose a Topic for Your Statistics Term Paper: Ideas from Our Writers In some cases, statistics professors will give you a topic to work with, but more often than not, you are relatively free in your choice of subject material. Topics for statistics research can come from virtually any discipline – from history and sociology to physics and mathematics. Most often, the choice of a particular discipline is what is going to be imposed on you, leaving everything else to you. If you are given any amount of freedom in this matter, you should use it to the fullest. Try to choose a topic you won’t have trouble navigating and already know where to get at least basic statistical data on. This will not just save you time that would otherwise have been spent looking for reliable information sources, but will also make the writing process per se more enjoyable and efficient; Try looking at the data at your disposal from an unusual angle, probably even thinking about a less than an orthodox hypothesis to form on the basis of this information. Remember – in statistics, it isn’t necessary to prove the hypothesis you’ve put forward initially. You are supposed to provide its meticulous analysis, but the results may be either in its favor or against it. It doesn’t influence your grade – the only thing that matters for your instructor is if your analysis is sound; Look through the titles of existing works dealing with the same general direction of research you intend to pursue. This will help you select a subject matter that isn’t trite and covered in a dozen almost identically named research papers already. The fastest way to do so is to run a couple of searches in several online academic databases. Microsoft Academic Search and Google Scholar are good free variants; if you need more, check with your college – many universities have subscriptions with paid databases, both universal, like JSTOR, and dealing with individual disciplines. If a particular title and its derivatives crop up too often, it may be a good idea to choose something else; Try not to read other people’s works unless you are really unfamiliar with the topic of your statistical analysis. This will keep your thinking and perception of the subject matter unaffected by the opinions of other researchers, allowing you to fully express your point of view. If you are in doubt if the topic you’ve come up with is passable, here are a few examples for you: Comparing the Patterns of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Developed and Developing Countries Over the Last Decade; Correlations between the Human Development Index and Environmental Pollution Levels; Correlations between Caffeine Consumption and Students’ Performance on Tests; Relationships between the Results of Presidential Elections and Stock Prices; Crimes Typical for Different Age Groups. As you can see, statistics is a truly versatile discipline – it can be applied to virtually any discipline and net interesting results. Preparation Sources Your instructor is supposed to discuss with you in what proportion you should use the data you’ve gathered personally and the data you’ve found in other academic sources. As a term paper is mostly an educational assignment, usually the emphasis is placed not on data collection but on its analysis – which means that it is alright if some of the data used in your paper is the result of your own work, but you shouldn’t spend too much time looking for it. Your instructor wants to check how well you understand the principles of statistical analysis, and the more effort you put in this part of the work, the better. All in all, when working with sources you should use the following principles: Don’t overdo things. Ask your instructor the minimum and maximum numbers of sources you may use. To an extent, the necessary number of sources depends on the size of your paper, but the last word belongs to the instructor, even his demands seem to be unreasonable. As a rule of a thumb you may use the correlation of at least 1 source per every page of your paper, but no less than 3 or 4; Other than datasets, the majority of your sources should come from peer-reviewed academic journals. Other sources (books, articles, online resources etc.) can be used as well but they are perceived as less valuable than purely academic ones; Use both primary and secondary sources. Primary ones are direct sources of information that contain first-hand data on the subject matter (reports, documents, interviews, etc.). Secondary ones are works by other researchers who studied the topic before you. Put special emphasis on primary sources – one of the main purposes of your work is to show that you are capable of independent statistical analysis of information and don’t have to rely on other people’s findings; Be careful when using usual search engines to look for sources. Give your preference to special academic searches like the aforementioned Google Scholar; For statistical data, use sources that have reliable governmental and private organizations behind them. For example, United States Census Bureau or the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology – with these you can be reasonably sure all the information you get there is going to be trustworthy. After all, if you use faulty statistics in your research it immediately undermines any value your work may have; Avoid using Wikipedia and other public sources of information. While it can provide an excellent entry point into a topic you don’t know anything about yet, it cannot be considered to be a reliable source of information because it is open for editing to everyone – there is no guarantee that the latest edit wasn’t done by someone with an agenda concerning your subject matter. Thesis Statement The primary idea or point your term paper makes put into a single sentence is called a thesis statement. You should clearly differentiate it from the topic of your paper. While the topic delineates the general area of your research, (e.g., ‘Causes of Errors in Healthcare Prescription’), your thesis statement is a statement that expresses your hypothesis on the subject matter (e.g., ‘The most widespread reason for errors in healthcare prescription is inconsistency in technological information’). The rest of the paper may support or disprove this hypothesis, and your main job is to find out the truth about it. As for what a thesis statement should be like, make sure to follow these suggestions: Keep it no longer than one medium-sized sentence, two at the most; Be specific, laconic and unambiguous. Your thesis statement should make it immediately obvious for anyone who reads it what your paper is about and what you are trying to prove, without any potential for miscommunication; Make sure it consists of a single statement and doesn’t sprawl into two or more, even if they seem to be fairly well connected. If you cannot bring it down to a single point, in most cases it means that your paper lacks focus, and you will have trouble working with it; Reread it critically after you finish writing. The results of your statistical analysis can make it necessary to alter it. Outline An outline is a plan of your paper that you need to prepare before you start working on the main body of your assignment. Some students believe this stage to be excessive as long as they keep the primary elements of their work in their heads, but practice shows that every minute spent planning can save you a lot of time, effort and nervous energy later on. It guarantees you won’t have to rewrite anything in a hurry and simply put every thought on paper where it should be. Outlines come in two basic varieties: Short or topic outline – every segment of the paper and each body paragraph is expressed by a couple of words denoting its topic; Detailed or sentence outline – parts of the paper are expressed with complete sentences. This approach is generally used in larger assignments, but you are free to use it anywhere you like if it is more in accordance with your style. Writing The optimal order of writing is to start with a thesis statement, follow up with the body paragraphs, then write a conclusion and finish everything up with the introduction. It may seem counterintuitive, but in reality, your perspective is likely to change many times throughout any research, and if you start with an introduction you will probably have to rewrite it from scratch; Don’t explain the fundamental principles of statistical analysis. Your term paper should assume that the reader is well familiar with the procedure and doesn’t need explanations. You should only provide them if you take some unexpected or unusual steps in the course of your research; Limit yourself to one idea per paragraph. Statistics term papers are complex and full of different types of data, which means that you should use every opportunity to make yourself clearer. By using a single idea per paragraph, you make it obvious for the reader how your argument is structured, and your paper becomes easier to follow. Keep the structure of each paragraph consistent with the rest of the paper: the first sentence explains what the paragraph is about, the rest dig deeper into the subject and explain things; Check if your readers can effortlessly reproduce the procedures you used to achieve your results. You can do this by asking one of your peers to read through your paper and tell you if they understand enough of it or need any additional data to reproduce your work process. If they cannot, you should add everything necessary to fill in the blanks. Proofreading A statistics term paper writing submitted without first going through rigorous proofreading and revision is incapable of fulfilling its full potential. You may be sick and tired of your assignment by this point, but if you hand it in as it is, you are doing yourself a poor favor. The following statistics term paper writing tips will make revision faster and more efficient: Read the style guide and consult your instructor before setting about revising the paper. If the style guide contradicts direct instructions anywhere, make sure you follow what your instructor says when correcting the mistakes; Ask one of your peers to check your paper (perhaps in exchange for a similar favor) for flaws. As the author, you miss many potentially very bad mistakes; Eliminate everything inconsistent with the style appropriate in a statistics paper. That means all emotional language, colloquial expressions, contractions, jargon, slang and so on; Check your paper for the signs of bias and biased language. Ask the peers who read your paper if they can notice anything of the kind. Can they accuse you of being subjective? If the answer is affirmative, make the necessary changes; Check your paper for consistency. Do you use the same terms and expressions when referring to particular concepts throughout your text? Don’t try to use synonyms or paraphrases – statistics is primarily concerned with the exactness of information, not the beauty of language. Statistics assignments are complicated and may be difficult for those who aren’t used to them; we hope that this statistics term paper writing guide will be enough to help you deal with your next job of this type!